TACTILE FORCE SENSE PRESENTING DEVICE, ELECTRONIC DEVICE TERMINAL APPLIED WITH TACTILE FORCE SENSE PRESENTING DEVICE, AND TACTILE FORCE SENSE PRESENTING METHOD

• US 20110316724A1
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Morieda, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 8,976,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 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.

2. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the drive transmission unit transmits a resistive force which pulls back the operation lever to the specific position with a pulling force caused by a wire upon the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction, and the drive transmission unit transmits an adjusting force in the Z-axis direction with a resultant force of a pulling force caused by the wire and an extending force of a spring upon the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.

3. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the drive transmission unit:

includes a direction conversion unit which converts a force generated by the driving unit into a movement force in the XY-planar direction and Z-axis direction;

transmits a resistive force which pulls back the operation lever to the specific position using the direction conversion unit upon the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction; and

transmits an adjusting force in the Z-axis direction using the direction conversion unit upon the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.

4. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the drive transmission unit:

includes a stopper which stops slide of the operation lever in the XY-planar direction;

stops movement of the operation lever using the stopper to thereby generate a resistive force upon the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction; and

transmits an adjusting force in the Z-axis direction with respect to the operation lever upon the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.

5. The tactile force presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a sensor which detects a position of the operation lever on the XY-plane as the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction, and a sensor which detects a position of the operation lever in the Z-axis direction as the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.

6. The tactile force presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes a sensor which detects a force of the operation lever in the XY-planar direction as the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction, and a sensor which detects a force of the operation lever in the Z-axis direction as the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.

7. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit includes an actuator which uses only rotation of one direction of a motor as a force to be presented to the operation lever.

8. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit includes an actuator which uses compressing force provided by a BioMetal (registered mark) as a driving force.

9. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit includes an actuator which uses rotation of a motor in two directions including clockwise rotation and counterclockwise rotation, as a force to be presented to the operation lever.

14. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile force sense presenting actuator control unit performs control so that the driving unit presents a resistive force which pulls back the operation lever to the specific position upon the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction, and the tactile force sense presenting actuator control unit performs control so that the driving unit presents an adjusting force in either of a positive direction and a negative direction in the Z-axis direction upon the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.

15. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile force sense presenting actuator control unit performs control so that the driving unit stops the operation lever to thereby present a resistive force, upon the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction, and the tactile force sense presenting actuator performs control so that the driving unit presents an adjusting force in either one of a positive direction and a negative direction in the Z-axis direction upon the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.

10. A tactile force sense presenting device comprising:

an operation unit which includes an operation lever to be operated by an operator;

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, the calculation control unit comprising

a simulator calculation unit which, based on detection data from the detection unit, references virtual physical data in a database, simulates a physical phenomenon in a virtual space, thereby updating the virtual physical data, and outputs a force to be presented to the operation lever as presenting data, and

a tactile force sense presenting actuator control unit which outputs control data for controlling the actuator for generating forces based on the presenting data, and causes the operation lever to operate based on the control data.

11. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 10, wherein the virtual physical data of the database includes a spring coefficient, damper coefficient, and mass coefficient of a virtual object and an operation pointer corresponding to the operation lever in the virtual space, and defines a position, size, and restriction condition of each of the operation pointer and the virtual object.

12. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 10, wherein the simulator calculation unit makes the detection data of the operation lever correspond to an amount of movement of the operation pointer in the virtual space.

13. The tactile force sense presenting device according to claim 10, wherein the simulator calculation unit makes the detection data of the operation lever correspond to a speed of movement of the operation pointer in the virtual space.

16. (canceled)

17. A tactile force sense presenting method for a tactile force sense presenting device comprising an operation unit which includes an operation lever to be operated by an operator, 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, the method comprising:

a simulator calculation step of, based on detection data from the detection unit, referencing virtual physical data in a database, simulating a physical phenomenon in a virtual space to thereby update the virtual physical data, and outputting a force to be presented to the operation lever as presenting data; and

a tactile force sense presenting actuator control step of outputting control data for controlling the actuator for generating forces based on the presenting data, and causing the operation lever to operate based on the control data.

18. The tactile force sense presenting method according to claim 17, wherein, in the simulator calculation step, the detection data of the operation lever is made to correspond to an amount of movement of the operation pointer in the virtual space.

19. The tactile force sense presenting method according to claim 17, wherein, in the simulator calculation step, the detection data of the operation lever is made to correspond to a speed of movement of the operation pointer in the virtual space.

20. The tactile force sense presenting method according to claim 17, wherein, in the tactile force sense presenting actuator control step, control is performed so that the driving unit presents a resistive force which pulls back the operation lever to the specific position upon the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction, and control is performed so that the driving unit presents an adjusting force in either of a positive direction and a negative direction in the Z-axis direction upon the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.

21. The tactile force sense presenting method according to claim 17, wherein, in the tactile force sense presenting actuator control step, control is performed so that the driving unit stops the operation lever to thereby present a resistive force, upon the input of the slide motion in the XY-planar direction, and control is performed so that the driving unit presents an adjusting force in either one of a positive direction and a negative direction in the Z-axis direction upon the input of the push-in motion in the Z-axis direction.