Electrical generator or motor structure – Dynamoelectric – Linear
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-27
2001-05-08
Ramirez, Nestor (Department: 2834)
Electrical generator or motor structure
Dynamoelectric
Linear
C273S14800B, C341S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229230
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a tactile simulator.
According to the invention a tactile simulator comprises an array of a plurality of actuators with each actuator comprising:
(a) a linearly movable member with an operable element,
(b) a motor for driving the movable member,
(c) a position sensor operative to produce a first output signal representative of the position of the movable member,
(d) a force sensor operative to produce a second output signal representative of the force applied to the operable element in the direction of movement of the movable member, and
(e) a controller operative to drive the motor in dependence upon the first and second output signals
and control means responsive to the output signals in order to control the motors so that the elements respond to the physical characteristics of spatial position and deformability.
Preferably, the motors are electrically driven linear motors having thrust rods guided for movement in parallel directions, and in a preferred embodiment the array is a rectangular array with mutually perpendicular length and width axes both of which are orthogonal to the direction of movement of the thrust rods.
A simulator according to the invention may operate in a display mode in which information from a local or remote database drives the control means to cause the operable elements to occupy positions determined by the information stored in the database. The array of operable elements thus occupy positions which correspond to a surface stored in the database. Moreover, the deformability of each operable element, i.e. its stiffness or resistance to movement is, also representative of the stored surface so that an observer putting his fingers on the operable elements feels the shape and resilience of the surface stored in the database.
The information from the database may be time-varying, so that the operable elements give a time-varying display of position and force characteristics and the control means may have algorithms which respond in a required way to particular outputs from the array. For example, if the observer displaces certain elements more than a certain amplitude or applies forces more than a certain magnitude the control means could respond by reporting that such a displacement or force would break the stored surface.
Another mode of operation of a tactile simulator according to the invention is in a scan mode. In this case the operable elements are driven into contact with a surface to be registered or recorded, the output of the control means being fed to a local or remote database which stores the position and force signals for subsequent retrieval. The surface to be registered may have characteristics of position and force which are time-varying, so that the information stored is dynamic.
By using two tactile simulators, each according to the invention and positioned at remote locations, teleoperation is possible.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4680523 (1987-07-01), Goumas
patent: 5052736 (1991-10-01), Loncaric
patent: 5200679 (1993-04-01), Graham
patent: 6002184 (1999-12-01), Delson et al.
patent: 2 058 009 (1981-04-01), None
Jones Judson H.
Ramirez Nestor
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