Haptic peripheral having a plurality of deformable membranes and a motor to move radial pins

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841818-B2
Application number	US-201514977556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2015
Priority date	Dec 21, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A haptic peripheral includes a housing with a frame having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced apart windows, a plurality of deformable membranes positioned within the plurality of circumferentially-spaced apart windows, and a haptic output device disposed within the housing and coupled to the plurality of deformable membranes. The haptic output device includes a motor, a converter, and a plurality of radially-extending pins. Each radially-extending pin has a first end attached to the converter and a second opposing end attached to a deformable membrane. The motor is configured to receive a control signal from a processor and is configured to rotate relative to the housing in response to the control signal. The converter converts rotary motion of the motor to linear motion to move the plurality of radially-extending pins to thereby radially extend the deformable membranes relative to the housing and provide a haptic effect to a user of the haptic peripheral.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A haptic peripheral comprising:
a housing including a frame having a plurality of spaced apart windows;
a plurality of deformable membranes, each deformable membrane positioned within one of the plurality of spaced apart windows of the frame; and
a haptic output device disposed within the housing and coupled to the plurality of deformable membranes, the haptic output device including a motor, a cam plate coupled to the motor and having a plurality of tracks defined therethrough, a plurality of rollers, and a plurality of radially-extending pins, each roller slidably positioned within one of the plurality of tracks of the cam plate and each radially-extending pin having a first end attached to one of the plurality of rollers and a second opposing end attached to one of the deformable membranes,
wherein the motor is configured to receive a control signal from a processor and is configured to rotate the cam plate relative to the housing in response to the control signal from the processor and rotation of the cam plate moves the plurality of rollers and the plurality of radially-extending pins to thereby radially extend the deformable membranes relative to the housing and provide a haptic effect to a user of the haptic peripheral.

2. The haptic peripheral of claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a first annular base, a second opposing annular base, and a plurality of slats longitudinally extending between the first and second annular bases.

3. The haptic peripheral of claim 2 , wherein the frame of the housing also includes a central disc having a plurality of radially-extending passageways formed therein and each radially-extending pin of the haptic output device is slidably positioned within one of the plurality of radially-extending passageways of the central disc.

4. The haptic peripheral of claim 1 , wherein the haptic peripheral includes at least six deformable membranes.

5. The haptic peripheral of claim 1 , wherein each deformable membrane is configured to contact a user and is formed from a polymer material.

6. The haptic peripheral of claim 1 , wherein the tracks of the cam plate are curved openings.

7. The haptic peripheral of claim 1 , wherein the haptic output device further includes a plurality of relays, each relay configured to selectively engage or disengage one of the rollers such that the roller is selectively positioned within one of the plurality of tracks of the cam plate.

8. The haptic peripheral of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a motor casing adjacent to the frame and the motor of the haptic output device is disposed within the motor casing.

9. The haptic peripheral of claim 1 , wherein the motor is disposed within the frame.

10. A haptic peripheral comprising:
a housing including a frame having a plurality of spaced apart windows;
a plurality of deformable membranes, each deformable membrane positioned within one of the plurality of spaced apart windows of the frame; and
a haptic output device disposed within the housing and coupled to the plurality of deformable membranes, the haptic output device including a motor, a converter, and a plurality of radially-extending pins, the converter extending between the motor and the plurality of radially-extending pins and each radially-extending pin having a first end attached to the converter and a second opposing end attached to one of the deformable membranes,
wherein the motor is configured to receive a control signal from a processor and is configured to rotate relative to the housing in response to the control signal from the processor and the converter converts rotary motion of the motor to linear motion to move the plurality of radially-extending pins to thereby radially extend the deformable membranes relative to the housing and provide a haptic effect to a user of the haptic peripheral.

11. The haptic peripheral of claim 10 , wherein the converter includes a cam plate coupled to the motor and having a plurality of tracks defined therethrough and a plurality of rollers, each roller slidably positioned within one of the plurality of tracks of the cam plate, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the cam plate relative to the housing in response to the control signal from the processor and rotation of the cam plate moves the plurality of rollers and the plurality of radially-extending pins in order to radially extend the deformable membranes relative to the housing.

12. The haptic peripheral of claim 10 , wherein the converter includes a ball screw coupled to the motor and a plurality of flexures, each flexure having a first end coupled to the ball screw and a second end fixed to the frame, and each radially-extending pin having a first end attached to an intermediate point of one of the plurality of flexures and a second opposing end attached to one of the deformable membranes, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the ball screw relative to the housing in response to the control signal from the processor and rotation of the ball screw bends the flexures such that the intermediate point of the flexure and the radially-extending pin attached thereto extends radially outward in order to radially extend the deformable membranes relative to the housing.

13. The haptic peripheral of claim 10 , wherein the converter includes a ball screw coupled to the motor and a plurality of flexures, each flexure having a first end coupled to the ball screw, a second end slidingly disposed over a first linear guide, and a hinge disposed between the first and second ends thereof and slidingly disposed over a second linear guide disposed perpendicular to the first linear guide and each radially-extending pin having a first end attached to the hinge of one of the plurality of flexures and a second opposing end attached to one of the deformable membranes, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the ball screw relative to the housing in response to the control signal from the processor and rotation of the ball screw moves the plurality of flexures and the plurality of radially-extending pins in order to radially extend the deformable membranes relative to the housing.

14. The haptic peripheral of claim 10 , wherein the frame includes a first annular base, a second opposing annular base, and a plurality of slats longitudinally extending between the first and second annular bases.

15. The haptic peripheral of claim 14 , wherein the frame of the housing also includes a central disc having a plurality of radially-extending passageways formed therein and each radially-extending pin of the haptic output device is slidably positioned within one of the plurality of radially-extending passageways of the central disc.

16. The haptic peripheral of claim 10 , wherein the haptic peripheral includes at least six deformable regions.

17. The haptic peripheral of claim 10 , wherein the housing includes a motor casing adjacent to the frame and the motor of the haptic output device is disposed within the motor casing.

18. A gaming system comprising:
a host computer;
a processor; and
a haptic peripheral including
a housing including a frame having a plurality of spaced apart windows,
a plurality of deformable membranes, each deformable membrane positioned within one of the plurality of spaced apart windows of the frame, and
a haptic output device disposed within the housing and coupled to the plurality of deformable membranes, the haptic output device including a motor, a converter, and a plurality of radially-extending pins, the converter extending between the motor and the plurality of radiall

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

• Alghooneh Mansoor
• Cruz Hernandez Juan Manuel
• Lacroix Robert

Classifications

• A63F2300/1037

  being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback · CPC title

• A63F13/24

  Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles · CPC title

• G06F2203/013

  Force feedback applied to a game · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G08B6/00

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title