Haptic Effects With Proximity Sensing

• US 20090106655A1
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Gregorio, Pedro, Grant, Danny A., Lacroix, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method of generating haptic effects on a device includes detecting the presence of an object near an input area of the device and generating a haptic effect on the device in response to the presence detection.

Claims

1. A method of generating haptic effects on a device, said method comprising:

detecting the presence of an object near an input area of the device; and

generating a haptic effect on the device in response to the presence detection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the approximate time when the object will touch the input area; and

generating the haptic effect so that it is implemented at approximately the same time as when the object touches the input area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said generating comprises energizing an actuator before the object touches the input area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said haptic effect comprises generating a vibration on the input area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a housing and said haptic effect comprises generating a vibration on the housing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said device is a cellular telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said input area is a touch sensitive surface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a position of the object relative to the input area; and

determining a functionality on the input area based on the position;

wherein said generating the haptic effect comprises selecting a first type of the haptic effect based on the functionality.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said generating the haptic effect comprises selecting a second type of the haptic effect based on the functionality, wherein said second type is different than said first type.

10. A haptically enabled device comprising:

an input area;

a proximity sensor coupled to said input area; and

a haptic feedback system coupled to said input area.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said proximity sensor is adapted to detect the presence of an object near the input area and said haptic feedback system is adapted to generate a haptic effect on the device in response to the presence detection.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said haptic feedback system is adapted to determine the approximate time when the object will touch the input area;

and

generate the haptic effect so that it is implemented at approximately the same time as when the object touches the input area.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said haptic feedback system comprises an actuator, and said system energizes said actuator before the object touches the input area.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein said input area comprises a touch sensitive surface.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said touch sensitive surface is a touchscreen.

16. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate haptic effects on a device, said processor:

detecting the presence of an object near an input area of the device; and

generating a haptic effect on the device in response to the presence detection.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, said processor further:

determining the approximate time when the object will touch the input area; and

generating the haptic effect so that it is implemented at approximately the same time as when the object touches the input area.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein said generating comprises energizing an actuator before the object touches the input area.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein said haptic effect comprises generating a vibration on the input area.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein said device comprises a housing and said haptic effect comprises generating a vibration on the housing.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein said device is a cellular telephone.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein said input area is a touch sensitive surface.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 16, said processor further:

determining a position of the object relative to the input area; and

determining a functionality on the input area based on the position;

wherein said generating the haptic effect comprises selecting a first type of the haptic effect based on the functionality.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein said generating the haptic effect comprises selecting a second type of the haptic effect based on the functionality, wherein said second type is different than said first type.

25. A haptically enabled device comprising:

means for detecting the presence of an object near an input area of the device; and

means for generating a haptic effect on the device in response to the presence detection.

26. A haptically enabled device of claim 25, further comprising:

means for determining the approximate time when the object will touch the input area; and

means for generating the haptic effect so that it is implemented at approximately the same time as when the object touches the input area.