Increasing force transmissibility for tactile feedback interface devices

{
  "publication_number": "US6680729B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Increasing force transmissibility for tactile feedback interface devices",
  "abstract": "Method and apparatus for increasing the transmissibility of inertial forces produced by an inertial actuator on the housing of a tactile feedback interface device. A tactile interface device, coupled to a host computer, outputs tactile sensations to a user based on interactions and events occurring in a displayed graphical environment. An actuator produces periodic inertial forces, such as vibrations, and a compliant suspension couples the actuator to the device housing. A compliance of the suspension is selected such that the suspension magnifies the periodic inertial forces for a particular frequency range of the inertial forces. The magnified inertial forces are transmitted to the housing to be felt by the user.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A device, comprising: a housing; an actuator disposed within said housing, the actuator configured to receive a control signal, the control signal based on data values associated with events in a graphical environment, the actuator configured to produce periodic inertial forces based on the control signal; and a compliant suspension coupled between said actuator and said housing, said compliant suspension member having a predetermined compliance such that said compliant suspension magnifies the periodic inertial forces for a predetermined frequency range of the inertial forces, the compliant suspension configured to impart the magnified inertial forces to the housing.",
    "2. The device of claim 1, wherein the periodic inertial forces are operative to impart periodic vibrations to said housing.",
    "3. The device of claim 1, wherein said compliant suspension includes at least one spring member.",
    "4. The device of claim 3, wherein said spring member is a leaf spring.",
    "5. The device of claim 3, wherein said spring member includes at least one spring beam coupled to said housing, said spring beam configured to flex, the predetermined compliance of the spring member being defined at least in part by the flex of the spring member.",
    "6. The device of claim 3, wherein said spring member includes a diaphragm.",
    "7. The device of claim 2, further comprising a damping member coupled between said actuator and said housing, said damping member configured to reduce a peak magnitude of the periodic vibrations.",
    "8. The device of claim 7, wherein said damping member includes a foam.",
    "9. The device of claim 3, wherein said actuator is coupled to a bracket, said bracket being coupled to said housing by said at least one spring member.",
    "10. The device of claim 1, wherein said control signal is received from a video game console and said graphical environment is a game running on said console, said control signal being based on events in the game.",
    "11. The device of claim 1, wherein said actuator is a rotary motor and said compliant suspension is coupled between a housing of said motor and said housing of said device.",
    "12. The device of claim 11, wherein an eccentric mass is coupled to a rotating shaft of said motor and is configured to output the periodic inertial forces.",
    "13. The device of claim 1, wherein said actuator is a linear motor including an oscillating element and is configured to output the periodic inertial forces.",
    "14. The device of claim 1, wherein said control signal is provided by a controller locally coupled to the device.",
    "15. The device of claim 14, wherein said local controller is a microprocessor, and said microprocessor is configured to receive data from a host computer.",
    "16. The device of claim 1, wherein said control signal is output by a host computer such that said host computer directly controls the periodic inertial forces.",
    "17. A method, comprising: transmitting an input signal from a haptic feedback device, the haptic feedback device including a housing, an actuator within the housing and a compliant suspension coupled between the actuator and the housing; receiving at the actuator a control signal, the control signal based on data values associated with events occurring in a graphical environment, the events associated with the input signal; outputting periodic inertial forces via the actuator, the periodic vibrations being based on the control signal; and transmitting periodic vibrations associated with the periodic inertial forces to the housing via the compliant suspension, the compliant suspension having a predetermined compliance such that the compliant suspension magnifies the periodic inertial forces for a predetermined frequency range of the periodic inertial forces.",
    "18. The method of claim 17, further comprising reducing a peak magnitude of the periodic inertial forces using a damping member.",
    "19. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving the control signal includes receiving the control signal from a controller locally coupled to the haptic feedback device.",
    "20. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving the control signal includes receiving the control signal at the actuator directly from a host computer such that the host computer directly controls the output of the periodic vibrations.",
    "21. A device, comprising: a housing; a manipulandum coupled to said housing; a sensor configured to detect a manipulation of said manipulandum, the sensor further configured to output sensor data, the sensor data based on the detected manipulation; an actuator disposed within said housing, said actuator configured to receive a control signal based on events occurring in a graphical environment, the actuator further configured to output periodic inertial forces based on the control signal; and a compliant member coupled between said actuator and said housing, said complaint member having a predetermined compliance such that said compliant member magnifies the periodic inertial forces for a predetermined frequency range of the periodic inertial forces, the compliant member configured to impart the magnified inertial forces to the housing.",
    "22. The device of claim 21, wherein the periodic inertial forces are operative to impart periodic vibrations to said housing.",
    "23. The device of claim 22, the actuator being a first actuator, the compliant member being a first compliant member, further comprising: a second actuator configured to produce inertial vibrations; and a second complaint member coupled between said second actuator and said housing, the second compliant member configured to magnify the inertial vibrations."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates generally to tactile feedback human-computer interface devices, and more specifically to enhancing inertial tactile feedback in such interface devices.\n\nComputer devices are widely used for entertainment activities such as playing games. Currently, popular gaming computer devices include game consoles connected to a home television set, such as the Nintendo® 64 from Nintendo Corp., the Playstation® from Sony Corp., and the Dreamcast™ from Sega Corp. Gaming computer devices also include personal computers, such as Windows PCs, Macintosh computers, and others. Also, portable computer devices are often used for entertainment purposes, such as Game Boy® from Nintendo, personal digital assistants such as PalmPilot® from Palm Computing, and laptop computers.\n\nUsers of these computer devices typically interact with a game or other application program using an interface device connected to the host computer (e.g. game console). Such interface devices may include joysticks, gamepads, mice, trackballs, styluses, steering wheels, or other devices. A user moves a user manipulatable object (manipulandum), such as a joystick, wheel, mouse, button, dial, or other object, which is sensed by the host computer and used to manipulate a graphical environment displayed by the host computer. Recently, haptic feedback in interface devices has become available as well, where the host computer and/or a microprocessor on the interface device controls one or more motors to output forces to the user.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06F 3/016",
    "A63F 13/245",
    "A63F 13/285",
    "A63F 13/803",
    "A63F 13/812",
    "A63F 13/818",
    "A63F 2300/1037",
    "A63F 2300/1043",
    "A63F 2300/8011",
    "A63F 2300/8017",
    "A63F 2300/8035"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A63F 13/06",
    "G06F 3/00",
    "G06F 3/01"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Immersion Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Erik J. Shahoian",
    "Kenneth M. Martin"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2000-09-29",
  "publication_date": "2004-01-20",
  "grant_date": "2004-01-20",
  "priority_date": "1999-09-30",
  "application_number": "US-67599500-A",
  "family_id": "30002609",
  "cited_by_count": 109,
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}