RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to provisional application no. 61/865,975, filed August

14, 2013, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A theatrical rigging system is a system of lines (e.g., ropes), blocks (e.g. , pulleys), counterweights and related devices within a theater that enables a stage crew to quickly, quietly and safely fly (e.g. , hoist) items such as curtains, lights, scenery, stage effects and/or people. Such rigging systems are typically designed to fly components between clear view of the audience and out of view, into the large opening (e.g. , fly loft) above the stage.

Manually operated counterweight flying systems have traditionally been used in theatres, but automated systems have also been developed. Automated systems can include electrical hoists (also referred to as winches) that can facilitate coordination with cues, move heavy line sets, and significantly limit the number of people required in the fly crew.

One disadvantage of an automated system is that the user loses the sense of "feel" which provides the operator of a manual fly system with tactile information concerning the load being lifted. On a counterweight system, the operator can feel how heavy a piece being lifted is and can also feel when it touches the floor. Heavy pieces are harder to pull, which gives a flyman information regarding the piece being lifted and whether he or she is moving the right piece. Automated systems are replacing hand controls on other systems, such as stage tracks, stage trucks, lifts and revolves, and provide the same challenge in terms of feedback to the user. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present haptic control system recreates the sense of feeling that a flyman in a theater receives when running a manually operated counterweight flying system, or that a stage technician receives when moving stage trucks, stage tracks, revolves, and other stage equipment by providing tactile feedback to controls operated by a user. For example, resistance can be increased in the system controls as a load on a winch operated by the system is increased and as the end of travel zone is approached. The present system can also mimic a manual sprung joystick, where the resistance to movement increases in proportion to the stroke.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the present device, without the lower portion of the housing of the device.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 without the upper portion of the housing of the device.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the mechanical components of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the mechanical components shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the mechanical components shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of the mechanical components shown in FIG. 6, without the belt.

FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of the mechanical components shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the chassis used in the device of FIG. 1. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the mechanical components of the present device shown in FIG. 9, without the chassis.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the haptic device in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of the haptic device of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the mounting plate assembly of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the haptic device without the keyboard or buttons.

FIG. 17 is an assembled view of the haptic device of FIG. 13, without the keyboard or buttons.

FIG. 18 is a top view of the haptic device of FIG. 13.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the control circuitry of an embodiment of the present device.

FIG. 20 is a another diagram showing the control circuitry of an embodiment of the present device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is not limited to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment.

However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments shown in the drawings, it being understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms not specifically shown in the drawings.

Stage Systems

The present haptic control system can be used to control a variety of automated stage systems. Such systems include, for example, fly systems, stage tracks, revolves (revolving stages), and stage elevators. Many of these items have in the past been operated mechanically and therefore provide basic mechanical feedback.

Fly systems include a number of components, including winches, battens, and lines. Battens are linear members suspended above a stage to which loads can be attached. Loads mounted to battens include lights, curtains, and scenery, which can then be raised up into the fly space (flown out) or lowered near to the stage floor (flown in) by an associated line set. Another component of fly systems is the lines, i.e. the ropes and cables (wire ropes) that enable a fly system to hoist items. Lines are retained at one end by a winch or hoist, which reels a line in or out in order to move an item. A line is supported by a block or pulley used to support and direct lift and operating lines. A block generally comprises a grooved wheel, known as a sheave. A loft block is an overhead block that supports a single lift line and redirects a lift line from the batten to the head block of a line set. Head blocks are overhead blocks used for the lift lines and operating lines. Head blocks support and redirect the lift lines from loft blocks to items to be hoisted.

Motor-assist fly systems are similar to manually operated counterweight fly systems, except that a motor is used to rotate the drum of a winch. Hoist (e.g. , winch) motors can be either fixed speed or variable speed. Fixed speed motors are generally used for heavy-load and/or slow- speed line sets (e.g., for electrics and orchestra shell line sets), while variable speed motors are generally used for line sets requiring dynamic motion that may be viewed by the audience (e.g., drapery and scenery line sets). Scenery hoists commonly allow travel at rates of hundreds of feet per minute.

