Patent ID: 8395626
Filing Date: 2013-03-12
Classification: G06F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for simulating rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible components of materials comprising: (a) defining on a network device with one or more processors, one or more individual components for each of one or more entities being simulated, wherein a three-dimensional (3D) entity includes at least four individual components combined into the 3D entity being simulated; (b) defining for each of the one or more individual components, a force transmission parameter obtained from a plurality of force transmission parameter values, such that a selected entity's rigid mass is greater than zero and less than its total mass, the plurality of force transmission parameter values including a first force transmission parameter value representing a fully flexible component, a second force transmission parameter value representing a fully rigid component and a plurality of other force transmission parameter values with values in-between the first force transmission parameter value and the second force transmission parameter value representing varying levels of semi-rigidity, wherein the selected entity's rigid mass is calculated according to the equation:  wherein m (c) combining a method for simulating flexible entities with a method for simulating rigid entities into a composite simulation method, the composite method including each entity being simulated comprising one or more individual components and each individual component being individually defined with a separate force transmission parameter value, allowing each entity being simulated to include any combination of rigid, semi-rigid and flexible components, simulating either similar materials or composites of different materials, wherein the method for simulating flexible entities that has been combined uses a model comprising individual point-masses connected by idealized springs or dashpots, wherein the one or more individual components are represented by the point-masses, wherein in the composite simulation method, an acceleration due to rigid motion is calculated according to the equation:  wherein in the composite simulation method, an acceleration due to deformation is calculated according to the equation:  wherein f (d) obtaining with the composite simulation method on the network device a plurality of positions, velocities, and accelerations and a defined force transmission parameter value for each of the one or more individual components of each of the one or more entities being simulated; (e) calculating with the composite simulation method on the network device a plurality of forces and torques being applied on the one or more individual components of each of the one or more entities being simulated using the obtained positions, velocities or accelerations; (f) calculating with the composite simulation method on the network device one or more of new positions, velocities, and accelerations of the one or more individual components of each of the one or more entities being simulated using the calculated plurality of forces and torques and the one or more defined force transmission parameters; and (g) displaying in real-time with the composite simulation method on a graphical user interface with one or more graphical windows on a graphical display the calculated one or more positions and any of the calculated one or more velocities or accelerations as a two-dimensional (2D) or a three dimensional (3D) graphical object view of a representation of each of the one or more entities being simulated and presenting in real-time the composite simulation method's results as a haptic output on one or more haptic devices on the network device.