Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-02
2001-09-04
Shalwala, Bipin (Department: 2673)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
C345S161000, C345S163000, C345S167000, C345S182000, C345S215000, C463S037000, C463S030000, C463S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06285351
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 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 are 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 sounds that the designer wishes to have played in conjunction with the force sensation. For example, a particular force sensation such as a collision is often accompanied by an appropriate sound to present the experience more effectively to an end user. However, it can be difficult to design a force sensation that is well-synchronized with a sound. Thus, a tool is needed for assisting the programmer or developer in intuitively and easily setting force feedback characteristics to provide desired force sensations and synchronize sounds with those force sensations.
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 the force sensations to be adjusted to be synchronized with desired sound effects.
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 a type of force sensation to be commanded by a host computer and output by a force feedback interface device. Input, such as parameters, is then received from a user which designs and defines physical characteristics of the selected force sensation. A graphical representation of the characterized force sensation is displayed on a display device of the host computer. The graphical representation provides the user with a visual demonstration of a feel of the characterized force sensation such that said user can view an effect of parameters on the force sensation. The selected force sensation is also associated with a sound. The characterized force sensation is output to a user manipulatable object of the force feedback interface device to allow the user to feel the designed force sensation. The graphical representation is updated in conjunction with the force sensation being output on the user object. Finally, the associated sound is output in conjunction with the output of the force sensation. The user can preferably input additional changes to the characterized forces sensation after experiencing the feel of the sensation and feel the changed force sensation. Thus, in an iterative process, the user can design effective force sensations through actual experience of those sensations. By hearing a desired sound with the force sensation, the user can also iteratively adjust the force sensation to be better synchronized with the sound. The user can preferably store the characterization or parameters of the designed force sensation to a storage medium that can be accessed by other programs on the host computer or other computers. Other programs that control force feedback can thus utilize the designed force sensation in applications such as games, simulations, or graphical interfaces.
Preferably, a start of the sound is synchronized with a start of the force sensation when the sound and force sensation are output. In one embodiment, the selected force sensation is associated with a control on the force feedback device, such as a button. The force sensation, visual demonstration, and sound are output when the control is activated by the user. The force sensation and sound can be associated with a graphical icon in the design interface that represents the button. Preferably, the user can select the sound from a list of multiple available sounds, which can each be provided in a standard file format. A wide variety of types of force sensations can be designed in the interface tool of the present invention and synchronized with sounds, such as conditions, periodics (effects), and dynamics.
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 mee
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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