Method and system for hapto-visual scene development and deployment

• US 20060170673A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Handshake VR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Handshake VR, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Jeff, Shu, Joseph, Rossi, Mauro, Mi, Shan, Krzeminski, Marek, Ziaei, Kamyar, Ni, Grace, Tuer, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A method of creating a system for haptically and graphically rendering one or more scenes. The method includes generating one or more haptic targets for haptically rendering the scene as a virtual scene. The scene is haptically rendered as the virtual scene. The method also includes providing one or more graphics targets for graphically rendering the scene as a graphical scene, generating an initial data packet for the scene, and transmitting the initial data packet to the graphics target. The method also includes loading the initial data packet on the graphics target to create the graphical scene.

Claims

1. A computer-usable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:

generating at least one haptic target for haptically rendering at least one scene as at least one virtual scene, said at least one scene having at least one adjustable parameter;

haptically rendering said at least one scene as said at least one virtual scene;

providing at least one graphics target for graphically rendering said at least one scene as at least one graphical scene;

generating at least one initial data packet comprising an identifier of said at least one scene and identifying said at least one adjustable parameter;

transmitting said at least one initial data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

loading said at least one initial data packet on said at least one graphics target to create said at least one graphical scene, said at least one graphical scene comprising said at least one adjustable parameter.

2. A computer-usable medium according to claim 1 in which said method additionally comprises transmitting a first acknowledgement signal from said at least one graphics target for confirming receipt of said at least one initial data packet.

3. A computer-usable medium according to claim 1 in which said method additionally comprises:

updating said at least one adjustable parameter to create at least one updated adjustable parameter;

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said at least one virtual scene;

generating at least one update data packet comprising said at least one updated adjustable parameter; and

updating said at least one graphical scene to include said at least one updated adjustable parameter.

4. A computer-usable medium according to claim 3 in which said method additionally comprises transmitting a second acknowledgement signal from said at least one graphics target for confirming receipt of said at least one update data packet.

5. A computer-usable medium according to claim 1 in which said method additionally comprises:

using at least one soft real time process in haptically rendering said at least one scene; and

using at least one non-real time process in graphically rendering said at least one scene.

6. A computer-usable medium according to claim 1 in which said method additionally comprises:

generating at least one quit data packet comprising instructions to close said at least one graphics target;

transmitting said at least one quit data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

closing said at least one graphics target.

7. A computer-usable medium according to claim 3 in which said method additionally comprises:

using said at least one graphics target to generate graphical data for updating said at least one adjustable parameter;

transmitting said graphical data to said at least one haptic target;

using said graphical data to update said at least one adjustable parameter, to create said at least one updated adjustable parameter;

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said at least one virtual scene;

generating said at least one update data packet comprising said at least one updated adjustable parameter;

transmitting said at least one update data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said at least one graphical scene.

8. A computer-usable medium according to claim 7 in which said method additionally comprises transmitting said second acknowledgement signal from said at least one graphics target for confirming receipt of said at least one update data packet.

9. A computer-usable medium according to claim 3 in which said method additionally comprises:

providing a haptic device for interfacing with a user in real space operatively connected to said at least one haptic target;

using the haptic device to generate haptic device data for updating said at least one adjustable parameter;

using said haptic device data to update said at least one adjustable parameter, to create said at least one updated adjustable parameter;

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said at least one virtual scene;

generating said at least one update data packet comprising said at least one updated adjustable parameter;

transmitting said at least one update data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said at least one graphical scene.

10. A computer-usable medium according to claim 1 in which said method comprises generating a plurality of haptic targets.

11. A computer-usable medium according to claim 1 in which said method comprises providing a plurality of graphics targets.

12. A computer-usable medium according to claim 1 in which said method comprises:

haptically rendering a plurality of scenes, each said scene being discretely haptically rendered as a discrete virtual scene; and

graphically rendering said plurality of scenes, each said scene being discretely graphically rendered as a discrete graphical scene corresponding to each said virtual scene.

