FORCE FEEDBACK SYSTEM INCLUDING MULTI-TASKING GRAPHICAL HOST ENVIRONMENT AND INTERFACE DEVICE

• US 20140047333A1
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Braun, Adam C., Beamer, Jonathan L., Rosenberg, Louis B., Chang, Dean C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,740,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/701
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0333 Ergonomic shaped mouse for one hand
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A force feedback system provides components for use in a force feedback system including a host computer and a force feedback interface device. An architecture for a host computer allows multi-tasking application programs to interface with the force feedback device without conflicts, where a single active application may output forces. A background application also provides force effects to be output and allows a user to assign force effects to graphical objects in a graphical user interface. Force feedback effects and structures are further described, such as events and enclosures.

Claims

1. A method for simulating a multi-tasking graphical environment implemented comprising:

creating a context associated with each application program running in said multi-tasking graphical environment;

receiving force effect commands from said application programs;

commanding a force feedback interface device to output a force effect in response to said force effect commands;

storing said force effect commands into said contexts, wherein each of said contexts is associated with one of said application programs running on a host computer; and

sending said force effect commands in said context of an application program to said force feedback device when said application program is active in said multi-tasking environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said force effect commands in said contexts of inactive application programs are not sent to said force feedback device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of said force effect commands is stored in a context associated with said application program.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when said application program becomes inactive and a new application program becomes active, new force effect commands are sent to said force feedback device to replace said force effect commands, said new force effect commands being included in a context associated with said new application program.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising a step of sending force effect commands in a context associated with a background application program to said force feedback interface device, wherein said background application program is not active in said multi-tasking environment, such that said force feedback device may output forces based on force effects from said active application program or said background application program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein only said background application program may send said force effect commands to said force feedback interface device when inactive.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said contexts further include at least one event that can be triggered by said force feedback device, wherein said event includes conditions based on interactions of a cursor in said multi-tasking graphical environment such that when said conditions are met, an event notification is sent to an application program associated with said event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said force effect commands include commands for a spring, a damper, and a vibration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said multi-tasking graphical environment includes a windowed operating system environment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said force effect commands are created as effect objects in an application programming interface in said windowed operating system environment, and wherein said effect objects are sent to said force feedback device when created by said active application program.

11. A method for controlling a force feedback interface device comprising:

calculating a device delta position of a manipulandum that includes detecting a change in position of said manipulandum from a previous position;

reporting said device delta position to a host computer;

determining a screen position from said device delta position, said screen position provided in a screen frame of a display screen; and

displaying a cursor in said screen frame at said screen position in response to said screen position.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising using a scaled position of said manipulandum related to said screen position of said cursor in determining a force to be output by actuators of said force feedback interface device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting a position of a manipulandum in a device frame of said force feedback interface device from sensor data, said manipulandum being controlled by a user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said scaled position of said manipulandum is determined from said delta position, and wherein said screen position of said cursor is determined based on said scaled position.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said scaled position of said manipulandum is a ballistic position in a ballistic frame, said ballistic frame having a resolution that is a multiple of a resolution of said screen frame.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said scaled position is determined based on a ballistic delta position, said ballistic delta position being derived from said delta position using a ballistics algorithm.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said ballistics algorithm uses a velocity of said manipulandum in said device frame in said determination of said ballistic delta position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said ballistics algorithm multiplies said device delta position by one if said velocity of said manipulandum is below a first threshold velocity, by two if said velocity of said manipulandum is between said first threshold and a second threshold velocity, and by four if said velocity of said manipulandum is above said second threshold velocity.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving ballistic parameters from said host computer, said ballistic parameters characterizing said ballistic algorithm.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a current screen resolution of said display screen of said host computer to allow said microprocessor to adjust said screen position based on said screen resolution.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving a current screen aspect ratio of said display screen of said host computer to allow said microprocessor to adjust said modeled screen position based on said screen aspect ratio.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein said scaled position is determined according to a rate control method for indexing when said manipulandum is moved within a predetermined distance of a limit to said device frame.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising outputting said force on said manipulandum.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein said delta position is determined from a current manipulandum position and a previous manipulandum position, wherein said current and previous manipulandum positions are determined from measured angles of joints of said force feedback interface device.