Method and apparatus for providing dynamic force sensations for force feedback computer applications

• US 7,039,866 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2000
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B., Chang, Dean C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/561,191
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 345/701, 345/702, 318/561, 318/568.11, 744/71.XY, 463/30, 463/31, 463/37, 463/38, 715/701, 715/702, 715/700
• US Class Current: 715/701
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• 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: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04777 with additional push or pull action on the handle
• 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 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing dynamic force sensations for use with a force feedback interface device. A force feedback interface device is connected to a host computer that implements a graphical environment. The host sends commands and command parameters to the interface device to initiate and characterize dynamic force sensations output on a user manipulatable object, such as a joystick. The interface device can include a local microprocessor for implementing force sensations by controlling actuators and reading sensors according to the host commands. A dynamic force routine can control the dynamic force sensations by implementing a simulated physical system including a simulated mass capable of motion independent of the user object. The physical system provides forces on the user object influenced by motion of both the user object and the simulated mass.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

an object movable in at least one degree of freedom with respect to an origin, said object configured to update data values associated with a controllable simulated article in a graphical environment;

an actuator coupled to said object, the actuator configured to provide a force on said object in said degree of freedom;

a sensor configured to output a locative signal, the locative signal including data values associated with a position of said object along at least said degree of freedom; and

a local processor coupled to a host computer, said actuator and said sensor, said local processor configured to receive commands output by the host computer, at least one of said commands operative to cause said processor to output said locative signal to said host computer, said host computer configured to update the data values associated with the controllable article based on said locative signal;

said local processor configured to implement a dynamic force routine based on at least one of said commands, the dynamic force routine operative to implement a simulated physical system including a simulated mass configured to move in a plurality of directions independently of said object, the motion of the simulated mass being influenced by the motion of said object, the force on said object being influenced by motion of said object and the motion of the simulated mass.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said dynamic force routine is included in a local memory coupled to said local processor.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said simulated mass has a simulated coupling to said controllable simulated article.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said simulated mass is excited based on at least one of one of a relative position and a relative velocity of said simulated mass with respect to said controllable simulated article.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein said simulated mass is coupled to said controllable simulated article by a simulated spring.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein said simulated mass is coupled to said controllable simulated article by a simulated damper.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein said simulated physical system includes an ambient damper configured to dampen motion of said simulated mass with respect to a reference ground.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein said command causing the implementation of the dynamic force routine includes parameters defining said simulated physical system, the parameters including a data value associated with the simulated mass and a data value associated with the stiffness of said simulated spring.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein said command causing the implementation of the dynamic force routine includes parameters defining said simulated physical system, the parameters including a data value associated with at least one of damping resistance of said simulated damper, an ambient damping resistance, an initial velocity of said simulated mass, an initial position of said simulated mass, and a deadband region in which no force is exerted on said object.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said commands are transferred to said local processor using a force feedback command protocol, said force feedback command protocol including a plurality of discrete host commands, each of the discrete host commands including a command identifier, at least one of the discrete host commands further including at least one command parameter.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of different high level dynamic force sensations are implemented by mapping high level parameters specific to said different dynamic force sensations to parameters defining said physical system.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein said dynamic force routine is a dynamic recoil routine configured to implement the simulated physical system to simulate a recoil of a weapon fired in the graphical environment.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the recoil of the weapon is configured to be characterized by parameters of said command, said parameters including at least one of a direction of the firing, an intensity of the firing, a mass of the weapon, a resonance of the weapon after firing, and a decay period after which the weapon is at rest.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said dynamic force routine is a dynamic impact routine for implementing the simulated physical system to simulate an impact of the simulated mass with the controllable simulated article in the graphical environment.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said impact is configured to be characterized by parameters of said command, the parameters including at least one of a direction of the impact, an intensity of the impact, a mass of the controllable simulated article, an elasticity of the controllable simulated article, and a collision absorption of the impact.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic force routine is a dynamic liquid routine for implementing the simulated physical system to simulate a liquid in which said controllable simulated article is situated and which exerts forces on said object.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said liquid is configured to be characterized by parameters of said command, the parameters including at least one of a density of the liquid, a settle time for undulations in the liquid, and a viscosity of the liquid with respect to simulated motion through the liquid.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic force routine is a dynamic inertia routine for implementing the simulated physical system to simulate a weight of the simulated mass manipulated by said object in the graphical environment.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the dynamic inertia routine is configured to be characterized by parameters of said command, the parameters including the weight of the simulated mass and a play between said object and said simulated mass.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic force routine is a dynamic center drift routine for implementing the simulated physical system, the simulated mass being coupled to said controllable simulated article to simulate a mass attached to said object, said mass following said controllable simulated article.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the dynamic force routine further operative to output data values associated with positions of the simulated mass to the host computer during the output of said force.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the dynamic force routine is a dynamic sling routine for implementing the simulated physical system to simulate swinging the simulated mass around said controllable simulated article, said simulated mass being coupled to said controllable simulated article by a flexible member.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the dynamic sling is configured to be characterized by parameters of said command, said parameters including at least one of a mass of the simulated mass, a length of the flexible member, a compliance of the flexible member, and a damping resistance to motion of the simulated mass.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the dynamic force routine is a dynamic paddle routine for implementing the simulated physical system to simulate the simulated mass colliding with the controllable simulated article and guiding the simulated mass after the simulated collision.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the dynamic paddle routine is configured to be characterized by parameters of said command, said parameters including at least one of a mass of the simulated mass, an initial velocity of the simulated mass at the simulated collision, a compliance of the controllable simulated article, a dissipation of momentum of the simulated mass after the simulated collision, and a gravity within the simulated physical system.

