Haptic device for artificial reality systems

• US 10,310,610 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2017
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Krogstad, Dustin Jeffery Gordon, Wilcox, Cleveland-Joel Chavez, Schwab, Matthew Robert, DeSalvo, Riccardo, Perek, David R., Mehra, Ravish, Keller, Sean Jason, Marquez, Ian Andreas, Sandoval, Sabrina Monique
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Sanjiv D.
• Application Number:
  US15/788,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20190121432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0325 using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0334 Foot operated pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks

Abstract

A haptic device provides haptic sensation to a user. The haptic device comprises a haptic plate and a plurality of actuators. The haptic plate includes a center portion and an outer portion that circumscribes the center portion. The plurality of actuators is coupled to the outer portion of the haptic plate. Of the plurality of actuators, one or more actuators are configured to generate, in accordance with haptic instructions, a haptic wave that converges to a specific waveform at a specific region of the center portion of the haptic plate. The shape of the specific waveform and the location of the specific region on the center portion of the haptic plate are based in part on the haptic instructions.

Claims

1. A haptic device comprising:

a haptic plate including a center portion and an outer portion that circumscribes the center portion; and

a plurality of actuators coupled to the outer portion of the haptic plate, the plurality of actuators including;

one or more actuators configured to generate, in accordance with haptic instructions, a haptic wave that converges to a specific waveform at a specific region of the center portion of the plate, wherein a shape of the specific waveform and a location of the specific region on the center portion of the haptic plate are based in part on the haptic instructions, and

another actuator configured to generate a damping response to the specific waveform of the haptic wave.

2. The haptic device of claim 1, wherein an actuator of the plurality of actuators comprises:

a conductive coil; and

a plate magnet coupled to the haptic plate such that the plate magnet can translate in relation to the conductive coil in response to an electrical current applied to the conductive coil.

3. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the damping response is based at least in part on a displacement of the haptic plate measured by a plurality of optical sensors that monitor vibrations in the haptic plate.

4. The haptic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of actuators comprises:

a first actuator configured to generate a first feedback wave that converges to a specific region of the center portion of the plate at a first point in time;

a second actuator configured to generate a second feedback wave that converges to the specific region of the center portion of the plate at a second point in time; and

wherein a specific waveform is achieved at the specific region of the center portion of the plate based at least in part on the first feedback wave and the second feedback wave.

5. The haptic device of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the plurality of actuators, upon receiving haptic instructions, the controller modulates at least one actuator, wherein each actuator modulated generates a wave with a distinct waveform at a distinct point in time.

6. The haptic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of actuators is a voice coil.

7. The haptic device of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the haptic plate is at least 3 feet on which a user can stand.

8. The haptic device of claim 1, wherein the center portion of the haptic plate is circular and the outer portion of the haptic plate is circular.

9. The haptic device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of actuators includes a first set of actuators and a second set of actuators, and the first set of actuators is arranged in a first ring within the outer portion of the haptic plate, and the second set of actuators is arranged in a second ring that is concentric to the first ring and is also within the outer portion of the haptic plate.

10. A haptic device comprising:

a haptic plate including a center portion and an outer portion that circumscribes the center portion, the haptic plate having a diameter that is at most 18 inches; and

a plurality of actuators coupled the outer portion of the haptic plate, the plurality of actuators including;

one or more actuators configured to generate, in accordance with haptic instructions, a haptic wave that converges to a specific waveform at a specific region of the center portion of the plate, wherein a shape of the specific waveform and a location of the specific region on the center portion of the haptic plate are based in part on the haptic instructions, and

another actuator configured to generate a damping response to the specific waveform of the haptic wave.

11. The haptic device of claim 10, wherein an actuator of the plurality of actuators comprises:

a conductive coil; and

a plate magnet coupled to the haptic plate such that the plate magnet can translate in relation to the conductive coil in response to an electrical current applied to the conductive coil.

12. The haptic device of claim 10, wherein the damping response is based at least in part on a displacement of the haptic plate measured by a plurality of optical sensors that monitor vibrations in the haptic plate.

13. The haptic device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of actuators comprises:

a first actuator configured to generate a first feedback wave that converges to a specific region of the center portion of the plate at a first point in time;

a second actuator configured to generate a second feedback wave that converges to the specific region of the center portion of the plate at a second point in time; and

wherein a specific waveform is achieved at the specific region of the center portion of the plate based at least in part on the first feedback wave and the second feedback wave.

14. The haptic device of claim 10, further comprising a controller coupled to the plurality of actuators, upon receiving haptic instructions, the controller modulates at least one actuator, wherein each actuator modulated generates a wave with a distinct waveform at a distinct point in time.

15. The haptic device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of actuators is a voice coil.

16. The haptic device of claim 10, wherein the center portion of the haptic plate is circular and the outer portion of the haptic plate is circular.

17. The haptic device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of actuators includes a first set of actuators and a second set of actuators, and the first set of actuators is arranged in a first ring within the outer portion of the haptic plate, and the second set of actuators is arranged in a second ring that is concentric to the first ring and is also within the outer portion of the haptic plate.