Haptic System 1 (FIGS. 1-12) Haptic systems provide tactile feedback using the sense of touch of a user, by applying force, vibrations, or motion to the user. The haptic device 1 of the present system comprises a closed-loop ("endless") belt 40 which can be rotated by the user in order to fly an item in a theater or other setting. The belt however not only controls the hoisting of the item but also provides tactile feedback to the user while being operated. Such feedback is provided by a motor, which for example can provide resistance to the belt in response to predetermined parameters, and/or can provide other tactile stimuli such as vibration or other motion.

An embodiment of the haptic device 1 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-12, and another embodiment of the haptic device 2 is shown in FIGS. 13-18 and will be discussed below. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, the present haptic device 1 generally comprises a housing 10 having a proximal end 12, a distal end 14, a medial side 11, a lateral side 13, and an upper portion 18 having an upper surface 15. The haptic device 1 can be a separate and portable device having its own housing 10 as shown and can be, for instance, a remote control unit or a laptop unit. Or, the device 1 can be integral with a control console having its own housing and other electronics, controls and/or display devices.

The upper surface 15 preferably includes or retains one or more displays 20, such as the medial display 21 and the lateral display 23 shown in FIG. 1. These displays provide information to a user, particular information concerning the operation of the device 1, such as the status of the device (ON/OFF) as well as of lines being operated by the device, such as their speed, location, and/or identity. The displays 20 can be light-emitting diode (LED) screens, such as OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compound which emits light in response to an electric current. The displays 20 are optional, however, as such information can alternatively be provided by another device having a display or other means for providing information to a user with which the present device is in communication. In a further alternative, the present device can be used without such a display, in which case only haptic information about a load being controlled by the present device is provided to a user.

In the illustrated embodiment, the displays 21, 23 are positioned at the lateral end 14 of the device 1. Below these displays 20 are buttons 30 which can be used, for example, to control functions of the device 1 and/or input information into the device. Additional buttons 31 and 32, which are located in the illustrated embodiment in the proximal end 12 of the upper surface 15 of the housing 10, are preferably ON and OFF buttons, respectively. Also located on the upper surface 15 of the housing 10 are openings 16 for providing access to belts 42, 44 contained in the housing 10. Each of the openings 16 comprises an elongated shape in order to maximize the surface area of the belt 40 accessible by the user. The openings 16 can extend parallel to each other (where multiple belts are provided), and to the sides 11, 13 (i.e., transverse to the ends 12, 14), so that the belts 40 are operated by moving forward and backward with respect to the user. Or, the openings 16 can extend transverse to the sides 11, 13 (i.e., parallel to the ends 12, 14), so that the belts 40 are operated by moving side-to- side with respect to the user.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the buttons 30 are preferably disposed on a circuit board 60 located within the housing 10. In the illustrated embodiment, a first circuit board 64 is located beneath the buttons 30 adjacent the distal end working of the device, while a second circuit board 62 is located at the proximal end 12 of housing 10 below the on and off buttons 31 and 32. One or more processors and/or other control circuitry for controlling the present device 1 can be retained on the circuit boards 60. For purposes of illustration, the lower portion of the housing 10 is not shown. The lower portion of the housing can comprise a conventional shape, such as an open rectangular box, but it can alternatively comprise any shape adapted to contain the mechanical components of the present device, such as the gear assembly 100, which are located beneath the upper surface 15 and facing the underside 17 of the upper portion 18 of the housing 10. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the position of the gear assembly 100 beneath the upper surface 15.

As best seen in FIGS. 5-8, the belts 40 are retained by and mechanically connected to a gear assembly 100. The gear assembly 100 includes a support frame or chassis 200, belt 40, pulleys 160, gears 144, 154, bracing 174, and mounting plates 122, 124. Although the gear assembly 100 in the illustrated embodiments supports two belts 40, in alternative embodiments the present device can comprise additional belts or only a single belt 40.

