Method and apparatus for controlling human-computer interface systems providing force feedback

• US 7,605,800 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier; Jeffery A
• Application Number:
  US11/338,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20060176272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 345/184, 715/701, 715/702, 436/30, 436/38, 244/223, 318/568.1, 318/568.11
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/04 by measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/008 using coordinate measuring machines
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/004 for measuring coordinates of points
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4207 in which a model is traced or scanned and corresponding data recorded
• 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 2203/015 Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• 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 controlling and providing force feedback using an interface device manipulated by a user. A microprocessor is provided local to the interface device and reads sensor data from sensors that describes the position and/or other information about an object grasped and moved by the user, such as a joystick. The microprocessor provides the sensor data to a host computer that is coupled to the interface device by a communication bus that preferably includes a serial interface. In a “host-controlled” embodiment, the host computer calculates force values using the sensor data and other parameters of a host application program and sends the force values to the local microprocessor, which directly provides the force values to actuators to apply forces to the user object. In a “reflex” embodiment, the host computer sends high level supervisory commands to the local microprocessor, and the microprocessor independently implements a local process based on the high level command for reading sensor data and providing force values to the actuators using sensor data and other parameters.

Claims

1. An interface device, comprising:

an object configured to be moved in at least one degree of freedom;

a sensor configured to detect a position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom and configured to output a sensor signal, the sensor signal being responsive to the position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom;

a processor coupled to said sensor, said processor configured to send input data to a host computer, the input data being associated with the sensor signal and being usable by a host application program, the processor further configured to select a low-level force command based on a high-level force command received from the host computer, the low-level force command including a force magnitude value; and

an actuator mechanically coupled to the object, the actuator configured to output haptic feedback based on the selected low-level force command received from the processor.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the force magnitude value of the low-level force command is associated with a time interval.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the force magnitude value of the low-level force command is pre-calculated and stored on the host computer prior to being received by the processor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the low-level force command is received by the processor based on a signal associated with a collision event being simulated on the host computer.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a joystick.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a mouse.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a steering wheel.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a medical instrument.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving input data from a processor located at and coupled to an input device, the input data including position data based on a position of the input device;

generating a force command in a host computer, the force command responsive to the position data received from the processor, the force command including one of a high-level force command or a low-level force command; and

sending the force command from the host computer to the processor,

the high-level force command operative to cause the processor to select a subroutine from a plurality of predetermined subroutines and output a force signal associated with the selected subroutine, and

the low-level force command operative to cause the processor to output a force signal associated with the low-level force command.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the subroutine is operative to instruct the processor to select the low-level force command.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the low-level force command causes the processor to output a force signal to an actuator, the low-level force command being responsive to sensor data received from a sensor coupled to the processor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving and the sending is performed over a serial data interface.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing a force profile as at least one force magnitude value in a memory coupled to the processor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting the force profile from the memory based on the force command.

15. A method, comprising:

detecting a position of an object, the object configured to move in at least one degree of freedom;

outputting a sensor signal, the sensor signal responsive to the position of the object in the at least one degree of freedom;

sending input data responsive to the sensor signal to a host computer, the input data being operative to interact with a host application program running on the host computer;

receiving a high-level force command and a low-level force command at a processor local to the object;

receiving a force magnitude value associated with the low-level force command at the processor;

sending a force signal responsive to at least the received low-level force command and the received force magnitude value from the processor to an actuator coupled to the object; and

generating a haptic feedback signal responsive to the force signal by the actuator.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving input data from a processor coupled to an input device, the input data including position data responsive to a position of the input device, the input data received at a host computer;

generating a force command responsive to the position data received from the processor, said force command generated by the host computer;

sending force commands from the host computer to the processor, the force commands including one of a high-level force command or a low-level force command,

the high-level force command operative to cause the processor to select a force output and to output a pre-determined force signal associated with the selected force output, the force signal being associated with a force magnitude included in the force output,

the low-level force command operative to cause the processor to output a force signal associated with a force magnitude included in the low-level force command.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

an object configured to be moved in at least one degree of freedom;

a sensor configured to detect a position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom and configured to output a sensor signal, the sensor signal responsive to the position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom;

a processor coupled to the sensor, said processor configured to send input data to a host computer, the input data responsive to the sensor signal and usable by a host application program, the processor further configured to select a low-level force command based on a high-level force command received from the host computer, the processor configured to output a low-level force actuator command associated with the low-level-force command, the low-level force actuator command including a force magnitude value;

and an actuator coupled to the processor and configured to output haptic feedback responsive to the selected low-level force actuator command.