Immersion Corporation

Electronics for Imaging Gmbh

Microscribe, LLC

Bernard G Jackson

Louis B Rosenberg

Bruce M Schena

Scott B Brave

An interface device for use with a computer that provides locative data to a computer for tracking a user manipulatable physical object and provides feedback to the user through output forces. The physical object is movable in multiple degrees of freedom and is tracked by sensors for sensing the location and orientation of the object. A device processor can be responsive to the output of the sensors and can provide the host computer with information derived from the sensors. The host computer can provide images on a display where the computer responds to the provided sensor information and force feedback is correlated with the displayed images via force feedback commands from the host computer.

Interface device for sensing position and orientation and outputting force feedback

A method and apparatus for providing force sensations in virtual environments includes a human/computer interface device and method used in conjunction with a host computer and which can provide feel sensations to a user of the device. A user manipulatable object physically contacted by a user, such as a joystick, stylus, pool cue, or other object, is movable in multiple degrees of freedom using a gimbal mechanism. A local microprocessor, separate from the host computer, enables communication with the host computer and receives commands from the host, decodes the commands, outputs actuator signals in accordance with commands, receives sensor signals, and reports data to the host in response to commands. Actuators generate feel sensations by providing a force on the user object in response to actuator signals from the local microprocessor, and sensors detect the motion of the user object and reports sensor signals to the local microprocessor. Memory is included locally to the local microprocessor for storing program instructions and routines enabling feel sensations and host-microprocessor communication. The feel sensation generated on the user is, in one embodiment, a damping sensation simulating a feel of motion through a fluid. In another embodiment, the feel sensation is a wall sensation simulating the feel of impacting a surface or obstruction.

Force feedback device including non-rigid coupling

A digitizing system and rotary table for determining the three dimensional geometry of an object is described. An apparatus includes at least one sensor that detects information describing the three-dimensional geometry of the object and provides the information to a host computer. A rotary table includes a base and a turntable rotatable about an axis positioned perpendicularly to the turntable surface. The turntable and object on its surface rotate about the axis, during or between the sensor detecting the information describing the three-dimensional geometry of the object. A turntable sensor coupled to the base measures the rotation of the turntable, where the turntable sensor outputs turntable data indicative of the rotation to the host computer.

Digitizing system and rotary table for determining 3-D geometry of an object

An interface device for use with a computer that provides locative data to a computer for tracking a user manipulatable physical object and provides feedback to the user through output forces. The physical object is movable in multiple degrees of freedom and is tracked by sensors for sensing the location and orientation of the object. A device processor can be responsive to the output of the sensors and can provide the host computer with information derived from the sensors. The host computer can provides images on a display, where the computer responds to the provided sensor information and force feedback is correlated with the displayed images via force feedback commands from the host computer.

Interface device for sensing position and orientation and outputting force to a user

A digitizing system and rotary table for determining the three-dimensional geometry of an object. An apparatus includes at least one sensor detecting information describing the three-dimensional geometry of the object and providing the information to a host computer. A rotary table includes a base and a turntable rotatable about an axis positioned perpendicularly to the turntable surface. The turntable and object on its surface rotate about the axis during or between the sensor detecting the information describing the three-dimensional geometry of the object. A turntable sensor coupled to the base measures the rotation of the turntable, where the turntable sensor outputs turntable data indicative of the rotation to the host computer.

Force feedback device including flexure member between actuator and user object

A force feedback cursor control interface for use with a computer that provides locative data to a computer for tracking a user manipulatable physical object and provides feedback to the user through output forces. The physical object is movable in multiple degrees of freedom and is tracked by sensors for sensing the location and/or orientation of the object. A multi-processor system architecture is disclosed wherein the host computer is interfaced with a device microprocessor which is responsive to the output of the sensors and provides the host computer with information derived from the sensors. The host computer runs an application program and provides images on a display, where the program responds to the provided sensor information and force feedback is correlated with the displayed images via force feedback commands from the host computer.

Force feedback cursor control interface

Interleaved data are converted to a planar format by an algorithm that follows map cycles throughout a frame buffer. Such map cycles result from iterating a function that maps planar addresses to CMYK addresses. There are three phases to the algorithm: In phase I, a 1-Cycle is processed and all of its member indices that are <&equals;MAX_HIT in the array firstHit&lsqb;&rsqb; are saved. In phase II, all indices between 1 and MAX_HIT are visited, skipping any indices that have already been in a cycle. As each cycle is converted, any hits to indices between 1 and MAX_HIT are directly recorded in the array hit&lsqb;&rsqb;, so that indices that have been used are quickly skipped. Phase III is skipped unless there are still some copies left to process. In phase III, there is no more space for recording every hit individually. When looking for new cycles, only indices that are not multiples of anything in the 1-Cycle are considered. Also, once the remaining number of uncycled bytes drops below the 1-Cycle's length, all remaining cycles are known to belong to factors of Q, and the search is narrowed to those values only. When an index i is found that cannot be rejected for one of these reasons, the algorithm begins processing the indices cycle, but if the algorithm ever ends up at an index less than i, then this 1-Cycle has already been processed. In that case, the 1-Cycle is restored to its previous state by copying in the reverse direction, and the algorithm skips to the next candidate for i.