Turning to FIG. 11, the chassis 200 is provided at the upper end of the device 1. The chassis 200 is an elongated, single -piece element that has two ends 202, 204 and an elongated middle section having a horizontal upper surface 205. Each chassis 200 comprises an elongated rigid structure having a proximal end 202, a distal end 204, a medial side 201, and a lateral side 203. As best seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, each end of the chassis 200 comprises a yoke for retaining a belt pulley 160. Chassis 214 retains a first upper pulley 164 at its distal end 204 and a second upper pulley 166 at its proximal end 202. Chassis 212 likewise retains the first upper pulley 264 at its distal end and a second upper pulley 266 at its proximal end. Each of the upper pulleys is disposed around an axle that is fixed within a central channel or opening of the sides 201, 203 of the chassis 200. A support member 206 can also be fixed to at least one of the sides 201, 203 and have a central opening that receives the axle, to further support the pulley. The pulleys can rotate freely around this axle with respect to the chassis 200. Thus, the upper pulleys 164, 166, 266, 264 are rotatably received at the respective distal and proximal ends 204, 202 of the respective chassis 214, 212.

The pulleys 160 also preferably each comprise teeth or other means for providing frictional engagement with the underside of a belt 40 such that movement of the belts also moves the pulleys 160. The belt 40 passes around each pulley 164, 166 and over the top of the upper surface 205 (see FIGS. 5-8), so that the upper surface 204 faces the interior side of each belt 40. The upper surface 205 provides a firm surface resisting downward pressure exerted by a user's fingers during operation of the present device. As illustrated, two chassis 212, 214 can be provided, each receiving respective pulleys 164, 166, 264, 266 and belts 42, 44 (FIG. 8).

In addition to contacting the two upper pulleys, each belt 40 also passes around a drive pulley 162. The drive pulley 162 can be located downwardly and inwardly with respect to the upper pulleys. Thus, each of the belts 40 passes around three belt pulleys 160 in a triangular configuration such that the underside of each belt 40 is in contact with the outer circumference of each belt pulley 160. More specifically, the first belt 44 passes around the two upper pulleys 164, 166, and the respective drive pulley 162, and the second belt 42 passes around the two upper pulleys 266, 264 and the respective drive pulley 262. The pulleys 164, 166, 162 are all positioned the same way and face the same direction (toward the ends 202, 204), with the axles substantially parallel to one another (transverse to the ends 202, 204), so that they rotate in the same direction and the belt 44 can pass around them. The pulleys 266, 264, 262 are also positioned in the same way and face the same direction, with the axles substantially parallel to one another, so that they rotate in the same direction and the belt 42 can pass around them. The belt pulleys 160 maintain the belts 40 in a tensioned engagement. Unlike the upper pulleys 164, 166, 266, 264, however, the drive pulley 162, 262 is mechanically connected to a driven gear 150 which provides motion, torque or other force to the drive pulley 162, 262. The driven gear 150 is preferably located medially and coaxially with respect to the drive pulleys 162, 262. The driven gear 150 is itself driven by motion, torque or other force from a drive gear 140. The drive gear 140 is preferably directly connected to the driven gear 150, such as by the meshing of teeth in each of the gears, although other means of mechanically connecting these gears is also possible. The drive gear 140 is provided with motion or other force by a motor 110, such as a stepper motor. For example, the first drive gear 144 drives the first driven gear 154, which in turn drives the first drive pulley 162. The first drive pulley 162 moves the belt 44, which drives the first upper pulleys 164, 166.

