US6366272B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Providing interactions between simulated objects using force feedback
Assignee: Immersion Corp
•
Filing: 1999-11-03
•
Granted: 2002-04-02
•
Expires: 2019-11-03
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for providing force feedback to a user operating a human/computer interface device and interacting with a computer-generated simulation. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method simulates the interaction of simulated objects displayed to a user who controls one of the simulated objects manipulating a physical object of an interface device. The position of the simulated object, as provided within the simulation and as displayed, is mapped directly to the physical position of the user object. This mapping is broken under conditions that are effective to provide force feedback to the user which imparts a physical sensation corresponding to the interaction of the simulated objects. In another aspect, a ball simulated ball object interacts with a user-controlled simulated object in a simulation to allow the user to utilize a wide range of physical skill and dexterity in interacting with the simulation. In another aspect, a simulation apparatus provides a display device such as one or more display screens or a projection device, and which also provides an intuitive mechanical interface device for the user to skillfully and dexterously manipulate objects within a computer-generated simulation.
Inventors
- 👤 Louis B. Rosenberg
- 👤 Scott B. Brave
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 11:57
CPC Classifications
A63F13/10; A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/25; A63F13/28; A63F13/285; A63F13/45; A63F13/55; A63F13/57; A63F13/573; A63F13/577; A63F13/80; A63F13/812; B; B25; B25J; B25J9/00; B25J9/16; B25J9/1679; B25J9/1689; G; G05; G05G; G05G9/00; G05G9/02; G05G9/04; G05G9/047; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/016; G06F3/03; G06F3/033; G06F3/038; G06F3/0383; A63B; A63B24/00; A63F11/00; A63F11/0051; A63F13/30; A63F13/33; A63F13/335; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/10; A63F2300/1025; A63F2300/1037; A63F2300/60; A63F2300/64; A63F2300/80; A63F2300/8011; G05G2009/04766; G05G2009/04777; G06F2203/00; G06F2203/01; G06F2203/014; G06F2203/015; H; H01; H01H; H01H3/00; H01H2003/008; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/131
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
295 words
A computer readable medium including program instructions for simulating the spatial interaction of a displayed first simulated object with a displayed second simulated object in a computer-simulated spatial environment such that the user is provided with a force feedback that realistically represents said interaction, said program instructions performing the following on a computer system: executing a simulation including a first simulated object, said simulation being configured to implement the motion of said first simulated object in response to motion of a physical object of an interface device controlled by a user, wherein said physical object has a physical position in a physical workspace, and wherein a position control mapping between said simulated location of said first simulated object and said physical position of said physical object exists, said simulation being further configured to generate a second simulated object having boundaries such that said second simulated object impedes the simulated motion of said first simulated object when the trajectory of said first simulated object intersects said boundaries of said second simulated object; providing information causing a display device to display the location and motion of said first simulated object and said second simulated object; and providing information causing a force feedback mechanism to impart to a user of said force feedback mechanism a physical sensation that corresponds to the simulated physical interaction of said first simulated object with said second simulated object when the trajectory of said first simulated object intersects the boundaries of said second simulated object, wherein said interaction is determined by examining a current location and a previous location of said first simulated object to determine said trajectory, and wherein said position control mapping between said physical object and said first simulated object is broken during said interaction when providing said physical sensation.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
295 words
A computer readable medium including program instructions for simulating the spatial interaction of a displayed first simulated object with a displayed second simulated object in a computer-simulated spatial environment such that the user is provided with a force feedback that realistically represents said interaction, said program instructions performing the following on a computer system: executing a simulation including a first simulated object, said simulation being configured to implement the motion of said first simulated object in response to motion of a physical object of an interface device controlled by a user, wherein said physical object has a physical position in a physical workspace, and wherein a position control mapping between said simulated location of said first simulated object and said physical position of said physical object exists, said simulation being further configured to generate a second simulated object having boundaries such that said second simulated object impedes the simulated motion of said first simulated object when the trajectory of said first simulated object intersects said boundaries of said second simulated object; providing information causing a display device to display the location and motion of said first simulated object and said second simulated object; and providing information causing a force feedback mechanism to impart to a user of said force feedback mechanism a physical sensation that corresponds to the simulated physical interaction of said first simulated object with said second simulated object when the trajectory of said first simulated object intersects the boundaries of said second simulated object, wherein said interaction is determined by examining a current location and a previous location of said first simulated object to determine said trajectory, and wherein said position control mapping between said physical object and said first simulated object is broken during said interaction when providing said physical sensation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said physical sensation includes a restoring force that is proportional to the magnitude by which said mapping is broken when said first simulated object intersects said boundaries of said second simulated object.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
