SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHAPE DEFORMATION AND FORCE DISPLAY OF DEVICES

• US 20100283727A1
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Lacroix, Robert, Ullrich, Christopher J., Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Jiang, Li, Modarres, Ali, Birnbaum, David M., Grant, Danny A., Pieron, Remy
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/30 characterized by output arrangements for receiving control signals generated by the game device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• 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 3/04886 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

Abstract

Various systems, devices, and methods for shape deformation of a haptic deformation display device are provided. For example, the haptic deformation display device may receive an input signal when the shape of the haptic deformation display device is in a first shape configuration. In response to the input signal, the haptic deformation display device may activate an actuator of the haptic deformation display device. The actuator may move a deformation component of the haptic deformation display device. The deformation component may at least partially defining a shape of the haptic deformation display device, thereby causing the shape of the haptic deformation display device to deform into a second shape configuration different from the first shape configuration. The second shape configuration may be substantially maintained.

Claims

1. A method for deforming a shape of a haptic deformation display device, comprising:

receiving an input signal when the shape of the haptic deformation display device is in a first shape configuration;

actuating an actuator in response to the input signal;

moving, by the actuator, a deformation component of the haptic deformation display device, the deformation component at least partially defining a shape of the haptic deformation display device, thereby causing the shape of the haptic deformation display device to deform into a second shape configuration different from the first shape configuration; and

substantially maintaining the second shape configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said moving the deformation component further comprises:

moving, by the actuator, an arm coupled to the actuator and the deformation component, wherein the arm moves the deformation component of the haptic deformation display device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the arm is moved by rotating the arm, the rotation causing the arm to move the deformation component.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said rotating the arm is based on one or more rotation parameters that specify rotation of the arm.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the rotation parameters include one or more of:

a speed, a magnitude, a torque, or a rotational angle.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein a shape of the arm defines the movement of the deformation component.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

actuating the actuator at a plurality of intervals, thereby causing the shape of the haptic deformation display device to deform at each interval.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said moving the deformation component includes moving the deformation component according to a first motion and wherein the haptic deformation display device includes a plurality of deformation components, the method further comprising:

moving at least one other deformation component according to a second motion, the first motion different from the first motion.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first motion and the second motion are different based on a speed or an angle in which the deformation component and the at least one other deformation component are moved.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first motion and the second motion at least partially generate a waveform effect.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the device is communicably coupled to at least one other device, and wherein the received input signal originates from the at least one other device such that the at least one other device causes the device to deform into the second shape configuration.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one other device is at least one or more of:

a computing device executing an application, a second haptic deformation display device, and a cellular device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the device includes at least one sensor, the method further comprising:

receiving a sensory input from the at least one sensor, wherein the received input signal is based on the sensory input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensory input originates from at least one of:

a user of the haptic deformation display device and at least one other device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the actuator includes the at least one sensor.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting the sensory input to at least one other device.

17. A haptic deformation display device, comprising:

an actuator;

a deformation component at least partially defining a shape of the haptic deformation device; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive an input signal when the shape of the haptic deformation display device is in a first shape configuration; and

cause the actuator to actuate in response to the input signal,

wherein the actuator is configured to move the deformation component to cause the shape of the haptic deformation display device to deform into a second shape configuration different from the first shape configuration, wherein the actuator substantially maintains the second shape configuration.

18. The haptic deformation display device of claim 17, wherein the haptic deformation display device further comprises:

an arm coupled to the actuator and the deformation component, wherein the arm moves the deformation component of the haptic deformation display device in response to movement by the actuator.

19. The haptic deformation display device of claim 18, wherein the arm is moved by rotation of the arm, the rotation causing the arm to move the deformation component.

20. The haptic deformation display device of claim 19, wherein said rotation of the arm is based on one or more rotation parameters that specify rotation of the arm.

21. The haptic deformation display device of claim 20, wherein the rotation parameters include one or more of:

a speed, a magnitude, a torque, or a rotational angle.

22. The haptic deformation display device of claim 18, wherein a shape of the arm defines the movement of the deformation component.

23. The haptic deformation display device of claim 17, the processor further configured to:

activate the actuator at a plurality of intervals, thereby causing the shape of the haptic deformation display device to deform at each interval.

24. The haptic deformation display device of claim 17, wherein the actuator is configured to move the deformation component according to a first motion and wherein the haptic deformation display device includes a plurality of deformation components, the method further comprising:

moving at least one other deformation component according to a second motion, the first motion different from the first motion.

25. The haptic deformation display device of claim 24, wherein the first motion and the second motion are different based on a speed or an angle in which the deformation component and the at least one other deformation component are moved.

26. The haptic deformation display device of claim 25, wherein the first motion and the second motion at least partially generate a waveform effect.

27. The haptic deformation display device of claim 26, wherein the haptic deformation display device is communicably coupled to at least one other device, and wherein the received input signal originates from the at least one other device such that the at least one other device causes the device to deform into the second shape configuration.

28. The haptic deformation display device of claim 27, wherein the at least one other device is at least one or more of:

a computing device executing an application, a second haptic deformation display device, and a cellular device.

29. The haptic deformation display device of claim 26, wherein the haptic deformation display device includes at least one sensor, the processor further configured to:

receive a sensory input from the at least one sensor, wherein the received input signal is based on the sensory input.

30. The haptic deformation display device of claim 29, wherein the sensory input originates from at least one of:

a user of the haptic deformation display device and at least one other device.

31. The haptic deformation display device of claim 29, wherein the actuator includes the at least one sensor.

32. The haptic deformation display device of claim 29, the at least one sensor further configured to:

cause the sensory input to be transmitted to at least one other device.