Semantic Framework for Variable Haptic Output

• US 20180082552A1
• Filed: 11/27/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Moussette, Camille, Butcher, Gary I., Verweij, Hugo D., Ive, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 10,504,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0745 in an input/output transactions management context input/output processing in general G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0763 by bit configuration check, e.g. of formats or tags
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

Methods and apparatus organize a plurality of haptic output variations into a cohesive semantic framework that uses various information about the alert condition and trigger, application context, and other conditions to provide a system of haptic outputs that share characteristics between related events. In some embodiments, an event class or application class provides the basis for a corresponding haptic output. In some embodiments, whether an alert-salience setting is on provides the basis for adding an increased salience haptic output to the standard haptic output for the alert. In some embodiments, consistent haptics provide for branding of the associated application class, application, and/or context.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method performed on a computing device, the method comprising:

detecting an alert condition associated with an application executing on the computing device; and

responsive to detecting the alert condition;

determining a state associated with the application at a time associated with the alert condition;

in accordance with a determination that the application was in an active state at the time associated with the alert condition, providing a first haptic output that represents the occurrence of the alert condition, the first haptic output having a first set of output characteristics; and

in accordance with a determination that the application was in an inactive state at the time associated with the alert condition, providing a second haptic output that represents the occurrence of the alert condition, the second haptic output having a second set of output characteristics, wherein the second haptic output is different from the first haptic output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state associated with the application at the time associated with the alert condition comprises determining whether a user interface for the application was displayed on a touchscreen of the computing device at the time associated with the alert condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the application was in the active state based on a detected user interaction with the application;

determining a level of user engagement associated with the user interaction at the time of the alert condition; and

determining one or more of the first set of output characteristics for the first haptic output based on the determined level of engagement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the state associated with the application at the time associated with the alert condition comprises determining whether a user interface for the application was displayed on a touchscreen of the computing device at the time associated with the alert condition, wherein;

determining that the application was in the active state comprises determining that a user interface for the application was displayed on the touchscreen of the computing device at the time associated with the alert condition; and

determining that the application was in the inactive state comprises determining that a user interface for the application was not displayed on the touchscreen of the computing device at the time associated with the alert condition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a respective user interface window corresponding to the application is displayed concurrently with one or more other user interface windows on a multi-application-window user interface on the computing device; and

determining the state associated with the application at the time associated with the alert condition comprises determining whether the respective user interface window corresponding to the application was displayed in the foreground of the multi-application-window user interface at the time associated with the alert condition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

one or more user interface windows are concurrently displayed on a multi-application-window user interface on the computing device at the time associated with the alert condition; and

determining the state associated with the application at the time associated with the alert condition comprises determining whether a respective user interface window corresponding to the application was displayed in the multi-application-window user interface at the time associated with the alert condition.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert condition corresponds to an event that is automatically triggered by the application, an automatically initiated event notification received by the application from a source external to the computing device, or a manually initiated event notification received by the application from a human user other than a user operating the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first haptic output is accompanied by a first audio output;

the second haptic output is accompanied by a second audio output;

the first haptic output is identical to the second haptic output; and

the first audio output is different from the second audio output.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first haptic output is accompanied by an audio output;

the second haptic output is accompanied by the audio output; and

the first haptic output is different from the second haptic output.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second haptic output is accompanied by an audio output, a waveform of the second haptic output generated based on, mirroring, and synchronized to a waveform of the accompanying audio output.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first haptic output is not accompanied by an audio output; and

the second haptic output is accompanied by an audio output.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first haptic output is similar to the second haptic output.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second haptic output has a greater intensity than the first haptic output.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of characteristics comprises one or more of:

an amplitude, a duration, a regularity, a repetition frequency, or a selection of haptic features of the first haptic output.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second haptic output is different and has a greater intensity than the first haptic output.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein

determining the state associated with the application at the time associated with the alert condition comprises determining a state of the computing device at the time associated with the alert condition, wherein:

determining that the application was in the active state comprises determining that the computing device was active at the time associated with the alert condition; and

determining that the application was in the inactive state comprises determining that the computing device was inactive at the time associated with the alert condition.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of characteristics correspond to a device type of the computing device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at a first point in time, while the application is in the active state, detecting a first alert condition associated with the application;

responsive to detecting the first alert condition while the first application is in the active state, providing a first output representing the first alert condition;

at a second point in time, while the first application is in an inactive state, detecting a second alert condition;

responsive to detecting the second alert condition while that the application is in the inactive state, providing the second haptic output representing the second alert condition, the second haptic output different from the first haptic output.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the computing device has a touch-sensitive display; and

the first haptic output and the second haptic output are provided via a touch-sensitive display on the computing device.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

detecting an alert condition associated with an application executing on the computing device; and

responsive to detecting the alert condition;

determining a state associated with the application at a time associated with the alert condition;

in accordance with a determination that the application was in an active state at the time associated with the alert condition, providing a first haptic output that represents the occurrence of the alert condition, the first haptic output having a first set of output characteristics; and

in accordance with a determination that the application was in an inactive state at the time associated with the alert condition, providing a second haptic output that represents the occurrence of the alert condition, the second haptic output having a second set of output characteristics, wherein the second haptic output is different from the first haptic output.

21. A computing device comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface; and

memory storing one or more programs that include instructions for;

detecting an alert condition associated with an application executing on the computing device; and

responsive to detecting the alert condition;

determining a state associated with the application at a time associated with the alert condition;

in accordance with a determination that the application was in an active state at the time associated with the alert condition, providing a first haptic output that represents the occurrence of the alert condition, the first haptic output having a first set of output characteristics; and

in accordance with a determination that the application was in an inactive state at the time associated with the alert condition, providing a second haptic output that represents the occurrence of the alert condition, the second haptic output having a second set of output characteristics, wherein the second haptic output is different from the first haptic output.