Force feedback enabled over a computer network

• US 6,859,819 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B., Tan, Sian W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/628,586
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/201, 709/217, 345/701
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1025 details of the interface with the game device, e.g. USB version detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• 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 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 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for providing force feedback over a network supporting TCP/IP protocols by: (a) sending from a client computer over a network supporting TCP/IP protocols, a connection request to a web server connected to the network that is hosting a desired URL; (b) receiving and processing an HTML file at the client computer that was sent from the web server in response to the connection request, wherein the processing includes parsing an embedded force object reference having associated parameters and building a force object therefrom; (c) developing a force feedback signal with the force object; and (d) providing force feedback to a human/computer interface device coupled to the client computer in response to the force feedback signal. A networked force feedback system of the present invention includes a network, a first computer coupled to the network, and a second computer coupled to the network, where the second computer includes a visual display and a human/computer interface device capable of providing a second computer input and providing force feedback in response to a force feedback signal provided by the second computer. The second computer develops an image on the visual display that is associated with stored feedback information, such that the second computer produces the force feedback signal in response to at least one of information derived from the first computer and of the second computer input.

Claims

1. A method for implementing force feedback over a network, the method comprising:

enabling an establishment of a connection between a server machine and a client machine over a network, said client machine including a visual display and a force feedback device providing, computer controlled physical force feedback to a user of said force feedback device;

enabling reception of web page information from said server machine over said network, said web page information including screen display information representing a visual layout of a web page and force feedback information related to said visual layout of said web page;

enabling a display of said web page on said visual display of said client machine based upon said screen display information;

enabling reception of input information from said force feedback device for positioning, a pointer image with respect to said visual layout of said web page; and

enabling a force feedback signal to be output to said force feedback device, said force feedback signal based upon said input information and based upon said web page information received over said network, wherein said force feedback signal causes said force feedback device to output computer controlled physical force feedback to said user correlated with said visual layout of said web page on said visual display, said force feedback being based upon said force feedback signal.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said server machine is a web server, said client machine is a network access computer.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said web server and said network access computer communicate over said network using TCP/IP protocols.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein said input information includes information representing a button click of said force feedback device, said button click information affecting said force feedback.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein said force feedback device includes a user manipulatable object having at least two degrees of freedom.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said force feedback device is provided with a local microprocessor which communicates with said network access computer, said force feedback device including sensors and actuators coupled to said local microprocessor, and wherein said force-feedback signal is a force feedback command, said method further comprising:

parsing said force feedback command on said local microprocessor to control said actuators of said force feedback device in a control loop with said sensors of said force feedback device.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

developing on said server machine an HTML file including said screen display information and said force-feedback information.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein said HTML file includes an embedded reference that can be used to create a force feedback object on said client machine, said force feedback object including information characterizing forces output by at least one actuator included in said force feedback device, the program instructions further performing:

parsing on said client machine said HTML file and creating on said client machine said force feedback object.

9. A method for providing force feedback over a network as recited in claim 5, the program instructions further performing:

developing on said server machine a VRML file including said screen display information and said force-feedback information.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said server machine is a web server, said client machine is a first network access computer, said and further comprising a second network access computer coupled to said network, said second network access computer including a visual display device and a force feedback device, and wherein said web server, said first network access computer, and said second network access computer can communicate with said network using TCP/IP protocols.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said input information allows said first network access computer to position a pointer image with respect to said web page on said visual display of said first network access computer, said input information including button information representing a button click of a force feedback device of at least one of said first network access computer and said second network access computer.

12. A method for providing force feedback over a network, said method comprising:

enabling a sending of a connection request from a client machine to a server machine over a network, said client machine including a visual display and a force feedback interface device providing computer controlled force feedback to a user of said force feedback interface device using at least one actuator;

enabling reception of web page information from the server machine over a network, said web page information including screen display information representing a visual layout of a web page and force feedback information related to said visual layout of said web page information, wherein said web page is displayed on a client machine based upon said screen display information;

enabling parsing of a component from said received web page information; and

enabling provision of said component to a force feedback interpreting process if said component is a force feedback component, wherein said force feedback interpreting process instructs said force feedback device to output a physical force based on an interaction of a user-controlled pointer with objects displayed on said web page.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said web page information includes an HTML file, and wherein said component is an HTML component.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said force feedback interpreting process creates a force object including parameters intepreted from said force feedback component.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising interpreting said parsed component as a web page component if said component is not a force feedback component.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein a network browser is provided on said client computer to perform said parsing of said component.

17. A computer data signal formulated by a general purpose computer and propagated in a transmission medium, the computer data signal comprising:

a visual code segment comprising at least one component to be parsed and interpreted by a web browser and an associated image displayed in a web page on a display screen of a computer receiving said computer data signal; and

a feel sensation code segment comprising at least one component to be parsed and interpreted and used to cause a physical force to be applied to a user of a force feedback device coupled to said computer receiving said computer data signal, said force being based at least in part on manipulations of said force feedback device by said user.

18. A computer data signal as recited in claim 17 wherein said computer data signal is propagated using a TCP/IP protocol and wherein said transmission medium includes the Internet.

19. A computer data signal as recited in claim 17 wherein said force is also based on interactions of a user-controlled object displayed in said web page with a different object displayed in said web page.

20. A computer data signal as recited in claim 17 wherein said computer data signal is routed as packets to said computer.