In the illustrated embodiment, the motor 100 and each of the gears is retained by a motor mounting plate 120. As best seen in FIG. 12, a first lateral motor mounting plate 124 retains the drive gear 144 on its outer face 123 around the driveshaft 114 extending through the motor mounting plate 124 from a motor 111 attached to the opposite (inner) face of the motor mounting plate 124. The motor 111 is positioned between the space defined between the respective pulleys 266, 264, 262 so that it does not interfere with operation of the belt 42. The outer face 123 of the motor mounting plate 124 further retains the driven gear 154, as well as the drive pulley 162. The drive pulley 162 is in contact with or is adjacent to the outer face of the driven gear 154.

In addition, a bracing 170 is provided to couple the chassis 214 with the mounting plate 124. The drive pulley bracing 170, in this case the bracing 174, is attached adjacent to the outer faces of the upper pulley 164 and the drive pulley 162 in order to retain the pulleys. More specifically, the bracing 174 is an elongated support plate that extends from the distal upper pulley 164 to the drive pulley 162. One end of the brace 174 is coupled about the drive pulley 162 and the other end of the brace 174 is coupled at the upper pulley 164 to the chassis 214. The middle portion of the brace 174 has an opening and is affixed to a support post that connects the brace 174 to the mounting plate 124. The brace 174 retains the chassis 214 in its position, and the chassis 214 in turn supports the two upper pulleys 164, 166. The second set of pulleys 262, 264, and 266 are equivalent to the first set of pulleys 162, 164, and 166 and are likewise retained on the motor mounting plates 122 and 124 and by the bracing 172, as shown in the drawings.

The present system is not limited to the illustrated configuration for retaining pulleys and other components of the present system. The use of three pulleys in a triangular configuration, however, allows two belts to be disposed in a side-by-side manner in a compact way. As illustrated in the drawings, each motor 110 extends axially away from the drive gear 140 to which it is attached, and occupies space between the pulleys dedicated to the adjacent belt 40. For example, the second motor 113 that drives the second drive pulley 262, is located between the first pulleys 162, 164, and 166 and the first belt 44, while the first motor 111 that drives the first drive pulley 162 is located between the second pulleys 262, 264, and 266 and the second belt 42. This allows two motors to fit next to each other in a compact manner.

As best shown in FIG. 8, the plates 122, 124 can be offset with respect to each other, so that they are in parallel but spaced- apart planes. This further enables the motors 111, 113 be recessed with respect to and not extend beyond the chasses 212, 214 below which they rest, respectively.

Haptic Device 2 (FIGS. 13-18)

Another embodiment of the haptic system 2 in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 13-18. Both haptic systems 1, 2 provide a belt 40, 308 that can be actuated by the user to control a load such as a stage system, which can be located remotely or onsite at the haptic system 1, 2. Both systems 1, 2, also include a motor 110, 306 that is coupled with the respective belts 40, 308 via a mechanical gear assembly 100, 320 that can include various gears and/or pulleys. The gear assembly 100, 320 couple the motor 110, 306 to the belt 40, 308, and also present the belt 40, 308 at the upper surface of the device 1, 2 to be accessible by the user through an opening in a body housing 10, 300. The motor 110, 306 can be selectively controlled to drive the respective belt 40, 308 to provide tactile feedback to the user as the user operates the belt 40, 308. In addition, various buttons 301, 302 with backing board 304 can be provided, as shown.

Referring more specifically to FIGS. 13, 14, the haptic system 2 generally includes a housing 300, mounting plate assembly 310, belt 308, gear assembly 320 and motor 306. The housing 300 can be a cover that forms a top of the device 2 and protects the internal elements, including the mounting plate assembly 310, belt 308, gear assembly 320 and motor 306. The housing 300 can be secured to a control panel to protect the haptic device 2 and the user. The housing 300 has an elongated opening that allows the user to access the belt 308. The belt 308 appears at the opening of the housing 300, just below the top surface of the housing 300, so that the belt 308 is accessible through the opening in the housing 300.

