United States Patent (19)
`Rosenberg et al.
`
`54) FORCE FEEDBACK MOUSE WHEEL AND
`OTHER CONTROL WHEELS
`
`75 Inventors: Louis B. Rosenberg, San Jose; Bruce
`M. Schena, Menlo Park, both of Calif.
`73 Assignee: Immersion Corporation, San Jose,
`Calif.
`
`21 Appl. No.: 09/049,155
`22 Filed:
`Mar. 26, 1998
`(51) Int. Cl." ....................................................... G09G 5/08
`52 U.S. Cl. .......................... 345/163; 34.5/184; 345/161;
`345/168
`58 Field of Search ..................................... 345/163, 164,
`345/184, 166, 161, 167, 168, 169; 348/734;
`341/20; 379/88.01
`
`56)
`
`References Cited
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`
`USOO6128006A
`Patent Number:
`11
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`6,128,006
`Oct. 3, 2000
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`626634A2 5/1994 European Pat. Off..
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`(List continued on next page.)
`
`Primary Examiner Steven J. Saras
`ASSistant Examiner Alecia D. Nelson
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm James R. Riegel
`57
`ABSTRACT
`A force feedback wheel is provided on a mouse or other
`interface device manipulated by a user. A Sensor detects a
`position of the mouse in a WorkSpace and Sends a position
`Signal to a connected host computer indicating that position.
`A rotatable wheel is mounted upon the manipulandum and
`rotates about a wheel axis, where a wheel Sensor provides a
`wheel Signal to the host computer indicating a rotary posi
`tion of the wheel. A wheel actuator coupled to the rotatable
`wheel applies a computer-modulated force to the wheel
`about the wheel axis. The mouse can be a Standard mouse or
`a force-feedback mouse, where forces are applied in the
`mouse WorkSpace. The host computer is preferably running
`a graphical environment, where the force applied to the
`wheel can correspond with an event or interaction displayed
`in the graphical environment. The wheel can also be
`included on other devices Such as remote controls and
`radioS.
`
`44 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
`
`AVER EXHIBIT 1024
`Aver v. Pathway
`IPR2017-02108
`
`Page 1 of 23
`
`

`

`6,128,006
`Page 2
`
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`ith a Specified F
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`WorkSpace.' 1991 IEEE CH2969-4
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`opment of Desktop Virtual Space with Compact Master
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`"... Colgate et al., “Implementation of Stiff Virtual Walls in
`CIl . . . . . . .
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`243-248.
`
`2
`
`2
`
`Page 2 of 23
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`

`

`6,128,006
`Page 3
`
`Akamatsu et al., “Multimodal Mouse: A Mouse-Type
`Device with Tactile & Force Display,” 1994, Presence, vol.
`3, p. 73–80.
`Ellis et al., “Design & Evaluation of a High-Performance
`Prototype Planar Haptic Interface,” 1993, ASME, Vol. 49, p.
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`Munch et al., “Intelligent Control for Haptic Displays.”
`1996, Eurographics, vol. 15. No. 3, p. C-2 17-C-226.
`Ramstein, Combining Haptic & Braille Technologies:
`Design Issues & Pilot Study, Apr. 11, 1996, ACM Conf. On
`Asst. Tech., p. 37-44.
`Payette et al., Evaluation of a Force Feedback (Haptic)
`Computer Pointing Device in Zero Gravity, Oct. 17, 1996,
`ASME Dynamic Systems, vol. 58, p. 547-553.
`
`Su et al., The Virtual Panel Architecture: A 3D Gesture
`Framework, 1993, University of Maryland, p. 387-393.
`Batter et al., “Grope 1: A Computer Display to the Sense of
`Feel,” 1971, IFIP Congress, p. 759–763.
`Hayward et al., “Design & Multi-Objective Optimization of
`a Linkage for a Haptic Interface,” 1994, Advances in Robot
`Kinematics, p. 359-368.
`Kelley et al., “MagicMouse: Tactile and Kinesthetic Feed
`back in the Human-Computer Interface using an Electro
`magnetically Actuated Input/Out Device,” 1993, University
`of Brit. Col., p. 1-27.
