Haptic trigger control system

• US 10,416,770 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Lacroix, Robert, Grant, Danny, Da Costa, Henry, Rank, Stephen D., Birnbaum, David, Rihn, William
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US15/454,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20170203207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A system that controls a haptic effect experienced at a trigger is provided. The system receives a haptic effect definition including haptic data. The system further receives trigger data including at least one of: a position of a trigger of a peripheral device; or a range of the trigger of the peripheral device. The system further determines whether a trigger condition is reached based on the received trigger data. The system further sends a haptic instruction and the haptic effect definition to the peripheral device when the trigger condition is reached. The system further causes a haptic output device (or multiple haptic output devices) to produce haptic effects that are based on the haptic effect definition at the peripheral device in response to the haptic instruction.

Claims

1. A method for controlling one or more haptic effects rendered at a peripheral device that is communicatively coupled to a device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the device, a haptic effect definition data structure;

modifying the haptic effect definition data structure based on spatialization data that indicates a direction for the one or more haptic effects;

sending a haptic instruction and the haptic effect definition data structure to the peripheral device that includes a plurality of haptic output devices; and

causing, in response to the haptic instruction, the haptic output devices to produce the one or more haptic effects that are based on the haptic effect definition data structure,

wherein the spatialization data includes one or more hand positions of a user on the peripheral device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the spatialization data is determined according to one or more positions of a user'"'"'s character within a gaming application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the haptic effects is produced by non-linearly scaling output of the plurality of haptic output devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral device comprises a controller or a gamepad.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the haptic effects produces a sensation of movement from a first side of the peripheral device to a second side of the peripheral device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect definition data structure defines a plurality of parameters associated with each of a plurality of haptic data channels, and wherein each channel is coupled to a different haptic output device so that multiple channels are not coupled to a single haptic output device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect definition data structure corresponds to a plurality of channels, each channel including haptic data for one of a plurality of haptic output devices.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing one or more programs for execution by the processor, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving, at the system, a haptic effect definition data structure;

modifying the haptic effect definition data structure based on spatialization data that indicates a direction for the one or more haptic effects;

sending a haptic instruction and the haptic effect definition data structure to a peripheral device that includes a plurality of haptic output devices; and

causing, in response to the haptic instruction, the haptic output devices to produce the one or more haptic effects that are based on the haptic effect definition data structure,

wherein the spatialization data includes one or more hand positions of a user on the peripheral device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the spatialization data is determined according to one or more positions of a user'"'"'s character within a gaming application.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the peripheral device comprises a controller or a gamepad.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein one of the haptic effects produces a sensation of movement from a first side of the peripheral device to a second side of the peripheral device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the haptic effect definition data structure defines a plurality of parameters associated with each of a plurality of haptic data channels, and wherein each channel is coupled to a different haptic output device so that multiple channels are not coupled to a single haptic output device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by a processor of a device, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

receiving, at the device, a haptic effect definition data structure;

modifying the haptic effect definition data structure based on spatialization data that indicates a direction for the one or more haptic effects;

sending a haptic instruction and the haptic effect definition data structure to a peripheral device that includes a plurality of haptic output devices; and

causing, in response to the haptic instruction, the haptic output devices to produce the one or more haptic effects that are based on the haptic effect definition data structure,

wherein the spatialization data includes one or more hand positions of a user on the peripheral device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein one of the haptic effects is produced by non-linearly scaling output of the plurality of haptic output devices.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the spatialization data is determined according to one or more positions of a user'"'"'s character within a gaming application.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein one of the haptic effects is produced by non-linearly scaling output of the plurality of haptic output devices.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the peripheral device comprises a controller or a gamepad.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein one of the haptic effects produces a sensation of movement from a first side of the peripheral device to a second side of the peripheral device.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the haptic effect definition data structure defines a plurality of parameters associated with each of a plurality of haptic data channels, and wherein each channel is coupled to a different haptic output device so that multiple channels are not coupled to a single haptic output device.

20. A method for controlling haptic effects rendered at respective peripheral devices, the method comprising:

receiving, at a device, a haptic effect definition data structure;

modifying the haptic effect definition data structure based on spatialization data that indicates a direction for the one or more haptic effects;

sending haptic instructions to respective peripheral devices including a first peripheral device and a second peripheral device; and

causing, in response to the haptic instructions, a first haptic output device of the first peripheral device and a second haptic output device of the second peripheral device to produce the one or more haptic effects that are based on the haptic effect definition data structure,

wherein the spatialization data includes one or more hand positions of a user on the peripheral device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein haptic data of the haptic effect definition data structure of a subset of channels is modified based on the spatialization data.