Method and apparatus for generating mood-based haptic feedback

• US 8,004,391 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Cruz Hernandez, Juan Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Blount; Eric M
• Application Number:
  US12/274,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20100123588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/407.1
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A method and apparatus of generating mood-based haptic feedback are disclosed. A haptic system includes a sensing device, a digital processing unit, and a haptic generator. The sensing device, in one embodiment, is configured to detect user'"'"'s modalities in accordance with mood information collected by one or more sensors and capable of issuing a sensing signal in response to the user'"'"'s modalities. The digital processing unit is capable of identifying a user'"'"'s condition in accordance with the sensing signal and providing a haptic signal in response to the user'"'"'s condition. The user'"'"'s condition, in one aspect, indicates user'"'"'s mood and/or user'"'"'s psychological conditions. The haptic generator generates haptic feedback in accordance with the haptic signal.

Claims

1. A haptic system, comprising:

a sensing device configured to collect mood information via one or more sensors and generate a sensing signal in response to the collected mood information;

a digital processing unit coupled to the sensing device and configured to identify a user'"'"'s current mood in accordance with the sensing signal, wherein the digital processing unit is further configured to provide a first haptic signal to maintain the user'"'"'s current mood when the user'"'"'s current mood is desired and a second haptic signal to change the user'"'"'s current mood when the user'"'"'s current mood is not desired; and

a haptic generator coupled to the digital processing unit and configured to generate at least one haptic feedback in accordance with the first or second haptic signal, wherein the at least one haptic feedback comprises a first type of haptic feedback to maintain the user'"'"'s current mood or a second type of haptic feedback to change the user'"'"'s current mood.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second device logically coupled to the digital processing unit and configured to generate the at least one haptic feedback based on the user'"'"'s current mood.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second device is configured to use a wireless communications network to communicate with the digital processing unit.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second device is a gaming device configured to adjust game events in accordance with the user'"'"'s current mood.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the second device is an alert device configured to issue an alert in connection with the user'"'"'s current mood.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mood information comprises one or more of:

facial expressions, voices, temperatures, level of humidity, or electrical pulses.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing device is further configured to detect one or more ambient conditions, wherein the sensing signal is based on the one or more ambient conditions and the mood information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a the haptic generator is coupled to the digital processing unit via a wireless communications network.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a filter configured to process the mood information to remove unwanted components from the mood information, wherein the sensing signal is generated in response to the filtered mood information.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one haptic feedback is dynamically generated to emulate the user'"'"'s current mood.

26. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first device comprising the sensing device, the digital processing unit, and the haptic generator; and

two or more second devices associated with two or more second users, wherein the first device is configured to send the first haptic signal and the second haptic signal to the two or more second devices via a communications network.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic generator is configured to generate the first type of haptic feedback to maintain the user'"'"'s current mood.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic generator is configured to generate the second type of haptic feedback to change the user'"'"'s current mood.

9. A method for generating haptic cues, comprising:

sensing a first event associated with a user;

generating a sensing signal in response to the first event;

determining a user'"'"'s current mood in response to the sensing signal;

generating a first haptic signal to maintain the user'"'"'s current mood when the user'"'"'s current mood is desired and a second haptic signal to change the user'"'"'s current mood when the user'"'"'s current mood is not desired;

forwarding the first haptic signal and the second haptic signal to a haptic generator; and

generating at least one haptic feedback in response to the first or the second haptic signal, wherein the at least one haptic feedback comprises a first type of haptic feedback to maintain the user'"'"'s current mood or a second type of haptic feedback to change the user'"'"'s current mood.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising adjusting levels of difficulties of a game in accordance with the user'"'"'s current mood.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing an alert indicating the user'"'"'s current mood.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising sensing a second event associated with an ambient condition, wherein the sensing signal is based on the first event and the second event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein sensing a second event associated with an ambient condition further comprises detecting a temperature of a surrounding environment.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing a first event associated with a user comprises sensing one or more of:

facial expressions, voices, or heart rates.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein generating a sensing signal in response to the first event further includes:

providing a happy indicator when the first event indicates a happy mood; and

providing a sad indicator when the first event indicates a sad mood.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving the sensing signal through a wireless communications network.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein forwarding the first haptic signal and the second haptic signal to a haptic generator further comprising:

sending the first haptic signal and the second haptic signal to another haptic system operated by another user via a communications network.

18. An apparatus for generating haptic cues, comprising:

means for sensing a first event associated with a user;

means for generating a sensing signal in response to the first event;

means for determining a user'"'"'s current mood in response to the sensing signal;

means for generating a first haptic signal to maintain the user'"'"'s current mood when the user'"'"'s current mood is desired and a second haptic signal to change the user'"'"'s current mood when the user'"'"'s current mood is not desired;

means for forwarding the first haptic signal and the second haptic signal to a haptic generator; and

means for generating at least one haptic feedback in response to the first or second haptic signal, wherein the at least one haptic feedback comprises a first type of haptic feedback to maintain the user'"'"'s current mood or a second type of haptic feedback to change the user'"'"'s current mood.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for adjusting levels of difficulties of a game in accordance with the user'"'"'s current mood.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for providing an alert indicating the user'"'"'s current mood.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for sensing a second event associated with an ambient condition, wherein the sensing signal is based on the first event and the second event.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein means for sensing a second event associated with an ambient condition further comprises means for detecting a temperature of a surrounding environment.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein means for sensing a first event associated with a user comprises sensing one or more of:

facial expressions, voices, or heart rates.