Force sensations for haptic feedback computer interfaces

• US 8,717,287 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Dean C., Mallett, Jeffrey R., Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US12/762,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 715/701, 715/702, 715/727
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A design interface tool for designing force sensations for use with a host computer and haptic feedback interface device. A haptic feedback device communicates with a host computer that displays the interface tool. The user selects and characterizes force sensations using the interface tool, and a graphical representation of the characterized force sensation is displayed. The characterized force sensation is output to a user manipulatable object of the force feedback device so that the user can feel the designed force sensation The user can include multiple force sensations in a compound force sensation, where the compound sensation is graphically displayed to indicate the relative start times and duration of each of the force sensations. The user can also associate a sound with the force sensation, such that the sound is output in conjunction with the output of the force sensation.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display;

an input device; and

a processor in communication with the display and the input device, the processor configured to;

receive a signal from the input device;

determine, based in part on the signal, one or more types of force feedback sensation that the input device is configured to output; and

cause an interactive graphical toolset to be displayed on the display, the interactive graphical toolset comprising a graphical representation of the one or more types of force feedback sensation, wherein the interactive graphical toolset is configured to design a force feedback sensation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the force feedback sensation comprises a plurality of second force feedback sensations.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive graphical toolset comprises a list of available types of force feedback sensations.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation comprises a time based representation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation comprises a bar graph.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the bar graph comprises a plurality of bars each corresponding to one of a plurality of different force feedback sensations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a data file associated with the force feedback sensation.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the data file comprises Direct-X code.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a signal from an input device;

determining, based on the signal, one or more types of force feedback sensations that the input device is configured to output; and

displaying an interactive graphical toolset on a display, the interactive graphical toolset comprising a graphical representation of the one or more types of force feedback sensations, wherein the interactive graphical toolset is configured to design a force feedback sensation.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising outputting the force feedback sensation.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a data file associated with the force feedback sensation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data file comprises Direct-X code.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising executing a computer program other than the force feedback design interface to access the data file.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the data file in a non-transient computer readable medium.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the interactive graphical toolset comprises a list of available types of force feedback sensations.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the force feedback sensation comprises a plurality of second force feedback sensations.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphical representation comprises a time based representation.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphical representation comprises a bar graph.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the bar graph comprises a plurality of bars each corresponding to one of a plurality of different force feedback sensations.

20. A non-transient computer-readable medium comprising program code configured, when executed by a processor, to cause the processor, to:

receive a signal from an input device;

determine, based on the signal, one or more types of force feedback sensations that the input device is configured to output; and

display an interactive graphical toolset on a display, the interactive graphical toolset comprising a graphical representation of the one or more types of force feedback sensations, wherein the interactive graphical toolset is configured to design a force feedback sensation.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the force feedback sensation comprises a plurality of second force feedback sensations.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the interactive graphical toolset comprises a list of available types of force feedback sensations.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising program code configured to output the force feedback sensation.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising program code configured to generate a data file associated with the force feedback sensation.