The mounting plate assembly 310 extends downward from the top surface of the housing 300 and substantially perpendicular thereto. The mounting plate assembly 310 secures the motor 306 and the gear assembly 320, which in turn supports the belt 304. The mounting plate assembly 310 is best shown in FIG. 15. The mounting plate assembly 310 is two plates or side walls 309, 340, and also includes guide surfaces 334, 335 and pulley receptacles 336, 337, 331. The side walls 309, 340 extend downward from the top surface of the housing 300. The side walls 309, 340 are coupled together and are planar so that the planes of the side walls 309, 340 are parallel to each other.

The upper portion of each side wall 309, 340 has a top edge 332. A guide member is formed along the top edge 332. The guide member is elongated and extends outward from the top edge 332 of the side walls. The guide member has a top surface 334 that helps guide the belt 308 and prevent the belt 308 from getting caught in the gear assembly 320. The top surface 334 also supports the belt 308 against pressure from the user's finger. The bottom of the guide member can have cross-supports to stiffen the guide member and provide added support to the belt 308. The top surface 334 of the guide member is smooth so that the belt 308 can ride along the top surface 334 without obstruction. And the guide member is about the same width as the belt 308 to better support the belt 308.

The pulley receptacles 336, 337, 331 are through-holes that are formed in the side plate walls 309, 340. The two upper receptacles 336, 337 are aligned horizontally and receive the upper pulleys 312. The lower receptacle 331 is located downward and between the two upper receptacles 336, 337 and receives the lower pulley 312. The pulleys 312 rotate about a shaft or axle 315, 317. The axles are received in the receptacles 336, 336, 331 so that the pulleys 312 are rotatably mounted to the side walls 309, 340. In addition, the pulleys 312 extend outward from the outer surface 338, 339 of the side walls 309, 340, so that two belts 308 can be provided. It is noted that a single belt configuration can be provided that only has a single wall. The receptacles 336, 336, 331 are configured so that the pulleys 312 form a triangular shape and the belt 308 extends around the pulleys 312, similar to the haptic device 1 of FIGS. 1-12. As best shown in FIG. 18, the first motor that drives the first belt can be attached to the second side wall that mounts the second gear assembly for the second belt, and the second motor that drive the second belt can be attached to the first side wall that mounts the first gear assembly for the first belt; so that the overall assembly is more compact.

In addition, an encoder 305 is mounted to the mounting plate assembly 310. For instance, the encoder code wheel 316 can be mounted to the shaft 315, such as by a set screw, which extends through an opening in the second plate 340, a pulley 312, and couples with the first plate 309. The code wheel 316 rotates about the shaft 315 at the same rate as the pulley 312, and therefore the encoder 305 can measure the amount of rotation of the belt 308. Alternatively, the encoder need not be coupled to a shaft, but can be directly coupled with the motor, one of the pulleys, or one of the gears.

The belt 308 has an outer surface with bumps or ridges that extend transversely across the belt 308, the full width of the belt 308. The ridges can be more easily gripped by the user so that the user can better actuate the belt 308 forward and backward, and so the user's finger doesn't slip from the belt during use or when a tactile response is imparted on the belt 308. In addition, the ridges provide a more disguisable tactile response to the user since the user is better able to recognize movement of the belt 308 both visually and by touch. The inner surface of the belt 308 can have teeth to engage the various pulleys 312, as in the haptic device 1 of FIGS. 1-12. A gear 307 can be provided to engage the belt teeth and drive the belt. A gear shaft 314 couples with and extends between the two plates 340, 309, and the gear 307 is rotatably received over the gear shaft 314. The belt moves linearly in a forward direction and in a backward direction, though only one direction can be provided depending on the application.

Referring to FIGS. 14, 16, the gear assembly 320 is shown. The gear assembly includes the pulleys 312, bearings 313 and gears 311. The gears 311 can include a drive gear that is coupled with the motor 306, and a driven gear that is operated on by the drive gear and drives a driven pulley 312. The gears 311 and pulleys 312 can be configured similar to the hap tic device 1 of FIGS. 1-12. The bearings fit over the shafts 315, 317 about which the pulleys 312 rotate, and prevent the pulleys 312 from coming off of the shaft 315, 317. As further shown in FIG. 17, an idler pulley 312 can be provided to aid in adjustment of the belt tension, if needed. The belt extends around the idler pulley 312, and the idler pulley 312 tensions the belt. The gear assembly 320 can be configured with other elements or fewer elements, as may be suitable. For instance, two or four pulleys 312 can be provided, instead of three pulleys 312.

