Method and apparatus for distributing haptic synchronous signals

• US 8,093,995 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Steger, Ryan, Kruse, Barbara
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/951,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20110121954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 340/815.57, 340/815.83, 340/429, 340/426.19, 340/549, 340/545.5, 345/156, 345/157, 345/162, 345/168, 345/173, 600/428, 600/545
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0655 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/285 in cooperation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/06 for rowing or sculling
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 5/025 Electronic metronomes rhytem generation for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/185 Stick input, e.g. drumsticks with position or contact sensors stick for music conducting applications, e.g. conductor baton movement detection G10H2220/206
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/331 Ring or other finger-attached control device
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/355 Geolocation input, i.e. control of musical parameters based on location or geographic position, e.g. provided by GPS, WiFi network location databases or mobile phone base station position databases
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321

Abstract

A haptic signal distribution system capable of distributing haptic synchronous signals includes a master haptic device and groups of slave haptic devices. In one embodiment, the master haptic device is configured to distribute haptic synchronous signals to slave haptic devices. The haptic synchronous signals, for instance, may include information relating to a tempo for a piece of music. A haptic signal distribution system, for example, allows a master wearable haptic device to selectively distribute haptic synchronous signals to one or more groups of slave wearable haptic devices via a wireless communications network. Upon receipt of the haptic synchronous signals, each slave wearable haptic device generates a series of haptic feedback having a rhythm of beats in response to the haptic synchronous signals.

Claims

1. A method for providing a series of haptic feedback comprising:

sensing movements of a master wearable haptic device;

producing a haptic data in response to the movements of the master wearable haptic device

generating a first set of haptic signals in accordance with the haptic data;

generating a second set of haptic signals in accordance with the haptic data;

transmitting the first set of haptic signals to a first slave wearable haptic device for generating a first series of haptic feedback; and

transmitting the second set of haptic signals to a second slave wearable haptic device for generating a second series of haptic feedback.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the haptic data from a storage location in a master wearable haptic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a first set of haptic signals in accordance with haptic data further includes adding inaudible temporal synchronization queues in the haptic signals.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing a master clock in the master wearable haptic device and a slave clock in the slave wearable haptic device.

5. A system for providing a series of haptic feedback comprising:

means for sensing movements of a master wearable haptic device;

means for producing a haptic data in response to the movements of the master wearable haptic device

means for generating a first set of haptic signals in accordance with the haptic data;

means for generating a second set of haptic signals in accordance with the haptic data;

means for transmitting the first set of haptic signals to a first slave wearable haptic device for generating a first series of haptic feedback; and

means for transmitting the second set of haptic signals to a second slave wearable haptic device for generating a second series of haptic feedback.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising means for retrieving the haptic data from a storage location in a master wearable haptic device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein means for generating a first set of haptic signals in accordance with haptic data further includes means for adding inaudible temporal synchronization queues in the haptic signals.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising means for synchronizing a master clock in the master wearable haptic device and a slave clock in the slave wearable haptic device.