26. A device, comprising:

an object movable in a degree of freedom with respect to a ground;

means for detecting a movement of said object in said degree of freedom with respect to said ground and for outputting a sensor signal associated with said movement;

means for applying a force in said degree of freedom of said object;

means for receiving said sensor signal to produce locative data values to a host computer, the locative data values being derived from said sensor signal and being associated with a position of said object, the host computer configured to update data values associated with a position of a controllable simulated article in a simulated physical system based on at least a portion of said locative data; and

means for controlling a dynamic force routine configured to receive said sensor signal during output of a dynamic force sensation and configured to modify the dynamic force sensation based on data values associated with a movement of a simulated mass of the simulated physical system and based on the sensor signal, the means configured such that the simulated mass is configured to move in a plurality of directions independently of the object, the movement of the simulated mass being influenced by the movement of the object, the force in the degree of freedom of the object being influenced by the movement of the object and the movement of the simulated mass.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein said simulated physical system includes a simulated spring coupling said simulated mass to said controllable simulated article.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein said simulated physical system includes a simulated damper coupling said simulated mass to said controllable simulated article.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein said simulated physical system includes an ambient damper for damping motion of said simulated mass with respect to a reference ground.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein said simulated physical system includes a simulated gravity for causing a force on said simulated mass.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein said simulated physical system is defined by command parameters from said host computer to simulate a dynamic recoil sensation.

32. The device of claim 28 wherein said simulated physical system is defined by command parameters from said host computer to simulate a dynamic impact sensation.

33. The device of claim 28, wherein said physical system is defined by command parameters from said host computer to simulate a dynamic liquid sensation.

34. The device of claim 28, wherein said simulated physical system is defined by command parameters from said host computer to simulate a dynamic sling sensation.

35. The device of claim 28, wherein said simulated physical system is defined by command parameters from said host computer to simulate a dynamic paddle sensation.

36. A method, comprising:

sensing a position of a manipulable object having at least one degree of freedom to produce a sensor signal, the manipulable object associated with data values associated with a controllable simulated article in a simulated physical environment implemented within a host computer;

updating the data values associated with the simulated physical environment based on the sensor signal;

receiving a host command from a host computer, the host command operative to cause a processor local to the manipulable object to implement a dynamic force routine, the host command configured to include a command parameter characterizing the dynamic force routine; and

outputting a dynamic force sensation with an actuator on said manipulable object according to the dynamic force routine and associated with the data values associated with the simulated physical environment, the physical environment including a simulated mass configured to move in a plurality of directions independently of said manipulable object, the movement of the simulated mass being modified by a movement of the manipulable object during the output of said dynamic force sensation.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the dynamic force on the manipulable object is determined by a movement of the simulated mass and by motion of the object.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the host command includes an identifier, the identifier operative to identify one of a plurality of types of dynamic force sensations to be imparted on the manipulable object.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the plurality of types of dynamic force sensations includes at least two of a dynamic recoil, a dynamic impact, a dynamic inertia, a dynamic liquid, a dynamic sling, and a dynamic paddle.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the command parameter is a mass parameter for controlling a magnitude of the simulated mass coupled to the controllable simulated article in the simulated physical system.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the command parameter defines a stiffness of a simulated spring coupled between the simulated mass and the controllable simulated article.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the command parameter defines a drag of a simulated damper coupled between the simulated mass and the controllable simulated article.

