Patent ID: 6366272
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: A63B,A63F,B25J,G05G,G06F,H01H,H04L

Abstract:
A computer readable medium including program instructions for simulating the spatial interaction of a displayed first simulated object with a displayed second simulated object in a computer-simulated spatial environment such that the user is provided with a force feedback that realistically represents said interaction, said program instructions performing the following on a computer system:executing a simulation including a first simulated object, said simulation being configured to implement the motion of said first simulated object in response to motion of a physical object of an interface device controlled by a user, wherein said physical object has a physical position in a physical workspace, and wherein a position control mapping between said simulated location of said first simulated object and said physical position of said physical object exists, said simulation being further configured to generate a second simulated object having boundaries such that said second simulated object impedes the simulated motion of said first simulated object when the trajectory of said first simulated object intersects said boundaries of said second simulated object; providing information causing a display device to display the location and motion of said first simulated object and said second simulated object; and providing information causing a force feedback mechanism to impart to a user of said force feedback mechanism a physical sensation that corresponds to the simulated physical interaction of said first simulated object with said second simulated object when the trajectory of said first simulated object intersects the boundaries of said second simulated object, wherein said interaction is determined by examining a current location and a previous location of said first simulated object to determine said trajectory, and wherein said position control mapping between said physical object and said first simulated object is broken during said interaction when providing said physical sensation.