Design of force sensations for haptic feedback computer interfaces

• US 7,091,948 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B., Chang, Dean C., Mallett, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy H.
• Application Number:
  US09/947,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20020163498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 345/167, 345/700, 345/701, 345/702, 463/30, 463/37, 463/38, 715/701, 715/702, 715/727
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A design interface tool for designing force sensations for use with a host computer and haptic feedback interface device. A haptic feedback device communicates with a host computer that displays the interface tool. The user selects and characterizes force sensations using the interface tool, and a graphical representation of the characterized force sensation is displayed. The characterized force sensation is output to a user manipulatable object of the force feedback device so that the user can feel the designed force sensation The user can include multiple force sensations in a compound force sensation, where the compound sensation is graphically displayed to indicate the relative start times and duration of each of the force sensations. The user can also associate a sound with the force sensation, such that the sound is output in conjunction with the output of the force sensation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a signal associated with a characteristic for a force feedback sensation from a force feedback design interface;

outputting a signal associated with the display of a graphical representation of the force feedback sensation with the characteristic;

receiving a signal associated with sound data; and

associating the sound data with the force feedback sensation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting a signal associated with the sound data and a signal associated with the force feedback sensation approximately simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting a signal associated with the force feedback sensation in response to receiving a test signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises a plurality of different characteristics.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the force feedback sensation comprises a plurality of different force feedback sensations.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising outputting a signal associated with a compound force, wherein the compound force comprises the plurality of different force feedback sensations.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the graphical representation comprises a bar graph.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the bar graph comprises a plurality of bars each corresponding to one of the plurality of different force feedback sensations and further comprising outputting a signal comprising instructions for moving a marker among the plurality of bars in the bar graph in conjunction with the outputting of each of the plurality of different force feedback sensations.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the characteristic and the sound data on a computer-readable medium.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising executing a computer program other than the force feedback design interface to access the characteristic and the sound data on the computer-readable medium.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of a duration, a magnitude, a frequency, and a direction.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting a signal associated with the sound data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation comprises a time-based graphical representation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

outputting a signal associated with the force feedback sensation; and

outputting a signal comprising instructions for varying the graphical representation in conjunction with the output of the force feedback sensation.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the force feedback sensation comprises at least one of a condition, an effect, and a dynamic.

16. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded processor-executable program code, the computer-readable medium comprising:

program code for receiving a signal associated with a characteristic for a force feedback sensation from a force feedback design interface;

program code for outputting a signal associated with the display of a graphical representation of the force feedback sensation with the characteristic;

program code for receiving a signal associated with sound data; and

program code for associating the sound data with the force feedback sensation.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code for outputting a signal associated with the sound data and a signal associated with the force feedback sensation approximately simultaneously.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code for outputting a signal associated with the force feedback sensation in response to receiving a test signal.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the characteristic comprises a plurality of different characteristics.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the force feedback sensation comprises a plurality of different force feedback sensations.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising program code for outputting a signal associated with a compound force, wherein the compound force comprises the plurality of different force feedback sensations.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the graphical representation comprises a bar graph.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the bar graph comprises a plurality of bars each corresponding to one of the plurality of different force feedback sensations and further comprising program code for outputting a signal comprising instructions for moving a marker among the plurality of bars in the bar graph in conjunction with the outputting of each of the plurality of different force feedback sensations.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code for storing the characteristic and the sound data on a computer-readable medium.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code for outputting a signal associated with the sound data.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising:

program code for outputting a signal associated with the force feedback sensation; and

program code for outputting a signal comprising instructions for varying the graphical representation in conjunction with the output of the force feedback sensation.