Tactile force sense presenting device, electronic device terminal applied with tactile force sense presenting device, and tactile force sense presenting method

• US 8,976,045 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Norieda, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US13/148,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20110316724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20
• US Class Current: 341/20
• 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

Abstract

A tactile force sense presenting device of the present invention includes: an operation unit which includes an operation lever to be operated by an operator, and a movement guide surface which guides an input of a slide motion of the operation lever in the XY-planar direction and an input of a push-in motion of the operation lever in the Z-axis direction at a specific position on the XY-plane; a detection unit which detects the input of the slide motion of the operation lever in the XY-planar direction and the input of the push-in motion of the operation lever in the Z-axis direction; a calculation control unit which calculates a force corresponding to an operation of the operation lever, based on detection results of the detection unit; and a drive transmission unit which includes a driving unit including at least one actuator, and which causes, based on calculation results of the calculation control unit, the driving unit to generate a resistive force of the operation lever with respect to the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction and an adjusting force of the operation lever with respect to the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.

Claims

1. A tactile force sense presenting device comprising:

an operation lever;

a movement guide surface for bounding a slide motion of the operation lever in a first XY-planar direction and a push-in motion of the operation lever in a first Z-axis direction;

at least one controller configured to;

determine the slide motion of the operation lever in the first XY-planar direction and the push-in motion of the operation lever in the first Z-axis direction;

determine a resistive force in a second XY-planar direction based on the slide motion; and

determine an adjusting force in a third XY-planar direction based on the push-in motion of the operation lever; and

at least one actuator to apply the resistive force and the adjusting force to the operation lever.

2. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator pulls the operation lever toward a specific position with a pulling force caused by a wire.

3. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator applies a force sufficient to move the operation lever in at least one of a fourth XY-planar direction and a second Z-axis direction to move the operation lever toward a specific position.

4. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper configured to:

prevent the slide motion of the operation lever in the first XY-planar direction by applying at least one of the resistive force and the adjusting force.

5. The tactile force presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to:

determine an XY-position of the operation lever on an XY; and

determine a Z-position of the operation lever on a Z-axis.

6. The tactile force presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to:

determine a first input force of the operation lever in the first XY-planar direction; and

determine a second input force of the operation lever in the first Z-axis direction.

7. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator uses one of a clockwise rotation and a counterclockwise rotation of a motor.

8. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one BioMetal actuator providing a compressing force.

9. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator uses a clockwise rotation and a counterclockwise rotation of a motor.

21. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a second resistive force in a second Z-axis direction, and wherein the at least one actuator further applies the second resistive force to the operating lever.

10. A tactile force sense presenting device comprising:

an operation lever;

a movement guide surface for bounding a slide motion of the operation lever in a first XY-planar direction and a push-in motion of the operation lever in a first Z-axis direction;

at least one controller configured to;

determine the slide motion of the operation lever in the first XY-planar direction and the push-in motion of the operation lever in the first Z-axis direction;

determine a resistive force in a second XY-planar direction based on the slide motion;

determine an adjusting force in a third XY-planar direction based on the push-in motion of the operation lever;

determine a simulating force based at least in part on virtual physical data in a database; and

update the virtual physical data by simulating a physical phenomenon in a virtual space; and

at least one actuator for applying the resistive force, the adjusting force, and the simulating force.

11. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 10, wherein the virtual physical data further comprises:

at least one virtual object comprising a spring coefficient, a damper coefficient, and a mass coefficient; and

a virtual pointer in the virtual space corresponding to a physical position of the operation lever.

12. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to translate a physical movement of the operation lever into a virtual movement of the virtual pointer in the virtual space.

13. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 10, wherein the virtual movement of the virtual pointer is based at least in part on a speed of movement of the operation lever.

14. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one actuator applies the resistive force to pull the operation lever toward a specific position.

15. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one actuator stops a movement of the operation lever.

22. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a second resistive force in a second Z-axis direction, and wherein the at least one actuator further applies the second resistive force to the operating lever.

16. A tactile force sense presenting method comprising:

bounding a slide motion of an operation lever in a first XY-planar direction and a push-in motion of the operation lever in a first Z-axis direction;

determining the slide motion of the operation lever in the first XY-planar direction and the push-in motion of the operation lever in the first Z-axis direction;

determining a resistive force in a second XY-planar direction based on the slide motion;

determining an adjusting force in a third XY-planar direction based on the push-in motion of the operation lever;

determining a simulating force based at least in part on virtual physical data in a database;

updating the virtual physical data by simulating a physical phenomenon in a virtual space; and

applying the resistive force, the adjusting force, and the simulating force.

17. The tactile force sense presenting method according to claim 16, further comprising translating a physical movement of the operation lever into a virtual movement of the virtual pointer in the virtual space.

18. The tactile force sense presenting method according to claim 16, wherein the virtual movement of the virtual pointer is based at least in part on a speed of movement of the operation lever.

19. The tactile force sense presenting method according to claim 16, further comprising applying the resistive force to pull the operation lever toward a specific position.

20. The tactile force sense presenting method according to claim 16, further comprising stopping a movement of the operation lever.

23. The tactile force sense presenting method according to claim 16, further comprising:

determining a second resistive force in a second Z-axis direction; and

applying the second resistive force to the operating lever.

24. A tactile force apparatus comprising:

a button, configured to move laterally within a surface oriented to an XY-plane and configured to depress, into the surface, parallel to a Z-axis and perpendicular to the XY-plane;

at least one controller, configured to determine a first feedback force parallel to the XY-plane based at least in part on a Z-position of the button; and

at least one actuator, configured to apply the first feedback force to the button.

25. The tactile force apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to correlate at least one of a physical input force and a physical input position of the button to at least one of a virtual input force and a virtual input position of a virtual user object in a virtual space.

26. The tactile force apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to simulate virtual force interactions with at least one other virtual object in the virtual space;

where the first feedback force is based in part on the virtual force interactions.

27. The tactile force apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one other virtual object in the virtual space is a virtual wall, and wherein applying the first feedback force to the button resists movement of the button correlated to a virtual movement of the virtual user object through the virtual wall.

28. The tactile force apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one controller is further configured to correlate the Z-position of the button to a virtual contact between the virtual user object and a virtual surface positioned under the virtual user object.

29. The tactile force apparatus of claim 28, wherein a physical XY-direction of the first feedback force corresponds to a virtual XY-direction of a virtual flow of the virtual surface.

30. The tactile force apparatus of claim 28, wherein a physical magnitude of the first feedback force corresponds to a virtual material of the virtual surface.

31. The tactile force apparatus of claim 28, wherein a physical magnitude of the first feedback force corresponds to the Z-position of the button.