Systems and Methods for Position-Based Haptic Effects

• US 20170168630A1
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Levesque, Vincent, Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Khoshkava, Vahid, Alghooneh, Mansoor, Rihn, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,990,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a sensor configured to detect a gesture and transmit an associated sensor signal. The gesture includes a first position at a distance from a surface and a second position contacting the surface. The system also includes a processor in communication with the sensor and configured to: receive the sensor signal from the sensor, and determine one or more haptic effects based at least in part on the sensor signal. The one or more haptic effects are configured to provide substantially continuous haptic feedback throughout the gesture. The processor is also configured to generate one or more haptic signals based at least in part on the one or more haptic effects, and transmit the one or more haptic signals. The system includes a haptic output device for receiving the one or more haptic signals and outputting the one or more haptic effects.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a gesture and transmit a sensor signal associated with the gesture, wherein the gesture comprises at least two positions, a first position of the at least two positions comprising a distance from a surface and a second position of the at least two positions comprising a contact with the surface; and

a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to;

receive the sensor signal from the sensor;

determine one or more haptic effects based at least in part on the sensor signal, the one or more haptic effects configured to provide substantially continuous haptic feedback throughout the gesture;

generate one or more haptic signals based at least in part on the one or more haptic effects; and

transmit the one or more haptic signals; and

a haptic output device in communication with the processor, the haptic output device configured to receive the one or more haptic signals and output the one or more haptic effects.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gesture comprises a starting position that is remote from the surface and an ending position that is remote from the surface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gesture is between the at least two positions, the gesture starting in the first position and ending in the second position.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more haptic effects comprises a remote haptic effect and a local haptic effect, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause the haptic output device to output the remote haptic effect in response to detecting a first interaction at the first position; and

cause the haptic output device to output the local haptic effect in response to detecting a second interaction at the second position.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the haptic output device comprises a first haptic output device positioned in a wearable device configured to be worn by a user and a second haptic output device coupled to the surface;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

cause the first haptic output device to output the remote haptic effect in response to detecting the first interaction at the first position; and

cause the second haptic output device to output the local haptic effect in response to detecting the second interaction at the second position.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the gesture comprises a movement of a body part;

the remote haptic effect comprises generating an electrostatic coupling with the body part or emitting a solid, liquid, gas, plasma, sound pressure wave, or laser beam toward the body part;

the local haptic effect comprises a vibration, a texture, a perceived change in a coefficient of friction, a surface deformation, or a variation in temperature; and

the sensor comprises a camera, a 3D imaging device, a gyroscope, a global positioning system (GPS), a light emitting diode (LED), an infrared sensor, or an ultrasonic transducer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, based at least in part on a position of the at least two positions, a user interface level from a plurality of available user interface levels;

determine a function associated with the user interface level; and

execute the function.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a body part based on a second sensor signal from a second sensor;

determine that the body part comprises a sensitive body part;

determine that at least one haptic effect of the one or more haptic effects is configured to be applied to the sensitive body part; and

determine a characteristic of the at least one haptic effect configured to reduce a likelihood of injury to the sensitive body part.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a sensor signal associated with a gesture from a sensor, wherein the gesture comprises at least two positions, a first position of the at least two positions comprising a distance from a surface and a second position of the at least two positions comprising a contact with the surface;

determining one or more haptic effects based at least in part on the sensor signal, the one or more haptic effects configured to provide substantially continuous haptic feedback throughout the gesture;

generating one or more haptic signals based at least in part on the one or more haptic effects; and

transmitting the one or more haptic signals to a haptic output device, the haptic output device configured to receive the one or more haptic signals and output the one or more haptic effects.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the gesture comprises a starting position that is remote from the surface and an ending position that is remote from the surface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the gesture is between the at least two positions, the gesture starting in the first position and ending in the second position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more haptic effects comprises a remote haptic effect and a local haptic effect, and further comprising:

outputting the remote haptic effect in response to detecting a first interaction at the first position; and

outputting the local haptic effect in response to detecting a second interaction at the second position.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the haptic output device comprises a first haptic output device positioned in a wearable device and a second haptic output device coupled to the surface;

and

further comprising;

outputting the remote haptic effect via the first haptic output device in response to detecting the first interaction at the first position; and

outputting the local haptic effect via the second haptic output device in response to detecting the second interaction at the second position.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the gesture comprises a movement of a body part;

the remote haptic effect comprises generating an electrostatic coupling with the body part or emitting a solid, liquid, gas, plasma, sound pressure wave, or laser beam toward the body part;

the local haptic effect comprises a vibration, a texture, a perceived change in a coefficient of friction, a surface deformation, or a variation in temperature; and

the sensor comprises a camera, a 3D imaging device, a gyroscope, a global positioning system (GPS), or an ultrasonic transducer.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on a position of the at least two positions, a user interface level from a plurality of available user interface levels;

determining a function associated with the user interface level; and

executing the function.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a body part based on a second sensor signal from a second sensor;

determining that the body part comprises a sensitive body part;

determining that at least one haptic effect of the one or more haptic effects is configured to be applied to the sensitive body part; and

determining a characteristic of the at least one haptic effect configured to reduce a likelihood of injury to the sensitive body part.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program code, which when executed by a processor is configured to cause the processor to:

receive a sensor signal associated with a gesture from a sensor, wherein the gesture comprises at least two positions, a first position of the at least two positions comprising a distance from a surface and a second position of the at least two positions comprising a contact with the surface;

determine one or more haptic effects based at least in part on the sensor signal, the one or more haptic effects configured to provide substantially continuous haptic feedback throughout the gesture;

generate one or more haptic signals based at least in part on the one or more haptic effects; and

transmit the one or more haptic signals to a haptic output device, the haptic output device configured to receive the one or more haptic signals and output the one or more haptic effects.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the gesture comprises a starting position that is remote from the surface and an ending position that is remote from the surface.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

the gesture is between the at least two positions, the gesture starting in the first position and ending in the second position; and

the one or more haptic effects comprises a remote haptic effect and a local haptic effect; and

further comprising program code which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to;

cause the haptic output device to output the remote haptic effect in response to detecting a first interaction at the first position; and

cause the haptic output device to output the local haptic effect in response to detecting a second interaction at the second position.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the haptic output device comprises a first haptic output device positioned in a wearable device and a second haptic output device coupled to the surface;

and

further comprising program code which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to;

cause the first haptic output device to output the remote haptic effect in response to detecting the first interaction at the first position; and

cause the second haptic output device to output the local haptic effect in response to detecting the second interaction at the second position.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein:

the gesture comprises a movement of a body part;

the remote haptic effect comprises generating an electrostatic coupling with the body part or emitting a solid, liquid, gas, plasma, sound pressure wave, or laser beam toward the body part;

the local haptic effect comprises a vibration, a texture, a perceived change in a coefficient of friction, a surface deformation, or a variation in temperature; and

the sensor comprises a camera, a 3D imaging device, a gyroscope, a global positioning system (GPS), or an ultrasonic transducer.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising program code which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to:

determine, based at least in part on a position of the at least two positions, a user interface level from a plurality of available user interface levels;

determine a function associated with the user interface level; and

execute the function.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising program code which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to:

determine a body part based on a second sensor signal from a second sensor;

determine that the body part comprises a sensitive body part;

determine that at least one haptic effect of the one or more haptic effects is configured to be applied to the sensitive body part; and

determine a characteristic of the at least one haptic effect configured to reduce a likelihood of injury to the sensitive body part.