13. A computer-usable medium according to claim 12 in which said method additionally comprises:

updating said at least one adjustable parameter for a preselected virtual scene to create at least one updated adjustable parameter therefor, said preselected virtual scene having a corresponding graphical scene;

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said preselected virtual scene;

transmitting said at least one update data packet for said preselected virtual scene to said at least one graphics target;

if said preselected corresponding graphical scene is inactive, setting said corresponding graphical scene as active; and

updating said corresponding graphical scene to include said at least one updated adjustable parameter.

14. A computer-usable medium according to claim 12 in which said method additionally comprises:

updating said at least one adjustable parameter for a preselected virtual scene to create at least one updated adjustable parameter therefor, said preselected virtual scene having a corresponding graphical scene;

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said preselected virtual scene;

transmitting said at least one update data packet for said preselected virtual scene to said at least one graphics target; and

if said preselected corresponding graphical scene is active, updating said corresponding graphical scene to include said at least one updated adjustable parameter.

15. A computer-usable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:

generating at least one haptic target for haptically rendering a plurality of virtual scenes respectively;

discretely haptically rendering each said scene as each said virtual scene;

providing at least one graphics target for graphically rendering each said virtual scene as a corresponding graphical scene respectively;

generating an initial data packet for each said virtual scene respectively, each said initial data packet comprising an identifier of each said virtual scene respectively and at least one adjustable parameter in each said scene respectively;

transmitting each said initial data packet respectively to said at least one graphics target; and

loading each said initial data packet on said at least one graphics target to create each said corresponding graphical scene respectively, each said graphical scene comprising said at least one adjustable parameter respectively.

16. A computer-usable medium according to claim 15 in which said method additionally comprises:

upon loading each said graphical scene on said at least one graphics target respectively, sequentially setting each said graphical scene as active respectively, each said graphical scene being set as an inactive scene upon another graphical scene subsequently being set as active; and

discretely rendering each said active scene graphically.

17. A computer-usable medium according to claim 15 in which said method additionally comprises:

generating at least one quit data packet for said at least one graphics target, said at least one quit data packet comprising instructions to close said at least one graphics target;

transmitting said at least one quit data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

closing said at least one graphics target.

18. A computer-usable medium according to claim 15 in which said method additionally comprises:

updating said at least one adjustable parameter for at least one preselected virtual scene to create at least one updated adjustable parameter for said at least one preselected virtual scene, said at least one preselected virtual scene having a corresponding graphical scene;

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter for said at least one preselected virtual scene to update said at least one preselected virtual scene;

generating at least one update data packet comprising said at least one updated adjustable parameter for updating said corresponding graphical scene;

transmitting said at least one update data packet to said at least one graphics target;

if said corresponding graphical scene is inactive, setting said corresponding graphical scene as active upon receipt of said at least one update data packet; and

updating said corresponding graphical scene to include said at least one updated adjustable parameter.

19. A computer-usable medium according to claim 15 in which said method additionally comprises:

updating said at least one adjustable parameter for at least one preselected virtual scene to create at least one updated adjustable parameter for said at least one preselected virtual scene, said at least one preselected virtual scene having a corresponding graphical scene;

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter for said at least one preselected virtual scene to update said at least one preselected virtual scene;

generating at least one update data packet comprising said at least one updated adjustable parameter for updating said corresponding graphical scene;

transmitting said at least one update data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

if said corresponding graphical scene is active, updating said corresponding graphical scene to include said at least one updated adjustable parameter.

20. A method of creating a system for haptically and graphically rendering at least one scene, the method comprising:

generating at least one haptic target for haptically rendering said at least one scene as at least one virtual scene;

haptically rendering said at least one scene as said at least one virtual scene;

providing at least one graphics target for graphically rendering said at least one scene as at least one graphical scene;

generating at least one initial data packet comprising an identifier of said at least one scene and at least one adjustable parameter in said at least one scene;

transmitting said at least one initial data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

loading said at least one initial data packet on said at least one graphics target to create said at least one graphical scene, said at least one graphical scene comprising said at least one adjustable parameter.

