Method for providing force feedback to a user of an interface device based on interactions of a controlled cursor with graphical elements in a graphical user interface

A method of assisting a user in manipulating a computer displayed cursor in a graphical user interface displayed on a display screen of a computer system and in targeting graphical elements in said graphical user interface, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal from an interface device that includes a user manipulatable object, wherein said signal represents motion of said user manipulatable object in a degree of freedom, said interface device including an actuator for applying electronically modulated forces to said user who is contacting said interface device;
• moving a displayed location of said computer-displayed cursor within said graphical user interface based upon signals received from said interface device that represent motion of said user manipulatable object in said degree of freedom;
• and
• causing the application of a force sensation to said user by said actuator, said force sensation based on a position of said user manipulatable object in said degree of freedom which causes said cursor to interact with a particular one of said graphical elements, wherein a magnitude of said force sensation is scaled in proportion to a size of a collection of data represented by said particular graphical element.

A method for providing force feedback to the user of a graphical user interface displayed by a computer system, said user using an interface device including a physical object contacted and moved by said user in a plurality of degrees of freedom, an actuator for imparting an electronically modulated force to said user, and a sensor apparatus for providing a locative signal responsive to and corresponding with manipulation of said object in said degrees of freedom, wherein a displayed cursor has a location correlated to said physical object as indicated by said locative signal, the method comprising:

• receiving an indication that said cursor is interacting with at least one graphical object displayed in said graphical user interface;
• determining a total force to be output by said actuator of said interface device, said total force based on a combination of a plurality of force sensations associated with said at least one graphical object;
• scaling a magnitude of said total force, wherein said scaling is based on a current velocity of said cursor in said graphical user interface, said scaling being performed after said total force is determined from said combination of associated force sensations;
• and
• outputting said scaled total force to said physical object by said actuator of said interface device.

A method of creating a tactile user interface performed on a computer system, wherein a user feels force sensations when a graphically displayed cursor interacts with a graphical object associated with a function of said computer system and displayed in a graphical user interface on a display device, and a location of said cursor on said display device is updated based on a received indication of movement of a physical object that is manipulated by said user, said physical object being included in a human interface device that outputs said indication to said computer system, said method comprising:

• associating a graphical object with an entry force sensation, said entry force sensation represented by entry sensation parameters;
• associating said graphical object with an exit force sensation different from said entry force sensation, said exit force sensation represented by exit sensation parameters having different values from said entry sensation parameters;
• if said cursor has entered a region associated with said graphical object based on movement of said physical object, sending a first signal to said human interface device, said first signal representing said entry force sensation, wherein said human interface device outputs said entry force sensation to said user using at least one electronically-modulated actuator;
• and
• if said cursor has exited said region associated with said graphical object based on movement of said physical object, sending a second signal to said human interface device, said second signal representing said exit force sensation, wherein said human interface device outputs said exit force sensation to said user using said at least one electronically-modulated actuator.

A method of creating a tactile user interface on a computer system wherein a user feels force sensations when a graphically displayed cursor interacts with a particular graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface on a display device, and a location of said cursor on said display device is updated based on a received indication of movement of a physical object that is manipulated by said user, said physical object being included in a human interface device that outputs said indication to said computer system, said method comprising:

• associating on said computer system a first type of graphical object with a first entry force sensation, said first type of graphical object associated with a first user interface function, said first entry force sensation represented by first sensation parameters;
• associating on said computer system a second type of graphical object with a second entry force sensation, said second type of graphical object associated with a second user interface function, said second entry force sensation represented by second sensation parameters having different values from said first sensation parameters;
• determining on said computer system if said particular graphical object is of said first type or of said second type;
• if said cursor has entered a region associated with said particular graphical object based on movement of said physical object, and if said particular graphical object is of said first type, sending a signal from said computer system to said human interface device, said signal representing said first entry force sensation, wherein said first entry force sensation is output to said user using an electronically-modulated actuator of said human interface device;
• and
• if said cursor has entered said region associated with said particular graphical object based on movement of said physical object, and if said particular graphical object is of said second type, sending a signal from said computer system to said human interface device, said signal representing said second entry force sensation, wherein said second entry force sensation is output to said user using an electronically-modulated actuator of said human interface device.

A method of creating a tactile user interface using a computer system wherein a user feels forces when a graphically displayed cursor interacts with a particular graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface on a display device, said graphical object associated with a function of said computer system, and a location of said cursor on said display device is updated based on an indication of movement, received over a communication bus, of a physical object that is manipulated by said user, said physical object being included in a human interface device that outputs said indication to said computer system over said communication bus, said method comprising:

• creating a mapping with said computer system that associates each of a plurality of types of graphical objects in said graphical user interface with at least one of a plurality of force sensations using said computer system, at least two of said assigned force sensations being different and represented by sensation parameters including a magnitude and a duration;
• if said cursor has entered a boundary of a region associated with said particular graphical object, selecting with said computer system an appropriate one of said force sensations based on said mapping and said type of said particular graphical object;
• and
• sending a signal from said computer system to said human interface device over said communication bus, said signal representing said selected force sensation, wherein said selected force sensation is output to said user using an electronically-modulated actuator of said human interface device.

