Patents by Inventor Francois Conti

Francois Conti has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11853009
    Abstract: A watch interaction simulation apparatus for carrying out interaction with a watch interaction member for a watch includes a sensor device adapted to be coupled with the watch interaction member. The sensor device is operable to sense an interaction with the watch interaction member. The apparatus includes an actuator device being coupled to the watch interaction member, an actuator control device for controlling the actuator device, and a sensor information computing device being operatively coupled to the sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Force Dimension Technologies Sarl
    Inventors: Francois Conti, Sébastien Grange, Patrick Helmer, Patrice Rouiller, Tiavina Niaritsiry, Luc Maillat
  • Patent number: 11163365
    Abstract: Method of providing vibro-tactile feedback to a user of a user interface device comprising at least one actuator adapted to provide vibro-tactile feedback to the user and communicatively coupled to an application device, a vibro-tactile feedback providing device and vibro-tactile feedback providing system as well as a computer program product for carry out said method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Force Dimension Sarl
    Inventors: Patrick Helmer, Francois Conti, Sébastien Grange, Patrice Rouiller
  • Publication number: 20210208540
    Abstract: Disclosed is watch interaction simulation system, a watch interaction simulation apparatus, watch interaction simulation methods and a computer software product including executable software code for carrying our watch interaction simulation methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Francois Conti, Sébastien Grange, Patrick Helmer, Patrice Rouiller, Tiavina Niaritsiry, Luc Maillat
  • Publication number: 20200409460
    Abstract: Method of providing vibro-tactile feedback to a user of a user interface device comprising at least one actuator adapted to provide vibro-tactile feedback to the user and communicatively coupled to an application device, a vibro-tactile feedback providing device and vibro-tactile feedback providing system as well as a computer program product for carry out said method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: Force Dimension Sarl
    Inventors: Patrick HELMER, Francois CONTI, Sébastien GRANGE, Patrice ROUILLER
  • Patent number: 10001804
    Abstract: A force-feedback device comprising a first member; a first kinematics bond being coupled with said first member; said first kinematics bond being constructed to provide at least one degree of freedom for movements of said first member; said first kinematics bond comprising a braking device being constructed to constrain movements of the said first member in at least one of said at least one degree of freedom; and a energy storing/release device being constructed to store energy in response to a movement of said first member in at least one of said at least one degree of freedom constrained by said braking device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: FORCE DIMENSION S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Francois Conti, Sebastien Grange, Patrick Helmer, Patrice Rouiller
  • Patent number: 8806974
    Abstract: A device for transmitting movements comprising a parallel kinematics transmission structure adapted to provide at least one degree of freedom including three translational degrees of freedom, the parallel kinematics transmission structure further comprising a base member (2), a moveable member (4), and at least one parallel kinematics chain (6) coupling the base member (2) and the moveable member (4), each parallel kinematics chain (6) having a first arm (8) moveable in a movement plane wherein the movement planes are at a distance to a symmetry axis (40), and each parallel kinematics chain (6) comprising a second arm (10) coupled to the moveable member (4), wherein a first end (18) of the second arm (10) is adapted to be coupled to the first arm (8) and a second end (16) of the second arm (10) is adapted to be coupled to the moveable member (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Novint Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Helmer, Francois Conti, Patrice Rouiller, Sebastien Grange
  • Publication number: 20140192020
    Abstract: An active gripper for a haptic device including a parallel kinematics structure providing at least three degrees of freedom including three translational degrees of freedom, wherein the gripper comprises a first contact surface being adapted for contact by a first portion of a hand of a user, a second contact surface being adapted for contact by a second portion of the user's hand, which hand's second portion being moveable in relation to the hand's first portion, and a moveable member arranged between the first contact surface and the second contact surface and being adapted to actively move the first contact surface and the second contact surface in relation to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Force Dimension S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Patrick Helmer, Francois Conti, Sebastien Grange, Patrice Rouiller
  • Patent number: 8667860
    Abstract: An active gripper for a haptic device including a parallel kinematics structure providing at least three degrees of freedom including three translational degrees of freedom, wherein the gripper comprises a first contact surface being adapted for contact by a first portion of a hand of a user, a second contact surface being adapted for contact by a second portion of the user's hand, which hand's second portion being moveable in relation to the hand's first portion, and a moveable member arranged between the first contact surface and the second contact surface and being adapted to actively move the first contact surface and the second contact surface in relation to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Force Dimension S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Patrick Helmer, Francois Conti, Sébastien Grange, Patrice Rouiller
  • Patent number: 8188843
    Abstract: A haptic device comprising a base member (4), an end-effector (6), a parallel kinematics structure arranged between the base plate and the end-effector and providing at least three degrees of freedom including at least three translational degrees of freedom in relation to the end-effector, and at least one passive gravity compensation means being adapted to exert forces and/or torques on the parallel kinematics structure for at least partial compensation of gravity related forces and/or torques acting in at least one of the three translational degrees of freedom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Force Dimension S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Patrick Helmer, François Conti, Sebastian Grange, Patrice Rouiller
  • Publication number: 20120090423
    Abstract: An active gripper for a haptic device including a parallel kinematics structure providing at least three degrees of freedom including three translational degrees of freedom, wherein the gripper comprises a first contact surface being adapted for contact by a first portion of a hand of a user, a second contact surface being adapted for contact by a second portion of the user's hand, which hand's second portion being moveable in relation to the hand's first portion, and a moveable member arranged between the first contact surface and the second contact surface and being adapted to actively move the first contact surface and the second contact surface in relation to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: FORCE DIMENSIONS S.A.R.I.
