Hybrid control of haptic feedback for host computer and interface device

• US 8,279,172 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Braun, Adam C., Martin, Kenneth M., Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US13/070,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20110241852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169, 345/173, 715700-702
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• 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 3/011 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: G09B 9/28 Simulation of stick forces or the like

Abstract

A hybrid haptic feedback system in which a host computer and haptic feedback device share processing loads to various degrees in the output of haptic sensations, and features for efficient output of haptic sensations in such a system. A haptic feedback interface device in communication with a host computer includes a device microcontroller outputting force values to the actuator to control output forces. In various embodiments, the microcontroller can determine force values for one type of force effect while receiving force values computed by the host computer for a different type of force effect. For example, the microcontroller can determine closed loop effect values and receive computed open loop effect values from the host; or the microcontroller can determine high frequency open loop effect values and receive low frequency open loop effect values from the host. Various features allow the host to efficiently stream computed force values to the device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is encoded processor-executable program code, the computer-readable medium comprising:

program code for determining whether a device provides requested functionality, wherein the device comprises a haptic device; and

program code for implementing an emulation layer, wherein the emulation layer is configured to emulate the requested functionality, wherein the requested functionality comprises haptic functionality.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program code for implementing the emulation layer is configured to implement the emulation layer when the device is determined to not provide the requested functionality.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program code for implementing the emulation layer is configured to implement the emulation layer below a device driver.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program code for implementing the emulation layer at the low level is configured to implement the emulation layer below a haptic driver.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the program code for implementing the emulation layer is configured to implement the emulation layer to receive haptic commands from the haptic driver.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program code for implementing the emulation layer is configured to implement the emulation layer above a haptic driver.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the program code for implementing the emulation layer is configured to implement the emulation layer just below an application program.

8. A system comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a processor in communication with the computer-readable medium, the processor configured to;

determine whether a device provides requested functionality, the device comprising a haptic device; and

implement an emulation layer, wherein the emulation layer is configured to emulate the requested functionality, wherein the requested functionality comprises haptic functionality.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to implement the emulation layer when the device is determined to not provide the requested functionality.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to implement the emulation layer below a device driver.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to implement the emulation layer below a haptic driver.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to implement the emulation layer to receive haptic commands from a haptic driver.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to implement the emulation layer above a haptic driver.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to implement the emulation layer just below an application program.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by one of one or more processors, whether a device provides requested functionality, the device comprising a haptic device; and

implementing, by one of the one or more processors, an emulation layer, wherein the emulation layer is configured to emulate the requested functionality, wherein the requested functionality comprises haptic functionality.