21. A method according to claim 20 additionally comprising:

updating said at least one adjustable parameter to create at least one updated adjustable parameter;

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said at least one virtual scene;

generating at least one update data packet comprising said at least one updated adjustable parameter;

transmitting said at least one update data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

updating said at least one graphical scene to include said at least one updated adjustable parameter.

22. A method according to claim 20 additionally comprising:

generating at least one quit data packet comprising instructions to close said at least one graphics target;

transmitting said at least one quit data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

closing said at least one graphics target.

23. A system for haptically and graphically rendering a plurality of scenes, the system comprising:

at least one haptic target for haptically rendering said scenes discretely as virtual scenes respectively utilizing at least one soft real time process;

at least one graphics target for graphically rendering said scenes discretely as graphical scenes respectively utilizing at least one non-real time process, each said graphical scene corresponding to each said virtual scene respectively;

means for generating a plurality of initial data packets, each said initial data packet being provided for each said virtual scene respectively, each said initial data packet comprising an identifier of each said scene respectively and at least one adjustable parameter in each said scene respectively;

means for transmitting said initial data packets sequentially to said at least one graphics target;

said at least one graphics target being adapted to load said initial data packets thereon sequentially to create each said graphical scene respectively, each said graphical scene corresponding to each said virtual scene respectively, each said graphical scene comprising said at least one adjustable parameter for each said corresponding virtual scene respectively.

24. A system according to claim 23 additionally comprising:

means for updating each said adjustable parameter to create at least one updated adjustable parameter for each said virtual scene respectively;

means for discretely updating each said virtual scene to include said at least one updated adjustable parameter for each said virtual scene respectively;

means for generating update data packets for each said virtual scene respectively, each said update data packet comprising said at least one updated adjustable parameter for each said virtual scene respectively;

means for transmitting each said update data packet respectively to said at least one graphics target; and

means for discretely updating each said graphical scene to include said at least one updated adjustable parameter for each said graphical scene corresponding to each said virtual scene respectively.

25. A system according to claim 23 additionally comprising:

means for generating at least one quit data packet comprising instructions to close said at least one graphics target;

means for transmitting said at least one quit data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

means for closing said at least one graphics target upon receipt thereby of said at least one quit data packet.

26. A computer-usable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:

using at least one haptic target to haptically render at least one scene as at least one virtual scene utilizing at least one soft real time process;

generating at least one initial data packet comprising an identifier of said at least one scene and at least one adjustable parameter in said at least one virtual scene;

transmitting said at least one initial data packet to at least one graphics target adapted for graphically rendering said at least one virtual scene as at least one graphical scene; and

using said at least one graphical target to graphically render said at least one scene as said at least one graphical scene utilizing a plurality of non-real time processes, said at least one graphical scene comprising said at least one adjustable parameter.

27. A computer-usable medium according to claim 26 in which said method additionally comprises:

updating said at least one adjustable parameter to create at least one updated adjustable parameter;

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said at least one virtual scene;

generating at least one update data packet comprising said at least one updated adjustable parameter;

transmitting said at least one update data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

updating said at least one graphical scene to include said at least one updated adjustable parameter.

28. A computer-usable medium according to claim 27 in which said method additionally comprises:

generating at least one quit data packet comprising instructions to close said at least one graphics target;

transmitting said at least one quit data packet to said at least one graphics target; and

closing said at least one graphics target.

29. A computer-usable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method comprising:

generating at least one haptic target for haptically rendering at least one scene as at least one virtual scene, said at least one scene comprising at least one adjustable parameter;

haptically rendering said at least one scene as said at least one virtual scene, said haptic rendering utilizing at least one soft real time process;

updating said at least one adjustable parameter to create at least one updated adjustable parameter; and

using said at least one updated adjustable parameter to update said at least one virtual scene.