    Inventors: Patrick Helmer, Francois Conti, Sébastien Grange, Patrice Rouiller
  • Publication number: 20100206121
    Abstract: A transmission member for a device for transmitting movements comprising an actuator for providing movements to be transmitted and a base member, the transmission member comprising a first arm adapted to be coupled to the base member and comprising a base portion and a curved portion, and at least one engagement means for engagement with the actuator of the device for transmitting movements from the actuator to the transmission member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventors: Patrick Helmer, Francois Conti, Sebastien Grange, Patrice Rouiller
  • Publication number: 20100032255
    Abstract: A force-feedback device comprising a first member; a first kinematics bond being coupled with said first member; said first kinematics bond being constructed to provide at least one degree of freedom for movements of said first member; said first kinematics bond comprising a braking device being constructed to constrain movements of the said first member in at least one of said at least one degree of freedom; and a energy storing/release device being constructed to store energy in response to a movement of said first member in at least one of said at least one degree of freedom constrained by said braking device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: Force Dimension S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Francois Conti, Sebastian Grange, Patrick Helmer, Patrice Rouiller
  • Publication number: 20100019890
    Abstract: A haptic device comprising a base member (4), an end-effector (6), a parallel kinematics structure arranged between the base plate and the end-effector and providing at least three degrees of freedom including at least three translational degrees of freedom in relation to the end-effector, and at least one passive gravity compensation means being adapted to exert forces and/or torques on the parallel kinematics structure for at least partial compensation of gravity related forces and/or torques acting in at least one of the three translational degrees of freedom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: Force Dimension S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Patrick Helmer, Francois Conti, Sebastien Grange, Patrice Rouiller
  • Patent number: 7626571
    Abstract: A workspace expansion controller for human interface systems is provided. The controller resolves the physical workspace constraint by relocating the physical workspace of the device mapped inside the environment (virtual or robot) towards the area of interest of the operator without disturbing his or her perception of the environment. The controller is based on the fact that people are greatly influenced by what they perceive visually and often do not notice small deviations in their hand unless that small deviation has a corresponding visual component. With this new control approach the operator can explore much larger workspaces without losing spatial resolution through high scaling factors and thus avoid the drawbacks of indexing common with current approaches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Francois Conti, Oussama Khatib
  • Publication number: 20080223165
    Abstract: A device for transmitting movements comprising a parallel kinematics transmission structure adapted to provide at least one degree of freedom including three translational degrees of freedom, the parallel kinematics transmission structure further comprising a base member (2), a moveable member (4), and at least one parallel kinematics chain (6) coupling the base member (2) and the moveable member (4), each parallel kinematics chain (6) having a first arm (8) moveable in a movement plane wherein the movement planes are at a distance to a symmetry axis (40), and each parallel kinematics chain (6) comprising a second arm (10) coupled to the moveable member (4), wherein a first end (18) of the second arm (10) is adapted to be coupled to the first arm (8) and a second end (16) of the second arm (10) is adapted to be coupled to the moveable member (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Inventors: Patrick Helmer, Francois Conti, Patrice Rouiller, Sebastien Grange
  • Publication number: 20070171194
    Abstract: A workspace expansion controller for human interface systems is provided. The controller resolves the physical workspace constraint by relocating the physical workspace of the device mapped inside the environment (virtual or robot) towards the area of interest of the operator without disturbing his or her perception of the environment. The controller is based on the fact that people are greatly influenced by what they perceive visually and often do not notice small deviations in their hand unless that small deviation has a corresponding visual component. With this new control approach the operator can explore much larger workspaces without losing spatial resolution through high scaling factors and thus avoid the drawbacks of indexing common with current approaches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Francois Conti, Oussama Khatib
  • Publication number: 20060249717
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a device for transmitting a movement having a parallel kinematics transmission structure (3) providing three translational degrees of freedom, said structure comprising one base member (1), one moveable member (2), at least one rotative actuator (30) arranged on the base member (1), parallel kinematics chains coupling the base member to the moveable member, each chain comprising a pivoting control arm (10), wherein the rotary motion of the at least one rotative actuator (30) is transmitted to a respective pivoting control arm (10) so that any translational movement of the moveable member is transmitted into a rotational movement of the control arms or vice versa, and wherein the at least one rotative actuator (30) is arranged such that its axis (31) is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the control arms (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventor: Francois Conti