Method and apparatus to provide haptic feedback based on media content and one or more external parameters

• US 10,429,934 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2018
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Modarres, Ali, Ullrich, Christopher J., Dionne, Jean Francois, Phan, Loc, Bhatia, Satvir Singh, Rank, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US16/059,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20180373337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 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: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

The disclosure relates to systems and methods of providing haptic feedback based on media content and one or more external parameters used to customize the haptic feedback. The system may modify or otherwise alter haptic feedback that is determined using the media content alone. In other words, the system may use both the media content and the external parameters to determine haptic feedback that should be output to the user or others. The external parameters may include, for example, sensor information, customization information, and/or other external parameters that may be used to customize the haptic feedback.

Claims

1. A method of producing haptic feedback on a system, the method comprising:

generating a haptic feedback signal based on media content received from a first storage device;

assigning a weight to an external parameter received from a second storage device to generate a first weighted external parameter, the first weighted external parameter specifying a first setting for a characteristic of the haptic feedback;

buffering the first weighted external parameter in a memory;

assigning another weight to another external parameter received from the second storage device to generate a second weighted external parameter, the second weighted external parameter specifying a second setting for the characteristic of the haptic feedback;

modifying the haptic feedback signal based on the first weighted external parameter and the second weighted external parameter to generate a modified haptic feedback signal; and

applying the modified haptic feedback signal to a haptic output device to produce the haptic feedback.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight is a factor representing a proportion at which the external parameter affects the haptic feedback.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the external parameter specifies a setting that alters a characteristic of the haptic feedback.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the haptic feedback signal includes

modifying the haptic feedback signal based on the first weighted external parameter to generate a first modified haptic feedback signal, and

modifying the first modified haptic feedback signal based on the second weighted external parameter to generate the modified haptic feedback signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the haptic feedback occurs at a computing device, the computing device being remote from the haptic output device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating, at the computing device, an audio/video (NV) signal; and

applying the A/V signal to an A/V output device to produce A/V feedback.

5. A haptically-enabled system, comprising:

a processor;

a haptic output device coupled to the processor, the haptic output device being configured to produce haptic feedback; and

a storage device coupled to the processor and storing instructions,

the processor, when executing the instructions,

generating a haptic feedback signal based on media content received from a first storage device,

assigning a weight to an external parameter received from a second storage device to generate a first weighted external parameter, the first weighted external parameter specifying a first setting for a characteristic of the haptic feedback;

buffering the first weighted external parameter in a memory;

assigning another weight to another external parameter received from the second storage device to generate a second weighted external parameter, the second weighted external parameter specifying a second setting for the characteristic of the haptic feedback;

modifying the haptic feedback signal based on the first weighted external parameter and the second weighted external parameter to generate a modified haptic feedback signal, and

applying the modified haptic feedback signal to the haptic output device to produce the haptic feedback.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the weight is a factor representing a proportion at which the external parameter affects the haptic feedback.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the external parameter specifies a setting that alters a characteristic of the haptic feedback.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor modifies the haptic feedback signal by

modifying the haptic feedback signal based on the first weighted external parameter to generate a first modified haptic feedback signal, and

modifying the first modified haptic feedback signal based on the second weighted external parameter to generate the modified haptic feedback signal.

14. The haptically-enabled system of claim 5, further comprising:

a computing device including the processor, the computing device being remote from the haptic output device.

15. The haptically-enabled system of claim 14, wherein the processor, when executing the instructions,

generates an audio/video (NV) signal;

and

applies the A/V signal to an A/V output device to produce A/V feedback.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the instructions comprising:

generating a haptic feedback signal based on media content received from a first storage device;

assigning a weight to an external parameter received from a second storage device to generate a first weighted external parameter, the first weighted external parameter specifying a first setting for a characteristic of the haptic feedback;

buffering the first weighted external parameter in a memory;

assigning another weight to another external parameter received from the second storage device to generate a second weighted external parameter, the second weighted external parameter specifying a second setting for the characteristic of the haptic feedback;

modifying the haptic feedback signal based on the first weighted external parameter and the second weighted external parameter to generate a modified haptic feedback signal; and

applying the modified haptic feedback signal to a haptic output device to produce haptic feedback.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the weight is a factor representing a proportion at which the external parameter affects the haptic feedback.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the modifying of the haptic feedback signal includes

modifying the haptic feedback signal based on the first weighted external parameter to generate a first modified haptic feedback signal, and

modifying the first modified haptic feedback signal based on the second weighted external parameter to generate the modified haptic feedback signal.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the modifying of the haptic feedback occurs at a computing device, the computing device being remote from the haptic output device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise:

generating, at the computing device, an audio/video (A/V) signal; and

applying the A/V signal to an A/V output device to produce A/V feedback.