193results about "Electrical haptic/tactile feedback" patented technology

A haptic feedback touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch surface that provides position information to a computer based on a location of user contact. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphical environment based at least in part on the position information, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user. The actuator can move the touchpad laterally, or a separate surface member can be actuated. A flat E-core actuator, piezoelectric actuator, or other types of actuators can be used to provide forces. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.

A method and apparatus implementing a user interface device, such as a mouse or trackball, having electronically controllable tactile responsiveness which is flexibly programmable. A user interface device effects positioning of a cursor within a limited area, such as on a display screen, with limits imposed by controllable tactile responsiveness. Programmable force-position characteristics relate the tactile responsiveness of the interface device to the position of the cursor within the limited area or on the display screen. In a described embodiment, the interface device includes at least two sets of wheels that move as the interface device is actuated. The at least two sets of wheels are aligned on mutually orthogonal axes. A servo motor is attached to each of the at least two sets of wheels. A position encoder is associated with each servo motor and outputs position information to a controller that has access to force-position relation information that is a function of a screen display on which the cursor is manipulated. The controller outputs a digital signal, in accordance with the force-display position relation information. The digital signal is converted to an analog current signal applied to the servo motor(s) to generate force in the servo motor. The force, presenting a tactile response to a human interacting with the user interface device, is perceived as a resistance, tactile pressure or lack thereof, or as a positive, assisted motion which is indicative of position on a screen display.

A sensor connecting sheet material for inclusion in appropriately structured multiple-axes controllers comprised of a single input member operable in 6 DOF relative to a reference member of the controller. The input member having return-to-center resiliency relative to the reference member on at least the three perpendicular linear axes. The input member can be of a continuously rotatable trackball-type or a limited rotation joystick-type, and the reference member can be a shaft, a base or a housing. The controllers include carriage structuring for influencing sheet connected sensors by hand-applied operation of the input member. The preferred structures provide cooperative interaction with movement or force influenced sensors in primarily a single area. Some, most, or all of the sensors are preferably supported on a generally single plane, such as on a printed flexible membrane sensor sheet or circuit board sheet. In an alternative embodiment, sensors and conductive traces are applied on a generally flat, flexible membrane sensor sheet, which is then bent into a three dimensional configuration which may in some cases reach a widely-spread 3-D constellation of 6 DOF and/or other sensor mountings. The use of sensors connected by a sheet member, whether finally applied in a flat or 3-D configuration, enables efficient circuit and sensor connection and placement during manufacture, resulting in low product costs and high reliability.

A method and apparatus for providing a click surface in a graphical environment, such as a graphical user interface, implemented on a host computer for use with a force feedback interface device. A displayed cursor is controlled by a user-moveable user object, such as a mouse, of the interface device. A click surface is displayed with an associated graphical object, such as a graphical button or an edge of a window, icon, or other object. When the click surface is contacted by the cursor, a force is output opposing movement of the user object in a direction into the click surface and into the graphical object. When the user object has moved to or past a trigger position past the contact with the click surface, a command gesture signal is provided to the host computer indicating that the graphical object has been selected as if a physical input device on the user object, such as a button, has been activated by the user. Preferably, the host computer displays the graphical environment including the click surface and cursor, while a microprocessor local to the interface device controls the force output of the click surface in parallel with the host display.

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.

A force feedback mouse interface device connected to a host computer and providing realistic force feedback to a user. The mouse interface device includes a mouse object and a linkage coupled to the mouse that includes a plurality of members rotatably coupled to each other in a planar closed-loop linkage, two of the members coupled to ground and rotatable about the same axis. Two actuators, preferably electromagnetic voice coils, provide forces in the two degrees of freedom of the planar workspace of the mouse object. Each of the actuators includes a moveable coil portion integrated with one of the members of the linkage and a magnet portion coupled to the ground surface through which the coil portion moves. At least one sensor is coupled to the ground surface that detects movement of the linkage and provides a sensor signal including information from which a position of the mouse object in the planar workspace can be determined.

A design interface tool for designing force sensations for use with a host computer and force feedback interface device. A force feedback device is connected to a host computer that displays the interface tool. Input from a user is received in the interface to select a type of force sensation to be commanded by a host computer and output by a force feedback interface device. Input, such as parameters, is then received from the user which designs and defines physical characteristics of the selected force sensation. A graphical representation of the characterized force sensation is displayed on the host computer which provides a visual demonstration of a feel of the characterized force sensation so that the user can view an effect of parameters on said force sensation. The characterized force sensation is output to a user manipulatable object of the force feedback device so that the user can feel the designed force sensation, where the graphical representation is updated in conjunction with the output of the force sensation. The user can iteratively modify force sensation characteristics and feel the results, and store the characterized force sensations.

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.

