Haptic remote control for toys

• US 9,625,905 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berdichevsky, Aarti B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cegielnik, Urszula M
• Application Number:
  US98/239,43
• Time in Patent Office: 5,863 Days
• Field of Search: 463 36, 463 37, 463 38, 463 39, 446454, 446456, 446175, 446 3, 345156, 345161, 345163, 345167
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/005 by providing the operator with signals other than visual, e.g. acoustic, haptic

Abstract

A haptic feedback remote control device provides control signals to a toy device, such as a car, boat, plane, etc., to control the toy'"'"'s operation. The remote control device includes a housing and at least one control for manual manipulation by the user, where control signals representing the manipulation are sent to the toy, preferably transmitted wirelessly. An actuator outputs forces on the housing and/or on a control in response to actuator signals. A controller provides the actuator signals based on the manual manipulation of the control by the user, or based on status signals from the toy indicating the toy'"'"'s actions or interactions, or based on both. In one embodiment, the actuator moves an inertial mass to provide inertial sensations on the housing. The information received from the toy device can include information from a contact sensor or inertial sensor on the toy device.

Claims

1. A remote control comprising:

a housing;

a manipulandum configured to cause a control signal to be sent to a remotely-controlled device;

a plurality of haptic actuators configured to output haptic sensations, wherein the plurality of haptic actuators are positioned on the housing of the remote control in a configuration that corresponds similarly to a physical positional relationship between a plurality of sensors positioned on the remotely-controlled device;

a receiver configured to receive one or more sensor signals from the plurality of sensors positioned on the remotely-controlled device; and

a processor in communication with the plurality of haptic actuators and the receiver, the processor configured to;

receive a sensor signal from a sensor of the plurality of sensors positioned on the remotely-controlled device, the sensor signal being indicative of a contact between the remotely-controlled device and an external object;

generate an actuator signal based at least in part on the sensor signal received from the remotely-controlled device, the actuator signal being configured to cause a haptic actuator of the plurality of haptic actuators to output a haptic sensation; and

transmit the actuator signal to the haptic actuator, wherein the haptic actuator is positioned in a first physical location on the housing of the remote control that corresponds similarly to a second physical location on the remotely-controlled device of the sensor that generated the sensor signal.

2. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the sensor signal from the sensor positioned on the remotely-controlled device is associated with a movement of the remotely-controlled device.

3. The remote control of claim 2, wherein the sensor positioned on the remotely-controlled device comprises a contact sensor.

4. The remote control of claim 2, wherein the sensor positioned on the remotely-controlled device comprises a pressure sensor.

5. The remote control of claim 2, wherein the sensor positioned on the remotely-controlled device comprises an accelerometer.

6. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the manipulandum comprises a throttle control.

7. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the manipulandum comprises a directional control.

8. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the remotely-controlled device comprises a remotely-controlled toy.

9. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the remotely-controlled device comprises a remotely-controlled car.

10. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the haptic actuator comprises an inertial mass actuator.

11. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the actuator signal based at least in part on a state of the remotely-controlled device and a state of the manipulandum.

12. The remote control of claim 1, wherein each haptic actuator in the plurality of haptic actuators is coupled to the housing of the remote control in a physical location that is similar to where a particular sensor in the plurality of sensors is physically positioned on the housing of the remotely-controlled device.

20. The remote control of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

select the haptic actuator from among the plurality of haptic actuators based on the first physical location of the haptic actuator on the housing of the remote control corresponding to the second physical location of the sensor on the remotely-controlled device.

13. A system comprising:

a remotely-controlled device comprising;

a first receiver configured to receive one or more control signals,

a plurality of sensors configured to sense a contact between the remotely-controlled device and an external object, wherein the plurality of sensors are physically arranged around a perimeter of the remotely-controlled device, and

a transmitter configured to transmit signals associated with sensor signals from the plurality of sensors; and

a remote control for remotely controlling the remotely-controlled device, the remote control comprising;

a housing;

a manipulandum configured to cause a control signal to be sent to the remotely-controlled device;

a plurality of haptic actuators configured to output haptic sensations, wherein the plurality of haptic actuators are positioned on the housing of the remote control in a configuration that corresponds similarly to a physical positional relationship between the plurality of sensors positioned on the remotely-controlled device;

a second receiver configured to receive one or more sensor signals from the plurality of sensors positioned on the remotely-controlled device; and

a processor in communication with the plurality of actuators and the second receiver, the processor configured to;

receive a sensor signal from a sensor of the plurality of sensors positioned on the remotely-controlled device;

generate an actuator signal based at least in part on the sensor signal received from the remotely-controlled device, the actuator signal being configured to cause a haptic actuator of the plurality of haptic actuators to output a haptic sensation; and

transmit the actuator signal to the haptic actuator, wherein the haptic actuator is positioned in a first physical location on the housing of the remote control that corresponds similarly to a second physical location around the perimeter of the remotely-controlled device of the sensor that generated the sensor signal.

14. A system as received in claim 13, wherein the sensor signal from the sensor positioned on the remotely-controlled device is associated with a movement of the remotely-controlled device.

15. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the sensor positioned on the remotely-controlled device comprises a contact sensor, a pressure sensor, or an accelerometer.

16. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the manipulandum comprises a throttle control or a directional control.

17. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the remotely-controlled device comprises a remotely-controlled toy or a remotely-controlled car.

18. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the haptic actuator comprises an inertial mass actuator.

19. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the actuator signal based at least in part on a state of the remotely-controlled device and a state of the manipulandum.