The present invention is a method for controlling a Davinci surgical device. Firstly, controlling an operation part of a remote operation device to enter the inner of a body for executing a surgical operation. Then, an image capturing unit captures a plurality of corresponding surgical images to a control device, and the control device obtains a first torque component, a second torque component and an element action of the remote surgical device according to the surgical images to operate an output strength of the remote surgical device for further generating corresponding strength feedback by the output strength. Thus, the user can get the control status of the remote surgical device to prevent accidental iatrogenic injury from over-force and to proceed with the operation with improved accuracy.

The invention relates to a control device (1) for automotive vehicle comprising:—a tactile surface (2) intended to detect a contact of a finger of a user, and—a haptic feedback module (4) configured to vibrate the tactile surface (2), characterized in that it comprises a drive unit (5) configured to drive the haptic feedback module (4) so as to generate a haptic feedback in response to a press on the tactile surface (2), the haptic feedback being composed:—of the repetition of at least two identical individual haptic patterns (M1, M2, M3 . . . Mn), generated successively, and—of a period with no haptic feedback (B1, B2), intercalated between two successive individual haptic patterns (M1, M2, M3 . . . Mn). The invention also relates to a method of control for the control of such a device.

This disclosure is directed to a system to provide tactile feedback during non-contact interaction. A system may comprise at least display circuitry, sensing circuitry, tactile feedback circuitry and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may cause the display circuitry to present a user interface. The sensing circuitry may sense when a body part of a user (e.g., a hand, a finger, etc.) is proximate to the user interface and may generate position data based on a sensed position of the body part. The processing circuitry may determine a relative position of the body part with respect to the user interface based on the position data, and may determine if the body part is interacting with the user interface based on the relative position. If it is determined that the body part is interacting with the user interface, the processing circuitry may cause the tactile feedback circuitry to generate directional feedback.

Various embodiments concern electronic devices capable of providing localized haptic feedback. More specifically, an electronic device can include an array of piezoelectric actuators that is disposed within the housing of the electronic device. When a user interacts with the electronic device (e.g., with content presented on a display), one or more of the piezoelectric actuators in the array can be induced into performing a haptic event. For example, a power source may selectively apply voltage to one or more piezoelectric actuators (and thus induce the haptic event). The localized haptic feedback provided by the piezoelectric actuator(s) can increase the realism of content experienced by the user.

A method and system for energy savings with silent haptics is presented. A haptically-enabled device includes a processor that executes a haptic track containing haptic instructions. The haptic track is analyzed to determine the presence of a zero-force interval, also known as a silent haptic. The duration of the zero-force interval is determined, and if the duration exceeds a pre-determined threshold, then the system or method enters an energy savings mode. An overhead time associated with the terminating of the energy savings mode is determined. And, the energy savings mode is terminated at the conclusion of the zero-force interval less the overhead time.

This disclosure provides designer interfaces that present condensed representations of texture functions, the representations displaying selected control points that manipulate the representations, an algorithm that computes a texture function based on the positions of said selected control points, and the texture function generating a signal to control a force on an appendage of a user that touches a tactile surface, and methods of using the designer interfaces.

A haptic mouse is configured to provide various kinds of haptic input. In some embodiments, the mouse has first and second housing portions and an actuator operable to provide haptic output by moving the first housing portion with respect to the second housing portion so as to tangentially displace skin or alter hand posture of a user's hand. In various embodiments, the mouse has a force sensor, an actuator, and a controller operable to determine an amount of force exerted on the haptic mouse, simulate a mouse click if the amount of the force exceeds a threshold, and adjust the threshold upon receiving an instruction. In numerous embodiments, the mouse has a housing, a friction adjustment mechanism operable to alter friction between the housing and a surface by adjusting an amount of a material in contact with the surface, and a controller operable to provide a haptic output by signaling the friction adjustment mechanism.

A touch-enabled device can simulate one or more features in a touch area. Features may include, but are not limited to, changes in texture and/or simulation of boundaries, obstacles, or other discontinuities in the touch surface that can be perceived through use of an object in contact with the surface. Systems include a sensor configured to detect a touch in a touch area when an object contacts a touch surface, an actuator, and one or more processors. The processor can determine a position of the touch using the sensor and select a haptic effect to generate based at least in part on the position, the haptic effect selected to simulate the presence of a feature at or near the determined position. The processor can transmit a haptic signal to generate the identified haptic effect using the actuator. Some features are simulated by varying the coefficient of friction of the touch surface.

A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch notice that inputs a position signal to a processor of the computer based on a location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphic environment based at least in part on the position signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate from the computer's display screen, or can be a touch screen. Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can include pulses vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.

A force feedback system provides components for use in a force feedback system including a host computer and a force feedback interface device. An architecture for a host computer allows multi-tasking application programs to interface with the force feedback device without conflicts, where a single active application may output forces. A background application also provides force effects to be output and allows a user to assign force effects to graphical objects in a graphical user interface. Force feedback effects and structures are further described, such as events and enclosures.