Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-15
2001-09-18
Shalwala, Bipin (Department: 2673)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
C345S161000, C345S163000, C345S167000, C345S182000, C345S215000, C463S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292170
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to interface devices for allowing humans to interface with computer systems, and more particularly to computer interface devices that provide input from the user to computer systems and implement force feedback to the user.
Using an interface device, a user can interact with an environment displayed by a computer system to perform functions and tasks on the computer, such as playing a game, experiencing a simulation or virtual reality environment, using a computer aided design system, operating a graphical user interface (GUI), or otherwise influencing events or images depicted on the screen. Common human-computer interface devices used for such interaction include a joystick, mouse, trackball, stylus, tablet, pressure-sensitive ball, or the like, that is connected to the computer system controlling the displayed environment. Typically, the computer updates the environment in response to the user's manipulation of a user-manipulatable physical object such as a joystick handle or mouse, and provides visual and audio feedback to the user utilizing the display screen and audio speakers. The computer senses the user's manipulation of the user object through sensors provided on the interface device that send locative signals to the computer.
In some interface devices, haptic feedback is also provided to the user, also known as “force feedback.” These types of interface devices can provide physical sensations which are felt by the user manipulating a user manipulable object of the interface device. For example, the Force-FX joystick controller from CH Products, Inc. or the Wingman Force joystick from Logitech, Inc. may be connected to a computer and provides forces to a user of the controller. Other systems might use a force feedback mouse controller. One or more motors or other actuators are used in the device and arc connected to the controlling computer system. The computer system controls forces on the joystick in conjunction and coordinated with displayed events and interactions by sending control signals or commands to the actuators. The computer system can thus convey physical force sensations to the user in conjunction with other supplied feedback as the user is grasping or contacting the joystick or other object of the interface device. For example, when the user moves the manipulatable object and causes a displayed cursor to interact with a different displayed graphical object, the computer can issue a command that causes the actuator to output a force on the user object, conveying a feel sensation to the user.
A problem with the prior art development of force feedback sensations in software is that the programmer of force feedback applications does not have an intuitive sense as to how forces will feel when adjusted in certain ways, and thus must go to great effort to develop characteristics of forces that are desired for a specific application. For example, a programmer may wish to create a specific spring and damping force sensation between two graphical objects, where the force sensation has a particular stiffness, play, offset, etc. In current force feedback systems, the programmer must determine the parameters and characteristics of the desired force by a brute force method, by simply setting parameters, testing the force, and adjusting the parameters in an iterative fashion. This method can be cumbersome because it is often not intuitive how a parameter will affect the feel of a force as it is actually output on the user object; the programmer often may not even be close to the desired force sensation with initial parameter settings. Other types of forces may not be intuitive at all, such as a spring having a negative stiffness, and thus force sensation designers may have a difficult time integrating these types of sensations into software applications.
Furthermore, designers may have a difficult time synchronizing force sensations with each other, especially compound force sensations which include multiple individual force sensations. For example, a particular force sensation such as a collision may be accompanied by another force sensation such as an “earthquake” vibration. It can often be difficult to coordinate multiple simultaneous force sensations, especially when each of the force sensations starts and stops at different times and has a different duration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to designing force sensations output by a force feedback interface device. A controlling host computer provides a design interface tool that allows intuitive and simple design of a variety of force sensations and also allows multiple force sensations to be included in a compound force sensation.
More particularly, a design interface for designing force sensations for use with a force feedback interface device is described. The force sensation design interface is displayed on a display device of a host computer. Input from a user selects one or more force sensations to be commanded by a host computer and output by a force feedback interface device. Each force sensation preferably is provided with its own design parameters and design window, and the user can design and define physical characteristics of the selected force sensations. A graphical representation of the characterized force sensation is displayed on a display device of the host computer. Multiple force sensations can be included in a compound force sensation based on input received from the user, and a time-based graphical representation of the compound force sensation is displayed. For example, the time-based graphical representation can include a bar graph for each of the individual force sensations in the compound sensation indicating a start time and duration of each of the individual force sensations relative to each other. Multiple such compound force sensations can be designed and displayed simultaneously.
Preferably, the compound force sensation is output by the force feedback interface device coupled to the host computer to the manipulandum in conjunction with updating the graphical demonstration of the compound force sensation. The graphical representation provides the user with a visual demonstration of the individual force sensations included in the compound force sensation. Changes to at least one of the individual force sensations can be made by the user after the compound force sensation is output and the changes are displayed in the compound graphical representation. The user can also easily adjust the start times and durations of the individual force sensations using the graphical representation. Thus, in an iterative process, the user can design effective compound force sensations through actual experience of those sensations. The design interface can be implemented using program instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. In addition, one or more sounds can be assigned to individual force sensations in the compound force effect or can be assigned to the compound force effect directly. The sounds can preferably be displayed alongside the individual forces in the compound graphical representation.
The present invention advantageously provides a simple, easy-to-use design interface tool for designing force feedback sensations. Given the large variety of possible force sensations and the often unexpected results when modifying the several parameters of force sensations, the design interface tool of the present invention meets the needs of force sensation designers that wish to create force sensations as close to their needs as possible. The graphical design interface of the present invention allows a force sensation designer to easily, intuitively, and simultaneously design and modify individual force sensations and compound force sensations that include multiple different individual force sensations and arrange those individual force sensations to be output at desired times with respect to each other, allowing more effective force feedback to be implemented in games, simulations, graphica
Chang Dean C.
Mallett Jeffrey R.
Rosenberg Louis B.
Immersion Corporation
Nguyen Jimmy H.
Riegel James R.
Shalwala Bipin
Tucker Guy V.
LandOfFree
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