Generating haptic effects while minimizing cascading

• US 10,296,092 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Gandhi, Kanav, Rank, Stephen D., Da Costa, Henry, Gervais, Eric, Parker, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/338,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20170045945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 34042612, 34042614, 3404262, 34042621, 34042624, 340566, 340648, 3406912, 3404071-4072, 340515-516, 340428-429
• 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

Abstract

A system that generates haptic effects using an actuator receives a haptic effect definition that defines a haptic effect. The system pre-processes the haptic effect definition by determining if the actuator is capable of playing the haptic effect. The system then post-processes the haptic effect definition by adjusting a force value based on an estimate or measurement of a state of the actuator during a playing of the haptic effect.

Claims

1. A method of generating haptic effects on a device having an actuator, the method comprising:

receiving a pre-defined haptic effect definition that defines haptic effect parameters of a pre-defined haptic effect;

determining that the actuator is unable to play the pre-defined haptic effect, the determining comprising determining one or more characteristics of the actuator within the device;

revising the pre-defined haptic effect definition based on the characteristics to generate a processed haptic effect definition; and

applying the processed haptic effect definition to the actuator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics comprise at least one of a rise time of the actuator or a fall time of the actuator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect parameters comprise duration, frequency and magnitude.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined haptic effect definition defines an envelope of a magnitude of the pre-defined haptic effect.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the revising comprises scaling down a magnitude of the pre-defined haptic effect while maintaining the envelope.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the envelope comprises sections comprising a plurality of magnitude regions comprising an impulse magnitude region, a sustain magnitude region and a fade magnitude region, and the scaling down comprises:

determining an original maximum magnitude of each of the magnitude regions;

determining among each of the original maximum magnitudes, an achievable maximum magnitude based on where a rise curve of the actuator intersects curves of the pre-defined haptic effect; and

generating a scale factor comprising a ratio of the achievable maximum magnitude and the original maximum magnitude.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the revising comprises scaling down a magnitude of the pre-defined haptic effect.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the revising comprises scaling down a duration of the pre-defined haptic effect.

9. A haptically enabled system comprising:

a processor; and

an actuator coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor;

receives a pre-defined haptic effect definition that defines haptic effect parameters of a pre-defined haptic effect;

determines that the actuator is unable to play the pre-defined haptic effect, the determines comprising determining one or more characteristics of the actuator within the system;

revises the pre-defined haptic effect definition based on the characteristics to generate a processed haptic effect definition; and

applies the processed haptic effect definition to the actuator.

10. The haptically enabled system of claim 9, wherein the characteristics comprise at least one of a rise time of the actuator or a fall time of the actuator.

11. The haptically enabled system of claim 9, wherein the haptic effect parameters comprise duration, frequency and magnitude.

12. The haptically enabled system of claim 9, wherein the pre-defined haptic effect definition defines an envelope of a magnitude of the pre-defined haptic effect.

13. The haptically enabled system of claim 12, wherein the revises comprises scaling down a magnitude of the pre-defined haptic effect while maintaining the envelope.

14. The haptically enabled system of claim 13, wherein the envelope comprises sections comprising a plurality of magnitude regions comprising an impulse magnitude region, a sustain magnitude region and a fade magnitude region, and the scaling down comprises:

determining an original maximum magnitude of each of the magnitude regions;

determining among each of the original maximum magnitudes, an achievable maximum magnitude based on where a rise curve of the actuator intersects curves of the pre-defined haptic effect; and

generating a scale factor comprising a ratio of the achievable maximum magnitude and the original maximum magnitude.

15. The haptically enabled system of claim 9, wherein the revises comprises scaling down a magnitude of the pre-defined haptic effect.

16. The haptically enabled system of claim 9, wherein the revises comprises scaling down a duration of the pre-defined haptic effect.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate haptic effects on a device having an actuator, comprising:

receiving a pre-defined haptic effect definition that defines haptic effect parameters of a pre-defined haptic effect;

determining that the actuator is unable to play the pre-defined haptic effect, the determining comprising determining one or more characteristics of the actuator within the device;

revising the pre-defined haptic effect definition based on the characteristics to generate a processed haptic effect definition; and

applying the processed haptic effect definition to the actuator.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the characteristics comprise at least one of a rise time of the actuator or a fall time of the actuator.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the haptic effect parameters comprise duration, frequency and magnitude.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the revising comprises scaling down a magnitude of the pre-defined haptic effect or scaling down a duration of the pre-defined haptic effect.