Electronic Control Assembly (FIGS. 19-20)

FIG. 19 illustrates a control assembly 50 in one embodiment of the present invention. The control assembly 50 can be used with the haptic device 1 of FIGS. 1-12, and/or the haptic device 2 of FIGS. 13-18. The control assembly 50 includes the belt 40, 308, stepper motor 110, 306, position sensor encoder 70, 305, local processing device 54, and motion processor or motion controller 58. The position sensor 70, 305 is coupled with the belt 40 to detect motion of the belt 40 as shown, for instance, in FIGS. 10, 13, 14. Any suitable position sensor 70 can be utilized, such as an encoder. The local processor 54 is in communication with the position sensor 70 and receives real-time data feedback information from the sensor 70 regarding the position and movement of the belt 40.

The processor 54 is located within the housing 10 together with the haptic device 1, and is connected to the sensor 70 by a wire. The processor 54 controls the motor 110 to drive the drive gear 144, which rotates the driven gear 154 and the drive pulley 162 to control movement of the belt 40. The local processing device 54 contains operator software interface. The processor software processes the feedback from the position sensor 70 and issues commands to control the stepper motor 110.

The local processing device 54 (via its software) is connected to the motion controller 58 by a network, such as an Ethernet cable, and can communicate with each other via an industrial networking protocol. The control loop for positioning takes place at the motion controller 58 using closed loop control. The motion controller 58 is connected to a motor drive 64, which in turn is connected to a motor or winch 63, which in turn is connected to a load cell 62 and a position sensor 60 such as an encoder. The motion controller 58 controls the motor drive 64 to drive the motor / winch 63. The load cell 72 and position sensor 60 are associated with a load, such as stage system. The position/speed sensor 60 is configured to detect the position, speed or motion of the load, whereas the load cell 62 is configured to detect the weight of the load 62. The current position/speed and loads of an item (e.g., stage system) being moved are passed back to the local processing device 54, which is controlled by the operator. That information can be displayed on the display devices 20. And, that information is used as feedback to the haptic playback. The position is generated from an encoder or similar device 60, and the load can be derived from measuring the variable speed drive current from the motor drive 64 or and/or from a load cell 62.

Thus, the amount of force/load that is applied to the motor/winch 64, and the position, speed and load from the sensors 60, 62, is fed back from the motion controller 58 to the local processor 54. The local processor 54 controls the haptic input device (i.e., the belt) as an implied spring force which is felt by the operator's fingers. The user can instruct the control system 50 when the current load on the winch (as detected by the load cell 62) is the standard or reference load. Accordingly, when the load deviates from that reference load, the local processor 54 can indicate that change by controlling the belt accordingly. As the deviation from the reference load increases or decreases, the amount of feedback from the local processor can increase or decrease proportionally. Other status information from the winch/motor can also be fed back to the operator at the processing device 54.

FIG. 20 is another embodiment of the invention showing operation of the software. The system includes system parameters (such as load on a machine or position of a machine), target /force generator, motor controller, motor drive (the motor current is output to the motor controller), motor, encoder, and machine control input (winch, stage lift, etc.). The position of the motor is output from the encoder to the motor controller and target/force generator.