Interleaved-to-planar data conversion

A method and apparatus for measuring three-dimensional (3-D) coordinates. A 3-D object can be digitized into a mesh representation manipulable by a computer system by tracing a stylus of a probe apparatus over surfaces of the object. The probe apparatus includes an arm having a series of linkages and joints. The arm can be assembled by placing the joints of the arm in joint fixtures a desired distance and angle apart and bonding the joints to a linkage. The probe apparatus is calibrated by placing the tip of the stylus at an arbitrary point in a work volume and varying the stylus' orientation to find error values and determine calibration parameters. The sensors of the probe apparatus are zeroed by placing the probe apparatus in the only possible home position and assigning assumed starting angles to the sensors. A rotary table can be used to support the object being digitized, where the rotation of the rotary table and object during digitization is sensed and included in coordinate calculations. A mesh representation of the object is-developed by a computer system by incrementally creating and displaying triangles from data points of contour lines of the mesh. A selection template allows commands to be selected by the stylus by defining a template having selection areas within the probe's work volume and associating the selection areas with specific commands to the host computer.

Method and apparatus for tracking the position and orientation of a

A method and apparatus for measuring three-dimensional (3-D) coordinates. A 3-D object can be digitized into a mesh representation manipulable by a computer system by tracing a stylus of a probe apparatus over surfaces of the object. The probe apparatus includes an arm having a series of linkages and joints. The arm can be assembled by placing the joints of the arm in joint fixtures a desired distance and angle apart and bonding the joints to a linkage. The probe apparatus is calibrated by placing the tip of the stylus at an arbitrary point in a work volume and varying the stylus' orientation to find error values and determine calibration parameters. The sensors of the probe apparatus are zeroed by placing the probe apparatus in the only possible home position and assigning assumed starting angles to the sensors. A rotary table can be used to support the object being digitized, where the rotation of the rotary table and object during digitization is sensed and included in coordinate calculations. A mesh representation of the object is developed by a computer system by incrementally creating and displaying triangles from data points of contour lines of the mesh. A selection template allows commands to be selected by the stylus by defining a template having selection areas within the probe's work volume and associating the selection areas with specific commands to the host computer.

Probe apparatus and method for tracking the position and orientation of

Method and apparatus for providing force sensations in virtual

A method and apparatus for use with a computer for tracking the position of a user manipulatable object and for providing forces to lock the apparatus. The manipulatable object is coupled to a mechanical linkage which is supportable on a fixed surface and is tracked by sensors for sensing the location and/or orientation of the object. Force generators coupled to the linkage can lock one or more joints of the linkage in position. A multiprocessor system architecture is disclosed wherein a host computer system is interfaced with a dedicated microprocessor which is responsive to the output of the sensors and provides the host computer with information derived from the sensors. The host computer runs an application program which responds to sensor information and can display images in accordance therewith.

Three dimensional position sensing interface with force output

A method for assembling a linkage assembly for a 3-D Digitizing Probe Apparatus. A linkage assembly for incorporation into the probe apparatus includes a linkage and a joint member provided at each end of the linkage. Joint fixtures for receiving and holding the joints are provided at a desired distance and orientation apart. The joint members are loosely coupled to the linkage and are moved relative to the linkage so that the joint members fit in the joint fixtures and so that the linkage provides a desired length between the joints. The joint members are bonded to the linkage while the assembly is in the fixtures, thus fastening the components of the assembly together with minimal stress to the assembly and providing a precise linkage length and orientation of joints in the assembly.

Method for producing a precision 3-D measuring apparatus

A method and apparatus for use with a computer for providing commands to a computer through tracked manual gestures and for providing feedback to the user through forces applied to the interface. A user manipulatable object is coupled to a mechanical linkage which is, in turn, supportable on a fixed surface. The mechanical linkage or the user manipulatable object is tracked by sensors for sensing the location and/or orientation of the object. A multi-processor system architecture is disclosed wherein a host computer system is interfaced with a dedicated microprocessor which is responsive to the output of the sensors and provides the host computer with information derived from the sensors. The host computer runs an application program which responds to the information provided via the microprocessor and which can provide force-feedback commands back to the microprocessor, the force feedback being felt by a user via the user manipulatable object.

Three-dimensional cursor control interface with force feedback

Interleaved data are converted to a planar format by an algorithm that follows map cycles throughout a frame buffer. Such map cycles result from iterating a function that maps planar addresses to CMYK addresses. There are three phases to the algorithm: In phase I, a 1-Cycle is processed and all of its member indices that are &lt;=MAX.sub.-- HIT in the array firstHit� ! are saved. In phase II, all indices between 1 and MAX.sub.-- HIT are visited, skipping any indices that have already been in a cycle. As each cycle is converted, any hits to indices between 1 and MAX.sub.-- HIT are directly recorded in the array hit� !, so that indices that have been used are quickly skipped. Phase III is skipped unless there are still some copies left to process. In phase III, there is no more space for recording every hit individually. When looking for new cycles, only indices that are not multiples of anything in the 1-Cycle are considered. Also, once the remaining number of uncycled bytes drops below the 1-Cycle's length, all remaining cycles are known to belong to factors of Q, and the search is narrowed to those values only. When an index i is found that cannot be rejected for one of these reasons, the algorithm begins processing the indices cycle, but if the algorithm ever ends up at an index less than i, then this i-cycle has already been processed. In that case, the i-cycle is restored to its previous state by copying in the reverse direction, and the algorithm skips to the next candidate for i.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Bernard G Jackson