Control Knob With Multiple Degrees of Freedom and Force Feedback

• US 20090079712A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Kenneth M., Schena, Bruce M., Rosenberg, Louis B., Braun, Adam C., Levin, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,188,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/0477 holding the member in a number of definite positions
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0395 Mouse pads
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction

Abstract

The present invention provides a control knob on a device that allows a user to control functions of the device. In one embodiment, the knob is rotatable in a rotary degree of freedom and moveable in at least one transverse direction approximately perpendicular to the axis. An actuator is coupled to the knob to output a force in the rotary degree of freedom about the axis, thus providing force feedback. In a different embodiment, the knob is provided with force feedback in a rotary degree of freedom about an axis and is also moveable in a linear degree of freedom approximately parallel to the axis, allowing the knob to be pushed and/or pulled by the user. The device controlled by the knob can be a variety of types of devices, such as an audio device, video device, etc. The device can also include a display providing an image updated in response to manipulation of the knob. Detent forces can be provided for the knob by overlapping and adjusting ranges of closely-spaced detents in the rotary degree of freedom of the knob.

Claims

1. A method for providing detent forces for a force feedback control, the method comprising:

outputting a first force for a first detent on a user manipulatable object moveable in a degree of freedom, the first force output when the user manipulatable object is moved within a range of the first detent, the first force output by a electronically-controlled actuator, wherein the first force is configured to assist movement of the user manipulatable object toward an origin position of the first detent and wherein the first force is configured to resist movement of the user manipulatable object away from the origin position of the first detent; and

outputting a second force for a second detent on the user manipulatable object when the user manipulatable object is moved within a range of the second detent, the second force output by the actuator and the second detent having an origin position different from the origin position of the first detent, wherein the second force is configured to assist movement of the user manipulatable object toward an origin position of the second detent and wherein the second force is configured to resist movement of the user manipulatable object away from the origin position of the second detent, wherein a portion of the range of the first detent overlaps a portion of the range of the second detent.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first force for the first detent has a magnitude that increases the further that the user manipulatable object is positioned from the origin of the first detent, and wherein the second force for the second detent has a magnitude that increases the further that the user manipulatable object is positioned from the origin of the second detent.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a deadband is provided around the origin of the first detent and around the origin of the second detent, wherein a magnitude of the first force and the second force is zero when the user manipulatable object is positioned within the deadband.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein when the user manipulatable object is moved in a particular direction from the first detent to the second detent, the first detent range has an endpoint positioned after a beginning point of the second detent range such that a force at the beginning point of the second detent range has less magnitude than a force at an endpoint of the second detent range.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein when the user manipulatable object is moved in a direction opposite to the particular direction from the second detent to the first detent, a force at a first-encountered point of the first detent range has less magnitude than a force at a last-encountered point of the first detent range.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the first detent range does not overlap past the origin of the second detent.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user manipulatable object is a knob and the degree of freedom is a rotary degree of freedom.

8. A method for providing detent forces for a force feedback control, the method comprising:

defining a periodic wave;

using at least a portion of the periodic wave to define a detent force curve, the detent force curve defining a force to be output on a user manipulatable object based on a position of the user manipulatable object in a degree of freedom; and

using the detent force curve to command the force on the user manipulatable object, the force output by a electronically-controlled actuator.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the defining a periodic wave includes specifying a type, a period and a magnitude for the periodic wave.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the using at least a portion of the periodic wave to define a detent force curve includes specifying a portion of the periodic wave to define a width of the detent force curve.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the using at least a portion of the periodic wave to define a detent force curve includes specifying a phase and an offset to be applied to the periodic wave to define the detent force curve.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the using at least a portion of the periodic wave to define a detent force curve includes specifying an increment distance, wherein successive detent force curves in the degree of freedom are spaced apart by the increment distance.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the user manipulatable object is a knob moveable in a rotary degree of freedom.