The present invention includes a control system with a joystick controller for controlling the direction and speed of one or more controlled systems, such as a boom lift platform or the vehicle on which it rides. The joystick is neutrally-biased and effects a null velocity of the controlled system when the joystick is positioned in a neutral position. The joystick controller has motors, or the like, that provide intuitive tactile feedback to the joystick operator. The tactile feedback includes biasing the joystick away from the neutral position according to the controlled system's actual direction and speed but without generating a commanded direction and speed based on the biased position.

The present invention provides a control knob on a device that allows a user to control functions of the device. In one embodiment, the knob is rotatable in a rotary degree of freedom and moveable in at least one transverse direction approximately perpendicular to the axis. An actuator is coupled to the knob to output a force in the rotary degree of freedom about the axis, thus providing force feedback. In a different embodiment, the knob is provided with force feedback in a rotary degree of freedom about an axis and is also moveable in a linear degree of freedom approximately parallel to the axis, allowing the knob to be pushed and/or pulled by the user. The device controlled by the knob can be a variety of types of devices, such as an audio device, video device, etc. The device can also include a display providing an image updated in response to manipulation of the knob. Detent forces can be provided for the knob by overlapping and adjusting ranges of closely-spaced detents in the rotary degree of freedom of the knob.

A force feedback interface device that provides force feedback to a joystick handle manipulated by a user. A force feedback device inputs control signals to a computer and outputs forces to a user of the force feedback device. The device includes a housing gripped by the user of the force feedback device and a joystick handle manipulable in at least two rotary degrees of freedom by the user, such as a gamepad. Sensors detect a position of the joystick handle and two direct drive actuators each provide torque in a rotary degree of freedom. Each of the actuators is a brushless, single phase actuator having a grounded excitation coil and a moving magnetic material. The joystick is mechanically constrained to not move past either of two limits where the torque output by the actuator in an unenergized state changes direction. The joystick handle can be oriented such that a center position is substantially at a local minimum reluctance position of the actuator, where the joystick is mechanically constrained to not move substantially past either local maximum reluctance position adjacent to the local minimum reluctance position. The local minimum reluctance position can in some embodiments provide a centering spring force on the joystick handle.

An interface device for use with a computer that provides locative data to a computer for tracking a user manipulatable physical object and provides feedback to the user through output forces. The physical object is movable in multiple degrees of freedom and is tracked by sensors for sensing the location and orientation of the object. A device processor can be responsive to the output of the sensors and can provide the host computer with information derived from the sensors. The host computer can provides images on a display, where the computer responds to the provided sensor information and force feedback is correlated with the displayed images via force feedback commands from the host computer.

Devices and methods are described for improving the efficiency of text input by requiring more pressure to select keys on a dynamic keyboard that are improbable key presses. Examples include a text-entry device which has logic for resisting error while the user enters text on a keyboard of the text-entry device. Each key has a lever mechanism which varies the force required to press the key. Keyboard logic on the text-entry device is programmed to change the force required to enter each key within the dynamic keyboard based on the prior entry. The keyboard logic assigns a prediction value to each key based on a statistical probability that the key will be entered next.

A pushbutton user interface enables a user to preview the effect of activating a pushbutton of the interface before the pushbutton is activated. The pushbutton user interface can be implemented so that an input (preview input) to the pushbutton that does not produce an activation of the pushbutton is sensed and, in response to the sensed input, a preview is displayed that indicates the effect of activating the pushbutton. The preview input can be sensed using, for example, a force-sensitive resistor, potentiometer or strain gauge. The preview display can include, for example, a visual display, an audio display, a haptic display, or a combination of two or three such displays. The pushbutton user interface can be implemented so that the preview input and an activation input (i.e., an input that produces an activation of the pushbutton) are sensed as a result of an input to the pushbutton along the same axis or along different (e.g., orthogonal) axes.

The present invention provides haptic sensations for a haptic feedback device and especially for a rotational device such as a knob. Force effects such as a hill force effect and barrier force effect allow easier selection of menu items, menus, values, or other options by the user. Force models are also described to allow greater selection functionality, such as a scrolling list with detents and rate control borders, a jog shuttle, a push-turn model, a double-push model, and a cast control model.

A joystick controller is disclosed for controlling movement of a boom lift platform, the controller having actuators or the like that provide one or more forms of tactile feedback that are intuitively interpreted and adjusted by the user of the joystick motion control, the joystick being neutrally-biased to effect a null movement when the joystick is positioned in a neutral position, but also being adapted with at least one form of tactile feedback by which the joystick controller conveys information about the boom lift's operation to the joystick operator, such as through resistive force or through vibrations or the like.

There is provided a haptic feedback input device of which a manipulation section is not vertically tilted even when a vertical impact is applied to a vehicle body. As support means for supporting a coupled body 16 of a manipulation section 6 and a motor 8 to be tiltable only in the horizontal direction, a pair of tilt axes 19 protruded from the upper and lower portions of a front engine cover 12 and a pair of tongues 20, which are provided inside a rear case 4 and which has an axial bore 20A into which the tilt axis 19 is rotatably inserted, are provided.