Electromagnetic haptic feedback device and feedback method

Abstract

Disclosed is an electromagnetic haptic feedback device and method, wherein the electromagnetic coil is accommodated in a hollow platform; the haptic needle head comprises a hollow accommodating part adapted to enter the through hole and a needle-shaped part extending upward from the hollow accommodating part, the hollow accommodating part contains a magnet, and a plurality of limiting sheets are sequentially and spacedly arranged on the needle-shaped part; a flexible valve lock is transversely fixed in the through hole, the flexible valve lock comprises a ring and a plurality of flexible teeth extending from the inner wall of the ring to the center, the flexible teeth are bent when they act on the limiting sheets, and the flexible teeth return to their original state and play a supporting role after the limiting sheets pass the flexible teeth; a linear bearing is arranged in the pipe, and the needle-shaped part passes through the linear bearing to limit its movement to axial position up and down movement, the electromagnetic coil generates a magnetic field when electrified, the magnetic field acts on the magnet to generate an electromagnetic force, and the plurality of limiting sheets sequentially act on the flexible valve lock to generate multi-stage haptic feedback.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electromagnetic tactile feedback technology in human-computer interaction, and in particular to an electromagnetic tactile feedback device and feedback method. Background Technology

[0002] Touch is a vital means of human perception and communication, and one of the five basic senses. It transmits information through receptors and nerves on the skin, enabling us to perceive and understand the objects, surfaces, and environment around us. Touch helps us determine the shape, size, temperature, hardness, and other characteristics of objects—information crucial for our survival and daily activities.

[0003] Virtual reality (VR) technology refers to the creation of a virtual reality environment that mimics the real world through immersive stereoscopic displays, haptic feedback devices, and other equipment, via a designed human-computer interaction platform. With the development of VR technology, haptic feedback has become increasingly important in this field. The introduction of haptic feedback allows operators to obtain a better sense of presence, optimizing their operational experience in VR. Haptic feedback devices can transmit tactile information from the virtual environment to the operator, further improving the accuracy and sensitivity of operations. However, most current haptic feedback devices are based on pneumatics, dielectric elastomers, piezoelectric materials, etc., which are complex in design, expensive to manufacture, consume a lot of energy, and have limitations in sensing accuracy.

[0004] The information disclosed in the background section is only intended to enhance the understanding of the background of the present invention, and therefore may contain information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings or defects of the existing technology, an electromagnetic tactile feedback device and method are provided, which overcomes the defects of current tactile feedback devices such as slow response, high power consumption, and inability to be adjusted in multiple levels. It has the advantages of fast response speed, simple manufacturing, easy design and adjustment, and the ability to realize multi-mode feedback. It is suitable for application fields that require high tactile realism and fine control, such as virtual reality, remote operation, and medical simulation.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0007] An electromagnetic haptic feedback device, comprising,

[0008] The base includes a first flange located at the top, a through hole connecting the bottom of the first flange, and a hollow platform connecting the bottom end of the through hole;

[0009] An electromagnetic coil, which is housed in the hollow platform;

[0010] A tactile needle includes a hollow receiving portion adapted to enter a through-hole and a needle-like member extending upward from the hollow receiving portion, the hollow receiving portion containing a magnet.

[0011] Multiple limiting pieces are sequentially and spaced apart on the needle-shaped member;

[0012] A flexible valve lock is laterally fixed in the through hole. The flexible valve lock includes a ring and a plurality of flexible teeth extending from the inner wall of the ring towards the center. When the flexible teeth interact with the limiting piece, they bend so that after the limiting piece passes over the flexible teeth, the flexible teeth return to their original shape and play a supporting role.

[0013] The top cover includes a second flange at the bottom and a pipe extending upward from the top of the second flange, the second flange being detachably connected to the first flange;

[0014] A linear bearing is disposed in the tube, and the needle-shaped member passes through the linear bearing to restrict its movement to axial position. The electromagnetic coil is energized to generate a magnetic field, and the magnetic field interacts with the magnet to generate electromagnetic force, so that multiple limiting plates interact with the flexible valve lock in sequence to generate multi-level tactile feedback.

