Kinesthetic feedback apparatus and method

Claim 1

A kinesthetic feedback system for a human activated lever apparatus comprising: a lever, said lever including a rotational member and a lever arm extending outwardly from said rotational member, said lever including a housing and a friction cap adjustably mounted to said housing, said rotational member being mounted inside said housing and in frictional contact inside said friction cap; a first signal means on said lever for generating a first signal as a function of the position of said lever; an actuator means movable as a function of said first signal; a second signal means on said actuator means for generating a second signal as a function of resistive forces encountered by said actuator means upon being moved by said first signal; and a brake means on said lever, said brake means imposing a braking force on said lever as a function of said second signal, said brake means including a magnetostrictive body, a coil for inducing dimensional changes in said magnetostrictive body, and a friction plate movable upon dimensional changes in said magnetostrictive body, said friction plate being located inside said housing and pressing said rotational member against said friction cap thereby imposing said braking force on said lever, said magnetostrictive body comprising an elongated rod having a proximal end and a distal end, said coil being wrapped about said rod and with said proximal end in contact with said friction plate.

Claim 7

A method for providing a kinesthetic feedback to a lever comprising the steps of: obtaining a lever; sensing movement of said lever with a first sensor on said lever, said first sensor sensing movement of said lever as a first signal; transmitting said first signal to a remote device, said first signal actuating said remote device; sensing forces encountered by said remote device with a second sensor as a second signal; returning said second signal to said lever; placing a friction plate against a movable portion of said lever; orienting a length of magnetostrictive material longitudinally against said friction plate while forming a coil around said length of magnetostrictive material; and braking movement of said lever as a function of said second signal by pressing said friction plate against said movable portion of said lever as said function of said second signal by passing said second signal through said coil thereby creating an electromagnetic field, said electromagnetic field changing said length of magnetostrictive material thereby pressing said friction plate with said length of magnetostrictive material.

Claim 8

A method for providing a kinesthetic feedback to a lever comprising the steps of: obtaining a lever; sensing movement of said lever with a first sensor on said lever, said first sensor sensing movement of said lever as a first signal; transmitting said first signal to a remote device, said first signal actuating said remote device; sensing forces encountered by said remote device with a second sensor as a second signal; returning said second signal to said lever; placing a friction plate against a movable portion of said lever; orienting a length of magnetostrictive material longitudinally against said friction plate while forming a coil around said length of magnetostrictive material; and braking movement of said lever as a function of said second signal by pressing said friction plate against said movable portion of said lever as said function of said second signal by passing said second signal through said coil thereby creating an electromagnetic field, said electromagnetic field changing said length of magnetostrictive material thereby pressing said friction plate with said length of magnetostrictive material.