GLOVES THAT INCLUDE HAPTIC FEEDBACK FOR USE WITH HMD SYSTEMS

• US 20160363997A1
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Black, Glenn, Osman, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 10,275,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A glove interface object is provided, comprising: a plurality of fluid channels disposed on a palmar side of the glove interface object, the fluid channels containing a magnetic fluid; a plurality of electromagnets positioned on the palmar side of the glove interface object, each of the plurality of electromagnets being configured when activated to generate a magnetic field that acts on at least a portion of the magnetic fluid; a controller configured to control activation and deactivation of the electromagnets based on received haptic feedback data.

Claims

1. A glove interface object, comprising:

a plurality of fluid channels disposed on a palmar side of the glove interface object, the fluid channels containing a magnetic fluid;

a plurality of electromagnets positioned on the palmar side of the glove interface object, each of the plurality of electromagnets being configured when activated to generate a magnetic field that acts on at least a portion of the magnetic fluid;

a controller configured to control activation and deactivation of the electromagnets based on received haptic feedback data.

2. The glove interface object of claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback data is defined based on contact between a virtual hand and a virtual object in a virtual environment, wherein the haptic feedback data provides for activation of a portion of the electromagnets that are configured to attract a portion of the magnetic fluid, the portion of the magnetic fluid being positioned on a region of the glove interface object that corresponds to a region of the virtual hand that contacts the virtual object.

3. The glove interface object of claim 2, wherein the haptic feedback data provides for deactivation of a second portion of the electromagnets that are configured to attract a second portion of the magnetic fluid, the second portion of the magnetic fluid positioned on a region of the glove interface object that corresponds to a region of the virtual hand that does not contact the virtual object.

4. The glove interface object of claim 2, wherein the haptic feedback data defines a strength of activation of the portion of the electromagnets, wherein the strength of activation is correlated to a level of pressure exerted on the region of the virtual hand that contacts the virtual object.

5. The glove interface object of claim 2, wherein the virtual environment is generated from execution of an interactive application by a computing device, the interactive application further generating a view of the virtual environment that is rendered on a head-mounted display (HMD).

6. The glove interface object of claim 5, wherein the contact between the virtual hand and the virtual object is shown in the view of the virtual environment that is rendered on the HMD.

7. The glove interface object of claim 5, wherein movements of the virtual hand are controlled by detected movements of the glove interface object, wherein the interactive application generates the haptic feedback data based on the detected movements of the glove interface object.

8. The glove interface object of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of fluid channels includes at least one fluid channel defined on at least one phalange segment of each finger portion of the glove interface object;

wherein the plurality of electromagnets includes at least one electromagnet defined on at least one phalange segment of each finger portion of the glove interface object.

9. The glove interface object of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor configured to generate data identifying a pose of at least a portion of the glove interface object.

10. A system, comprising:

a computing device configured to execute an interactive application to generate a virtual environment that includes a virtual hand;

a head-mounted display (HMD), the HMD configured to render a view of the virtual environment generated by the interactive application;

a glove interface object, including,

a plurality of fluid channels disposed on a palmar side of the glove interface object, the fluid channels containing a magnetic fluid,

a plurality of electromagnets positioned on the palmar side of the glove interface object, each of the plurality of electromagnets being configured when activated to generate a magnetic field that acts on at least a portion of the magnetic fluid,

a controller configured to control activation and deactivation of the electromagnets based on haptic feedback data received from the computing device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the haptic feedback data is defined based on contact between the virtual hand and a virtual object in the virtual environment, wherein the haptic feedback data provides for activation of a portion of the electromagnets that are configured to attract a portion of the magnetic fluid, the portion of the magnetic fluid being positioned on a region of the glove interface object that corresponds to a region of the virtual hand that contacts the virtual object.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the haptic feedback data provides for deactivation of a second portion of the electromagnets that are configured to attract a second portion of the magnetic fluid, the second portion of the magnetic fluid positioned on a region of the glove interface object that corresponds to a region of the virtual hand that does not contact the virtual object.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the haptic feedback data defines a strength of activation of the portion of the electromagnets, wherein the strength of activation is correlated to a level of pressure exerted on the region of the virtual hand that contacts the virtual object.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the contact between the virtual hand and the virtual object is shown in the view of the virtual environment that is rendered on the HMD.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein movements of the virtual hand are controlled by detected movements of the glove interface object, wherein the interactive application generates the haptic feedback data based on the detected movements of the glove interface object.

16. The system of claim 10,

wherein the plurality of fluid channels includes at least one fluid channel defined on at least one phalange segment of each finger portion of the glove interface object;

wherein the plurality of electromagnets includes at least one electromagnet defined on at least one phalange segment of each finger portion of the glove interface object.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the glove interface object further includes at least one sensor configured to generate data identifying a pose of at least a portion of the glove interface object.