Haptic effects conflict avoidance

• US 10,102,726 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Levesque, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US15/841,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20180108227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 3404071
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

A method and system for avoiding haptic effects conflict is presented. A haptic enabled device configured to generate haptic effects associated with a first signature is used by a user. The system detects an additional source of haptic effects and determines a second signature associated with the haptic effects produced by the source. The system determines a preferred set of haptic configurations and modifies either the first or second signature based on the preferred set of haptic configurations to achieve a minimal conflict between the first and second signatures.

Claims

1. A method of reducing haptic effect conflicts performed by

a haptic enabled device configured to generate a first haptic effect associated with a first signature, the method comprising:

detecting the presence of a second haptic effect caused by a source;

determining an identity of the source of the second haptic effect;

determining a second signature associated with the second haptic effect according to the identity of the source of the second haptic effect;

comparing the first signature and the second signature to determine a conflict between the first haptic effect and the second haptic effect; and

modifying the first haptic effect to reduce the conflict.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the source of the second haptic effect includes establishing wireless communication with the source.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing communication with the source of the second haptic effect includes communicating with an RFID module associated with the source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second signature includes comparing the identity of the source of the second haptic effect to a look-up table of stored signatures to determine the second signature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the source of the second haptic effect includes identifying the source according to visual identification by a camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the source of the second haptic effect includes identifying the source according to information supplied by a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the source of the second haptic effect includes analyzing the second haptic effect to determine the identity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identity of the source of the second haptic effect includes identifying the source as human movement.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining, according to the wireless communication, that the second signature cannot be modified by the haptic enabled device.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying the first signature to reduce the conflict includes determining a modification of the first signature according to the wireless communication.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication includes a negotiation between the haptic enabled device and the source of the second haptic effect.

12. A method of reducing haptic effect conflicts performed by a haptic enabled device configured to generate a first haptic effect associated with a first signature, the method comprising:

detecting the presence of a second haptic effect caused by human movement;

recording the second haptic effect caused by the human movement;

determining a second signature associated with the second haptic effect according to the recording;

comparing the first signature and the second signature to determine a conflict between the first haptic effect and the second haptic effect; and

modifying the first haptic effect to reduce the conflict.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the human movement is caused by muscle vibration.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second haptic effect is caused by an accessory in response to the human movement.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying the first haptic effect includes selectively applying a modification to the first haptic effect when the haptic enabled device is held in a pocket of a user.

16. A method of reducing haptic effect conflicts performed by a haptic enabled device configured to generate a first haptic effect associated with a first signature, the method comprising:

recording second haptic effect caused by a source;

determining a second signature of the second haptic effect according to the recording;

comparing the first signature to the second signature to determine a conflict;

modifying a haptic configuration of the haptic enabled device to alter the first haptic effect generated by the haptic enabled device to reduce the conflict.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein modifying the haptic configuration includes applying a modification to the haptic configuration when the haptic enabled device is held in a user'"'"'s pocket.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein recording the second haptic effect is performed when the haptic enabled device is held in the user'"'"'s pocket.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising removing the modification to the haptic configuration when the haptic enabled device is not held in the user'"'"'s pocket.