The processing devices 54, 58 can each be for instance, a computer, personal computer

(PC), server or mainframe computer, or more generally a computing device, processor, application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), or controller. The processing devices 54, 58 can be provided with one or more of a wide variety of components or subsystems including, for example, a co-processor, register, data processing devices and subsystems, wired or wireless communication links, input devices (such as touch screen, keyboard, mouse) for user control or input, monitors for displaying information to the user, and/or storage device(s) such as memory, RAM, ROM, DVD, CD-ROM, analog or digital memory, flash drive, database, computer- readable media, floppy drives/disks, and/or hard drive/disks. All or parts of the system, processes, and/or data utilized in the invention can be stored on or read from the storage device(s). The storage device(s) can have stored thereon machine executable instructions for performing the processes of the invention. The processing devices 54, 58 can execute software that can be stored on the storage device. The invention can also be implemented by or on a non- transitory computer readable medium, such as any tangible medium that can store, encode or carry non-transitory instructions for execution by the computer and cause the computer to perform any one or more of the operations of the invention described herein, or that is capable storing, encoding, or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with instructions. Operation

In use, the user moves the belt 40, 308 in one direction (e.g. , toward or away from the distal end 14 of the device). That motion of the belt 40, 308 is detected by the encoder 70, 305, which converts the linear position of the belt 40, 308 to an electronic user input command signal that is communicated to the controller 54. The controller 54 then actuates the motor of a winch (not shown) in the direction and speed indicated by the information received from the linear encoder. This can be done for instance, by any suitable predetermined algorithm. In one embodiment ("joystick mode"), manual control is effected using the belt 40, 308 such that an item can be moved in either direction by manual actuation of the belt 40, 308. In another embodiment ("speed mode"), an item can be programmed to move at a desired speed, with actuation of the belt 40, 308 overriding that speed if required, either by increasing or decreasing the speed.

When a predetermined endpoint of the travel of a line is approached by the load, that condition or state of the load is sensed by the position / speed detector 60, load cell 62, and/or variable speed drive current of the motor drive 64. In response to that signal from the detector 60, cell 62 or drive current, the motion controller 58 sends a signal to the local processing device 54. The local processing device 54 generates a control signal and transmits the control signal to the stepper motor 110, which in turn imparts a tactile signal to the belt 40, 308 that can be detected by the user by touch and/or visual perception. For example, if the weight of the load (stage device) goes up or down, that variation is detected by the load cell 62 and sent to the motion processor 58. The motion processor 58 transmits that information to the local processor 54, which controls the stepper motor 110, 306 to control the drive gear 144, 311 to move the belt 40, 308. For instance, the motor 100, 306 associated with that line can apply increasing levels of resistance to its associated belt 40, 308 to provide feedback to the user regarding the approaching endpoint. Resistance can also be applied at other points in the travel of a line.

Additional tactile information can also be provided by the motor 110, 306. For example, the motor 110, 308 can shake the belts 40, 308, e.g. when a lifted object approaches the top of the fly system. Shaking or other motion or resistance can also be provided when a flown item reaches or passes certain boundaries or zones. In other modes, resistive force applied to the belts can increases as the speed of the device increases, or when the weight load is increased. It should be noted, however, that while the invention is described as having a motor 110, 306 to drive the gears and provide tactile feedback to the belt, other motion generating mechanisms can be utilized and the invention need not include a motor and/or gears. For instance, an electric solenoid or other mechanism can be provided to move or shake the belt. In addition, while a linearly movable belt is utilized, any suitable input device can be provided to control operation fo the load, such as a mouse or trackwheel.

Thus, the haptic control system recreates the sense of feeling that a flyman in a theater receives when running a manually operated counterweight flying system, or that a stage technician receives when moving stage trucks, stage tracks, revolves, and other stage equipment by providing tactile feedback to controls operated by a user. For example, resistance can be increased in the system controls as a load on a winch operated by the system is increased and as the end of travel zone is approached. The present system can also mimic a manual sprung joystick, where the resistance to movement increases in proportion to the stroke. Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments are possible. The steps disclosed for the present methods, for example, are not intended to be limiting nor are they intended to indicate that each step is necessarily essential to the method, but instead are exemplary steps only.

Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of preferred embodiments contained in this disclosure.

Recitation of value ranges herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method for referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The foregoing description and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. The invention may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not intended to be limited by the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.