`
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`Oct. 3, 2000
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`FIG. 3A
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`Sheet 3 of 6
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`U.S. Patent
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`HOST COMPUTER
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`we ae ee
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`HOST
`PROCESSOR
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`80
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`weewweeeeeeeeeee
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`MEMORY
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`LOCAL
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`ACTUATOR
`INTERFACE
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`ACTUATOR
`INTERFACE
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`106
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`ACTUATORS
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`SENSORS
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`U.S. Patent
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`ODOCUment 1
`File
`Edit View
`
`X
`
`%
`
`Z 3 % % % % % % % %
`
`When in the Course of human events, it becomes
`necessary for One people to dissolve the political
`bands which have Connected them with another,
`and to assume among the powers of the earth,
`the separate and equal station to which the Laws
`of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a
`decent respect to the opinions of mankind
`requires that they should declare the causes
`which impel them to the separation.
`
`FIG. 9
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`Page 9 of 23
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`

`1
`FORCE FEEDBACK MOUSE WHEEL AND
`OTHER CONTROL WHEELS
`
`6,128,006
`
`2
`common on computer mice. A mouse wheel is a Small finger
`wheel provided on a convenient place on the mouse, Such as
`between two mouse buttons, which the user may rotate to
`control a Scrolling or Zooming function. Most commonly, a
`portion of the wheel protrudes out of the top surface of the
`mouse which the user can move his or her finger over. The
`wheel typically includes a rubber or other frictional surface
`to allow a user's finger to easily rotate the wheel. In addition,
`Some mice provide a "clicking” wheel that moves between
`evenly-spaced physical detent positions and provides dis
`crete positions to which the wheel can be moved as well as
`providing the user with Some physical feedback as to how
`far the wheel has rotated. The wheel is most commonly used
`to Scroll a document in a text window without having to use
`a Scroll bar, or to Zoom a window's display in or out without
`Selecting a separate Zoom control. The wheel may also be
`used in other applications, Such as a game, drawing program,
`or Simulation.
`One problem with existing mouse wheels is that they are
`quite limited in functionality. The wheel has a Single fric
`tional feel to it, and provides the user with very little tactile
`feedback as to the characteristics of the Scrolling or Zooming
`function employed. Even the mouse wheels having physical
`detents are limited in that the detents are spaced a constant
`distance apart and have a fixed tactile response, regardless of
`the Scrolling or Zooming task being performed or the char
`acteristics of the doucment or view being manipulated.
`Providing additional physical information concerning the
`characteristics of the task that the wheel is performing, as
`well as allowing the wheel to perform a variety of other tasks
`in a GUI or other environment, would be quite useful to a
`USC.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention is directed to an interface device
`which is connected to a host computer and provides a
`rotatable wheel having force feedback. The force feedback
`wheel provides greater functionality and relayS greater tac
`tile information to the user concerning the control task being
`performed with the wheel than a standard non-force
`feedback wheel.
`More particularly, an interface device and method for
`interfacing a user's input with a host computer and provid
`ing force feedback to the user includes a user manipulandum
`contacted and manipulated by a user and moveable in a
`planar WorkSpace with respect to a ground Surface. A
`manipulandum Sensor detects a position of the user manipu
`landum in the planar WorkSpace and Sends a position Signal
`to the host computer indicating a position of the user
`manipulandum in the WorkSpace. A rotatable wheel is
`mounted upon the user manipulandum and rotates about a
`wheel axis, where a wheel Sensor provides a wheel Signal to
`the host computer indicating a rotary position of the wheel.
`A wheel actuator coupled to the rotatable wheel applies a
`computer-modulated force to the wheel about the wheel
`XS.
`The user manipulandum can include a mouse object or
`other type of object. In a Standard mouse implementation,
`the manipulandum Sensor includes a ball and roller assem
`bly. In a force feedback mouse implementation, one or more
`additional actuators are included for applying a force to the
`manipulandum in the WorkSpace. A mechanical linkage
`having multiple members can be coupled between the
`manipulandum actuators and the manipulandum. The wheel
`can be oriented in a variety of ways; for example, the wheel
`can rotate about an axis parallel to the planar WorkSpace. The
`
`15
`
`25
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention relates generally to interface
`devices for allowing humans to interface with computer
`Systems, and more particularly to mechanical computer
`interface devices that allow the user to provide input to
`computer Systems and provide force feedback to the user.
