US6831640B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Systems and methods for sculpting virtual objects in a haptic virtual reality environment
Assignee: 3D Systems Inc
•
Filing: 2003-02-26
•
Granted: 2004-12-14
•
Expires: 2023-02-26
Abstract
Abstract A user of a virtual object or computer model uses a haptic interface device in the real world to manipulate a virtual tool in a virtual environment to interact and modify the virtual object. The user uses the virtual tool in a sculpting mode to modify the shape of the virtual object by adding, removing, or modifying the material of the object. The user feels an interaction force from the virtual tool as it interacts with and modifies the virtual object. The designer can set geometric constraints, such as a constraint point, constraint line, or constraint surface, to limit or guide the movement of the virtual tool.
Inventors
- 👤 Loren Shih
- 👤 Walter A. Aviles
- 👤 Thomas H. Massie
- 👤 Walter C. Shannon, III
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:58
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/016; B; B33; B33Y; B33Y80/00; G06F3/017; G06F3/03; G06F3/033; G06F3/0346; G06F3/0354; G06F3/03545; G06F3/038; G06T; G06T19/00; G06T19/20; G06F2203/00; G06F2203/01; G06F2203/013; G06T2200/00; G06T2200/24; G06T2210/00; G06T2210/28; G06T2219/00; G06T2219/20; G06T2219/2021
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
82 words
A system for modifying a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment, the system comprising: a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment; a virtual sanding tool adapted to modify the virtual object; a haptic interface device that senses a user control; and a modeling application in communication with the haptic interface device, the virtual sanding tool, and the virtual object, wherein the modeling application is adapted to produce a modified virtual object based at least in part on the user control.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
82 words
A system for modifying a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment, the system comprising: a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment; a virtual sanding tool adapted to modify the virtual object; a haptic interface device that senses a user control; and a modeling application in communication with the haptic interface device, the virtual sanding tool, and the virtual object, wherein the modeling application is adapted to produce a modified virtual object based at least in part on the user control.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual object is a voxel-based virtual object.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual sanding tool removes virtual material from the virtual object when a velocity tangent to a virtual surface of the virtual object exceeds a threshold.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 3 , wherein the velocity tangent is determined by the modeling application based at least in part on the user control.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the haptic interface device produces an oscillating frictional effect when the virtual sanding tool removes virtual material from the virtual object.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
70 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual sanding tool comprises a plurality of discrete points and wherein the modeling application is adapted: to determine a haptic interface location in the haptic virtual environment corresponding to a location of the user in real space; and to determine locations for the plurality of discrete points of the virtual tool in the haptic virtual environment relative to the haptic interface location.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for modifying a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of: generating a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment; determining a position of a virtual tool in the haptic virtual environment corresponding to a location of a user in real space; and modifying the virtual object according to a movement of the user in real space, wherein the position of the virtual tool is sampled discretely and modification is made along a swept path between discretely sampled positions.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for modifying a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of: generating a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment; determining a position of a virtual tool in the haptic virtual environment corresponding to a location of a user in real space; and modifying the virtual object according to a movement of the user in real space, wherein the position of the virtual tool is sampled discretely and modification is made along a swept path between discretely sampled positions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the modifying step comprises removing virtual material from the virtual object along the swept path between discretely sampled positions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the modifying step comprises adding virtual material to the virtual object along the swept path between discretely sampled positions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the virtual object is voxel-based.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein the virtual tool comprises a plurality of discrete points and wherein the step of determining a position of the virtual tool comprises: determining a haptic interface location in the haptic virtual environment corresponding to a location of a user in real space; and determining locations for the plurality of discrete points of the virtual tool in the haptic virtual environment relative to the haptic interface location.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 10 , wherein the modifying step comprises computing a voxel value at a point in the haptic virtual environment based on a distance from the point to a line segment connecting two of the discretely sampled positions.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein the line segment connects two consecutively sampled positions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 7 , further comprising the steps of: determining a force feedback according to the position of the virtual tool in relation to the virtual object; sending the force feedback to the user through a haptic interface device; and updating the force feedback according to the movement of the user in real space.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of modifying the virtual object is performed at a slower rate than the step of updating the force feedback.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the force feedback comprises an alternate force when a modification to the virtual object occurs.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 16 , wherein the alternate force is a viscous force.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for smoothing a region of a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of: generating a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment; determining a position of a virtual tool in the haptic virtual environment in response to a location of a user in real space; determining a force feedback according to the position of the virtual tool in relation to the virtual object; sending the force feedback to the user through a haptic interface device; updating the force feedback according to a movement of the user in real space; selecting a region of the virtual object according to a movement of the virtual tool; and smoothing the selected region of the virtual object.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
121 words
A method for smoothing a region of a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment, the method comprising the steps of: generating a virtual object in a haptic virtual environment; determining a position of a virtual tool in the haptic virtual environment in response to a location of a user in real space; determining a force feedback according to the position of the virtual tool in relation to the virtual object; sending the force feedback to the user through a haptic interface device; updating the force feedback according to a movement of the user in real space; selecting a region of the virtual object according to a movement of the virtual tool; and smoothing the selected region of the virtual object.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the virtual tool is a painting tool and the selected region corresponds to a painted area of a surface of the virtual object.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the smoothing step comprises filtering a selection volume corresponding to the painted area using an N×N×N kernel applied in three separate, one-dimensional passes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the smoothing step comprises filtering a selection volume corresponding to the selected region using an N×N×N kernel applied in three separate, one-dimensional passes.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5237647A
Cited
US5333257A
Cited
US5446834A
Cited
US5872438A
Cited
US5898599A
Cited
US5774130A
Cited
US5659493A
Cited
US5882206A
Cited
US5873106A
Cited
US6111577A
Cited
US6369834B1
Cited
US5988862A
Cited
US5903886A
Cited
US5802353A
Cited
US5847956A
Cited
US6308144B1
Cited
US5973678A
Cited
US6211848B1
Cited
US6417638B1
Cited
US6421048B1
Cited
US20020158842A1
Cited
US6552722B1
Cited
US20030128208A1
Cited
US6226003B1
Cited
US20020075283A1
Cited
US20020089500A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-12-14 | 2008-06-14 | 2008-12-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-12-14 | 2012-06-14 | 2012-12-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-12-14 | 2016-06-14 | 2016-12-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |