WEARABLE DEVICE MANAGER

• US 20140218184A1
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: GRANT, Danny, CRUZ-HERNANDEZ, Juan Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,466,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A system for managing a plurality of wearable devices on a user receives information to be conveyed using haptic effects and determines an intent of the information. The system then determines, for each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices, a location of the wearable haptic device on the user and a haptic capability. The system then maps the information as a haptic effect to one or more of the wearable haptic devices based at least on the determined locations on the user and the haptic capabilities.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to manage a plurality of wearable haptic devices on a user, the managing comprising:

receiving information to be conveyed using haptic effects;

determining an intent of the information;

determining for each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices, a location of the wearable haptic device on the user and a haptic capability; and

mapping the information as a haptic effect to one or more of the wearable haptic devices based at least on the determined locations on the user and the haptic capabilities.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising for each of the locations on the user, determining a perceptual human threshold, wherein the mapping is based at least on the perceptual human thresholds.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the haptic capability comprises determining types of available haptic effects.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the types of available haptic effects comprise at least one of:

vibration, pressure, texture, temperature changes or deformation.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the haptic capability comprises determining types of actuators in each wearable haptic device.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, the managing further comprising:

determining a status of each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the intent comprises at least one of:

an alert, a notification, background information or directional information.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, the managing further comprising:

receiving audio or video data;

routing the audio or video data to one or more of the wearable haptic devices.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the receiving information to be conveyed using haptic effects is received from a standalone device manager.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wearable haptic devices on the user comprises devices that are held by the user.

10. A wearable device manager in communication with one or more wearable devices, the wearable device manager comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor manage the wearable devices;

wherein the processor, in response to receiving information to be conveyed;

determines an intent of the information;

determines, for each of the wearable devices, a location of the wearable device on a user and a capability; and

maps the information to one or more of the wearable devices based at least on the determined locations on the user and the capabilities.

11. The wearable device manager of claim 10, wherein the information is conveyed as a haptic effect, and the capability of the wearable device is a haptic capability.

12. The wearable device manager of claim 10, the processor further determining, for each of the locations on the user, a perceptual human threshold, wherein the mapping is based at least on the perceptual human thresholds.

13. The wearable device manager of claim 11, wherein the haptic capability comprises types of available haptic effects.

14. The wearable device manager of claim 13, wherein the types of available haptic effects comprise at least one of:

vibration, pressure, texture, temperature changes or deformation.

15. The wearable device manager of claim 11, wherein the haptic capability comprises determining types of actuators in each wearable device.

16. The wearable device manager of claim 10, the processor further determining a status of each of the wearable devices.

17. The wearable device manager of claim 10, wherein the intent comprises at least one of:

an alert, a notification, background information or directional information.

18. The wearable device manager of claim 10, wherein the information is conveyed as audio or video data, the processor routing the audio or video data to the one or more wearable devices.

29. The wearable device manager of claim 10, wherein the one or more wearable devices comprise devices that are held by the user.

31. The wearable device manager of claim 10, wherein a standalone manager is in communication with the wearable device manager, and the standalone manager provides the information.

32. The wearable device manager of claim 31, wherein the standalone manager is in communication with one or more additional wearable device managers and the standalone manager manages all of the wearable device managers.

19. A computer implemented method for managing a plurality of wearable haptic devices on a user, the method comprising:

receiving information to be conveyed using haptic effects;

determining an intent of the information;

determining for each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices, a location of the wearable haptic device on the user and a haptic capability; and

mapping the information as a haptic effect to one or more of the wearable haptic devices based at least on the determined locations on the user and the haptic capabilities.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19, further comprising for each of the locations on the user, determining a perceptual human threshold, wherein the mapping is based at least on the perceptual human thresholds.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 19, wherein determining the haptic capability comprises determining types of available haptic effects.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein the types of available haptic effects comprise at least one of:

vibration, pressure, texture, temperature changes or deformation.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 19, wherein determining the haptic capability comprises determining types of actuators in each wearable haptic device.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a status of each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 19, wherein the intent comprises at least one of:

an alert, a notification, background information or directional information.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving audio or video data; and

routing the audio or video data to one or more of the wearable haptic devices.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 19, wherein the receiving information to be conveyed using haptic effects is received from a standalone device manager.

30. The computer implemented method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of wearable haptic devices comprise devices that are held by the user.