[0015] In the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the cross-section of the through hole is circular, the limiting piece is a limiting circular piece, and the ring is a circular ring.

[0016] In the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, a magnetic core for enhancing the magnetic field strength is placed in the middle of the electromagnetic coil.

[0017] In the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the magnet is a circular magnet, and its magnetization direction is axial magnetization perpendicular to the circular cross-section.

[0018] In the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the fit between the needle-shaped component and the limiting piece is an interference fit.

[0019] In the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, a reinforcing rib structure is provided between the hollow receiving part and the needle-shaped part.

[0020] In the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the distance between the multiple limiting plates is equal.

[0021] In the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the through hole is provided with a groove for placing the flexible valve lock.

[0022] In the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the multi-level and vibration adjustment of the tactile needle tip are achieved by adjusting the magnitude and frequency of the pulse current in the electromagnetic coil.

[0023] The feedback method of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device includes the following steps:

[0024] A control circuit is established, wherein a power supply outputs current, a power amplifier module is connected to the power supply to pass the input current into the power amplifier module, the power amplifier module is connected to an electromagnetic coil, and the output of the power amplifier module is controlled by an ARM microcontroller.

[0025] The ARM microcontroller converts the current into a PWM sampling signal. By changing the duty cycle of the PWM signal, the magnitude of the output current is controlled, thereby changing the magnitude of the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil. This causes multiple limit plates to interact sequentially with the flexible valve lock, generating multi-level tactile feedback. When the flexible teeth interact with the limit plates, they bend. After the limit plates pass over the flexible teeth, the flexible teeth return to their original shape and provide support, enabling the tactile needle to switch between different levels. Adjusting the pulse frequency and sign of the PWM signal makes the output current a high-frequency alternating current, achieving high-frequency vibration of the tactile needle.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0027] This invention directly controls electromagnetic force through the magnetic field generated by an electromagnetic coil; structurally, it achieves multi-level tactile feedback through a flexible valve lock; the current output is all pulse current, requiring no continuous output and resulting in low energy consumption; by controlling the duty cycle and frequency of the PWM signal, it realizes multiple modes of the tactile feedback device; it can be arrayed and has scalable application prospects.

[0028] The description provided is merely an overview of the technical solution of this invention. In order to make the technical means of this invention clearer and more understandable, so that those skilled in the art can implement it according to the contents of the specification, and to make the described and other objects, features and advantages of this invention more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this invention are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Various other advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings.

[0030] In the attached diagram:

[0031] Figure 1 This is an exploded structural diagram of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the flexible valve lock of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0034] Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic diagrams of the multi-level feedback control of the present invention, wherein Figure 4(a) is a schematic diagram of the multi-level feedback control, and Figure 4(b) is a schematic diagram of the output mode of electromagnetic force during multi-level feedback control.

[0035] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) are schematic diagrams of vibration feedback of the present invention, wherein Figure 5(a) is a schematic diagram of vibration feedback and Figure 5(b) is a schematic diagram of the output mode of electromagnetic force when vibration feedback is controlled.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of one structure of the present invention.

[0037] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While specific embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the invention and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0039] It should be noted that certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that different terms may be used to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in terminology, but rather on differences in function. The terms "comprising" or "including" used throughout the specification and claims are open-ended and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to." The following descriptions are preferred embodiments for carrying out the invention; however, these descriptions are for the purpose of understanding the general principles of the specification and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The scope of protection of this invention is determined by the appended claims.

[0040] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the following will provide further explanation and description with reference to the accompanying drawings and several specific embodiments, and the accompanying drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] To better understand, such as Figures 1 to 6 As shown, an electromagnetic haptic feedback device includes,

[0042] The base 9 includes a first flange located at the top, a through hole connecting the bottom of the first flange, and a hollow platform connecting the bottom end of the through hole;

[0043] Electromagnetic coil 10, which is housed in the hollow platform portion;

[0044] The tactile needle 3 includes a hollow receiving portion adapted to enter a through-hole and a needle-like member extending upward from the hollow receiving portion, wherein the hollow receiving portion houses a magnet 7.

