Implementing force feedback over the World Wide Web and other computer networks
First Claim
1. A method for providing force feedback over a network comprising:
- causing a connection to be established between a server machine and a client machine over a network, said client machine including a visual display device and an interface device providing computer-controlled physical force feedback to a user of said interface device;
receiving web page information from said server machine over said network, said web page information including screen display information representing a visual layout of a web page and force feedback information related to providing a feel sensation correlated with said visual layout;
causing a display of said web page based upon said screen display information, said display provided on said visual display device of said client machine;
receiving input information from said interface device for positioning a displayed cursor with respect to said visual layout of said web page; and
causing a force feedback signal to be output to said interface device, said force feedback signal based upon said input information and based upon said web page information received over said network, wherein said causing said force feedback signal to be output includes a call to a force feedback program running on said client machine that provides said force feedback signal received by said interface device, wherein said interface device outputs computer-controlled physical force feedback to said user correlated with said visual layout of said web page on said visual display device, said force feedback being based upon said force feedback signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Force feedback is provided to a user of a client computer receiving information such as a web page over a network such as the World Wide Web from a server machine. The client machine has a force feedback interface device through which the user experiences physical force feedback. The web page may include force feedback information to provide authored force effects. Force feedback is correlated to web page objects by a force feedback program running on the client and based on input information from the interface device, the web page objects, and the force feedback information. Generic force effects can also be provided, which are applied uniformly at the client machine to all web page objects of a particular type as defined by user preferences at the client machine. A web page authoring interface is also described that includes the ability to add force sensations to a web page. The user may assign force effects to web page objects and immediately feel how the web page will feel to an end user. A web page is output by the interface, including force information to provide the force effects at a client. The authoring tool can include or access a force design interface for creating or modifying force effects.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method for providing force feedback over a network comprising:
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causing a connection to be established between a server machine and a client machine over a network, said client machine including a visual display device and an interface device providing computer-controlled physical force feedback to a user of said interface device; receiving web page information from said server machine over said network, said web page information including screen display information representing a visual layout of a web page and force feedback information related to providing a feel sensation correlated with said visual layout; causing a display of said web page based upon said screen display information, said display provided on said visual display device of said client machine; receiving input information from said interface device for positioning a displayed cursor with respect to said visual layout of said web page; and causing a force feedback signal to be output to said interface device, said force feedback signal based upon said input information and based upon said web page information received over said network, wherein said causing said force feedback signal to be output includes a call to a force feedback program running on said client machine that provides said force feedback signal received by said interface device, wherein said interface device outputs computer-controlled physical force feedback to said user correlated with said visual layout of said web page on said visual display device, said force feedback being based upon said force feedback signal.
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2. A method for providing force effects for a web page, the method comprising:
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determining which of a plurality of web page objects are force web page objects to be associated with at least one force effect, wherein said force web page objects are web page objects having a predefined type, said web page objects to be displayed in a web page, wherein said web page is derived from web page information received from a server machine over a network, said web page information including screen display information representing said web page objects; and assigning at least one generic force effect to be associated with each of said force web page objects, each of said generic force effects being defined by effect information derived from a client machine, wherein at least one generic force effect associated with a particular one of said force web page objects causes a force signal to be output by said client machine when a user-controlled cursor interacts with said particular force web page object, said cursor and said force web page objects being displayed on said web page by said client machine, wherein said force signal causes an actuator of a force feedback interface device coupled to said client machine to output a force sensation to a user of said force feedback interface device, and wherein said force signal is based on at least a portion of said effect information. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for providing force effects for a web page, the method comprising:
