Haptic input devices
AssigneeMakex Limited
InventorRalph-Peter Steven Bailey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A haptic input device comprises a hexapod or pentapod parallel linkage mechanism with force feedback effected by proportional control of magneto-restrictive fluid brakes constraining the measurement of the struts of the mechanism, through their base nodes. In the pentapod version of the haptic data input device, a haptic stylus is employed which includes an annular compliant feature that can be squeezed and whose squeeze pressure can be monitored.
Claims30
A haptic device comprising a parallel link mechanism supporting a haptic stylus.
A haptic device as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a ball end around which two annular sockets attached to struts are clamped by virtue of a partial snap-on ring with opposite inwards faces, the gap between these faces being sufficient to accommodate the two annular socket rings back to back.
A stylus for a haptic device that includes an annular compliant feature that can be squeezed and whose squeeze pressure can be monitored.
A stylus for a haptic device that has an annular control button that can be operated from any degree of rotation by finger pressure moving it axially backwards and forwards.
A method of controlling a haptic device using proportional brakes to constrain motion such that control of the brake force vector can be used to guide the stylus toward a preferred CAD feature and then to retain it in position, or to slide it along a curve or surface.
A process where a discreet proportional control of the stylus of a haptic device is employed to establish the degree of the stylus's resistance to motion, and where the user imposed force vector acting against this resistance is used to determine the relative movement of a CAD model or viewpoint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.