Method and apparatus for controlling force feedback interface systems utilizing a host computer

• US 8,077,145 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B., Braun, Adam C., Levin, Mike D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A
• Application Number:
  US11/227,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 345/184, 715/701, 715/702, 463/30, 463/38, 434/45, 244/223, 318/568.1, 318/568.11
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/21 characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/04 by measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/008 using coordinate measuring machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/004 for measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4207 in which a model is traced or scanned and corresponding data recorded
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04777 with additional push or pull action on the handle
• 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 2203/014 : Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 : Force feedback applied to a joystick
• 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 3/038 : Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 : Signal control means within the pointing device
• 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 for controlling and providing force feedback using an interface device manipulated by a user. A microprocessor is provided local to the interface device and reads sensor data from sensors that describes the position and/or other information about a user object moved by the user, such as a joystick. The microprocessor controls actuators to provide forces on the user object and provides the sensor data to a host computer that is coupled to the interface device. The host computer sends high level host commands to the local microprocessor, and the microprocessor independently implements a local reflex process based on the high level command to provide force values to the actuators using sensor data and other parameters. A provided host command protocol includes a variety of different types of host commands and associated command parameters. By providing a relatively small set of high level host commands and parameters which are translated into a panoply of forces, the protocol further shifts the computational burden from the host computer to the local microprocessor and allows a software developer to easily create force feedback applications.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a host computer system for receiving an input control signal and for providing a high-level host command having at least one parameter to control forces, wherein said at least one parameter comprises magnitude parameter or a duration parameter, wherein said host computer system updates a process in response to said input control signal, and wherein said host computer system is configured to provide said high-level host command in response to receiving said input control signal; and

a user interface apparatus comprising a housing and a user-manipulable object, and having disposed within the housing;

a processor for receiving said high-level host command from said host computer system and in response to receiving said high-level host command, generating a processor output control signal based on the high-level host command and the at least one parameter, wherein, if said parameter is a magnitude parameter, a magnitude of the processor output control signal is based on said magnitude parameter, wherein, if said parameter is a duration parameter, a duration of the processor output control signal is based on said duration parameter, and generating and providing the processor output control signal based on said sensor signal,

an actuator for receiving said processor output control signal and providing a force along a degree of freedom to said user-manipulable object in accordance with said processor output control signal, said user-manipulable object being coupled to said actuator and being graspable and movable by said user, and

a sensor for detecting motion of said user-manipulable object along said degree of freedom and outputting a sensor signal including information representative of the position and motion of said user-manipulable object, wherein said processor is further configured to provide said input control signal to said host computer system.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said processor implements one of a plurality of reflex processes selected in accordance with said high-level host command and said parameters to provide said processor output control signal to said actuator in response to said position and motion of said user-manipulable object independently of said high-level host command.

3. A system as recited in claim 2 wherein a magnitude of said force output by said actuator is determined by a force value output in said processor output control signal, said force value determined by said selected reflex process based on said at least one parameter included in said high-level host command.

4. A system as recited in claim 3 wherein a direction along said degree of freedom of said force output by said actuator is determined by an indication of direction in said processor output control signal, said direction determined by said selected reflex process according to said at least one parameter included in said high-level host command.

5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one parameter includes a direction parameter determining the direction and degrees of freedom of said force output by said actuator.

6. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one parameter includes button parameters which designate a button coupled to said processor and determine a magnitude, direction, and duration of a force output by said actuators upon receipt of an indication of a button press.

7. A system as recited in claim 3 wherein said host computer system is configured to display images on a visual output device and to manipulate said images in accordance with a position and a motion of said user-manipulable object.

8. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein said images include a computer object in a computer environment directly mapped to a position of said user object, and wherein said high-level host command is a position control command operative to cause forces to be output directly in accordance with the location of said computer object and said user object.

9. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein said images include a computer object in a computer environment, wherein a motion of said computer object is directly mapped to a position of said user object, and wherein said high-level host command is a rate control command operative to cause a force to be output in accordance with a position of said user object in said degree of freedom and in accordance with a computer environment of said computer object.

10. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein said images include a computer object in a computer environment under control of said user, and

wherein said images include a computer object under control of said user, and

wherein said high-level host command provides at least one local position control parameter to cause output forces to be output in accordance with a location of said computer object and said user object, and provides at least one global rate control parameter to cause output forces to be output in accordance with said computer environment and said user object.

11. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein said host computer and said processor are coupled together by a serial interface.

12. A system as recited in claim 11 wherein said serial interface includes a Universal Serial Bus interface.

13. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a force feedback interface device comprising a housing and a user-manipulable object having a degree of freedom;

sensing positions of said user-manipulable object along said degree of freedom with a sensor disposed within the housing and producing electrical sensor signals therefrom;

utilizing a microprocessor disposed within the housing to communicate with said host computer system to provide said electrical sensor signals to said host computer system and to receive a high-level host command from said host computer system, said high-level host command including at least one parameter and generated in response to said electrical sensor signals, wherein said at least one parameter comprises magnitude parameter or a duration parameter; and

in response to receiving said high-level host command, creating a force on said user-manipulable object along said degree of freedom by independently utilizing said microprocessor and said high-level host command to control an actuator disposed within the housing and coupled to said user-manipulable object, wherein, if said parameter is a magnitude parameter, a magnitude of the force is based on said magnitude parameter, wherein, if said parameter is a duration parameter, a duration of the force is based on said duration parameter.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein said step of creating a force on said user-manipulable object includes the steps of:

selecting a reflex process by said microprocessor in accordance with said high-level host command; and

outputting processor force commands from said microprocessor to said actuator utilizing said reflex process and said electrical sensor signals.