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determining which of a plurality of web page objects are associated with one or more authored force effects, wherein effect information specifying said authored force effects is included in web page information received by a client machine from a server machine over a network, wherein said web page information also includes screen display information representing said web page objects to be displayed in a web page on said client machine; determining which of said web page objects are associated with one or more generic force effects, wherein effect information specifying said generic force effects is stored on said client machine prior to receiving said web page information, and wherein said generic force effects are each applicable to a predefined type of web page object; and providing force information when a user-controlled cursor interacts with a particular web page object on said web page associated with at least one of said authored force effects or associated with at least one of said generic force effects, wherein said force information causes a force signal to be output to a force feedback interface device coupled to said client machine and causes an actuator of said force feedback interface device to output a force sensation to a user of said force feedback interface device, and wherein said force information is based on said effect information associated with said particular web page object. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for implementing a web page authoring interface including the ability to add force sensations to a web page, the method comprising:
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causing said web page authoring interface to be displayed on a display device of a host computer, said web page authoring interface displaying a web page including a plurality of web page objects, at least one of said web page objects being a hyperlink object; receiving input from a user to said web page authoring interface, said input selecting one of said web page objects and selecting a force effect to be associated with said selected web page object; and outputting a web page including said web page objects and including force information to allow said force effect to be implemented when said web page is displayed by a client machine after being received by said client machine from a server machine over a network, wherein said force effect is commanded by said client machine and output as a force sensation by a force feedback interface device coupled to said client machine, said force feedback interface device including a user manipulatable object graspable and moveable by a user of said client machine. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for implementing a force-enabled web page authoring interface, the method comprising:
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causing said force-enabled web page authoring interface to be displayed on a display device of a host computer, said force sensation design interface displaying a web page including a plurality of web page objects; and receiving input from a user to said force-enabled web page authoring interface, said input spatially designating an area of at least one of said web page objects to be associated with at least one selected force effect, said at least one selected force effect to be commanded by a client machine receiving said web page and output as a force sensation by a force feedback interface device, said force feedback interface device including a user manipulatable object graspable and moveable by a user of said client machine. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method for implementing a force sensation design interface for a web page, the method comprising:
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causing said force sensation design interface to be displayed on a display device of a host computer, said force sensation design interface displaying a web page including a plurality of web page objects; receiving input from a user to said force sensation design interface, said input associating at least one force effect with at least one of said web page objects, said force effect to be commanded by said host computer and output by a force feedback interface device, said force feedback interface device including a user manipulatable object graspable by a user and moveable in a degree of freedom; and automatically inserting a predefined graphical identifier into said web page, said identifier indicating to a user that said web page provides force effects for use with a force feedback interface device. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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49. An apparatus for implementing a web page authoring interface including the ability to add force sensations to a web page, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving input from a user in a web page authoring interface displayed on a display device of a host computer, said web page authoring interface displaying a web page including a plurality of web page objects including a hyperlink object, and wherein said input selects one of said web page objects and selects a force effect to be associated with said selected web page object; and means for outputting a web page including said web page objects and including force information to allow said force effect to be implemented when said web page is displayed by a client machine after being received by said client machine from a server machine over a network, wherein said force effect is commanded by said client machine and output as a force sensation by a force feedback interface device coupled to said client machine, said force feedback interface device including a user manipulatable object graspable and moveable by a user of said client machine. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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52. A method for providing force effects for a web page, the method comprising:
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receiving web page information from a server machine over a network, said web page information including screen display information representing a plurality of web page objects to be displayed in said web page; determining which of said web page objects are force web page objects to be associated with at least one force effect, wherein said force web page objects are web page objects having a predefined type; and assigning a generic force effect for each of said force web page objects, each of said generic force effects being defined by associated effect information derived from a client machine, wherein a generic force effect associated with a particular one of said force web page objects causes a force signal to be output by said client machine when a user-controlled cursor interacts with said particular force web page object, said cursor and said force web page objects being displayed on said web page by said client machine, wherein said force signal causes an actuator of a force feedback interface device coupled to said client machine to output a force sensation to a user of said force feedback interface device, and wherein said force signal is based on said effect information associated with said generic force effect that is assigned to said particular force web page object.
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Specification