Methods, apparatus, and article for force feedback based on tension control and tracking through cables

• US 8,547,328 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MIMIC Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MIMIC Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Berkley, Jeffrey J., Vollenweider, Marc, Kim, Seahak
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PREMAL R
• Application Number:
  US13/242,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-163, 434/262, 703/4, 45156-163
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

A haptic interface system includes a cable based haptic interface device and a controller. The controller receives information related to movement of a grip in real-space and generates a stereoscopic output for a display device. The stereoscopic output includes images of a virtual reality tool whose motions mimic motions of the real-space grip.

Claims

1. A dual-handed cable based user interface, comprising:

a structure having a front user side and an opposed rear side separated from the front user side by a longitudinal distance, the structure defining a transverse width extending generally between opposed right and left sides of the structure, wherein three points of the structure define a first plane, each point configured to have a respective cable segment of a first set of cables extending therefrom to a first grip, wherein three other points of the structure define a second plane, each other point configured to have a respective cable segment of a second set of cables extending therefrom to a second grip, the first plane and the second plane extending at least partially between the front user side and the rear side of the structure and being generally parallel to each other.

2. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a first set of at least three cable guides, each one of the cable guides of the first set of at least three cable guides positioned at one of the three points defining the first plane; and

a second set of at least three cable guides, each one of the cable guides of the second set of at least three cable guides positioned at one of the three points defining the second plane.

3. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 2, wherein the first set of at least three cable guides includes at least a first pulley coupled to the structure and positioned at a first one of the three points defining the first plane.

4. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 3, wherein the first set of at least three cable guides includes at least a second and a third pulley coupled to the structure and positioned at a second one and a third one of the three points defining the first plane, respectively.

5. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 1, wherein the structure includes a base extending longitudinally between the front user side and the opposed rear side and extending transversely between the right side and the left side of the structure and further includes a right side arm and a left side arm that are positioned at the right side and the left side of the structure, respectively, the right side arm and the left side arm extending generally upward from the base.

6. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 5, further comprising:

a display device positioned between the right and the left sides of the structure and positioned proximal to the rear side of the base and viewable between the right side and the left side arms of the structure to a user positioned at the front user side of the structure.

7. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 5, wherein each one of the right side arm and the left side arm includes an upper portion distal from the base, and wherein the structure includes a cross member extending between the upper portions of the right and the left side arms.

8. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 7, further comprising:

a display device positioned between the right and the left sides of the structure and coupled to the cross member and positioned proximal to the front user side of the structure.

9. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 8, wherein the display device is a stereoscopic display device.

10. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 9, wherein the stereoscopic display device includes a right side display and a left side display.

11. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a display device positioned between the right and the left sides of the structure and is viewable a user positioned at the front user side of the structure.

12. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 1, wherein the structure defines a left side and a right side, wherein the left side of the structure defines a seventh point configured to have a respective cable segment of the first set of cables extending therefrom to the first grip, and the right side of the structure defines an eighth point configured to have a respective cable segment of the second set of cables extending therefrom to the second grip.

13. A dual-handed cable based haptic interface device, comprising:

a support structure having opposed first and second sides with a cross member and a base extending therebetween, the base having a front user side and an opposed rear side separated from the front user side by a longitudinal distance, the first side, the second side, the cross member and the base arranged to define an opening having a transverse width that is generally parallel to the front user side of the base, wherein a first set of three points of the support structure define a first plane, each point of the first set of three points configured to have a respective cable segment of a first set of cables extending therefrom to a first grip, wherein a second set of three other points of the support structure define a second plane, each point of the second set of three points configured to have a respective cable segment of a second set of cables extending therefrom to a second grip, the first plane and the second plane extending at least partially between the front user side and the rear side of the support structure, wherein none of the points of the first set of points are transversely aligned with another point of the first set of points, and wherein none of the points of the second set of points are transversely aligned with another point of the second set of points.

14. The dual-handed cable based haptic interface device of claim 13, wherein the first plane and the second plane are generally parallel to each other.

15. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 13, wherein the first side of the structure defines a seventh point configured to have a respective cable segment of the first set of cables extending therefrom to the first grip, and the second side of the structure defines an eighth point configured to have a respective cable segment of the second set of cables extending therefrom to the second grip.

16. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 13, wherein the first set of three points and the second set of three points are each proximal to an approximate center of the transverse width.

17. The dual-handed cable based haptic interface device of claim 16, further comprising:

a display device coupled to the cross member between the first side and the second side and viewable to a user positioned at the front user side of the support structure.

18. The dual-handed cable based haptic interface device of claim 17, wherein the display device is a stereoscopic display device.

19. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 18, wherein the stereoscopic display device includes a right side display and a left side display.

20. A dual-handed cable based user interface, comprising:

a structure having a front user side and an opposed rear side separated from the front user side by a longitudinal distance, the structure defining a transverse width extending generally between opposed right and left sides of the structure, wherein three points of the structure define a first plane, each point configured to have a respective cable segment of a first set of cables extending therefrom to a first grip, wherein three other points of the structure define a second plane, each other point configured to have a respective cable segment of a second set of cables extending therefrom to a second grip, the first plane and the second plane extending at least partially between the front user side and the rear side of the structure, wherein none of the points defining the first plane are transversely aligned with each other and none of the other points defining the second plane are transversely aligned with each other.

21. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 20, further comprising:

a display device positioned between the right and the left sides of the structure and viewable to a user positioned at the front user side of the structure.

22. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 20, wherein at least one plane of the first and the second planes is approximately vertically aligned.

23. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 22, wherein both the first plane and the second plane are approximately vertically aligned.

24. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 23, wherein the structure includes a base extending longitudinally between the front user side and the opposed rear side and extending transversely between the right side and the left side of the structure and further includes a right side arm and a left side arm that are positioned at the right side and the left side of the structure, respectively, the right side arm and the left side arm extending generally upward from the base.

25. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 24, further comprising:

a display device positioned between the right and the left sides of the structure and positioned proximal to the rear side of the base and viewable between the right side and the left side arms of the structure to a user positioned at the front user side of the structure.

26. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 24, wherein each one of the right side arm and the left side arm includes an upper portion distal from the base, and wherein the structure includes a cross member extending between the upper portions of the right and the left side arms.

27. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 26, further comprising:

a display device coupled to the cross member and positioned proximal to the front user side of the structure and viewable to a user positioned at the front user side of the structure.

28. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 27, wherein the display device is a stereoscopic display device.

29. The dual-handed cable based user interface of claim 20, wherein the left side of the structure defines a seventh point configured to have a respective cable segment of the first set of cables extending therefrom to the first grip, and the right side of the structure defines an eighth point configured to have a respective cable segment of the second set of cables extending therefrom to the second grip.