The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 16, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 28, 1999
Loren Shih, Cambridge, MA (US);
Walter A. Aviles, San Diego, CA (US);
Thomas H. Massie, Windham, NH (US);
Christopher M. Tarr, Cambridge, MA (US);
SensAble Technologies, Inc., Woburn, MA (US);
Abstract
A user of a modeling application uses a haptic interface device in the real world to manipulate a virtual tool in a virtual environment to interact with a virtual object. The user can use the tool to evaluate the shape of the virtual object and navigate its virtual surface, based on an interactive force feedback approach. When the user attempts to penetrate the virtual object with the virtual tool, a modeling application limits the movement of the virtual tool depending on the geometry of the surface, the position of the virtual tool, and a haptic interface location in the virtual environment, which represents the physical location of the haptic interface device in the real world. The user can evaluate different geometries of the virtual surface, including an edge geometry, such as occurs when the virtual tool is touching or moving along an edge of the virtual object.