Systems and Methods For A Texture Engine

• US 20100231540A1
• 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: Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Grant, Danny A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,874,935 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 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 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 a texture engine are disclosed. For example, one disclosed system includes: a processor configured to receive a display signal including a plurality of pixels, determine a haptic effect comprising a texture, and transmit a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect to an actuator in communication with the processor, the actuator configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a display signal comprising a plurality of pixels;

determine a haptic effect comprising a texture; and

transmit a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect;

an actuator in communication with the processor, the actuator configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the texture is a vibrotactile effect.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the texture comprises the texture of:

sand, lizard skin, or a brick.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises one of:

an eccentric rotating mass motor, a linear resonant actuator, shape memory allow, electroactive polymer or a piezoelectric actuator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is determined based at least in part on the display signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of pixels is associated with a color, and wherein determining the haptic effect comprises assigning a haptic value to the color.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein determining the haptic effect comprises assigning a haptic value to only some of the plurality of pixels.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein each color comprises an intensity, and determining the haptic effect further comprises adjusting the haptic value to correspond to the intensity.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display in communication with the processor, the display configured to receive the display signal and output an image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the texture is output onto a surface of the display.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the actuator is coupled to the display.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing configured to enclose the actuator and the processor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises a mobile device housing.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the actuator is coupled to the housing.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a touch-sensitive interface configured to detect user interaction and transmit a sensor signal to the processor based at least in part on the user interaction.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the haptic effect based at least in part on the sensor signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the touch-sensitive interface is configured to detect the speed of the user interaction and wherein determining the haptic effect comprises adjusting the haptic effect to correspond with the speed of the user interaction.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the touch-sensitive interface is configured to detect the pressure of the user interaction and wherein determining the haptic effect comprises adjusting the intensity of the haptic effect to correspond with the pressure of the user interaction.

19. A method for outputting a haptic effect comprising:

receiving a display signal comprising a plurality of pixels;

determining a haptic effect comprising a texture; and

transmitting a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect to an actuator configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the haptic effect is determined based at least in part on the display signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of pixels is associated with a color, and wherein determining the haptic effect comprises assigning a haptic value to each color.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein each color comprises an intensity and determining the haptic effect further comprises associating the haptic value with the intensity.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving an interface signal from a touch-sensitive interface, and wherein the haptic effect is determined based at least in part on the interface signal.

24. A system comprising:

a touch-sensitive interface configured to detect a user interaction and transmit a signal corresponding to the user interaction, the touch-sensitive interface configured to detect the speed and pressure of the user interaction;

a processor in communication the touch-sensitive interface, the processor configured to;

receive a display signal comprising a plurality of pixels that each comprise a color and an intensity;

determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the color and intensity of each pixel and the speed and pressure of the user interaction; and

transmit a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect;

an actuator in communication with the processor, the actuator configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.