Apparatus and methods for haptic rendering using a haptic camera view

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods for using a “haptic camera” within a virtual environment and for using graphical data from the haptic camera to produce touch feedback. The haptic camera obtains graphical data pertaining to virtual objects within the vicinity and along the trajectory of a user-controlled haptic interface device. The graphical data from the camera is interpreted haptically, thereby allowing touch feedback corresponding to the virtual environment to be provided to the user.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application is related to commonly-owned U.S. patent application entitled, “Apparatus and Methods for Haptic Rendering Using Data in a Graphics Pipeline,” by Itkowitz, Shih, Midura, Handley, and Goodwin, filed under Attorney Docket No. SNS-012 on even date herewith, the text of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety; the present application is also related to commonly-owned international (PCT) patent application entitled, “Apparatus and Methods for Haptic Rendering Using Data in a Graphics Pipeline,” by Itkowitz, Shih, Midura, Handley, and Goodwin, filed under Attorney Docket No. SNS-012PC on even date herewith, the text of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety; the present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 584,001, filed on Jun. 29, 2004, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates generally to ha...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a system and method for using a "haptic camera" in a virtual environment to provide touch feedback to a user-controlled haptic interface device. The haptic camera obtains graphical data pertaining to virtual objects within the virtual environment and interprets it to create touch feedback that can be provided to the user. The efficiency of haptic rendering is improved by limited view volume and the use of processing power. The method also allows for more sophisticated haptic interaction techniques and the use of two virtual cameras for two-pass rendering. The invention enhances the user's haptic experience and allows for more realistic touch-based simulation.

Problems solved by technology

While 3D graphics API's and graphics cards have significantly improved the graphical rendering of 3D objects, the haptic rendering of 3D objects in a virtual environment is a comparatively inefficient process.

Haptic rendering is largely a separate process from graphical rendering, and currently-available 3D graphics applications are incompatible with haptic systems, since graphics applications are not designed to interpret or provide haptic information about a virtual environment.

Furthermore, haptic rendering processes are generally computation-intensive, requiring high processing speed and a low latency control loop for accurate force feedback rendering.

For this reason, current haptic systems are usually limited to generating force feedback based on single point interaction with a virtual environment.

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