Method and apparatus for interfacing an elongated object with a computer system

A control input device for interfacing the motion of an elongated mechanical object with a computer system, the control input device comprising:

• a mechanical apparatus including an object receiving portion, said object receiving portion shaped to receive and engage said elongated mechanical object held by and manipulated by a user;
• a transducer coupled to said mechanical apparatus and arranged such that when said elongated mechanical object is at least partially disposed within said object receiving portion, said transducer senses linear displacement of said elongated mechanical object with respect to said object receiving portion and outputs data indicative of said linear displacement;
• control electronics coupled to said transducer, said control electronics reporting a representation of said data received from said transducer to said computer system such that said computer system can update a graphical process in response to said data;
• and
• a button manipulatable by a user, said control electronics reporting a state of said button to said computer system such that said computer system can update a graphical process in response to said button state.

A control input device for interfacing the motion of an elongated mechanical object with a computer system, the control input device comprising:

• a mechanical apparatus including an object receiving portion, said object receiving portion shaped to receive and engage said elongated mechanical object held by and manipulated by a user;
• a transducer coupled to said mechanical apparatus and arranged such that when said elongated mechanical object is at least partially disposed within said object receiving portion, said transducer senses linear displacement of said elongated mechanical object with respect to said object receiving portion and outputs data indicative of said linear displacement;
• and
• control electronics coupled to said transducer, said control electronics reporting a representation of said data received from said transducer to said computer system such that said computer system can update a graphical process in response to said data, wherein said control electronics includes a local processor that receives said data and provides said data to said computer system.

A control input device for interfacing the motion of an elongated mechanical object with a computer system, the control input device comprising:

• a mechanical apparatus including an object receiving portion, said object receiving portion shaped to receive and engage said elongated mechanical object held by and manipulated by a user;
• a first transducer coupled to said mechanical apparatus and arranged such that when said elongated mechanical object is at least partially disposed within said object receiving portion, said first transducer senses linear displacement within said mechanical apparatus of said elongated mechanical object with respect to said object receiving portion and outputs data indicative of said linear displacement, and further comprising a second transducer, said second transducer capable of outputting a force on said elongated mechanical object;
• and
• control electronics coupled to said first transducer, said control electronics reporting a representation of said data received from said first transducer to said computer system such that said computer system can update a graphical process in response to said data.

A control input device for interfacing the motion of an elongated mechanical object with a computer system, the control input device comprising:

• a mechanical apparatus including an object receiving portion, said object receiving portion shaped to receive and engage said elongated mechanical object held by and manipulated by a user;
• a first transducer coupled to said mechanical apparatus and arranged such that when said elongated mechanical object is at least partially disposed within said object receiving portion, said first transducer senses linear displacement of said elongated mechanical object with respect to said object receiving portion and outputs data indicative of said linear displacement, and further comprising a second transducer, said second transducer capable of outputting a force on said elongated mechanical object, wherein said second transducer is a passive brake outputting a frictional resistance force on said elongated mechanical object;
• and
• control electronics coupled to said first transducer, said control electronics reporting a representation of said data received from said first transducer to said computer system such that said computer system can update a graphical process in response to said data.

A control input device for interfacing the motion of an elongated mechanical object with a computer system, the control input device comprising:

• a mechanical apparatus including an object receiving portion, said object receiving portion shaped to receive and engage said elongated mechanical object held by and manipulated by a user;
• a first transducer coupled to said mechanical apparatus and arranged such that when said elongated mechanical object is at least partially disposed within said object receiving portion, said first transducer senses linear displacement of said elongated mechanical object with respect to said object receiving portion and outputs data indicative of said linear displacement, and further comprising a second transducer, said second transducer capable of outputting a force on said elongated mechanical object, wherein said second transducer is a servo motor outputting a force on said elongated mechanical object;
• and
• control electronics coupled to said first transducer, said control electronics reporting a representation of said data received from said first transducer to said computer system such that said computer system can update a graphical process in response to said data.

An interface apparatus interfacing the motion of an elongated mechanical object with a computer system, the interface apparatus comprising:

• a mechanism including an object receiving portion, said object receiving portion shaped for receiving and engaging said elongated mechanical object physically contacted by and manipulated by a user, wherein said mechanism provides two degrees of freedom to said elongated mechanical object;
• a first degree of freedom transducer coupled to said mechanism and arranged such that when said elongated mechanical object is at least partially disposed within said object receiving portion, said transducer senses linear displacement of said elongated mechanical object with respect to said object receiving portion and outputs data indicative of said linear displacement;
• a second degree of freedom transducer coupled to said mechanism and arranged to sense pivotal motion of said elongated mechanical object;
• an actuator coupled to said mechanism and outputting a force on said elongated mechanical object in said first degree of freedom;
• and
• an electronic interface coupled to said first degree of freedom transducer, to said second degree of freedom transducer, and to said actuator, said electronic interface reporting a representation of said data received from said transducers to said computer system such that said computer system can update a graphical process in response to said data, and said electronic interface providing electrical signals from said computer system to said actuator to control said force output by said actuator.

A method for interfacing movements of an elongated mechanical object with a computer system, the method comprising:

• receiving and engaging said elongated mechanical object with an object receiving portion of a mechanism, said elongated mechanical object being physically contacted by and manipulated by a user;
• sensing linear displacement of said elongated mechanical object in a linear degree of freedom with a sensor with respect to said object receiving portion and outputting data indicative of said linear displacement when said elongated mechanical object is at least partially disposed within said object receiving portion, said data being received by said computer system such that said computer system can update a graphical process in response to said data;
• and
• outputting a force on said elongated mechanical object in said linear degree of freedom using an actuator, wherein said force is derived from a signal received from said computer system.

A control input device for interfacing the motion of an elongated mechanical object with a computer system, the control input device comprising:

• a mechanical apparatus including an object receiving portion, said object receiving portion shaped to receive and engage said elongated mechanical object held by and manipulated by a user;
• a transducer system coupled to said mechanical apparatus and arranged such that when said elongated mechanical object is at least partially disposed within said object receiving portion, said transducer system senses the relative position of said elongated mechanical object with respect to said object receiving portion in at least two degrees of freedom;
• and
• control electronics coupled to said transducer system, said control electronics reporting a representation of data received from said transducer system to said computer system such that said computer system can update a graphical process in response to said data.