Systems and methods for transmitting haptic messages

• US 8,638,301 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Kopelow, Leo, Birnbaum, David, Ullrich, Chris, Rubin, Peter, Ngo, Phong David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, K.
• Application Number:
  US12/502,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 : according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 : Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications

Abstract

Systems and methods for transmitting haptic messages are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes the steps of: receiving at least one sensor signal from at least one sensor of a mobile device, the at least one sensor signal associated with a movement of the mobile device, determining a message to be displayed in a user interface based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal, and causing the message to be displayed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at least one sensor signal from at least one sensor of a mobile device, the at least one sensor signal associated with a movement of the mobile device;

determining a message to be displayed in a user interface based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal;

determining a haptic effect based in part on the first sensor signal; and

causing the message to be displayed and the haptic effect to be output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises one or more of:

an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a touch-sensitive input device, a camera, or a GPS sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a first sensor of the plurality of sensors comprises an accelerometer and a second sensor of the plurality of sensors comprises a touch-screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises predefined characteristics.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predefined characteristics comprise:

a shape and a haptic effect.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the movement of the mobile device comprises a movement approximating the shape of a heart; and

the message is in the form of a heart.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the movement of the mobile device comprises a movement approximating a hammering motion; and

the message is in the form of a nail.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a user interaction associated with the message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interaction comprises an input on a touch-sensitive input device of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interaction comprises tilting the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the user interaction comprises an input detected by a microphone of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interaction comprises blowing on the microphone.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a signal associated with the message to a recipient.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a first sensor signal from a first sensor, the first sensor signal associated with a movement of a first mobile device;

receiving a second sensor signal from a touch-sensitive interface of the first mobile device, the second sensor signal associated with a user interaction;

determining a change in a display of the first mobile device based at least in part on the second sensor signal;

transmitting a first data signal to a second mobile device, the first data signal comprising data associated with the user interaction and the movement of the first mobile device; and

determining a haptic effect based at least in part on the first data signal and outputting the haptic effect.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the touch-sensitive interface comprises a touch-screen display.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining a change in the display of the first mobile device and the transmitting a data signal to a second mobile device occur substantially simultaneously.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the change in the display of the first mobile device comprises displaying a trail substantially following the location of a point of contact between the user and the device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the movement of the first mobile device comprises a movement substantially approximating a pouring gesture.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the change in the display comprises displaying a champagne bottle.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a second data signal from the second mobile device;

determining a second change in the display of the first mobile device based at least in part on the second data signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second data signal comprises data corresponding to a display of the second mobile device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the change in the display of the first mobile device comprises outputting an image substantially the same as the display of the second mobile device.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a haptic effect based at least in part on the second data signal; and

transmitting a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect to an actuator configured to output the haptic effect.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the haptic effect comprises a haptic effect approximating a champagne cork popping.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the haptic effect comprises a haptic effect approximating a collision between a user of the first mobile device and a user of the second mobile device.

27. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a first sensor signal from a first sensor, the first sensor configured to detect a movement of a first mobile device;

receive a second sensor signal from a second sensor, the second sensor configured to detect an interaction with the first mobile device;

receive a first data signal from a network interface, the network interface configured to receive signals transmitted by a second mobile device;

determine a change in a display signal based at least in part on the first data signal and the second sensor signal;

determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the first data signal; and

outputting the haptic effect.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are each configured to detect one or more of:

contact, pressure, acceleration, inclination, inertia, or location.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the second sensor comprises a touch-screen.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the mobile device further comprises a speaker configured to generate a sound effect coordinated with the haptic effect.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a second data signal to the network interface, and the network interface is further configured to transmit the second data signal to the second mobile device.