Haptic interface providing improved haptic feedback especially in the reproduction of a stop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10386929-B2
Application number	US-201515532433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

A method for generating haptic sensations from a haptic interface including: a rotatable button; an element for interacting with a fluid with a viscosity that varies as a function of an exterior stimulus, the element for interacting with the fluid moving with the button; a fluid with an apparent viscosity that varies as a function of a magnetic field and that surrounds the element for interacting with the fluid; and a system for generating a magnetic field on command in the fluid. The method includes: evaluating a current position of the button; determining a direction of rotation of the button; altering the value of the current position when the current position is in a haptic stop zone and the direction of rotation of the button is associated with the haptic stop, and as long as the direction of rotation of the button is not modified.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for generating haptic sensations from a haptic interface including:
a user interacting element configured to be moved in a first direction and in a second direction,
a fluid interacting element interacting with a fluid with a viscosity that varies as a function of an exterior stimulus, the fluid interacting element being at least translationally or at least rotationally integral with the user interacting element,
a brake including a fluid with an apparent viscosity that varies as a function of an exterior stimulus and a generation system to generate the stimulus on command in the fluid, the fluid interacting element being disposed in the fluid,
at least one position sensor to determine a position of the user interacting element,
at least one movement sensor to determine movement of the user interacting element and/or at least one intent sensor to determine an intent with which a user intends to move the user interacting element, and
processing circuitry configured to send commands to the generation system to generate the stimulus,
the method comprising:
a) measuring a position of the user interacting element;
b) determining a direction of rotation of the user interacting element or a direction in which the user intends to move the user interacting element;
c) evaluating a current position piece of information from the position measurement of the user interacting element;
d) when the current position piece of information is in a zone defined as a haptic stop and the direction of rotation of the user interacting element or the direction in which the user intends to move the user interacting element is that associated with the haptic stop, setting the current position considered to control the generation system to a current position value corresponding to a zone defined as a haptic stop as long as the direction of movement of the user interacting element or the direction in which the user intends to move the user interacting element is not modified;
e) when the current position piece of information is in a zone other than a zone defined as a haptic stop, evaluating the current position considered to control the generation system from the position measurement of the user interacting element;
f) generating a command to the generation system based on the current position; and
g) modifying viscosity of the fluid.

2. The method for generating haptic sensations according to claim 1 , wherein when the current position piece of information is in a zone defined as a haptic stop and the direction of rotation of the user interacting element or the direction in which the user intends to move the user interacting element is that associated with the haptic stop, setting the current position considered to a current position value corresponding to a position of the user interacting element when it enters in a zone defined as a haptic stop zone.

3. The method for generating haptic sensations according to claim 1 , wherein the current position value set corresponds to a zone entering position defined as a haptic stop.

4. The method for generating haptic sensations according to claim 1 , wherein the determining the direction of rotation comprises calculating the derivative of the measurement of a).

5. The method for generating haptic sensations according to claim 1 , wherein the determining the direction in which the user intends to move the user interacting element comprises detecting torque exerted by a user on the user interacting element in a case of a rotatably movable user interacting element.

6. The method for generating haptic sensations according to claim 1 , wherein the determining the direction in which the user intends to move the user interacting element comprises detecting strain exerted by a user on the user interacting element, in a case of a translationally movable user interacting element.

7. The method for generating haptic sensations according to claim 1 , wherein, when the fluid implemented is a magneto-rheological fluid, f) comprises applying a magnetic field.

8. A haptic interface comprising:
a user interacting element configured to be moved in a first direction and in a second direction;
a fluid interacting element interacting with a fluid with a viscosity that varies as a function of an exterior stimulus, the fluid interacting element being at least translationally or at least rotationally integral with the user interacting element;
a brake comprising a fluid with an apparent viscosity that varies as a function of an exterior stimulus and a generation system to generate the stimulus on command in the fluid, the fluid interacting element being disposed in the fluid;
at least one position sensor to determine a position of the user interacting element;
at least one movement sensor to determine a direction of movement of the user interacting element and/or at least one intent sensor to determine a direction of movement in which the user intends to move the user interacting element; and
processing circuitry configured to send commands to the generation system, the processing circuitry being configured to generate the commands as a function of the position of the user interacting element and the direction of movement of the user interacting element and/or of the direction in which the user intends to move the user interacting element from predefined haptic patterns, the haptic patterns comprising at least one haptic stop defined for a given movement zone and for a given direction of movement,
the processing circuitry being further configured to evaluate a current position piece of information from the position measurement of the interacting element and such that, when the current position piece of information is located in a zone defined as a haptic stop and the direction of movement of the user interacting element is that associated with the haptic stop, the processing circuitry sets the current position to a current position value corresponding to a zone defined as a haptic stop, designed as a modified current position, as long as the direction of movement of the user interacting element is not modified and generates commands to the generation system to generate the stimulus based on this modified current position.

9. The haptic interface according to claim 8 , wherein the current position considered is set by the processing circuitry to a current position value corresponding to a position of the user interacting element when it enters a zone defined as a haptic stop zone.

10. The haptic interface according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one movement sensor comprises a calculator to calculate derivative of measurements provided by the at least one position sensor.

11. The haptic interface according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one intent sensor comprises a torque sensor to detect torque exerted by a user on the user interacting element, in a case of a rotatably movable user interacting element, or a strain sensor to detect strain exerted by a user on the user interacting element, in a case of a translationally movable user interacting element.

12. The haptic interface according to claim 8 , wherein the fluid is a magneto-rheological fluid, the stimulus being a magnetic field, and wherein the commands generated are current intensities.

13. The haptic interface according to claim 8 , wherein the user interacting element is rotatably movable and is integral with a rotating shaft with a longitudinal axis with which the fluid interacting element is integral, the position sensor being an angular position sensor.

14. The haptic interface according to claim 9 , wherein the user interactin

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Eck Laurent
• Hafez Moustapha

Classifications

• F16F9/535

  Magnetorheological [MR] fluid dampers (springs comprising magnetorheological [MR] elastomers F16F1/361) · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/0362

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G05G5/03

  Means for enhancing the operator's awareness of arrival of the controlling member at a command or datum position; Providing feel, e.g. means for creating a counterforce (arrangements for indicating the position of the controlling member G05G1/015) · CPC title

• G05G1/08

  Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels · CPC title