METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING MOOD-BASED HAPTIC FEEDBACK

• US 20130225261A1
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,841,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating mood-based haptic feedback are disclosed. A haptic system includes a sensing device, a digital processing unit, and a haptic generator. The sensing device, in one embodiment, is configured to detect user'"'"'s modalities in accordance with mood information collected by one or more sensors and capable of issuing a sensing signal in response to the user'"'"'s modalities. The digital processing unit is capable of identifying a user'"'"'s condition in accordance with the sensing signal and providing a haptic signal in response to the user'"'"'s condition. The user'"'"'s condition, in one aspect, indicates user'"'"'s mood and/or user'"'"'s psychological conditions. The haptic generator generates haptic feedback in accordance with the haptic signal.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method, comprising:

sensing a mood of a player playing a game on a gaming device; and

adjusting a level of difficulty of the game based on the sensed mood of the player.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein when the player is sensed to be in a relaxed mood, the level of difficulty is adjusted to be increased to a more difficult level.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein when the player is sensed to be in a tensed or excited mood, the level of difficulty is adjusted to be increased to an easier level.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said sensing comprises sensing at least one biometric of the player.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the biometric is selected from the group consisting of:

body temperature, body humidity or perspiration, heart pulse or rate, breathing rhythms, body posture, and hand gestures or movements.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing haptic feedback to the player to maintain the mood of the player.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing haptic feedback to the player to change the mood of the player.

27. A haptic device, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a mood of a user of the haptic device; and

a haptic generator configured to generate haptic feedback based on the mood sensed by the sensor,

wherein the haptic device is a wearable device configured to worn by the user.

28. The haptic device of claim 27, wherein the sensor is configured to sense at least one biometric of the user.

29. The haptic device of claim 28, wherein the biometric is selected from the group consisting of:

body temperature, body humidity or perspiration, heart pulse or rate, breathing rhythms, body posture, and hand gestures or movements.

30. The haptic device of claim 27, wherein the haptic device is a haptic watch.

31. The haptic device of claim 27, wherein the haptic generator is configured to generate haptic feedback to change the mood of the user.

32. The haptic device of claim 27, wherein the haptic generator is configured to generate haptic feedback to maintain the mood of the user.