Visual cards for describing and loading operational modes to motorized interface element

• US 9,737,987 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Linnell, Jeff, Jules, Anthony Sean, Bitterman, Matthew, Reekmans, Eli, Byrne, Kendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US14/948,112
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-264, 901 2- 13
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/02 Hand grip control means handles or pedals for crane control B66C13/56; for measuring the force applied to control members G01L5/22; hand-held casings for switching devices, e.g. joy-sticks H01H9/0214
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1656 characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35459 Knob, handle, handwheel delivers pulses, electronic handwheel, digipot
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40132 Haptic joystick with force feedback based on accelerometer included in joystick
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/03 Teaching system

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for detecting a graphic card that visually describes an operational mode of a rotatable interface component via a plurality of curves for rotationally-varying parameters, determining the operational mode that is visually described on the graphic card, and loading the operational mode to the rotatable interface component, where the operational mode specifies operations for a motor such that the motor generates torque on the interface component based on the curves for the rotationally-varying parameters that are shown on the graphic card.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one sensor that is operable to generate sensor data that is indicative of a graphic card that visually describes an operational mode of a rotatable interface component, wherein the graphic card visually describes the operational mode on a graph feature having a plurality of curves comprising at least a first and second curve, wherein the first curve indicates a first rotationally-varying parameter as a function of position of the rotatable interface component and the second curve indicates a second rotationally-varying parameter as a function of the position of the rotatable interface component; and

a control system configured to;

analyze the sensor data to detect the graphic card;

determine the operational mode corresponding to the graphic card; and

load the operational mode to the rotatable interface component, wherein the operational mode specifies operations for an actuator such that the actuator applies torque to the rotatable interface component based at least in part on both;

(a) the first curve of the first rotationally-varying parameter and (b) the second curve of the second rotationally-varying parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first curve and the second curve have different visual formats on the graphic card.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphic card comprises a bitmap image that includes at least the first and the second curves, and wherein, to determine the particular operational mode, the control system:

analyzes the bitmap image to determine the first and the second curves.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphic card comprises a visual code that uniquely identifies the corresponding operational mode.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the visual code comprises at least one visual code selected from a group of visual codes comprising a unique text identifier and a machine-readable code.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the visual code comprises a QR code.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises an image capture device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to respond to detection of the graphic card by determining the operational mode and loading the operational mode to the rotatable interface component.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first rotationally-varying parameter comprises a rotationally-varying haptic parameter for the interface component, and wherein the second rotationally-varying parameter comprises a second rotationally-varying haptic parameter for the interface component.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first rotationally-varying haptic parameter comprises a relief parameter, and wherein the second rotationally-varying haptic parameter comprises a damping parameter.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operational mode comprises:

(i) a first torque contribution function corresponding to the first rotationally-varying haptic parameter, and (ii) a second torque contribution function corresponding to the second rotationally-varying haptic parameter.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operational mode comprises:

(i) a relief torque contribution function corresponding to the first rotationally-varying haptic parameter, (ii) a damping torque contribution function corresponding to the second rotationally-varying haptic parameter, and (iii) an inertial torque contribution function corresponding to the second rotationally-varying haptic parameter.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of curves on the graphic card further comprises a third curve that indicates a third rotationally-varying parameter as a function of the position of the rotatable interface component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the third rotationally-varying parameter comprises a sound parameter.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operational mode comprises:

(i) a relief torque contribution function corresponding to the first rotationally-varying haptic parameter, (ii) a damping torque contribution function corresponding to the second rotationally-varying haptic parameter, and (iii) a sound torque contribution function corresponding to the third rotationally-varying haptic parameter.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a motor.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, sensor data from at least one sensor;

analyzing, by the computing device, the sensor data to detect a graphic card that visually describes an operational mode of a rotatable interface component, wherein the graphic card visually describes the operational mode on a graph feature having a plurality of curves comprising at least a first and second curve, wherein the first curve indicates a first rotationally-varying parameter as a function of position of the rotatable interface component and the second curve indicates a second rotationally-varying parameter as a function of the position of the rotatable interface component;

determining, based on the graphic card, the operational mode corresponding to the graphic card; and

loading the operational mode to the rotatable interface component, wherein the operational mode specifies operations for a motor such that the motor generates torque on the interface component based on both;

(a) the first curve of the first rotationally-varying parameter and (b) the second curve of the second rotationally-varying parameter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the graphic card comprises a bitmap image that includes at least the first and the second curves, wherein the first and the second curve each have a different visual format, and wherein determining the operational mode corresponding to the graphic card comprises analyzing the bitmap image to determine the first and the second curves.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the operational mode corresponding to the graphic card further comprises determining a plurality of torque contribution functions corresponding to the first and the second curves.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein loading the operational mode to the rotatable interface component comprises using the plurality of torque contribution functions to determine applied torque as a function of at least the position of the rotatable interface component.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality torque contribution functions comprise:

(i) a relief torque contribution function corresponding to the first rotationally-varying haptic parameter, and (ii) a damping torque contribution function corresponding to the second rotationally-varying haptic parameter.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality torque contribution functions comprise:

an inertial torque contribution function corresponding to the second rotationally-varying haptic parameter.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of curves on the graphic card further comprises a third curve that indicates a sound parameter as a function of degree of rotation of the rotatable interface component, and wherein the plurality torque contribution functions comprise a sound torque contribution function corresponding to the third rotationally-varying haptic parameter.

24. A system comprising:

at least one wireless communication system that is operable to receive a radio-frequency (RF) signal comprising an indication of a graphic card that visually describes an operational mode of a rotatable interface component, wherein the graphic card visually describes the operational mode on a graph feature having a plurality of curves comprising at least a first and second curve, wherein the first curve indicates a first rotationally-varying parameter as a function of position of the rotatable interface component and the second curve indicates a second rotationally-varying parameter as a function of the position of the rotatable interface component; and

a control system configured to;

operate the wireless communication system to receive the RF signal;

respond to receipt of the RF signal by determining the operational mode that is visually described by the graphic card; and

load the operational mode to the rotatable interface component, wherein the operational mode specifies operations for a motor such that the motor applies torque to the rotatable interface component based at least in part on both;

(a) the first curve of the first rotationally-varying parameter and (b) the second curve of the second rotationally-varying parameter.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one wireless communication system comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) system that is operable to an RFID associated with the graphic card.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one wireless communication system comprises a near-field communication (NFC) system to communicate, using an NFC protocol, with a computing device associated with the graphic card to determine the indication of the graphic card.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the moveable interface component comprises a linearly moveable interface component, wherein the first positionally-varying parameter is a function of the linear position of the linearly moveable interface component.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the moveable interface component comprises a rotatable interface component, and wherein the first curve indicates a first rotationally-varying parameter as a function of position of the rotatable interface component.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more curves further comprise a second curve, wherein the second curve indicates a second positionally-varying parameter as a function of the position of the moveable interface component, and wherein the operational mode specifies operations for a motor such that the motor generates torque on the interface component based on both:

(a) the first curve of the first positionally-varying parameter and (b) the second curve of the second positionally-varying parameter.

27. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, data corresponding to a graphic card, wherein the graphic card that visually describes an operational mode of a moveable interface component via a graph feature, wherein the graph feature includes one or more curves comprising at least a first curve, wherein the first curve indicates a first positionally-varying parameter as a function of the position of the moveable interface component;

analyzing, by the computing device, the received data to determine the operational mode that is visually described by the graphic card; and

loading the corresponding operational mode to the moveable interface component, wherein the operational mode specifies operations for a motor such that the motor applies force to the moveable interface component based on the first curve of the first positionally-varying parameter.