Systems and Methods for Interfaces Featuring Surface-Based Haptic Effects

• US 20100231539A1
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Gosline, Andrew, Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Modarres, Ali, Grant, Danny A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,007,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/04 Texture mapping
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

Systems and methods for interfaces featuring surface-based haptic effects are described. One described system includes a sensor configured to detect a touch in a touch area when an object contacts a touch surface. The touch surface may correspond to the display area or may correspond to a non-display surface of a computing device or peripheral interfaced to a computing device. The system can further include an actuator in communication with the processor and coupled to the touch surface, the actuator configured to output a haptic effect and a processor configured to select a haptic effect to generate. The haptic effect can be selected based on a position of the touch and recognizing an input gesture provided by the touch and/or content displayed in a graphical user interface at a location mapped to a position in the touch area at or near the touch. The haptic effect may provide a texture, simulate an obstacle, and/or adjust the coefficient of friction of the surface.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a touch in a touch area when an object contacts a touch surface, the touch area mapped to a display area of a graphical user interface;

an actuator in communication with the processor and coupled to the touch surface, the actuator configured to output a haptic effect in response to a haptic signal; and

a processor in communication with actuator and sensor, the processor configured to;

select a haptic effect to generate based on identifying a position of the touch and

at least one of (a) recognizing an input gesture provided by the touch or (b)

content displayed in the graphical user interface at a location in the display area mapped to a position in the touch area at or near the touch, and

transmit a haptic signal to the actuator to generate the selected haptic effect while the touch is occurring to provide at least one of a texture, a simulated obstacle or boundary, or an adjusted coefficient of friction of the display.

2. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator.

3. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is generated by varying a coefficient of friction of the touch surface.

4. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the haptic effect comprises simulating a texture on the touch surface.

5. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select a haptic effect based on the content of text displayed in the display area at a location mapped to a position in the touch area at or near the position of the touch.

6. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to highlight content displayed in the graphical user interface in response to a search query, and wherein the haptic effect is selected to generate a haptic effect at a position in the touch area mapped to a position in the display area at or near the highlighted content.

7. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select a haptic effect based on a control displayed in the graphical user interface at a location mapped to a position in the touch area at or near the position of the touch

8. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select a haptic effect in response to recognizing a page turn input gesture, the haptic effect selected to vary the friction or texture in the direction of the page turn input gesture as the gesture is provided.

9. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select a haptic effect in response to recognizing a gesture indicating movement of an on-screen content item from a first location to a second location.

10. The system set forth in claim 1, further comprising a display, the display comprising a plurality of pixels and defining the display area, the display configured to output an image based at least in part on a display signal,

wherein the touch surface corresponds to the display or a material above the display, and

wherein the processor is configured to output the display signal.

11. The system set forth in claim 1, further comprising a second actuator configured to provide a haptic effect in response to a haptic signal from the processor.

12. A method, comprising:

tracking a location of a touch on a touch surface, the location tracked relative to a touch area mapped to a graphical user interface;

based on the location of the touch, identifying an interaction with the graphical user interface;

selecting a haptic effect to generate based on the interaction; and

commanding at least one actuator to generate the selected haptic effect, the haptic effect comprising at least one of a texture, a simulated obstacle or boundary, or an adjustment of a coefficient of friction of the surface.

13. The method set forth in claim 12, wherein the haptic effect is generated at least in part by varying a coefficient of friction of the touch surface.

14. The method set forth in claim 12, wherein the interaction comprises adjusting an on-screen control and the haptic effect is selected based on a value of the on-screen control.

15. The method set forth in claim 12, wherein the interaction comprises touching the surface at or near a location mapped to a portion of the graphical user interface containing a feature, the feature associated with the haptic effect.

16. The method set forth in claim 15, wherein the feature comprises a textual or graphic element in the interface highlighted in response to a search command.

17. The method set forth in claim 15, wherein the feature comprises graphical or textual content.

18. The method set forth in claim 15, wherein the feature comprises a boundary in the graphical user interface.

19. The method set forth in claim 12, wherein the interaction comprises an input gesture.

20. The method set forth in claim 19, wherein the haptic effect is provided during the input gesture.

21. The method set forth in claim 19, wherein the haptic effect is provided after the input gesture.

22. A tangible computer-readable medium embodying program code executable by a computing system, the program code comprising:

program code for causing the computing system to track a location of a touch on a touch surface, the location tracked relative to a touch area mapped to a graphical user interface;

program code for causing the computing system to identify, based on the location of the touch, an interaction with the graphical user interface;

program code for causing the computing system to select a haptic effect to generate based on the interaction; and

program code for causing the computing system to transmit a haptic signal to at least one actuator to generate the selected haptic effect by varying a coefficient of friction of the touch surface.