`Computer Systems are used extensively in many different
`industries to implement many applications. Users can inter
`act with a visual environment displayed by a computer on a
`display device to perform functions on the computer, play a
`game, experience a simulation or "virtual reality”
`environment, use a computer aided design (CAD) system,
`browse the World Wide Web, or otherwise influence events
`or images depicted on the Screen. One visual environment
`that is particularly common is a graphical user interface
`(GUI). GUI's present visual images which describe various
`graphical metaphors of a program or operating System
`implemented on the computer. Common GUI's include the
`Windows(R operating system from Microsoft Corporation,
`the MacOSCE) operating System from Apple Computer, Inc.,
`and the X-Windows GUI for Unix operating systems. The
`user typically moves a user-controlled graphical object, Such
`as a cursor or pointer, acroSS a computer Screen and onto
`other displayed graphical objects or Screen regions, and then
`inputs a command to execute a given Selection or operation.
`Other programs or environments also may provide user
`controlled graphical objects Such as a cursor and include
`browsers and other programs displaying graphical “web
`pages” or other environments offered on the World Wide
`Web of the Internet, CAD programs, video games, virtual
`reality simulations, etc. In Some graphical computer
`environments, the user may provide input to control a 3-D
`“view” of the graphical environment, as in CAD or 3-D
`Virtual reality applications.
`The user interaction with and manipulation of the com
`puter environment is achieved using any of a variety of types
`40
`of human-computer interface devices that are connected to
`the computer System controlling the displayed environment.
`A common interface device for GUIs is a mouse or track
`ball. A mouse is moved by a user in a planar WorkSpace to
`move a graphical object Such as a cursor on the
`2-dimensional display Screen in a direct mapping between
`the position of the user manipulandum and the position of
`the cursor. This is typically known as "position control',
`where the motion of the graphical object directly correlates
`to motion of the user manipulandum. One drawback to
`traditional mice is that functions Such as Scrolling a docu
`ment in a window and Zooming a view displayed on the
`Screen in or out are typically awkward to perform, Since the
`user must use the cursor to drag a displayed Scroll bar or
`click on displayed Zoom controls. These types of functions
`are often more easily performed by “rate control” devices,
`i.e. devices that have an indirect or abstract mapping of the
`user manipulandum to the graphical object, Such as
`preSSure-Sensitive devices. Scrolling text in a window or
`Zooming to a larger view in a window are better performed
`as rate control tasks, Since the Scrolling and Zooming are not
`directly related to the planar position of a mouse. Similarly,
`the controlled velocity of a simulated vehicle is suitable for
`a rate control paradigm.
`To allow the user easier control of Scrolling, Zooming, and
`other like functions when using a mouse, a “Scroll wheel” or
`"mouse wheel” has been developed and has become quite
`
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`3
`wheel actuator can be directly coupled to the wheel, or can
`be coupled to the wheel by a drive mechanism such as a belt
`drive. In Some embodiments, the wheel can be depressed
`into a housing of the manipulandum. A local micrprocessor
`can also be provided in the interface device to control the
`actuator to apply the force on the wheel.
`The host computer is preferably running a graphical
`environment, where the force applied to the wheel corre
`sponds with an event or interaction displayed in the graphi
`cal environment. The event can be the Scrolling of a dis
`played document as controlled by the Sensed rotation of the
`wheel, or a Zooming or panning of a view in the graphical
`environment. In one embodiment, the cursor's motion is
`influenced by the rotation of the wheel, such that the event
`can be an interaction of a cursor with a graphical object. The
`force can also be, for example, a damping force Sensation,
`an inertial force Sensation, a friction force Sensation, a force
`detent Sensation, an obstruction force Sensation, a texture
`Sensation, a jolt Sensation, or a vibration Sensation. Different
`modes, Such as isotonic and isometric modes, can also be
`provided, where force Sensations appropriate to each mode
`are applied to the wheel.
`In a different embodiment, a force feedback wheel device
`of the present invention provides input to an electronic
`device. The wheel device includes a wheel rotatably coupled
`to a housing and rotatable about an axis, a computer
`modulated actuator coupled to the wheel for generating a
`Simulated detent Sensation on the wheel, where the force
`detent is provided at a predetermined user-preferred rota
`tional position of the wheel, and a Sensor that Senses rotation
`of the wheel and provides a wheel Signal to the electronic
`device indicating a rotary position of the wheel. The wheel
`can be included on a remote control device for remotely
`Sending Signals to the electronic device, or on the housing of
`the electronic device itself. The electronic device can be any
`of a variety of devices or appliances, for example, a radio
`can include the force wheel for providing user-preferred
`detents at radio Station frequencies Spaced irregularly about
`the rotational range of the wheel.
