Patent ID: 6641480
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: A63F

Abstract:
An input device adapted to couple to a host device and able to provide a force feedback sensation directed along an axis, to an operator holding the input device, comprising:(a) a housing adapted to be handheld; (b) a prime mover disposed in said housing; (c) a mass operatively connected to said prime mover, said prime mover causing said mass to move in response to a control signal received from the host device, a change in momentum of said mass imparting a directional force on said housing, said directional force being transmitted through the housing as a haptic sensation that is experienced by an operator; and (d) a transmission that drivingly couples said prime mover to said mass, causing said mass to move when the prime mover is energized, wherein said transmission comprises: (i) a threaded shaft rotated by said prime mover and having helical threads that extend over a substantial portion of a length of said threaded shaft, and wherein said mass is threaded onto the helical threads, so that said mass moves along a length of said threaded shaft when said threaded shaft is rotated by said prime mover; and (ii) a pair of gears that transmits rotational movement from said prime mover to said threaded shaft.