Haptic Enabled Gaming Peripheral for a Musical Game

• US 20100033426A1
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: LaCroix, Robert, Janssen, Jennifer, Grant, Danny A., Ramsay, Erin, Bartel, Hendrik
• Application Number:
  US12/538,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20100033426A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• 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 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/225 Portamento, i.e. smooth continuously variable pitch-bend, without emphasis of each chromatic pitch during the pitch change, which only stops at the end of the pitch shift, as obtained, e.g. by a MIDI pitch wheel or trombone
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/145 Multiplayer musical games, e.g. karaoke-like multiplayer videogames
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/305 using a light beam to detect key, pedal or note actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/135 Spint guitar, i.e. guitar-like instruments in which the sound is not generated by vibrating strings, e.g. guitar-shaped game interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/445 Bowed string instrument sound generation, controlling specific features of said sound, e.g. use of fret or bow control parameters for violin effects synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/461 Gensound wind instruments, i.e. generating or synthesising the sound of a wind instrument, controlling specific features of said sound

Abstract

A haptic enabled gaming peripheral that simulates a musical instrument includes a body, a first sensing element and a first actuator. A processor, located within the body of the gaming peripheral, communicates with a host computer running a software program corresponding to a musical game. The first sensing element, disposed within the body and coupled to the processor, senses an input from the user. The sensed input is communicated to the host processor. The first actuator, disposed within the body and coupled to the processor, outputs a haptic effect in response to receiving an activating signal based on an event that occurs in the software program. In some implementations, the first sensed element is disposed proximate to the first actuator so that the user perceives the haptic effect in response to providing the input.

Claims

1. A haptic enabled gaming peripheral comprising:

a body that simulates a musical instrument;

a first input element, disposed within the body, that receives an input from a user;

a processor disposed within the body, wherein the processor communicates with a host computer running a software program, wherein the processor is coupled to the first input element and communicates the input received from the user to the host computer; and

a first actuator disposed within the body and coupled to the processor, wherein the first actuator outputs a haptic effect to the body in response to receiving an activating signal based on an event occurring in the software program.

2. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the first actuator and the first input element are disposed within the body proximate to one another, wherein the event occurring in the software program is responsive to the input received from the user, whereby the haptic effect output by the first actuator is perceived by the user as being responsive to the input received from the user.

3. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the body of the gaming peripheral simulates a guitar comprising a guitar body and a neck.

4. The gaming peripheral of claim 3, wherein the input element is disposed within the neck.

5. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensing element coupled to the first input element, wherein the sensing element outputs a first sensor signal to the host computer in response to detecting the first input element being selected by the user.

6. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, further comprising:

a second actuator positioned within the body, wherein the second actuator outputs a corresponding haptic effect to the body upon receiving a second activating signal in response to a corresponding event occurring in the software program.

7. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the first input element is a depressible button.

8. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the first input element is a touch pad or touch screen.

9. The gaming peripheral of claim 8, wherein the touch screen is configured to display a graphical object therethrough.

10. The gaming peripheral of claim 5, wherein the sensing element is configured to vary the first sensor signal in response to detecting a finger of the user moving in a direction along the first input element after the sensing element has detected the user has selected the input element, wherein the varied first sensor signal correspondingly updates the software program.

11. The gaming peripheral of claim 10, wherein the first actuator varies the haptic effect in response to a corresponding activating signal based on the sensing element detecting the finger moving in the direction along the first input element.

12. The gaming peripheral of claim 5, further comprising a light emitting device coupled to the first input element, wherein the light emitting device is configured to emit a light upon receiving a light emitting signal from the host computer.

13. The gaming peripheral of claim 3, wherein the first input element comprises a strum bar and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect to the strum bar, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user moving the strum bar.

14. The gaming peripheral of claim 3, wherein the first input element comprises a fret key and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect proximate to the fret key, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user selecting the fret key.

15. The gaming peripheral of claim 3, wherein the first input element comprises a fret key and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect to the fret key, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user selecting the fret key.

16. The gaming peripheral of claim 3, wherein the first input element comprises a whammy bar and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect to the body proximate to the whammy bar, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user selecting the whammy bar.

17. The gaming peripheral of claim 3, wherein the first input element comprises a whammy bar and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect to the whammy bar, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user selecting the whammy bar

18. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the body simulates a brass instrument, wherein the first input element comprises a valve, and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect to the valve, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user selecting the valve.

19. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the body simulates a wind instrument, wherein the first input element comprises a key, and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect to the key, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user selecting the key.

20. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the body simulates a string instrument, wherein the first input element comprises a fret key, and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect to the fret key, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user selecting the fret key.

21. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the body simulates a string instrument, wherein the first input element comprises a string, and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect to the string, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user selecting the string.

31. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the body simulates a keyboard instrument, wherein the first input element comprises a key, and wherein the first actuator outputs the haptic effect to the key, whereby the user perceives the haptic effect as responsive to the user selecting the key.

32. The gaming peripheral of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect changes over time in response to the input from the user.

33. The gaming peripheral of claim 32, wherein the haptic effect increases in magnitude over time in response to successful input from the user.

22. A method of operating a gaming peripheral having a body that simulates a musical instrument, the method comprising:

sensing a selection of an first input element disposed within the body of the gaming peripheral via a first sensing element and sending a first sensor signal to a host computer running a software program, the software program corresponding to a musical game, the first sensor signal representative of an input from the user to the musical game; and

outputting a haptic effect to the body of the gaming peripheral via a first actuator in response to receiving a first activating signal from the host computer, the first activating signal corresponding to an event in the musical game.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first actuator and the first input element are disposed within the body proximate to one another, wherein the event in the musical game is responsive to the input from the user, whereby the haptic effect output by the first actuator is perceived by the user as being responsive to the input received from the user.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

sensing a selection of a second input element disposed within the body of the gaming peripheral via a second sensing element and sending a second sensor signal to the host computer, the second sensor signal representative of an second input from the user to the musical game; and

outputting a second haptic effect to the body of the gaming peripheral via a second actuator in response to receiving a second activating signal from the host computer, the second activating signal corresponding to an second event in the musical game.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein outputting a haptic effect to the body of the gaming peripheral via a first actuator in response to receiving an first activating signal from the host computer comprises outputting the haptic effect to the first input element.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein outputting a second haptic effect to the body of the gaming peripheral via a second actuator in response to receiving a second activating signal from the host computer comprises outputting the second haptic effect to the second input element.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

outputting a second haptic effect to the body of the gaming peripheral via a second actuator in response to receiving a second activating signal from the host computer, the second activating signal corresponding to an second event in the musical game.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the musical instrument corresponds to a wind instrument, a brass instrument, string instrument, or a percussion instrument.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the musical instrument corresponds to a guitar.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the musical instrument corresponds to a guitar, wherein the first input element comprises a fret key and wherein the second input element comprises a strum key.