Systems and methods for providing haptic feedback to touch-sensitive input devices

• US 9,134,797 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Grant, Danny
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Application Number:
  US14/039,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20140098043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• 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: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing haptic feedback to touch-sensitive input devices are disclosed. For example, one disclosed system includes an input device having a housing having an exterior surface; a touch-sensitive surface configured to transmit a contact signal indicating a contact with the touch-sensitive surface; a sensor disposed within the housing, the sensor configured to sense movement of the input device and to transmit a sensor signal indicating movement of the input device; an actuator disposed within the housing, the actuator configured to output a haptic effect based on an actuator signal, the actuator signal based at least in part on the contact signal.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a housing having an exterior surface;

a processor disposed within the housing, the processor configured to communicate with a host computer;

a touch-sensitive surface disposed within the exterior surface of the housing, the touch-sensitive surface configured to transmit a first contact signal to the processor indicating a first contact with the touch-sensitive surface;

a first sensor disposed within the housing, the first sensor configured to sense a movement of the input device along a non-planar surface and to transmit a first sensor signal to the processor indicating movement of the input device;

an actuator disposed within the housing, the actuator configured to output a haptic effect based on an actuator signal; and

a second sensor disposed within the housing and configured to detect a characteristic of the actuator and to transmit a second sensor signal to the processor indicating the characteristic,

wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a signal to the host computer, the signal comprising contact information associated with the first contact signal and the characteristic associated with the second sensor signal, receive a haptic signal from the host computer, wherein the haptic signal is based on the contact information and the characteristic, determine a first actuator signal based at least in part on the haptic signal, and transmit the first actuator signal to the actuator.

2. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first contact comprises a first gesture.

3. The input device of claim 2, wherein the first gesture comprises a tap and the first actuator signal is based upon a location of the tap.

4. The input device of claim 2, wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a multi-touch touch-sensitive surface.

5. The input device of claim 4, wherein the first gesture comprises a zoom gesture and the first actuator signal is based on the zoom gesture, wherein the first actuator signal is configured to cause a vibration based on an amount of zoom or a pop if the amount of zoom reaches a maximum or minimum.

6. The input device of claim 1, wherein the first contact signal comprises first contact pressure data.

7. The input device of claim 6, wherein the first actuator signal actuator signal is based at least in part on the first contact pressure data.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive surface is further configured to transmit a second contact signal to the processor indicating a second contact with the touch-sensitive surface and wherein the processor is further configured to determine a second actuator signal based at least in part on the second contact signal and to transmit the second actuator signal to the actuator.

9. The input device of claim 8, wherein the second contact comprises a second gesture.

10. The input device of claim 9, wherein the second gesture comprises a tap and the second actuator signal is based upon a location of the tap.

11. The input device of claim 9, wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a multi-touch touch-sensitive surface.

12. The input device of claim 11, wherein the second gesture comprises a zoom gesture and the second actuator signal is based on the zoom gesture, wherein the second actuator signal is configured to cause a vibration based on an amount of zoom or a pop if the amount of zoom reaches a maximum or minimum.

13. The input device of claim 8, wherein the second contact signal comprises second contact pressure data.

14. The input device of claim 13, wherein the second actuator signal actuator signal is based at least in part on the second contact pressure data.

15. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a first actuator and a second actuator.

16. The input device of claim 15, wherein the first actuator is configured to output a haptic effect to the touch-sensitive surface and the second actuator is configured to output a haptic effect to the housing.

17. The input device of claim 1, wherein the host computer comprises a robotic arm, and wherein the signal is configured to operate the robotic arm.

18. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a rotating mass and the characteristic comprises a rotational position of the rotating mass.

19. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator and the characteristic comprises a motion of the piezo-electric actuator.

20. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to move the touch-sensitive surface in a degree of freedom normal to the surface of the touch-sensitive surface, and wherein the haptic effect is configured to simulate 3D elevations by moving the touch-sensitive surface to along the degree of freedom.

21. The input device of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator with a first portion coupled to the touch-sensitive surface and a second portion coupled to a mass, wherein the mass is not coupled to the housing.

22. The input device of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is configured to apply a linear force to the touch-sensitive surface in a direction opposite a user interaction.

23. A method for capturing input data and providing haptic feedback effects to a user of an input device, the method comprising:

receiving a first contact signal indicating a first contact with a touch-sensitive surface of the input device, the input device comprising a housing, a first sensor, and a second sensor, the touch-sensitive surface disposed within an exterior surface of the housing, the first sensor disposed within the housing and configured to sense movement of the input device along a non-planar surface and to transmit a first sensor signal indicating movement of the input device, and the second sensor disposed within the housing and configured to detect a characteristic of an actuator and to transmit a second sensor signal indicating the characteristic;

transmitting a signal to a host computer, the signal comprising contact information associated with the first contact signal and the characteristic associated with the second sensor signal;

receiving a haptic signal from the host computer, wherein the haptic signal is based on the contact information and the characteristic;

determining a first actuator signal based at least in part on the haptic signal; and

transmitting the first actuator signal to the actuator, the actuator configured to output a first haptic effect based at least in part on the first actuator signal.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first contact comprises a first gesture.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first gesture comprises a tap and the first actuator signal is based upon a location of the tap.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a multi-touch touch-sensitive surface.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first gesture comprises a zoom gesture and the first actuator signal is based on the zoom gesture, wherein the first actuator signal is configured to cause a vibration based on an amount of zoom or a pop if the amount of zoom reaches a maximum or minimum.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the first contact signal comprises first contact pressure data.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first actuator signal is based at least in part on the first contact pressure data.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a second contact signal indicating a second contact with the touch-sensitive surface;

determining a second actuator signal based at least in part on the second contact signal; and

transmitting the second actuator signal to the actuator, the actuator configured to output a second haptic effect based at least in part on the second actuator signal.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the second contact comprises a second gesture.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the second gesture comprises a tap and the second actuator signal is based upon a location of the tap.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a multi-touch touch-sensitive surface.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the second gesture comprises a zoom gesture and the second actuator signal is based on the zoom gesture, wherein the second actuator signal is configured to cause a vibration based on an amount of zoom or a pop if the amount of zoom reaches a maximum or minimum.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the second contact signal comprises second contact pressure data.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the second actuator signal is based at least in part on the second contact pressure data.

37. The method of claim 23, wherein the actuator comprises a first actuator and a second actuator, and wherein the first actuator is configured to output a haptic effect to the touch-sensitive surface and the second actuator is configured to output a haptic effect to the housing.