A method for providing force feedback to the user of a graphical user interface displayed by a computer system and for aiding a user in manipulating a user-controlled cursor and in targeting graphical elements in said graphical user interface, said graphical elements interfacing said user to functions of said computer system, the method comprising:

• receiving data representing a displayed location of said user-controlled cursor within said graphical user interface displayed on a display screen of said computer system, a determination of said displayed location based upon signals received from a user interface device that represent the motion of a manipulatable physical object in at least one degree of freedom, said interface device coupled to said computer system and including an actuator for applying electronically modulated forces to be felt by said user, wherein said forces are modulated as a function of the location of said physical object in said at least one degree of freedom;
• selecting a force sensation to be output to said user based at least in part on said data representing said displayed location, wherein a plurality of targets displayed within said graphical user interface are associated with target force sensations that are output to said user, wherein said targets allow said user to interface with operating system functions implemented by said computer system, and wherein a particular target is associated with at least two different ones of said target force sensations, said force sensations being different such that said actuator outputs forces based on parameters having different values for each of said force sensations, a first one of said different force sensations selected to be output to said user when said cursor is moved from a position outside a boundary of said particular target to a position inside said boundary, and a second one of said different force sensations selected to be output to said user when said cursor is moved from a position inside said boundary to a position outside said boundary;
• and
• providing a signal to cause said selected force sensation to be output as forces to said user by said actuator.

A method of creating a tactile user interface performed on a computer system, wherein a user feels force sensations when a graphically displayed cursor interacts with a graphical object associated with a function of said computer system and displayed in a graphical user interface on a display device, and a location of said cursor on said display device is updated based on a received indication of movement of a physical object that is manipulated by said user, said physical object being included in a human interface device that outputs said indication to said computer system, said method comprising:

• enabling an association of a graphical object with an entry force sensation, said entry force sensation represented by entry sensation parameters;
• enabling an association of said graphical object with an exit force sensation different from said entry force sensation, said exit force sensation represented by exit sensation parameters having different values from said entry sensation parameters;
• if said cursor has entered a region associated with said graphical object based on movement of said physical object, enabling a sending of a first signal to said human interface device, said first signal representing said entry force sensation, wherein said human interface device outputs said entry force sensation to said user using at least one electronically-modulated actuator;
• and
• if said cursor has exited said region associated with said graphical object based on movement of said physical object, enabling a sending of a second signal to said human interface device, said second signal representing said exit force sensation, wherein said human interface device outputs said exit force sensation to said user using said at least one electronically-modulated actuator.

A method of creating a tactile user interface on a computer system wherein a user feels force sensations when a graphically displayed cursor interacts with a particular graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface on a display device, and a location of said cursor on said display device is updated based on a received indication of movement of a physical object that is manipulated by said user, said physical object being included in a human interface device that outputs said indication to said computer system, said method comprising:

• enabling an association on said computer system of a first type of graphical object with a first entry force sensation, said first type of graphical object associated with a first user interface function, said first entry force sensation represented by at least one first sensation parameter;
• enabling an association on said computer system of a second type of graphical object with a second entry force sensation, said second type of graphical object associated with a second user interface function, said second entry force sensation represented by at least one second sensation parameter having different values from said at least one first sensation parameter;
• enabling a determination on said computer system of a type of said particular graphical object, said type being one of said first type or said second type;
• if said cursor has entered a region associated with said particular graphical object based on movement of said physical object, and if said particular graphical object is of said first type, enabling a sending of a signal from said computer system to said human interface device, said signal representing said first entry force sensation, wherein said first entry force sensation is then output to said user using an electronically-modulated actuator of said human interface device;
• and
• if said cursor has entered said region associated with said particular graphical object based on movement of said physical object, and if said particular graphical object is of said second type, enabling a sending of a signal from said computer system to said human interface device, said signal representing said second entry force sensation, wherein said second entry force sensation is then output to said user using an electronically-modulated actuator of said human interface device.

A method of creating a tactile user interface using a computer system wherein a user feels forces when a graphically displayed cursor interacts with a particular graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface on a display device, said graphical object associated with a function of said computer system, and a location of said cursor on said display device is updated based on an indication of movement, received over a communication bus, of a physical object that is manipulated by said user, said physical object being included in a human interface device that outputs said indication to said computer system over said communication bus, said method comprising:

• enabling a creation of a mapping with said computer system that associates each of a plurality of types of graphical objects in said graphical user interface with at least one of a plurality of force sensations using said computer system, at least two of said assigned force sensations being different and represented by sensation parameters including a magnitude and a duration;
• if said cursor has entered a boundary of a region associated with said particular graphical object, enabling a selection with said computer system of an appropriate one of said force sensations based on said mapping and said type of said particular graphical object;
• and
• enabling a sending of a signal from said computer system to said human interface device over said communication bus, said signal representing said selected force sensation, wherein said selected force sensation is then output to said user using an electronically-modulated actuator of said human interface device.