Systems and methods for providing haptic feedback via a case

• US 10,095,311 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Levesque, Vincent, Grant, Danny, Mousakhanian, Razmik, Rabemiarisoa, Andry, Isajanyan, Gor, Zhu, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): DANIELSEN, NATHAN ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US15/183,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a case configured to mechanically couple with a mobile device and position the mobile device such that the mobile device serves as a display for the case. The system also includes a processor coupled to the case and configured to generate a haptic signal based at least in part on a characteristic of the case. The system also includes a haptic output device in communication with the processor and configured to receive the haptic signal and output a haptic effect in response to the haptic signal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a case configured to mechanically couple with a mobile device and position the mobile device such that the mobile device serves as a display for the case;

a sensor configured to detect an output from the mobile device and transmit a sensor signal associated with the output from the mobile device;

a processor coupled to the case and configured to;

receive the sensor signal;

generate a haptic signal based at least in part on a characteristic of the case and the sensor signal from the sensor; and

transmit the haptic signal; and

a haptic output device in communication with the processor and configured to receive the haptic signal and output a haptic effect in response to the haptic signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the case comprises a material positioned to contact the mobile device and transmit vibrations from the mobile device to a housing of the case, the material configured to resonate at a frequency of the vibrations.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the case comprises a material configured to contact a surface of the mobile device and extend through a housing of the case to an interface of the case that is configured to contact a user'"'"'s body, the material comprising metal or hard plastic.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the material comprises a spring, rod, or pin, and wherein a first end of the material is configured to contact the surface of the mobile device and a second end of the material is configured to contact the user'"'"'s body.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the material is configured to contact a location on the surface of the mobile device that is positioned proximate to a haptic actuator disposed within the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the case includes a fastening component configured to grip the mobile device with an amount of force above a threshold, the fastening component comprising a screw, spring, groove, or elastic band.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned on the case, and wherein the characteristic of the case is an attachment status between the mobile device and the case.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is positioned on the case, the haptic output device is positioned on the case, and the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the output is audio or video output from the mobile device, the sensor is configured to detect the audio or video output from the mobile device, the sensor signal is associated with the audio or video output.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the case comprises a wearable device configured to be worn.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the case comprises a headset.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is configured to be localized to a particular portion of a user'"'"'s head.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a housing;

a display coupled to the housing;

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory and the display, the processor disposed within the housing and configured to;

receive a sensor signal from a sensor;

determine a characteristic of a case based on the sensor signal, wherein the case is a headset configured to mechanically couple with the mobile device and position the mobile device such that the mobile device serves as a display for the headset;

determine a haptic effect using the characteristic of the case; and

cause the haptic effect to be output by a haptic output device.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the characteristic of the case comprises an attachment status between the mobile device and the case.

15. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the characteristic comprises a model, manufacturer, hardware component, or software component of the case.

16. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the characteristic comprises a location on a body part to which the case is configured to output the haptic effect.

17. The mobile device of claim 13, further comprising the sensor and the haptic output device.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor and the sensor signal comprises a first sensor signal, and further comprising a second sensor, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a second sensor signal from the second sensor;

determine an amount of bend present in the mobile device based on the second sensor signal; and

modify an image output on the display of the mobile device based on the amount of bend present in the mobile device.

19. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the haptic effect comprises a deformation haptic effect configured to cause the mobile device to bend.

20. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a sensor signal from a sensor;

determining, by the mobile device, a characteristic of a case based on the sensor signal, wherein the case is a headset configured to mechanically couple with the mobile device and position the mobile device such that the mobile device serves as a display for the headset;

determining, by the mobile device, a haptic effect using the characteristic of the case; and

causing, by the mobile device, the haptic effect to be output by a haptic output device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the characteristic comprises an attachment status between the mobile device and the case.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

outputting the haptic effect to a location on a user'"'"'s body by causing the mobile device to bend in an amount configured to apply a force to the case, the force configured to cause a portion of the case to deform and contact the location on the user'"'"'s body.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor and the sensor signal comprises a first sensor signal, and further comprising:

receiving a second sensor signal from a second sensor;

determining an amount of bend present in the mobile device based on the second sensor signal; and

modifying an image output on a display of the mobile device based on the amount of bend present in the mobile device.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code, which when executed by a processor of a mobile device is configured to cause the processor to:

receive a sensor signal from a sensor;

determine a characteristic of a case based on the sensor signal, wherein the case is a headset configured to mechanically couple with the mobile device and position the mobile device such that the mobile device serves as a display for the headset;

determine a haptic effect using the characteristic of the case; and

cause the haptic effect to be output by a haptic output device.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the characteristic comprises an attachment status between the mobile device and the case.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising program code which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to:

cause the haptic effect to be output to a specific location on a user'"'"'s body by causing the haptic output device to bend in an amount configured to apply a force to the case, the force configured to cause a portion of the case to deform and contact the specific location on the user'"'"'s body.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor and the sensor signal comprises a first sensor signal, and further comprising program code which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to:

receive a second sensor signal from a second sensor;

determine an amount of bend present in the mobile device based on the second sensor signal; and

modify an image output on a display of the mobile device based on the amount of bend present in the mobile device.