43. A method, comprising:

sensing a position of a manipulable object having at least one degree of freedom to produce a sensor signal, the manipulable object associated with data values associated with a controllable simulated article in a graphical environment implemented within a host computer;

updating the graphical environment based on the sensor signals;

receiving a host command, the host command including a command parameter defining a dynamic force routine, the host command configured to initiate the dynamic force routine; and

outputting a dynamic force sensation via an actuator on said manipulable object based on the dynamic force routine, the dynamic force sensation being associated with the graphical environment, the dynamic force routine being configured to implement a simulated physical system to generate the dynamic force sensation, the physical system including a simulated mass configured to move in a plurality of directions independently of the manipulable object, the movement of the simulated mass being modified by a movement of the manipulable object during the output of the dynamic force sensation.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the outputting the sensor signal and the outputting the dynamic force sensation are implemented by a processor local to the manipulable object.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the force on the manipulable object are based on the movement of the simulated mass and by the movement of the manipulable object.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the simulated mass includes a simulated coupling to the controllable simulated article, the simulated coupling being at least one of a simulated spring and a simulated damper.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the simulated physical system includes an ambient damper for damping motion of the simulated mass with respect to a reference ground.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the command parameter is a mass parameter configured to control a magnitude of the simulated mass coupled to the controllable simulated article in the simulated physical system.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the command parameter defines a stiffness of a simulated spring coupled between the simulated mass and the controllable simulated article.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the command parameter defines a drag of a simulated damper coupled between the simulated mass and the controllable simulated article.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the dynamic force routine further outputs a position of the simulated mass to the host computer during output of the dynamic force sensation.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein the host command includes an identifier, the identifier configured to identify one of a plurality of types of dynamic force sensations to be imparted on the manipulable object, each of the types of dynamic force sensations being definable by the command parameters.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the plurality of types of dynamic force sensations include a dynamic recoil implementing the simulated physical system to simulate a feel of a recoil of a weapon fired in the graphical environment.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the plurality of types of dynamic force sensations include a dynamic impact implementing the simulated physical system to simulate a feel of an impact of the simulated mass with the controllable simulated article in the graphical environment.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein the plurality of types of dynamic force sensations include a dynamic liquid implementing the simulated physical system to simulate a feel of a liquid in which the controllable simulated article is situated and which exerts forces on said manipulable object.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein the plurality of types of dynamic force sensations include a dynamic inertia implementing the simulated physical system to simulate a feel of the simulated mass manipulated by the controllable simulated article in the graphical environment.

57. The method of claim 52, wherein the plurality of types of dynamic force sensations include a dynamic sling implementing the simulated physical system to simulate a feel of swinging the simulated mass around the controllable simulated article, the simulated mass coupled to the controllable simulated article by a flexible member.

58. A method, comprising:

calculating a force command to be output to a force feedback device, said force command being associated with an interaction of graphical objects displayed in a graphical environment; and

sending the force command to the force feedback device, the force command including one of a plurality of types of dynamic force sensations to be imparted on a manipulable object of the force feedback device, the manipulable object having at least one degree of freedom, the force command operative to cause the force feedback device to output the one of a plurality of types of dynamic force sensations on the manipulable object based on the force command and associated with the interaction of the graphical objects, the one of a plurality of types of dynamic force sensations being provided using a simulated physical system to create the dynamic force sensation, the physical system including a simulated mass configured to move in a plurality of directions independently of the manipulable object, the movement of the simulated mass being modified by a movement of the manipulable object during the output of the dynamic force sensation.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising:

receiving sensor information associated with a position of the manipulable object in the at least one degree of freedom; and

updating the graphical environment based on the sensor information.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the force command includes an identifier, the identifier configured to identify the dynamic force sensation, the force command further including at least one parameter defining the type of dynamic force sensation.

61. The method of claim 58, wherein the simulated mass includes a simulated coupling to a controllable simulated article in the graphical environment, the controllable simulated article being associate with the manipulable object, the simulated mass being coupled to the controllable simulated article by at least one of a simulated spring and a simulated damper.

62. A processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to perform a process, the code comprising code to:

receive commands output by a computer, at least one of said commands operative to cause the processor to output a locative signal to the computer, the locative signal including data values associated with a position of an object movable in at least one degree of freedom with respect to an origin, the computer configured to update the data values associated with a controllable article based on the locative signal; and

implement a dynamic force routine based on at least one of said commands, the dynamic force routine operative to implement a simulated physical system including a simulated mass configured to move in a plurality of directions independently of said object, the motion of the simulated mass being influenced by the motion of the object, a force on the object being influenced by the motion of the object and the motion of the simulated mass.