System and method for providing haptic feedback to a musical instrument

• US 20060278065A1
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Ramstein, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/645
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/32 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/311 with controlled tactile or haptic feedback effect; output interfaces therefor

Abstract

A system and method for generating a haptic feedback signal correlated to a music signal and providing the haptic feedback signal to a musical instrument. The music signal can created by the musical instrument or from a file, e.g., a MIDI file. A processor can generate the haptic feedback signal using a look-up table in which the music signal is mapped to a corresponding haptic feedback signal or can compute the corresponding haptic feedback signal based on the parameters of the music signal. The processor provides the haptic feedback signal to an actuator for causing a haptic effect at the musical instrument in response to receiving the haptic feedback signal. The haptic feedback signal can be applied to an input member, such as a key on a keyboard or a string on a guitar, or to the housing of the musical instrument, such as the neck of a guitar.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a database comprising at least one haptic effect; and

a processor configured to;

receive a first signal having a set of parameters relating to sound;

select the haptic effect from the database, the selection being associated with at least one predetermined parameter from the set of parameters; and

output a second signal associated with the haptic effect.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the database comprises at least one look-up table comprising the at least one haptic effect.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to receive the first signal from a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) controller.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to receive the first signal by reading the first signal from a file.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the file is a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) file.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to receive the first signal from a musical instrument.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a musical instrument and at least one actuator configured to cause the haptic effect on an input member of the musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a musical instrument and at least one actuator configured to cause the haptic effect on an input member of the musical instrument which caused the first signal in response to receiving the second signal.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the musical instrument is a keyboard-based instrument, and the input member is selected from the group consisting of a key and a pitch bend.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a musical instrument and an actuator, the musical instrument comprising a housing and the actuator coupled to the housing and configured to cause the haptic effect on the housing in response to receiving the second signal.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a musical instrument selected from the group consisting of a keyboard, drum pads, wind controller, guitar, electric guitar, and a computer.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a first signal having a set of parameters relating to sound;

selecting a haptic effect from a database, the selection being associated with at least one predetermined parameter from the set of parameters; and

outputting a second signal associated with the haptic effect.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising reading the first signal from a file.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the database comprises at least one look-up table comprising the at least one haptic effect.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising causing the haptic effect on an input member of a musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising causing the haptic effect on an input member of a musical instrument which caused the first signal in response to receiving the second signal.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising causing the haptic effect on a housing of a musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.

18. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded processor-executable program code, the computer-readable medium comprising:

program code to receive a first signal having a set of parameters relating to sound;

program code to select a haptic effect from a database, the selection being associated with at least one predetermined parameter from the set of parameters; and

program code to output a second signal associated with the haptic effect.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 further comprising program code to read the first signal from a file.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the database comprises at least one look-up table comprising the at least one haptic effect.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 further comprising program code to cause the haptic effect on an input member of a musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 further comprising program code to cause the haptic effect on an input member of a musical instrument which caused the first signal in response to receiving the second signal.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 further comprising program code to provide the haptic effect on a housing of a musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.

24. A system comprising:

a processor configured to receive a first signal having a set of parameters relating to sound, compute a haptic effect using at least one predetermined parameter from the set of parameters, and output a second signal associated with the haptic effect.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the parameters are compatible with the musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) format.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the processor is configured to receive the first signal from a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) controller.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the processor is configured to receive the first signal by reading the first signal from a file.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the file is a musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) file.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the processor is configured to receive the first signal from a musical instrument.

30. The system of claim 24 further comprising a musical instrument and at least one actuator configured to cause the haptic effect on an input member of the musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.

31. The system of claim 24 further comprising a musical instrument and at least one actuator configured to cause the haptic effect on an input member of the musical instrument which caused the first signal in response to receiving the second signal.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the musical instrument is a keyboard-based instrument, and the input member is selected from the group consisting of a key and a pitch bend.

33. The system of claim 24 further comprising a musical instrument and an actuator, the musical instrument comprising a housing and the actuator coupled to the housing and configured to cause the haptic effect on the housing in response to receiving the second signal.

34. The system of claim 24 further comprising a musical instrument selected from the group consisting of a keyboard, drum pads, wind controller, guitar, electric guitar, and a computer.

35. A method comprising:

receiving a first signal having a set of parameters relating to sound;

computing a haptic effect using at least one predetermined parameter from the set of parameters, and outputting a second signal associated with the haptic effect.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of reading the first signal from a file.

37. The method of claim 35 further comprising causing the haptic effect on an input member of a musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.

38. The method of claim 35 further comprising causing the haptic effect on an input member of a musical instrument which caused the first signal in response to receiving the second signal.

39. The method of claim 35 further comprising providing the haptic effect on a housing of a musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.

40. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded processor-executable program code, the computer-readable medium comprising:

program code to receive a first signal having a set of parameters relating to sound;

program code to compute a haptic effect using at least one predetermined parameter from the set of parameters; and

program code to output a second signal associated with the haptic effect.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 further comprising program code to read the first signal from a file.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 further comprising program code to cause the haptic effect on an input member of a musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 further comprising program code to cause the haptic effect on an input member of a musical instrument which caused the first signal in response to receiving the second signal.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 further comprising program code to provide the haptic effect on a housing of a musical instrument in response to receiving the second signal.