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:
Sep. 25, 2012
Filed:
Sep. 15, 2004
Robert Altkorn, Chicago, IL (US);
Xiao Chen, Naperville, IL (US);
Scott Milkovich, Glen Ellyn, IL (US);
John Owens, Oak Lawn, IL (US);
Brian Rider, Sommerville, MA (US);
Eugene Rider, Oak Brook, IL (US);
Daniel Stool, Addison, IL (US);
Robert Altkorn, Chicago, IL (US);
Xiao Chen, Naperville, IL (US);
Scott Milkovich, Glen Ellyn, IL (US);
John Owens, Oak Lawn, IL (US);
Brian Rider, Sommerville, MA (US);
Eugene Rider, Oak Brook, IL (US);
Daniel Stool, Addison, IL (US);
Ram Consulting, Oak Brook, IL (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for assessing a hazard associated with an object are disclosed. The apparatus includes a haptic input/output device coupled to a computer with haptic modeling software and a display device. A virtual object and a virtual passageway are displayed on the display device. The virtual passageway includes a haptic layer along a surface thereof. Force applied by a user to the haptic input/output device causes a cursor on the display device to move the virtual object into the virtual passageway. An interaction of the virtual object with the haptic layer generates a virtual contact force which may be determined by the user sensing a corresponding tactile feedback force generated by the haptic input/output device and/or by the computer processor. The magnitude of the virtual contact force may be used to assess a hazard associated with the virtual object.