Mouse interface device providing force feedback

A mouse interface device for providing force feedback to a user of said interface device, wherein a host computer is coupled to said mouse interface device and implements a graphical environment with which said user interacts, said interface device comprising:

• a support base provided on a grounded surface;
• a mouse object physically contacted and manipulated by said user in two degrees of freedom with respect to said grounded surface;
• a mechanical linkage including a plurality of members, wherein two of said members are rotatably coupled to said grounded surface at a single axis of rotation such that said members rotate about said single axis, said linkage coupled to said mouse object and providing said two degrees of freedom;
• a plurality of actuators, said actuators providing a force on said mouse object in said two degrees of freedom, wherein each of said actuators is spaced apart from said other actuators in a plane parallel to said planar workspace;
• and
• at least one sensor detecting movement of at least one of said members of said linkage, wherein said sensor includes an emitter that emits a beam of energy and a detector that detects said beam, wherein both said emitter and said detector of said sensor are coupled to said grounded surface.

A force feedback interface device for interfacing with a host computer system implementing a graphical environment, the force feedback interface device comprising:

• a user manipulatable object physically contacted and manipulated by a user and moved in two degrees of freedom with respect to a reference surface;
• a mechanism coupling said user manipulatable object to said reference surface and allowing movement of said user manipulatable object in said two degrees of freedom;
• at least one actuator providing a force to said user;
• and
• a sensor detecting movement of said user manipulatable object and outputting a sensor signal indicative of said movement, wherein said sensor includes an emitter that emits a beam of energy and a detector that detects said beam, wherein both said emitter and said detector of said sensor are coupled to said reference surface, and wherein said sensor includes an arc coupled to a rotating member of said mechanism rotatable about an axis, said arc including a portion which prevents portions of said beam from being detected by said detector, and including a strip which directs portions of said beam impinging on said strip to be detected by said detector, wherein said strip is skewed such that different portions of said strip are at different distances from said axis.

A mouse interface device for interfacing a user's motion with a host computer and providing force feedback to said user, said mouse interface device comprising:

• a mouse object contacted and manipulated by said user and moveable in a planar workspace with respect to a ground surface;
• a planar linkage including five members rotatably coupled to each other, wherein said linkage is arranged such that a first base member is rotatably coupled to a ground member, a first link member is rotatably coupled to said first base member, a second base member is rotatably coupled to said ground member, and a second link member is rotatably coupled to said first link member and said second base member, wherein said mouse object is coupled to said planar linkage at said coupling of said first link member and said second link member;
• a plurality of electromagnetic actuators providing forces in said planar workspace of said mouse object, said forces caused by interactions between an electric field and a magnetic field, wherein each of said actuators includes a coil portion integrated with one of said members of said linkage and a magnet portion coupled to said ground surface through which said coil portion moves, and wherein said actuators are controlled from commands output by said host computer;
• a plurality of sensors coupled to said ground surface and separate from said actuators, wherein said sensors provide at least one sensor signal including information describing said movement of said mouse object from which a position of said mouse object in said planar workspace is determined;
• and
• an indexing input device allowing said user to change the offset between a position of said mouse object and a location of a cursor displayed on a display screen of said host computer by disabling a mapping between said cursor and said mouse object.

A mouse interface device for providing force feedback to a user of said interface device, wherein a host computer is coupled to said mouse interface device and implements a graphical environment with which said user interacts, said interface device comprising:

• a support base provided on a grounded surface, said base including a support surface provided above said grounded surface;
• a mouse object physically contacted and manipulated by said user in two degrees of freedom with respect to said support surface, wherein said mouse object contacts said support surface;
• a mechanical linkage including a plurality of members, said linkage coupled to said mouse object and providing said two degrees of freedom, wherein said linkage includes a planar linkage including five members rotatably coupled to each other, a first base member is rotatably coupled to a ground member, a first link member is rotatably coupled to said first base member, a second base member is rotatably coupled to said ground member, and a second link member is rotatably coupled to said first link member and said second base member, wherein said mouse object is coupled to said planar linkage at said coupling of said first link member and said second link member, wherein a portion of said linkage is positioned beneath said support surface and wherein said coupling of said first and second link members extends through said support surface and is coupled to said mouse object;
• a plurality of actuators, said actuators providing a force on said mouse object in said two degrees of freedom, wherein each of said actuators is spaced apart from said other actuators in a plane parallel to said planar workspace;
• and
• at least one sensor detecting movement of at least one of said members of said linkage, wherein said sensor includes an emitter that emits a beam of energy and a detector that detects said beam, wherein both said emitter and said detector of said sensor are coupled to said grounded surface.