[0045] Multiple limiting pieces are sequentially and spaced apart on the needle-shaped member;

[0046] The flexible valve lock 8 is laterally fixed in the through hole. The flexible valve lock 8 includes a ring and a plurality of flexible teeth extending from the inner wall of the ring towards the center. When the flexible teeth interact with the limiting piece, they bend so that after the limiting piece passes over the flexible teeth, the flexible teeth return to their original shape and play a supporting role.

[0047] The top cover 2 includes a second flange located at the bottom and a pipe extending upward from the top of the second flange, wherein the second flange is detachably connected to the first flange;

[0048] A linear bearing 1 is disposed in the tube, and the needle-shaped member passes through the linear bearing 1 to restrict its movement to the up and down position in the axial direction. The electromagnetic coil 10 is energized to generate a magnetic field, and the magnetic field interacts with the magnet 7 to generate an electromagnetic force, so that multiple limiting plates interact with the flexible valve lock 8 in sequence to generate multi-level tactile feedback.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the cross-section of the through hole is circular, the limiting piece is a limiting circular piece, and the ring is a circular ring.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, a magnetic core for enhancing the magnetic field strength is placed in the middle of the electromagnetic coil 10.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the magnet 7 is a circular magnet 7, and its magnetization direction is axial magnetization perpendicular to the circular cross-section.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the fit between the needle-like component and the limiting piece is an interference fit.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, a reinforcing rib structure is provided between the hollow receiving portion and the needle-shaped component.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the distance between the multiple limiting plates is equal.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the through hole is provided with a groove for placing the flexible valve lock 8.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device, the multi-level and vibration adjustment of the tactile needle 3 are achieved by adjusting the magnitude and frequency of the pulse current in the electromagnetic coil 10.

[0057] The feedback method of the electromagnetic tactile feedback device includes the following steps:

[0058] A control circuit is established, wherein the power supply outputs current, and the power amplifier module is connected to the power supply to pass the input current into the power amplifier module. The power amplifier module is connected to the electromagnetic coil 10, and the output of the power amplifier module is controlled by an ARM microcontroller.

[0059] The current is converted into a PWM sampling signal by an ARM microcontroller. The duty cycle of the PWM signal is changed to control the magnitude of the output current, thereby changing the magnitude of the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil 10. This causes multiple limit plates to interact with the flexible valve lock 8 in sequence, generating multi-level tactile feedback. When the flexible teeth interact with the limit plates, they bend. After the limit plates pass over the flexible teeth, the flexible teeth return to their original shape and provide support, realizing the switching of the tactile needle 3 between different levels. The pulse frequency and polarity of the PWM signal are adjusted so that the output current is a high-frequency alternating current, realizing high-frequency vibration of the tactile needle 3.

[0060] In one embodiment, an electromagnetic tactile feedback device includes a base 9, inside which an electromagnetic coil 10 is placed as a feedback power source. Based on electromagnetic principles, energizing the electromagnetic coil 10 causes a circular current to generate a magnetic field along the axial direction, which acts on a cylindrical magnet 7. The base 9 also contains a tactile needle 3, with a groove below the needle 3 for placing the cylindrical magnet 7, which is then subjected to force and moves, thereby applying tactile stimulation. A three-level limiting disc is fitted onto the tactile needle 3, and the limiting disc interacts with a flexible valve lock 8 to generate multi-level tactile feedback modes. The flexible valve lock 8 is fixed to the groove above the base 9 and contacts a top cover. The top cover is fixed to the base 9 by screws, and a linear bearing 1 is installed inside the top cover. The tactile needle 3 passes through the linear bearing 1 to restrict its movement to an axial position.

[0061] Preferably, the electromagnetic tactile feedback device further includes a current control module, consisting of a power supply and a control circuit. The current output by the power supply is adjusted by an ARM microcontroller and a power amplifier module before being transmitted to the electromagnetic coil 10. The control signal generated by the ARM microcontroller is a PWM signal. By adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM sampling signal, the magnitude of the current output to the electromagnetic coil 10 can be changed. Simultaneously, a PID algorithm is used in the ARM microcontroller to adjust the PWM control signal to achieve precise control of the current in the electromagnetic coil 10.

