System and method for providing complex haptic stimulation during input of control gestures, and relating to control of virtual equipment

• US 9,235,969 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Grant, Danny A., Heubel, Robert W., Birnbaum, David M., Ramsay, Erin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US13/924,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• 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 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 : Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A system is configured to provide haptic stimulation to a user. In one embodiment, the haptic stimulation is provided to the user in conjunction with the performance of one or more control gestures through which the user controls, for example, a game, a real world component or piece of equipment, and/or other entity. In one embodiment, the haptic stimulation is provided to the user in conjunction with control of virtual equipment by the user.

Claims

1. A method of producing a haptic effect, comprising:

monitoring a motion of a body part of a user received from a user interface device with a sensor;

comparing the motion of the body part to a control gesture with a gesture module executable by a processor;

generating a first haptic effect with a haptic output device if the motion of the body part corresponds to the control gesture; and

generating a second haptic effect with the haptic output device if the motion of the body part does not correspond to the control gesture, the second haptic effect being different from the first haptic effect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the body part is an appendage of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the body part is a head of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion of the body part comprises changing a direction of motion of the body part.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion of the body part comprises changing an orientation of the body part.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the motion of the body part comprises monitoring an acceleration of the body part.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the first haptic effect to be generated based on content being provided to the user via the user interface device with a content module executable by the processor.

8. A haptic effect enabled system, comprising:

a user interface device;

a sensor configured to monitor a motion of a body part of a user received from the user interface device;

a haptic actuator configured to generate a haptic effect; and

a processor in operative communication with the user interface, the sensor and the haptic actuator, the processor comprising

a gesture module electronically coupled to the sensor, the gesture module configured to compare the motion of the body part with a control gesture, and

a stimulation module electronically coupled to the gesture module and the haptic device, the stimulation module configured to determine the haptic effect to be generated by the haptic actuator if the motion of the body part corresponds to the control gesture.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the stimulation module is further configured to determine a second haptic effect to be generated by the haptic actuator that is different from the haptic effect if the motion of the body part does not correspond to the control gesture.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the body part is an appendage of the user and the user interface device is configured to be carried by the appendage of the user.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the body part is a head of the user and the user interface device is configured to be carried by the head of the user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion of the body part comprises changing a direction of motion of the body part.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion of the body part comprises changing an orientation of the body part.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor is configured to monitor an acceleration of the body part.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion of the body part comprises an initial portion, an intermediate portion and an ending portion, wherein the haptic effect is generated if the initial portion of the motion corresponds to an initial portion of the control gesture, and wherein a second haptic effect that is different from the haptic effect is generated if the intermediate portion of the motion corresponds to an intermediate portion of the control gesture.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a third haptic effect that is different from the haptic effect and the second haptic effect is generated if the ending portion of the motion corresponds to an ending portion of the control gesture.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface device is configured to provide content to the user, and wherein the stimulation module is further configured to determine the haptic effect to be generated based on the content provided to the user.

18. A method of producing a haptic effect, comprising:

monitoring a motion of a body part of a user received from a user interface device with a sensor, wherein the motion of the body part comprises an initial portion, an intermediate portion and an ending portion;

comparing the motion of the body part to a control gesture with a gesture module executable by a processor;

generating a first haptic effect with a haptic output device if the initial portion of the motion corresponds to an initial portion of the control gesture; and

generating a second haptic effect with the haptic output device if the intermediate portion of the motion corresponds to an intermediate portion of the control gesture, wherein the second haptic effect is different from the first haptic effect.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating a third haptic effect with the haptic output device if the ending portion of the motion corresponds to an ending portion of the control gesture, wherein the third haptic effect is different from the first haptic effect and the second haptic effect.