Haptically enhanced interactivity with interactive content

• US 10,664,143 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2019
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Birnbaum, David M., Grant, Danny A., Heubel, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nam, Hyun
• Application Number:
  US16/284,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20190258384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers

Abstract

Interactive content may be presented to a user that is manipulating a peripheral. One or more state parameters that are related to the position of the peripheral may be determined. The peripheral may be identified from a plurality of possible peripherals. The interactive content may be adjusted based at least in part on the one or more position parameters and/or the identification of the peripheral. Haptic feedback to be provided to the user may be determined based at least in part on the one or more position parameters and/or the identification of the peripheral.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a position sensor;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

output first interactive content to a display, the first interactive content comprising a virtual environment;

receive one or more sensor signals from the position sensor;

determine a position of a peripheral in real space based on the one or more sensor signals, the peripheral configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s head;

output second interactive content to the display based on the position of the peripheral in real space, the second interactive content being different from the first interactive content;

determine a haptic signal based on the position of the peripheral in real space and the second interactive content; and

transmit the haptic signal to a haptic output device, the haptic output device being configured to receive the haptic signal and output haptic feedback.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is positioned on the peripheral.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral is a wearable device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual environment comprises an augmented reality environment.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the position sensor comprises an imaging device, and wherein the program code is further executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

determine the position of the peripheral based on one or more images from the imaging device; and

generate the augmented reality environment based on the one or more images from the imaging device, the augmented reality environment comprising a virtual object.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic output device is positioned on the peripheral.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral is a first peripheral, and wherein the haptic output device is positioned on a second peripheral that is separate from the first peripheral.

8. A method comprising:

outputting, by a processor, first interactive content to a display, the first interactive content comprising a virtual environment;

receiving, by the processor, one or more sensor signals from a position sensor;

determining, by the processor, a position of a peripheral in real space based on the one or more sensor signals, the peripheral being associated with a user'"'"'s head;

outputting, by the processor, second interactive content to the display based on the position of the peripheral in real space, the second interactive content being different from the first interactive content;

determining, by the processor, a haptic signal based on the position of the peripheral in real space and the second interactive content; and

transmitting, by the processor, the haptic signal to a haptic output device, the haptic output device being configured to receive the haptic signal and output haptic feedback.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the position sensor is positioned on the peripheral.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the peripheral is a wearable device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual environment comprises an augmented reality environment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the position sensor comprises an imaging device, the method further comprising:

determining the position of the peripheral based on one or more images from the imaging device; and

generating the augmented reality environment based on the one or more images from the imaging device, the augmented reality environment comprising a virtual object.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the haptic output device is positioned on the peripheral.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the peripheral is a first peripheral, and wherein the haptic output device is positioned on a second peripheral that is separate from the first peripheral.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code that is executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

output first interactive content to a display, the first interactive content comprising a virtual environment;

receive one or more sensor signals from a position sensor;

determine a position of a peripheral in real space based on the one or more sensor signals, the peripheral configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s head;

output second interactive content to the display based on the position of the peripheral in real space, the second interactive content being different from the first interactive content;

determine a haptic signal based on the position of the peripheral in real space and the second interactive content; and

transmit the haptic signal to a haptic output device, the haptic output device being configured to receive the haptic signal and output haptic feedback.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the position sensor is positioned on the peripheral.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the peripheral is a wearable device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the virtual environment comprises an augmented reality environment.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the position sensor comprises an imaging device, and wherein the program code is further executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

determine the position of the peripheral based on one or more images from the imaging device; and

generate the augmented reality environment based on the one or more images from the imaging device, the augmented reality environment comprising a virtual object.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the peripheral is a first peripheral, and wherein the haptic output device is positioned on a second peripheral that is separate from the first peripheral.