System and method for display of multiple data channels on a single haptic display

• US 8,570,296 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Birnbaum, David, Ullrich, Chris, Short, Jason, Devenish, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US13/472,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1801- 1809, 340/4.12, 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 463/30
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A system that produces a haptic effect and generates a drive signal that includes at least two haptic effect signals each having a priority level. The haptic effect is a combination of the haptic effect signals and priority levels. The haptic effect may optionally be a combination of the two haptic effect signals if the priority levels are the same, otherwise only the haptic effect signal with the highest priority is used. The frequency of haptic notifications may also be used to generate a drive signal using foreground and background haptic effect channels depending on whether the frequency ratio exceeds a foreground haptic effect threshold.

Claims

1. A method of producing a haptic effect comprising:

receiving a first notification signal;

receiving a second notification signal;

generating a notification parameter using the first notification signal and the second notification signal;

comparing the notification parameter to a foreground haptic threshold;

if the notification parameter is greater than or equal to the foreground haptic threshold,

generating an interaction parameter using a foreground haptic effect signal;

if the notification parameter is less than the foreground haptic threshold, generating an interaction parameter using a background haptic effect signal; and

applying a drive signal to a haptic output device according to the interaction parameter; and

further comprising;

receiving a plurality of haptic effect notifications N over a time period T;

generating a notification frequency ratio using N and T;

comparing the notification frequency ratio to the foreground haptic threshold;

if the notification frequency ratio is less than the foreground haptic threshold, generating an interaction parameter using the background haptic effect signal;

if the notification frequency ratio is greater than or equal to the foreground haptic threshold, generating an interaction parameter using the foreground haptic effect signal; and

applying a drive signal to the haptic output device according to the interaction parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the foreground haptic effect signal or the background haptic effect signal comprises a haptic effect signal selected from the list consisting of strength, frequency, duration, rhythm or dynamics.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the notification frequency ratio as N divided by T.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the foreground haptic effect signal or the background haptic effect signal comprises a haptic effect signal selected from the list consisting of strength, frequency, duration, rhythm or dynamics.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a priority based haptic effect signal having a priority level; and

generating the interaction parameter using the priority based haptic effect signal combined with the priority level and the plurality of haptic effect notifications N.

6. A haptic effect enabled system comprising:

a haptic output device;

a drive module electronically coupled to the haptic output device for receiving a first haptic effect signal having a first priority level and a second haptic effect signal having a second priority level, and generating a dynamic interaction parameter using the first haptic effect signal combined with the first priority level and the second haptic effect signal combined with the second priority level; and

a drive circuit electronically coupled to the drive module and the haptic output device for applying a drive signal to the haptic output device according to the dynamic interaction parameter;

wherein the drive module comprises a drive module for receiving a plurality of haptic effect notifications N over a time period T, and generating an interaction parameter using a notification frequency ratio using N and T; and

wherein the drive module comprises a drive module for comparing the notification frequency ratio to a foreground haptic threshold;

if the notification frequency ratio is less than the foreground haptic threshold, generating the interaction parameter using a background haptic effect signal; and

if the notification frequency ratio is greater than or equal to the foreground haptic threshold, generating the interaction parameter using a foreground haptic effect signal.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the drive module comprises a drive module for comparing the first priority level to the second priority level;

if the first priority level is less than the second priority level, generating the dynamic interaction parameter using the second haptic effect signal;

if the first priority level is equal to the second priority level, generating the dynamic interaction parameter using the first haptic effect signal and the second haptic effect signal; and

if the first priority level is greater than the second priority level, generating the dynamic interaction parameter using the first haptic effect signal.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first haptic effect signal or the second haptic effect signal comprises a haptic effect signal selected from the list consisting of strength, frequency, duration, rhythm or dynamics.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first priority level or the second priority level comprises a priority level selected from the list consisting of foreground, background or alphanumeric.

10. The system of claim 6 further comprising a drive module for generating the notification frequency ratio as N divided by T.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the foreground haptic effect signal or the background haptic effect signal comprises a haptic effect signal selected from the list consisting of strength, frequency, duration, rhythm or dynamics.

12. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a drive module for receiving a priority based haptic effect signal having a priority level, and generating the interaction parameter using the priority based haptic effect signal combined with the priority level and the plurality of haptic effect notifications N.