`The apparatus and method of the present invention pro
`vides an interface device including a force feedback wheel
`that allows a user to conveniently provide input to manipu
`late functions or events in a host computer application
`program or electronic device. The force feedback wheel
`allows Substantially greater control and flexibility than pre
`vious mouse wheels or other knobs, and the force feedback
`allows the wheel to control a variety of useful functions in
`a graphical environment which prior wheels are not able to
`control.
`These and other advantages of the present invention will
`become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of
`the following Specification of the invention and a study of
`the Several figures of the drawing.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a
`mouse interface System including a force feedback wheel of
`the present invention;
`FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of
`a force feedback mouse interface System including the force
`feedback wheel of the present invention;
`FIGS. 3a and 3b are perspective views of alternate
`embodiments of an interface device including the force
`feedback wheel of the present invention;
`FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the interface system includ
`ing a force feedback wheel of the present invention;
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`FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of two embodiments
`of a direct drive mechanical portion of the interface device
`for the force feedback wheel;
`FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a belt
`drive mechanical portion of the interface device for the force
`feedback wheel;
`FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a belt
`drive mechanism allowing the wheel to be depressed like a
`button; and
`FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration of a GUI and
`graphical objects which can be manipulated using the force
`feedback wheel of the present invention.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a mouse 12 including a
`force feedback mouse wheel of the present invention. Mouse
`12 rests on a ground Surface 44 Such as a tabletop or
`mousepad. A user grasps the mouse 12 and moves the mouse
`in a planar WorkSpace on the Surface 44 as indicated by
`arrows 22. Mouse 12 may be moved anywhere on the
`ground Surface 44, picked up and placed in a different
`location, etc. A frictional ball and roller assembly (not
`shown) is provided on the underside of the mouse 12 to
`translate the motion of the mouse 12 into electrical position
`signals, which are sent to a host computer 18 over a bus 17
`as is well know to those skilled in the art. In other
`embodiments, different mechanisms can be used to convert
`mouse motion to position or motion signals received by the
`host computer. It should be noted that the term “mouse' as
`used herein indicates an object 12 generally shaped to be
`grasped or contacted by a user from above and moved within
`a Substantially planar workSpace (and additional degrees of
`freedom if available). Typically, a mouse is a Smoothly- or
`angular-shaped compact unit that Snugly fits under a user's
`hand, fingers, and/or palm, but can be implemented as other
`objects as well.
`Mouse 12 includes buttons 15 and a mouse wheel 16.
`Buttons 15 can be pressed by the user to provide an
`associated signal to the host computer 18 over bus 17.
`Additional buttons can be provided in other embodiments of
`mouse 12. Mouse wheel 16 of the present invention is
`provided, for example, between buttons 15 to allow easy
`acceSS for a user's finger. A wheel 16 can alternatively or
`additionally be provided in a location easily accessed by the
`user's thumb. The wheel as shown only partially protrudes
`from an aperture 13 in the housing of the mouse 12 and
`preferably is provided with a frictional Surface, Such as a
`rubber-like Surface or a Series of ridges or bumps to allow
`the user's finger to grip the wheel more easily. Wheel 16 is
`operative to rotate in place in when the user's finger pushes
`the wheel in either rotational direction. When the user
`rotates the wheel, a corresponding Signal indicating the
`amount of rotation and the direction of rotation is sent to
`host computer 18 over bus 17. For example, the wheel signal
`can be used by host computer to Scroll a document in a
`window, pan a view, or Zoom a view. The wheel 16 is
`coupled to an actuator in mouse 12 which applies forces to
`wheel 16, which is described in greater detail below.
`Typically, wheel 16 is provided in a Y-orientation and rotates
`about an axis oriented in the X-direction as shown in FIG.
