Interface device with tactile responsiveness

• US 7,812,820 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Haberman, Seth M., Schuler, Chester L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Srilakshmi K
• Application Number:
  US10/072,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,169 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 700 83- 87, 700/17, 318/561, 318/601
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/108 characterised by physical layout of switches; switches co-operating with display; use of switches in a special way
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/231 the positional error is used to control continuously the servomotor according to its magnitude
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23053 Knob with tactile feedback, representing clicks, detents programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35459 Knob, handle, handwheel delivers pulses, electronic handwheel, digipot
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37396 Tactile feedback, operator feels reaction, force reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/43186 Pulses from handle, knob, hand wheel control speed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45184 Filming, photography, camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03549 Trackballs G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/02 Editing, e.g. varying the order of information signals recorded on, or reproduced from, record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction

Abstract

A method and apparatus implementing a user interface device, such as a mouse or trackball, having electronically controllable tactile responsiveness which is flexibly programmable. A user interface device effects positioning of a cursor within a limited area, such as on a display screen, with limits imposed by controllable tactile responsiveness. Programmable force-position characteristics relate the tactile responsiveness of the interface device to the position of the cursor within the limited area or on the display screen. In a described embodiment, the interface device includes at least two sets of wheels that move as the interface device is actuated. The at least two sets of wheels are aligned on mutually orthogonal axes. A servo motor is attached to each of the at least two sets of wheels. A position encoder is associated with each servo motor and outputs position information to a controller that has access to force-position relation information that is a function of a screen display on which the cursor is manipulated. The controller outputs a digital signal, in accordance with the force-display position relation information. The digital signal is converted to an analog current signal applied to the servo motor(s) to generate force in the servo motor. The force, presenting a tactile response to a human interacting with the user interface device, is perceived as a resistance, tactile pressure or lack thereof, or as a positive, assisted motion which is indicative of position on a screen display.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

an actuator having a user interface, the actuator being configured to output haptic feedback to the user interface, the haptic feedback including a modulating force simulating a plurality of electronically defined stop positions;

a data storage component configured to store torque data associated with the haptic feedback simulating a plurality of electronically defined stop positions, the torque data being associated with a force profiles, the torque data being provided by a host computer based on a selection of at least one force profile from the plurality of force profiles based on a host software application running on the host computer;

a sensor coupled to the user interface, the sensor being configured to send position information associated with a position of the user interface to the host computer; and

a local controller coupled to the data storage component and the actuator, the local controller being configured to be in communication with the host computer, the local controller being configured to receive position data from the host software application of the host computer, the local controller being configured to send a control signal to the actuator based on the position data and the torque data to simulate the plurality of electronically defined stop positions.

2. The device of claim 1, the actuator being a first actuator, the device further comprising a second actuator, the local controller being configured to output the control signal to the first and second actuators, the first and second actuators configured to produce the haptic feedback.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the data storage component is configured to receive and store a plurality of torque values from the host computer.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein each of the torque values is associated with a different tactile sensation.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the data storage component is external to the local controller.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the data storage component is resident on the local controller.

7. A device, comprising:

a user interface, the user interface being configured to provide haptic feedback simulating a plurality of electronically defined stop positions based on a plurality of torque data values associated with a processor executable application, the haptic feedback simulating a plurality of electronically defined stop positions being associated with a plurality of force output profiles, each of the plurality of force output profiles being uniquely associated with a torque data value from the plurality of torque data values;

a local data storage component configured to store the plurality of torque data values, the plurality of torque data values being provided by a host computer based on a selection of a force output profile from the plurality of force output profiles based on the processor executable application;

a sensor coupled to the user interface, the sensor being configured to send a position signal associated with a position of the user interface to the host computer; and

a local controller coupled to the local data storage component and the sensor, the local controller configured to receive position information from the host computer, the local controller being configured to control the haptic feedback simulating a plurality of electronically defined stop positions in response to the position information and based on the plurality of torque data values.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the user interface is at least a portion of an actuator, the actuator being configured to provide the haptic feedback.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the data storage component is external to the local controller.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the data storage component is resident on the local controller.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the local data storage component is configured to receive data from a remote processor.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving a position signal at a local controller, the position signal being based on at least one of a position and a movement of a user interface;

generating a control signal based on torque data and the position signal, the torque data being provided to the local memory device by a host computer based on a selection of a torque profile associated with a computer program running on the host computer; and

transmitting the control signal to the user interface to output haptic feedback simulating a plurality of electronically defined stop positions at the user interface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the torque data includes a plurality of data values, each data value from the plurality of data values being associated with different tactile sensations of the haptic feedback.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving at a local memory device the torque data from the host computer, the torque data including an input signal identifying the computer program running on the host computer.