Patent ID: 6300937
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: A63F,B25J,G01B,G05B,G05G,G06F,H01H

Abstract:
A force feedback interface device manipulated by a user and communicating with a host computer implementing a host application program executed in parallel with operation of said force feedback interface device, said host computer updating said host application program in response to input data, said force feedback interface device comprising:a microprocessor, separate from said host computer, that communicates with said host computer via a communication interface by receiving a host force command from said host computer and by sending said input data to said host computer, said input data being derived from sensor data received by said microprocessor, wherein said host computer updates said parallel execution of said host application program in response to said input data and wherein said microprocessor can receive both high level host force commands and low level host force commands selectively sent by said host computer, said high level host force commands instructing said local microprocessor to compute force magnitudes and output said computed force magnitudes in a processor force signal, and said low level host force commands including force magnitudes and causing said local microprocessor to output said processor force signal based on said included force magnitudes;a user object movable in at least one degree of freedom by a user and adapted to be physically contacted and manipulated by said user;an actuator electrically coupled to said microprocessor and operative to apply a force to said user in accordance with said processor force signal from said microprocessor; andat least one sensor that detects a position of said user object in said at least one degree of freedom and outputs said sensor data to said microprocessor, said sensor data including information representative of said position of said user object in said at least one degree of freedom.