Force feedback device including actuator with moving magnet

• US 7,944,433 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2004
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Schena, Bruce M., Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier; Jeffery A
• Application Number:
  US10/794,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20040227727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,626 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345/161, 345/163, 345/184, 715/701, 715/702, 463/30, 463 36- 38, 341/20, 744/71.XY, 336/40, 336/117, 336/130, 273/148.R, 310 12- 15, 310/17, 310/23, 310/28, 310/75.R, 335/179, 335/220, 335/229
• US Class Current: 345/161
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04748 Position sensor for rotary movement, e.g. potentiometer
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04755 Magnetic sensor, e.g. hall generator, pick-up coil
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas

Abstract

A force feedback interface device is coupled to a host computer that displays a graphical environment, the device including a user manipulatable object physically contacted and moveable by a user. A sensor detects a position of the user object and provides a sensor signal to the host computer, where the sensor signal includes information representative of the position of the user object. An actuator is coupled to the device or user object and outputs a force on the user manipulatable object or a housing of the device. The actuator includes a magnet and a grounded coil, where the magnet moves approximately within a plane with respect to the coil, and wherein a current is provided in the coil to generate the force. Other embodiments provide a magnet that moves in a linear degree of freedom within a coil housing, or provide an at least partially spherical magnet providing rotary degrees of freedom to a user manipulatable object coupled to the magnet. One embodiment includes a planar frame support mechanism.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a frame coupled to a ground surface by a plurality of bearings;

a manipulatable object coupled to the frame and moveable in at least one degree of freedom;

at least one sensor configured to output a sensor signal based on a position of the manipulatable object; and

an actuator configured to output a force in response to receiving a force feedback signal, the actuator including a magnet and a grounded coil, the magnet coupled to the frame, the actuator configured to produce the force when the grounded coil is energized with a current, the grounded coil coupled to the ground surface.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a local processor configured to receive host commands from a host processor, the local processor configured to output the force feedback signal to the actuator.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the manipulatable object is configured to move in at least two linear degrees of freedom.

4. The device of claim 1, the actuator being a first actuator, the device further comprising a second actuator coupled to the manipulatable object and configured to output a force feedback in a second degree of freedom different from the first degree of freedom, the force feedback associated with the second degree of freedom being different from the force feedback associated with the first degree of freedom, the first degree of freedom and the second degree of freedom defining a plane.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

6. A device, comprising:

a frame coupled to a ground surface by a plurality of bearings;

a manipulatable object coupled to the frame and moveable in at least two linear degrees of freedom;

at least one sensor configured to output a sensor signal based on a position of the manipulatable object; and

a plurality of actuators configured to output a force to the manipulatable object, each actuator from the plurality of actuators including a magnet and a grounded coil, the magnet coupled to the frame, the actuator to produce the force feedback when the grounded coil is energized with a current, the grounded coil for each actuator from the plurality of actuators coupled to the ground surface.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of indentations and wherein each bearing from the plurality of bearings includes a ball, a portion of each ball being positioned in one of the plurality indentations, each ball being configured to allow movement of the frame in the two planar degrees of freedom.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the magnet of each actuator from the plurality of actuators is coupled to the frame, the coil of each actuator from the plurality of actuators is disposed around a projection, the projection extending approximately perpendicular to the plane defined by the two linear degrees of freedom.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of actuators comprises a first actuator and a second actuator, the first actuator configured to output a force feedback in a first degree of freedom and the second actuator configured to output a force feedback in a second degree of freedom different from the first degree of freedom.