US 6,424,333 B1 · Tactile feedback man-machine interface device

Abstract

A man-machine interface which provides tactile feedback to various sensing body parts is disclosed. The device employs one or more vibrotactile units, where each unit comprises a mass and a mass-moving actuator. As the mass is accelerated by the mass-moving actuator, the entire vibrotactile unit vibrates. Thus, the vibrotactile unit transmits a vibratory stimulus to the sensing body part to which it is affixed. The vibrotactile unit may be used in conjunction with a spatial placement sensing device which measures the spatial placement of a measured body part. A computing device uses the spatial placement of the measured body part to determine the desired vibratory stimulus to be provided by the vibrotactile unit. In this manner, the computing device may control the level of vibratory feedback perceived by the corresponding sensing body part in response to the motion of the measured body part. The sensing body part and the measured body part may be separate or the same body part.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A computer peripheral connected to a host computer for enabling a user to provide input to a graphical simulation running on said host computer and for providing vibration feedback to said user, said vibration feedback corresponding with displayed interactions within said graphical simulation, said computer peripheral comprising:

an analog sensor responsive to manipulation by a user during operation of said computer peripheral;
a rotating-mass actuator including a shaft and an eccentric mass mounted on said shaft, said rotating-mass actuator operative to impart a rotating vector force upon said user, said rotating vector force creating a tactile sensation upon said user that is perceived by said user as one of a vibration, an impulse, and a series of impulses depending upon a speed of rotation and a number of rotations of said mass, said rotating mass actuator capable of providing all of said vibration, impulse, and series of impulses, said speed of rotation and said number of rotations being controlled by a profile of an activating signal provided to said rotating-mass actuator, said activating signal causing said tactile sensation to have a frequency that varies over the duration of said tactile sensation;
and
a signal processor separate from said host computer, said signal processor connected to said analog sensor and said rotating-mass actuator, said signal processor operative to communicate with said host computer, wherein said signal processor sends information to said host computer including sensor data from said analog sensor, and wherein said signal processor controls said rotating-mass actuator to produce said tactile sensation by generating said activating signal in response to received variable data from said host computer.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tactile feedback man-machine interface device

Life of this patent

Tactile feedback man-machine interface device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18