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.