`1, where the wheel controls vertical (Y-direction) motion of
`a graphical object displayed by host 18. In other
`embodiments, a wheel can be provided in an X-orientation
`that rotates about a Y-axis, and which can control horizontal
`(X-direction) motion of a host graphical object. In yet other
`
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`embodiments, two or more wheels 16 can be provided on
`mouse 12 in different orientations to provide the user with
`multiple wheel controls. In still other embodiments, wheel
`16 can be provided as a trackball (or similar approximately
`spherical object) provided in a Socket in mouse 12, and
`which can be moved in both X- and Y-directions and have
`forces applied thereto.
`Furthermore, in some embodiments, wheel 16 may be
`depressed by the user as indicated by arrow 19. The wheel,
`when pressed, causes contacts to be electrically connected
`and provides a signal to host computer 18. Wheel 16 thus
`can also operate as an additional mouse button 15. A
`mechanical/electrical interface (not shown) is preferably
`included to Sense manipulations of the wheel 16 and trans
`mit force to the wheel. In the preferred embodiment, power
`is provided to actuators over bus 17 (e.g. when bus 17
`includes a USB interface). The structure and operation of
`wheel 16 and the interface is described in greater detail with
`respect to FIGS. 5–9.
`Host computer 18 is preferably a personal computer or
`workstation, such as an IBM-PC compatible computer or
`Macintosh personal computer, or a SUN or Silicon Graphics
`WorkStation. For example, the computer 18 can operate
`under the WindowsTM or MS-DOS operating system in
`conformance with an IBM PC AT standard. Alternatively,
`host computer system 18 can be one of a variety of home
`Video game Systems commonly connected to a television Set,
`Such as Systems available from Nintendo, Sega, or Sony. In
`other embodiments, host computer system 18 can be a “set
`top box' which can be used, for example, to provide
`interactive television functions to users, or a "network-” or
`“internet-computer' which allows users to interact with a
`local or global network using standard connections and
`protocols such as used for the Internet and World WideWeb.
`Host computer preferably includes a host microprocessor,
`random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM),
`input/output (I/O) circuitry, and other components of com
`puters well-known to those skilled in the art.
`Host computer 18 preferably implements a host applica
`tion program with which a user is interacting via mouse 12
`and other peripherals, if appropriate. The application pro
`gram includes force feedback functionality to provide appro
`priate force Signals to mouse 12. For example, the host
`application program can be a GUI, Simulation, Video game,
`Web page or browser that implements HTML or VRML
`45
`instructions, Scientific analysis program, Virtual reality train
`ing program or application, or other application program
`that utilizes input of mouse 12 and outputs force feedback
`commands to the mouse 12. Herein, for simplicity, operating
`systems such as WindowsTM, MS-DOS, MacOS, Unix, etc.
`are also referred to as “application programs.” In one
`preferred embodiment, an application program utilizes a
`graphical user interface (GUI) to present options to a user
`and receive input from the user. Herein, computer 18 may be
`referred as displaying “graphical objects' or “computer
`objects.” These objects are not physical objects, but are
`logical Software unit collections of data and/or procedures
`that may be displayed as images by computer 18 on display
`Screen 20, as is well known to those skilled in the art. A
`displayed cursor, a view displayed by a GUI window, a
`60
`portion of a document displayed in the window, or a
`Simulated cockpit of an aircraft can all be considered graphi
`cal objects. The host application program checks for input
`Signals received from the mouse 12, displayS updated
`graphical objects and other events as appropriate, and out
`puts force Signals acroSS buS 17 to mouse 12 to control
`forces output on wheel 16, as described in greater detail
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`below. In alternate embodiments, a separate local micropro
`ceSSor can be included in mouse 12 to locally control force
`output on wheel 16. Such a microprocessor can be provided
`in embodiments, such as the embodiment of FIG. 1, having
`no other force feedback except through wheel 16. A local
`microprocessor is described in greater detail with respect to
`FIG. 4.
`Display device 20 is typically included in host computer
`18 and can be a standard display screen (LCD, CRT, etc.),
`3-D goggles, or any other visual output device. Typically, the
`host application provides images to be displayed on display
`device 20 and/or other feedback, Such as auditory Signals.
`For example, display Screen 20 can display images from a
`GUI. Images describing a first person point of View can be
`displayed, as in a virtual reality game or Simulation. Or,
`images describing a third-person perspective of objects,
`backgrounds, etc. can b