Directional Haptic Effects For A Handheld Device

• US 20090085882A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Heubel, Robert W., Grant, Danny A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,508,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• 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: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A handheld device includes at least two sections that are substantially mechanically isolated. Each section includes an actuator that generates haptic effects. The haptic effects generated by an actuator in one section are substantially isolated to that section so that, for example, directional haptic effects can be generated on the handheld device.

Claims

1. A handheld device comprising:

a first section;

a first actuator couple to the first section;

a second section; and

a second actuator coupled to the second section;

wherein the first section and the second section are substantially mechanically isolated.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising a first vibration isolation barrier coupled to the first and second sections.

3. The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third section; and

a user interface coupled to the third section.

4. The handheld device of claim 3, wherein the user interface is a touchscreen.

5. The handheld device of claim 3, further comprising a second vibration barrier coupled to the first, second and third sections.

6. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the first vibration barrier comprises a Poron foam.

7. The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising a processor coupled to the first and second actuators.

8. The handheld device of claim 2, wherein the first vibration barrier is adapted to cause a vibration generated by the first actuator to have a substantially reduced amplitude in the second section.

9. The handheld device of claim 3, further comprising a third actuator coupled to the third section.

18. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator each generate vibrations that provide directional information.

10. A device that generates haptic effects comprising:

a first section;

a first actuator couple to the first section;

a second section;

a second actuator coupled to the second section; and

a first vibration isolation barrier coupled to the first and second sections.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising:

a second vibration isolation barrier coupled to the first and second sections; and

a third section coupled to the second vibration isolation barrier, wherein the third section comprises a user interface.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the user interface is a touchscreen.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the first vibration barrier comprises a Poron foam.

14. The device of claim 10, further comprising a processor coupled to the first and second actuators.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the first vibration barrier is adapted to cause a vibration generated by the first actuator to have a substantially reduced amplitude in the second section.

16. The device of claim 11, further comprising a third actuator coupled to the third section.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator each generate vibrations that provide directional information.