SYNCHRONIZATION OF HAPTIC EFFECT DATA IN A MEDIA TRANSPORT STREAM

• US 20140226068A1
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: LACROIX, Robert A., DA COSTA, Henrique D., TIMONE, Herve Thu, RANK, Stephen D., ULLRICH, Christopher J., RABEMIARISOA, Andrianaivo
• Granted Patent: US 9,615,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/515
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56

Abstract

A method for synchronizing haptic effects with at least one media component in a media transport stream includes identifying a series of video frames containing imaging information and/or a series of audio frames containing sound information in the media transport stream; identifying a series of haptic frames containing force feedback information in the media transport stream; and synchronizing the force feedback information in response to the imaging information and/or sound information.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing haptic effects with at least one media component in a media transport stream, the method comprising:

identifying a series of video frames containing imaging information and/or a series of audio frames containing sound information in the media transport stream;

identifying a series of haptic frames containing force feedback information in the media transport stream; and

synchronizing the force feedback information in response to the imaging information and/or sound information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein synchronizing the force feedback information comprises utilizing time stamps within the series of video frames and/or audio frames to determine which haptic frame of the series of haptic frames to play back with a selected video frame and/or audio frame.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising assigning time stamps to the haptic frames.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the haptic frames is sized with substantially the same length of time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each haptic frame contains multiple haptic effects.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the multiple haptic effects are offset in time from one another relative to the start of the haptic frame.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the force feedback information comprises at least one parameter of selected from the group consisting of:

intensity/magnitude, duration, periodicity, start-delay, attack intensity, attack timing, fade intensity, and fade timing of a haptic effect.

8. An apparatus for synchronizing haptic effects with at least one media component in a media transport stream, the apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a series of video frames containing imaging information and/or a series of audio frames containing sound information in the media transport stream;

means for identifying a series of haptic frames containing force feedback information in the media transport stream; and

means for synchronizing the force feedback information in response to the imaging information and/or sound information.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for synchronizing the force feedback information comprises means for utilizing time stamps within the series of video frames and/or audio frames to determine which haptic frame of the series of haptic frames to play back with a selected video frame and/or audio frame.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising means for assigning time stamps to the haptic frames.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of the haptic frames is sized with substantially the same length of time.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each haptic frame contains multiple haptic effects.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the multiple haptic effects are offset in time from one another relative to the start of the haptic frame.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the force feedback information comprises at least one parameter of selected from the group consisting of:

intensity/magnitude, duration, periodicity, start-delay, attack intensity, attack timing, fade intensity, and fade timing of a haptic effect.