[0062] Furthermore, by adjusting the pulse frequency of the microcontroller, vibration signals of different frequencies and magnitudes are generated, causing the tactile needle 3 to vibrate at a certain level. Furthermore, the core of the magnetic conductor 7 is made of high-permeability pure iron. Preferably, the cylindrical magnet 7 is made of N52 permanent magnet 7.

[0063] Preferably, the flexible valve lock 8 is made of PET material by laser cutting, and its inner ring has a multi-tooth structure, which facilitates the switching of the tactile needle 3 between different levels and vibration at a certain level.

[0064] Preferably, the distance between the multi-stage discs is equal, and the distance is designed according to the electromagnetic force and the resistance of the flexible valve lock 8.

[0065] Preferably, the linear bearing 1 is interference-fitted with the top cover, i.e., fixed inside the top cover 2, while the inner ring is transition-fitted with the tactile needle 3, allowing it to move without resistance in the axial direction. All rigid structures are 3D printed; optionally, the non-standard parts are made using 3D printed PLA material.

[0066] In one embodiment, the feedback method includes the following steps:

[0067] Step 1: Establish the control circuit, including power supply, ARM microcontroller, power amplifier module and multi-stage feedback electromagnetic tactile interface device.

[0068] Step 2: The input current from the power supply is fed into the power amplifier module, and the output of the power amplifier module is controlled by the ARM microcontroller.

[0069] Step 3: The current is converted into a PWM sampling signal by the ARM microcontroller. The duty cycle of the PWM signal is changed to control the magnitude of the output current, thereby changing the magnitude of the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil 10, and realizing the switching of the tactile needle 3 between different levels.

[0070] Step 4: Adjust the pulse frequency and sign of the PWM signal so that the output current is high-frequency AC, thereby achieving high-frequency vibration of the tactile needle 3 at a certain level.

[0071] In one embodiment, an electromagnetic tactile feedback device includes an electromagnetic coil 10, which is placed inside a base 9. The base 9 has a through hole for placing a tactile needle 3. A cylindrical magnet 7 is placed in a groove below the tactile needle 3, and three-level limiting discs 4, 5, and 6 are fitted on top. The base 9 is fixed to a top cover 2 with screws, and a flexible valve lock 8 is placed at the connection. A linear bearing 1 is embedded in a hole at the top of the top cover 2, and the tactile needle 3 passes through the inner hole of the linear bearing 1. In this example, the electromagnetic coil contains a high-permeability pure iron magnetic core to enhance the magnetic field strength and electromagnetic force. The cylindrical magnet is an N52 permanent magnet and is magnetized axially to maximize the electromagnetic force it can withstand.

[0072] Flexible valve lock structure such as Figure 2 As shown, the flexible valve lock is made of 0.5mm PET and laser-cut. The flexible valve lock has six teeth inside. When the teeth interact with the limiting discs, they bend; after the discs pass over the teeth, they return to their original shape, providing support. The linear bearing used in this example is from the LM-UU series, with an outer diameter of 7mm, an inner diameter of 3mm, and a length of 10mm. The electromagnetic coil in this example has 1000 turns, and the copper wire diameter is 0.35mm. The distance between the limiting discs in this example, i.e., the distance between different feedback stages, is 3mm. This distance can be further designed according to the magnitude of the electromagnetic force and the resistance of the valve lock.

[0073] In this example, the electromagnetic coil is driven using the L298N driver module. The current output from the power supply is driven by the L298N and then adjusted by the ARM microcontroller ARDUINO. The current magnitude is adjusted using a PWM wave, that is, the duty cycle of the PWM signal is controlled by the ARM microcontroller ARDUINO to indirectly control the current in the coil. The direction and pulse frequency of the PWM signal are controlled to generate an AC signal, which in turn controls the vibration frequency.