14. A method comprising:

determining a position of a user manipulatable object movable in a first degree of freedom;

determining a first force associated with a first detent having a first origin and a first range, the first force configured to assist movement of the user manipulatable object towards the first origin;

determining a second force associated with a second detent having a second origin and a second range overlapping a portion of the first range, the second force configured to assist movement of the user manipulatable object towards the second origin;

outputting the first force to the user manipulatable object when the position is within the first range; and

outputting the second force to the user manipulatable object when the position is within the second range.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein when the user manipulatable object is moved in a particular direction from the first detent to the second detent, the first range has an

endpoint positioned after a beginning point of the second range such that a force at the beginning point of the second range has less magnitude than a force at an endpoint of the second range.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein when the user manipulatable object is moved in a direction opposite to the particular direction from the second detent to the first detent, a force at a first-encountered point of the first range has less magnitude than a force at a last-encountered point of the first range.

17. A computer readable medium comprising program code for outputting haptic feedback, the program code comprising:

program code for outputting a first force for a first detent on a user manipulatable object moveable in a degree of freedom, the first force being output when the user manipulatable object is moved within a range of the first detent, the first force output by a electronically-controlled actuator, wherein the first force is configured to assist movement of the user manipulatable object toward an origin position of the first detent and wherein the first force is configured to resist movement of the user manipulatable object away from the origin position of the first detent; and

program code for outputting a second force for a second detent on the user manipulatable object when the user manipulatable object is moved within a range of the second detent, the second force output by the actuator and the second detent having an origin position different from the origin position of the first detent, wherein the second force is configured to assist movement of the user manipulatable object toward an origin position of the second detent and wherein the second force is configured to resist movement of the user manipulatable object away from the origin position of the second detent, wherein a portion of the range of the first detent overlaps a portion of the range of the second detent.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein when the user manipulatable object is moved in a particular direction from the first detent to the second detent, the first detent range has an endpoint positioned after a beginning point of the second detent range such that a force at the beginning point of the second detent range has less magnitude than a force at an endpoint of the second detent range.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein when the user manipulatable object is moved in a direction opposite to the particular direction from the second detent to the first detent, a force at a first-encountered point of the first detent range has less magnitude than a force at a last-encountered point of the first detent range.

20. A computer readable medium comprising program code for outputting haptic feedback, the program code comprising:

program code for defining a periodic wave;

program code for using at least a portion of the periodic wave to define a detent force curve, the detent force curve defining a force to be output on a user manipulatable object based on a position of the user manipulatable object in a degree of freedom; and

program code for using the detent force curve to command the force on the user manipulatable object, the force output by a electronically-controlled actuator.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the using at least a portion of the periodic wave to define a detent force curve includes specifying a portion of the periodic wave to define a width of the detent force curve.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the using at least a portion of the periodic wave to define a detent force curve includes specifying a phase and an offset to be applied to the periodic wave to define the detent force curve.

23. A computer readable medium comprising program code for outputting haptic feedback, the program code comprising:

program code for determining a position of a user manipulatable object movable in a first degree of freedom;

program code for determining a first force associated with a first detent having a first origin and a first range, the first force configured to assist movement of the user manipulatable object towards the first origin;

program code for determining a second force associated with a second detent having a second origin and a second range overlapping a portion of the first range, the second force configured to assist movement of the user manipulatable object towards the second origin;

program code for outputting the first force to the user manipulatable object when the position is within the first range; and

program code for outputting the second force to the user manipulatable object when the position is within the second range.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein when the user manipulatable object is moved in a particular direction from the first detent to the second detent, the first range has an endpoint positioned after a beginning point of the second range such that a force at the beginning point of the second range has less magnitude than a force at an endpoint of the second range.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein when the user manipulatable object is moved in a direction opposite to the particular direction from the second detent to the first detent, a force at a first-encountered point of the first range has less magnitude than a force at a last-encountered point of the first range.