(19)
(11) EP 1 517 225 A8

(12) CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(48) Corrigendum issued on:
29.06.2005 Bulletin 2005/26

(43) Date of publication:
23.03.2005 Bulletin 2005/12

(21) Application number: 04022050.1

(22) Date of filing: 16.09.2004
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G06F 3/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL HR LT LV MK

(30) Priority: 16.09.2003 US 502983 P

(71) Applicant: RAM Consulting
Oak Brook, IL 60523 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Altkorn, Robert
    Chicago, IL 60615 (US)
  • Chen, Xiao
    Naperville, IL 60565 (US)
  • Milkovich, Scott
    Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 (US)
  • Owens, John
    Oak Lawn, IL 60453 (US)
  • Rider, Brian
    Sommerville, MA 02143 (US)
  • Rider, Eugene
    Oak Brook, IL 60523 (US)
  • Stool, Daniel
    Addison, IL 60101 (US)

(74) Representative: Rehmann, Thorsten, Dipl.-Ing. et al
GRAMM, LINS & PARTNER Theodor-Heuss-Strasse 1
38122 Braunschweig
38122 Braunschweig (DE)

   


(54) Haptic response system and method of use


(57) An apparatus and method for assessing a hazard associated with an object are disclosed. The apparatus includes a haptic input/output device coupled to a computer with haptic modeling software and a display device. A virtual object and a virtual passageway are displayed on the display device. The virtual passageway includes a haptic layer along a surface thereof Force applied by a user to the haptic input/output device causes a cursor on the display device to move the virtual object into the virtual passageway. An interaction of the virtual object with the haptic layer generates a virtual contact force which may be determined by the user sensing a corresponding tactile feedback force generated by the haptic input/output device and/or by the computer processor. The magnitude of the virtual contact force may be used to assess a hazard associated with the virtual object.