71 words
The computer readable medium of claim 2 , wherein said restoring force includes a spring force having the mathematical form: F=kx where F is said restoring force, x is a magnitude of a deviation of said spatial correlation including a deviation between the current location of the first simulated object and a location of said first simulated object had said mapping not been broken, and k is a spring constant parameter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
86 words
The computer readable medium of claim 3 , wherein said restoring force includes a damping force and said restoring force has the mathematical form: F=kx+bv where F is said restoring force, x is a magnitude of a deviation of said spatial correspondence including a deviation between the current location of the first simulated object and a location of said first simulated object had said mapping not been broken, v is a function of a velocity of said physical object, and k and b are constant parameters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
122 words
The computer readable medium of claim 4 , wherein said restoring force includes an intertial force corresponding to the movement of said second simulated object in response to said interaction between said second simulated object and said first simulated object and said restoring force has the mathematical form: F=kx+bv+ma where F is said restoring force, x is a magnitude of a deviation of said spatial correspondence including a deviation between the current location of the first simulated object and a location of said first simulated object had said mapping not been broken, v is a function of a velocity of said physical object, a is a function of an acceleration of said physical object, and k, b and m are constant parameters.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer readable medium of claim 2 , wherein said restoring force includes a component resulting from friction between said simulated object and said simulated spatial environment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
The computer readable medium of claim 2 , wherein said second simulated object moves on said display device during said simulation in response to manipulations of a second physical object of a second interface device by said second user, said second interface device being coupled to a second computer system coupled to said computer system through a network interface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
62 words
The computer readable medium of claim 2 , wherein said restoring force includes a weighting factor such that the location L on said display device of the simulated objects shown on said display device is determined by the equation: L = ( w 1 x 1 + w 2 x 2 ) ( w 1 + w 2 ) .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said processor is coupled with a second processor executing said simulation, said second processor being responsive to input from a second interface device, said processors being coupled such that said simulations communicate input information from said interface devices.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
244 words
A method for providing an interaction between displayed objects in a graphical environment implemented by a host computer, wherein a user interfaces with said graphical environment using a force feedback device coupled to said host computer, the method comprising: moving a first graphical object in response to movement of a user manipulatable object of said force feedback device by said user, said movement of said first graphical object provided according to a position control mapping to said movement of said user manipulatable object; determining whether said first graphical object has engaged a second graphical object by examining a path of said first graphical object in said graphical environment, said path determined by examining a current location of said first graphical object and a previous location of said first graphical object; breaking said position control mapping and providing an illusion of rigidity of said second graphical object by displaying said first graphical object as remaining engaged with said second graphical object when said path of said first graphical object has been determined to move through said second graphical object if said position control mapping were maintained; and providing information that causes said force feedback device coupled to said host computer to output an opposing force on said user manipulatable object by at least one actuator in said force feedback device in a direction approximately opposite to said movement of said user manipulatable object while said first graphical object is engaged with said second graphical object.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
244 words
A method for providing an interaction between displayed objects in a graphical environment implemented by a host computer, wherein a user interfaces with said graphical environment using a force feedback device coupled to said host computer, the method comprising: moving a first graphical object in response to movement of a user manipulatable object of said force feedback device by said user, said movement of said first graphical object provided according to a position control mapping to said movement of said user manipulatable object; determining whether said first graphical object has engaged a second graphical object by examining a path of said first graphical object in said graphical environment, said path determined by examining a current location of said first graphical object and a previous location of said first graphical object; breaking said position control mapping and providing an illusion of rigidity of said second graphical object by displaying said first graphical object as remaining engaged with said second graphical object when said path of said first graphical object has been determined to move through said second graphical object if said position control mapping were maintained; and providing information that causes said force feedback device coupled to said host computer to output an opposing force on said user manipulatable object by at least one actuator in said force feedback device in a direction approximately opposite to said movement of said user manipulatable object while said first graphical object is engaged with said second graphical object.