Immersion Corporation

Van Hilton Tran

Kaniyalal Shah

Douglas George Billington

Danny A Grant

Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez

Doug Billington

Systems and methods for differential optical position sensing for a haptic actuator are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes: an actuator configured to receive a drive signal and move an object to output a haptic effect; a first sensor configured to monitor a position of the object and output a first position signal; a second sensor configured to monitor the position of the object and output a second position signal different from the first position signal; a circuit configured to receive the first position signal and the second position signal and output a difference signal; and a processor configured to receive the difference signal and output a control signal to the actuator based on the difference signal.

Systems and methods for differential optical position sensing for haptic actuation

A haptically-enabled system includes an actuator that has a first terminal and a second terminal. The second terminal is coupled to a voltage source, and a first switch is coupled to the first terminal and to ground. A second switch is coupled to the actuator. The second switch is parallel to the actuator.

Haptically-enabled system with braking

A haptic drive circuit includes a voltage input for receiving input power, a gate that compares a desired current level to an actual current level through the actuator, a switch coupled to the gate that interrupts or provides power from the voltage input to the actuator, and a current probe that detects the actual current level through the actuator with an output signal corresponding to the actual current level coupled to the gate. The gate compares the actual current level to the desired current level and causes the switch to interrupt input power when the actual current level is greater than the desired current level or to provide input power when the actual current level is less than or equal to the desired current level. The actual current through the circuit is a haptic signal causing a haptic actuator to generate a haptic effect.

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Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Van Hilton Tran