[0074] Figure 3 Figure 4(a) shows a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a multi-stage feedback electromagnetic tactile interface device. When the electromagnetic coil is energized in the forward direction, it generates an upward electromagnetic force, as shown in Figure 4(a). The generated magnetic field interacts with magnet 7, causing the tactile needle 3 to move upward. After passing the flexible valve lock 8, it stops at this stage. This process is repeated to make the tactile needle continue to move upward, completing the switching between multiple stages. When the coil is energized in the reverse direction, it generates a downward electromagnetic force, causing the tactile needle to move downward. The energizing form is shown in Figure 4(b), that is, by applying a pulse current of a certain duration, a corresponding pulse magnetic field force can be generated, thereby completing the switching between different stages.

[0075] Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional schematic diagram in vibration mode. When the work done by the applied electromagnetic force does not exceed the resistance work of the flexible valve lock, the applied AC signal can generate vibration force, so that the tactile needle can realize vibration feedback at any level, and its vibration frequency can also be controlled by changing the pulse frequency of PWM. A schematic diagram of generating a cycle of electromagnetic force is shown in Figure 5(b).

[0076] The basic principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this application are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this application. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the application to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0077] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic tactile feedback device, characterized in that, It includes, The base includes a first flange located at the top, a through hole connecting the bottom of the first flange, and a hollow platform connecting the bottom end of the through hole; An electromagnetic coil, which is housed in the hollow platform; A tactile needle includes a hollow receiving portion adapted to enter a through-hole and a needle-like member extending upward from the hollow receiving portion, the hollow receiving portion containing a magnet. Multiple limiting pieces are sequentially and spaced apart on the needle-shaped member; A flexible valve lock is laterally fixed in the through hole. The flexible valve lock includes a ring and a plurality of flexible teeth extending from the inner wall of the ring towards the center. When the flexible teeth interact with the limiting piece, they bend so that after the limiting piece passes over the flexible teeth, the flexible teeth return to their original shape and play a supporting role. The top cover includes a second flange at the bottom and a pipe extending upward from the top of the second flange, the second flange being detachably connected to the first flange; A linear bearing is disposed in the tube, and the needle-shaped member passes through the linear bearing to restrict its movement to axial position. The electromagnetic coil is energized to generate a magnetic field, and the magnetic field interacts with the magnet to generate electromagnetic force, so that multiple limiting plates interact with the flexible valve lock in sequence to generate multi-level tactile feedback.

2. The electromagnetic tactile feedback device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Preferably, the cross-section of the through hole is circular, the limiting piece is a limiting circular piece, and the ring is a circular ring.

3. The electromagnetic tactile feedback device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A magnetic core is placed in the middle of the electromagnetic coil to enhance the magnetic field strength.

4. The electromagnetic tactile feedback device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The magnet is a circular magnet, and its magnetization direction is axial magnetization perpendicular to the circular cross-section.

5. The electromagnetic tactile feedback device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fit between the needle-shaped part and the limiting piece is an interference fit.

6. The electromagnetic haptic feedback device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A reinforcing rib structure is provided between the hollow receiving part and the needle-shaped part.

7. The electromagnetic tactile feedback device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the multiple limiting plates is equal.

8. The electromagnetic tactile feedback device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The through hole is provided with a groove for placing the flexible valve lock.

9. The electromagnetic tactile feedback device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-level vibration adjustment of the tactile needle tip can be achieved by adjusting the magnitude and frequency of the pulse current in the electromagnetic coil.

10. A feedback method for an electromagnetic tactile feedback device as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: A control circuit is established, wherein a power supply outputs current, a power amplifier module is connected to the power supply to pass the input current into the power amplifier module, the power amplifier module is connected to an electromagnetic coil, and the output of the power amplifier module is controlled by an ARM microcontroller. The ARM microcontroller converts the current into a PWM sampling signal. By changing the duty cycle of the PWM signal, the magnitude of the output current is controlled, thereby changing the magnitude of the electromagnetic force generated by the electromagnetic coil. This causes multiple limit plates to interact sequentially with the flexible valve lock, generating multi-level tactile feedback. When the flexible teeth interact with the limit plates, they bend. After the limit plates pass over the flexible teeth, the flexible teeth return to their original shape and provide support, enabling the tactile needle to switch between different levels. Adjusting the pulse frequency and sign of the PWM signal makes the output current a high-frequency alternating current, achieving high-frequency vibration of the tactile needle.

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