Haptic devices and methods for providing haptic effects via audio tracks

• US 10,146,311 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rihn, William, Da Costa, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US15/629,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20170285753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

Embodiments hereof relate a system that includes a processor and a haptic peripheral with a haptic output device. The processor is configured to receive an audio file, or a haptic file generated from the audio file, that includes a first channel having a first set of control parameters to generate a first haptic effect and a second channel having a second set of control parameters to generate a second haptic effect and to output a control signal that includes the first and second sets of control parameters for the haptic effect. The haptic output device is configured to receive the control signal from the processor and to output the haptic effect to the haptic peripheral. In an embodiment, the haptic output device is coupled to a bi-directional trigger and the control parameters move the trigger in opposing directions. In another embodiment, the control parameters generate different timelines of haptic effects to a user input element.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to receive a file including a first channel having a first set of control parameters to generate a first haptic effect and a second channel having a second set of control parameters to generate a second haptic effect, and configured to output a control signal that includes the first set of control parameters for the first haptic effect and the second set of control parameters for the second haptic effect, wherein the file is an audio file or a haptic file generated from the audio file and the audio file is generated via panning of a sound signal; and

a haptic peripheral including a haptic output device, wherein the haptic output device is configured to receive the control signal from the processor and to output the first and second haptic effects to the haptic peripheral,

wherein the haptic output device is coupled to a bi-directional trigger of the haptic peripheral and the first haptic effect moves the bi-directional trigger in a first direction and the second haptic effect moves the bi-directional trigger in a second direction opposing the first direction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to access software instructions configured to decode the first and second sets of control parameters of the file.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of control parameters define a type, an amount, and/or a frequency of the first and second haptic effects, respectively.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a level, a frequency content, a dynamic, and/or a panoramic position of the source sound signal is manipulated to encode the first and second sets of control parameters for the haptic effect.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sound signal is a monophonic audio signal or a stereophonic audio signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio file is an interleaved file generated at least partially by mixing down a plurality of monophonic tracks.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic peripheral includes a plurality of haptic output devices and the processor is configured to receive a plurality of files, each file including control parameters for a haptic effect for one of the plurality of haptic output devices and each file being an audio file or a haptic file generated from the audio file.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio file includes a first channel having control parameters to generate a first timeline of haptic effects to the bi-directional trigger and a second channel having control parameters to generate a second timeline of haptic effects to the bi-directional trigger.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first timeline includes vibration of the user input element and the second timeline includes detents of the user input element.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is disposed in a host computer.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is disposed in the haptic peripheral.

12. A system comprising:

a processor configured to receive a file including control parameters for a haptic effect and to output a control signal that includes the control parameters for the haptic effect, wherein the file is an audio file or a haptic file generated from the audio file and the audio file is an interleaved file generated at least partially by mixing down a plurality of monophonic tracks; and

a haptic peripheral including a haptic output device, wherein the haptic output device is configured to receive the control signal from the processor and to output the haptic effect to the haptic peripheral.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control parameters dictate at least one of a type, an amount, and a frequency of the haptic effect, respectively.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the haptic output device is coupled to a bi-directional trigger of the haptic peripheral, and the control parameters include at least a first set of control parameters and a second set of control parameters, the first set of control parameters moving the bi-directional trigger in a first direction and the second set of control parameters moving the bi-directional trigger in a second direction opposing the first.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the haptic output device is coupled to a user input element of the haptic peripheral, the control parameters include at least a first set of control parameters and a second set of control parameters, and the first set of control parameters generates a first timeline of haptic effects to the user input element and the second set of control parameters generates a second timeline of haptic effects to the user input element.

16. A method of providing haptic effects to a haptic peripheral, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

generating an audio file, via panning of a sound signal, that includes a first channel having a first set of control parameters to generate a first haptic effect and a second channel having a second set of control parameters to generate a second haptic effect;

sending the audio file to a processor, wherein the processor is configured to receive the audio file and to output a control signal that includes the first set of control parameters for the first haptic effect and the second set of control parameters for the second haptic effect, the control signal being configured to be received by a haptic output device coupled to a bi-directional trigger of the haptic peripheral that is configured to output the first and second haptic effects to the haptic peripheral, wherein the first haptic effect moves the bi-directional trigger in a first direction and the second haptic effect moves the bi-directional trigger in a second direction opposing the first direction.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising manipulating at least one of a level, a frequency content, a dynamic, and a panoramic position of the source sound signal to encode the control parameters for the haptic effect.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating an audio file includes mixing down a plurality of monophonic tracks.