초록 ▼

A low-cost tactile feedback mouse device for providing haptic feedback to a user for enhancing interactions and manipulations in a graphical environment provided by a computer. The mouse device includes a sensor device able to detect the movement of the mouse in the planar workspace. An actuator is

A low-cost tactile feedback mouse device for providing haptic feedback to a user for enhancing interactions and manipulations in a graphical environment provided by a computer. The mouse device includes a sensor device able to detect the movement of the mouse in the planar workspace. An actuator is coupled to the housing of the mouse and applies an inertial force in a particular degree of freedom, preferably along an axis perpendicular to the planar workspace, where the inertial force is transmitted through the housing to the user. The actuator outputs the inertial force preferably by linearly moving an inertial mass along the Z-axis. The output force is correlated with interaction of a controlled graphical object, such as a cursor, with other graphical objects in a graphical environment displayed by the host computer. The inertial force can be a pulse, vibration, texture force, or other type of force.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A tactile feedback mouse, comprising: a sensor configured to detect a movement of the mouse in a planar workspace and configured to output sensor signals representative of the movement; and a rotary actuator configured to receive a signal based on the sensor signals and outpu

What is claimed is: 1. A tactile feedback mouse, comprising: a sensor configured to detect a movement of the mouse in a planar workspace and configured to output sensor signals representative of the movement; and a rotary actuator configured to receive a signal based on the sensor signals and output a haptic force based on the received signal, the rotary actuator having a shaft and an inertial mass coupled to the shaft, the rotary actuator configured to move the inertial mass approximately linearly by rotating the inertial mass bi-directionally a fraction of a full revolution about the shaft, the haptic force being generated by oscillating the inertial mass at an assignable frequency and magnitude. 2. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, wherein said haptic force is output approximately along an axis perpendicular to the planar workspace. 3. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, wherein said haptic force is configured to correlate with data values associated with a graphical representation displayed by a host computer, and a position of the mouse in the planar workspace is configured to correspond with data values associated with a position of a cursor displayed in the graphical representation. 4. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, wherein said haptic force is a pulse configured to correlate with data values associated with a user-controllable cursor and data values associated with a graphical object displayed in a graphical user interface by a host computer, said pulse being output with a magnitude dependent on a characteristic of said data values associated with the graphical object with which the cursor interacts. 5. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 4, wherein said characteristic of said graphical object is a type of said graphical object, said type including one of an icon, a window, and a menu item. 6. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 4, wherein said pulse is output when said cursor moves between menu items in a displayed graphical menu. 7. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, wherein said haptic force is included in a vibration force sensation. 8. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, wherein said sensor includes an optical sensor configured to detect motion of said mouse with respect to a surface on which the mouse is configured to move. 9. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, wherein a compliant member is provided between a portion of the mouse and a ground surface over which the mouse is configured to move. 10. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 9, wherein said compliant member includes a flexible pad resting on the ground surface, the mouse being moved on said flexible pad. 11. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 9, wherein said compliant member includes a flexible connection member connecting a portion of the mouse coupled to said actuator and a portion of said mouse configured to contact the ground surface. 12. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, wherein said haptic force is a periodic force sensation. 13. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, wherein data values defining the frequency and magnitude are received from a host computer. 14. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 12, wherein a control signal causing said periodic force sensation is shaped prior to being output to said actuator, said control signal being shaped to include a higher magnitude impulse followed by a lower magnitude steady state. 15. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 12, wherein a sequence of force values to be output as said periodic force is configured to be received by the actuator via a stream from a host computer. 16. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, further comprising a power storage device coupled to said actuator, said power storage device configured to store power and selectively supply said power to said actuator to output said haptic force. 17. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 1, further comprising a local controller coupled to said sensor and to said actuator, said controller operative to receive signals from a host computer and output force signals to said actuator for controlling said haptic force, and configured to report locative data to the host computer derived from said sensor signals and indicative of said movement of the mouse. 18. A tactile feedback mouse, comprising: a sensor configured to detect movement of the mouse in a planar workspace and output sensor signals representative of the movement; and a rotary actuator configured to receive a signal based on the sensor signals and output a haptic force based on the received signal, the rotary actuator having a shaft and an inertial mass coupled to the shaft, the rotary actuator configured to move the inertial mass approximately linearly by rotating the inertial mass bi-directionally a fraction of a full revolution about the shaft, said haptic force being included in a spatial texture force sensation, said spatial texture force sensation providing a plurality of force oscillations spatially correlated with values associated with cursor motion within a graphical environment. 19. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 18, wherein said force oscillations provide a texture having a predetermined spacing between said force oscillations. 20. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 19, wherein a command describing said predetermined spacing is configured to be received from a host computer. 21. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 18, wherein said haptic force is output along an axis substantially perpendicular to the planar workspace. 22. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 20, further comprising a controller coupled to said sensor and to said actuator, said controller operative to receive host commands from the host computer and output force signals to said actuator for controlling said haptic force, and operative to receive said sensor signals from said sensors, process said sensor signals, and report locative data to the host computer derived from said sensor signals and indicative of said movement of the mouse. 23. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 22, wherein said command describing said predetermined spacing of said texture is a high level command that is interpreted and implemented by said controller. 24. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 18, wherein said force oscillations are controlled by the host computer, and the actuator is configured to receive a signal from the host computer to output said force oscillations. 25. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 18, wherein said sensor includes an optical sensor that is configured to detect motion of a surface, over which the mouse is configured to move. 26. The tactile feedback mouse of claim 18, wherein a complaint member is provided between a portion of the mouse and a ground surface over which the mouse is configured to move. 27. An apparatus, comprising: a sensor configured to detect displacement of said apparatus and to output sensor signals representative of the displacement; a rotary actuator configured to receive a signal based on the sensor signals and output a haptic force based on the received signal, the rotary actuator having a shaft and an inertial mass coupled to the shaft, the rotary actuator configured to move the inertial mass approximately linearly by rotating the inertial mass bi-directionally a fraction of a full revolution about the shaft; and a controller coupled to said sensor and said actuator, said controller being configured to receive signals from a computer and output the force signals to said actuator to control said haptic force.