Patent ID: 6405158
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: B25J,G05B,G05G,G06F,G06G

Abstract:
An apparatus for generating a signal representative of force comprising:a. a receiver for receiving a signal representative of the location of a user reference point relative to a user reference frame; b. a geometry model residence for storing a representation of: i. a non-local reference frame; ii. the user reference frame, relative to said non-local reference frame; and iii. the conformation of a non-local environment comprising a substrate-type element, relative to said non-local reference frame; c. a comparator for comparing the location of the user reference point relative to the non-local environment; d. a force generator for generating a signal representative of a force, based on the location of the user reference point relative to the non-local environment and a set of force rules, including substrate-force rules which specify a substrate output force signal in response to a location signal of said user reference point indicative of a deflected conformation of said substrate-type element; and e. a non-local environment reaction calculator that makes changes to the representation of the conformation of the non-local environment based on the signal representative of force and the set of force rules, said substrate type-element rule specifying a change in the representation of a surface shape of a selected region of said substrate-type element.