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said opposing force is a restoring spring force.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said second graphical object is fixed in location within said graphical environment.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said user is a first user, and wherein said second graphical object is moveable according to input from a second user of a second force feedback device coupled to said host computer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as recited in claim 13 wherein said host computer is a first host computer, and wherein said second force feedback device is coupled to a second host computer which is coupled to said first host computer via a network.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 14 wherein said network is the World Wide Web.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method as recited in claim 10 wherein a friction force is output on said user manipulatable object when said user manipulatable object is moved in a direction corresponding to a direction approximately perpendicular to said path of engagement of said first graphical object while said first and second graphical objects are engaged.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said friction force has a magnitude that is a function of said magnitude of said opposing spring force.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
259 words
A method for providing an interaction between displayed objects in a graphical environment implemented by a host computer, wherein a user interfaces with said graphical environment using a force feedback device coupled to said host computer, the method comprising: (a) moving a first graphical object in response to movement of a user manipulatable object of said force feedback device by said user, said movement of said first graphical object provided according to a position control mapping to said movement of said user manipulatable object; (b) determining whether said first graphical object has engaged a second graphical object by examining a path of said first graphical object in said graphical environment, said path determined by examining a current location of said first graphical object and a previous location of said first graphical object; and (c) providing information that causes said force feedback device coupled to said host computer to output: (i) an opposing force on said user manipulatable object by at least one actuator in said force feedback device when said user manipulatable object is moved in a direction corresponding to a direction approximately opposite to said path of said first graphical object while said first graphical object is engaged with said second graphical object; and (ii) a friction force on said user manipulatable object by at least one actuator in said force feedback device when said user manipulatable object is moved in a direction corresponding to a direction approximately perpendicular to said path of engagement of said first graphical object while said first and second graphical objects are engaged.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
259 words
A method for providing an interaction between displayed objects in a graphical environment implemented by a host computer, wherein a user interfaces with said graphical environment using a force feedback device coupled to said host computer, the method comprising: (a) moving a first graphical object in response to movement of a user manipulatable object of said force feedback device by said user, said movement of said first graphical object provided according to a position control mapping to said movement of said user manipulatable object; (b) determining whether said first graphical object has engaged a second graphical object by examining a path of said first graphical object in said graphical environment, said path determined by examining a current location of said first graphical object and a previous location of said first graphical object; and (c) providing information that causes said force feedback device coupled to said host computer to output: (i) an opposing force on said user manipulatable object by at least one actuator in said force feedback device when said user manipulatable object is moved in a direction corresponding to a direction approximately opposite to said path of said first graphical object while said first graphical object is engaged with said second graphical object; and (ii) a friction force on said user manipulatable object by at least one actuator in said force feedback device when said user manipulatable object is moved in a direction corresponding to a direction approximately perpendicular to said path of engagement of said first graphical object while said first and second graphical objects are engaged.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said opposing force is a spring force, and wherein said friction force has a magnitude that is a function of said magnitude of said opposing spring force.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
64 words
A method as recited in claim 18 further comprising breaking said position control mapping and providing an illusion of rigidity of said second graphical object by displaying said first graphical object as remaining engaged with said second graphical object when said path of said first graphical object has been determined to move through said second graphical object if said position control mapping were maintained.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-04-01 | 2005-10-01 | 2006-04-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-04-01 | 2009-10-01 | 2010-04-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-04-01 | 2013-10-01 | 2014-04-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |