Haptic effects with proximity sensing

• US 7,890,863 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Gregorio, Pedro, Grant, Danny A., Lacroix, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin; Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US11/744,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/710, 715/863, 345/169, 345/173
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method of generating haptic effects on a device includes detecting the presence of an object near an input area of the device and generating a haptic effect on the device in response to the presence detection.

Claims

1. A method of generating haptic effects on a device, said method comprising:

detecting the presence of an object near an input area of the device and not in contact with the device;

calculating an approximate contact time when the object will contact the input area;

and

initiating a haptic effect on the device in response to the presence detection;

wherein the initiating comprises energizing an actuator that has a delay time to reach a peak haptic output, and wherein the energizing occurs at a time in advance of the approximate contact time so that the delay time has elapsed by the approximate contact time;

wherein the haptic effect is generated on the device by the approximate contact time when the object contacts the input area.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the calculating comprises determining at least one of a position, speed, or acceleration of the object relative to the input area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said haptic effect comprises generating a vibration on the input area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a housing and said haptic effect comprises generating a vibration on the housing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said device is a cellular telephone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said input area is a touch sensitive surface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a position of the object relative to the input area; and

determining a functionality on the input area based on the position;

wherein said generating the haptic effect comprises selecting a first type of the haptic effect based on the functionality.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said generating the haptic effect comprises selecting a second type of the haptic effect based on the functionality, wherein said second type is different than said first type.

9. A haptically enabled device comprising:

an input area;

a proximity sensor coupled to said input area;

and a haptic feedback system coupled to said input area;

wherein said proximity sensor is adapted to detect the presence of an object near the input area but not touching the input area, and the haptic feedback system is adapted to calculate an approximate contact time when the object will contact the input area and initiate a haptic effect before the object touches the input area;

wherein the initiating comprises energizing an actuator that has a delay time to reach a peak haptic output, and wherein the energizing occurs at a time in advance of the approximate contact time so that the delay time has elapsed by the approximate contact time;

wherein the haptic effect is output on the device by the approximate contact time when the object contacts the input area.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the calculating comprises determining at least one of a position, speed, or acceleration of the object relative to the input area.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein said input area comprises a touch sensitive surface.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said touch sensitive surface is a touchscreen.

13. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate haptic effects on a device, said processor:

detecting the presence of an object near an input area of the device and not touching the input area;

determining an approximate contact time when the object will contact the input area;

and

initiating a haptic effect on the device in response to the presence detection;

wherein the initiating comprises energizing an actuator that has a delay time to reach a peak haptic output, and wherein the energizing occurs at a time in advance of the approximate contact time so that the delay time has elapsed by the approximate contact time;

wherein the haptic effect is generated on the device by the approximate contact time when the object contacts the input area.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the determining comprises determining at least one of a position, speed, or acceleration of the object relative to the input area.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said device comprises a housing and said haptic effect comprises generating a vibration on the housing.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said device is a cellular telephone.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said input area is a touch sensitive surface.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, said processor further:

determining a position of the object relative to the input area; and

determining a functionality on the input area based on the position;

wherein said generating the haptic effect comprises selecting a first type of the haptic effect based on the functionality.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein said generating the haptic effect comprises selecting a second type of the haptic effect based on the functionality, wherein said second type is different than said first type.

20. A haptically enabled device comprising:

means for detecting the presence of an object near an input area of the device, wherein the object is not touching the input area;

means for determining an approximate contact time when the object will contact the input area;

and

means for initiating a haptic effect on the device in response to the presence detection, wherein the initiating comprises energizing an actuator that has a delay time to reach a peak haptic output, and wherein the energizing occurs at a time in advance of the approximate contact time so that the delay time has elapsed by the approximate contact time;

wherein the haptic effect is generated on the device by the approximate contact time when the object contacts the input area.