Contactor-based haptic feedback generation

• US 9,436,282 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Levesque, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): MERCEDES, DISMERY E
• Application Number:
  US13/803,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A system that generates haptic effects senses contact on an interface by a contactor/object. The system then determines one or more properties of the contactor and generates a type of haptic effect in response to the contact. The type of haptic effect is based at least on the one or more properties.

Claims

1. A method of generating haptic effects on a device, the method comprising:

sensing a first contact with the device by a contactor, wherein the contactor is associated with a user;

determining for the first contact an identity of a first part out of a plurality of possible parts of the contactor that has contacted the device;

determining a first tactile sensitivity that corresponds to the first part, wherein the first tactile sensitivity is a first measurement of an ability of the user to feel a haptic effect at the first part;

in response to the first contact, generating a first haptic effect and applying the first haptic effect to the first part, wherein the first haptic effect comprises first haptic effect parameters based at least on the first tactile sensitivity;

sensing a second contact with the device by the contactor;

determining for the second contact an identity of a second part out of a plurality of possible parts of the contactor that has contacted the device, wherein the second part is different than the first part;

determining a second tactile sensitivity that corresponds to the second part and is different than the first tactile sensitivity, wherein the second tactile sensitivity is a second measurement of the ability of the user to feel the haptic effect at the second part; and

in response to the second contact, generating a second haptic effect and applying the second haptic effect to the second part, wherein the second haptic effect comprises second haptic effect parameters, based at least on the second tactile sensitivity, that are varied in comparison to the first haptic effect parameters to cause the applied second haptic effect to feel approximately the same to the user as the applied first haptic effect.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a distinct type of haptic effect in response to the first contact, wherein the distinct type of haptic effect is generated by determining parameters of the distinct type of haptic effect.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second haptic effects are vibratory haptic effects, and the first and second haptic effect parameters comprise at least one of magnitude, frequency or duration.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the distinct type of haptic effect is generated by selecting a haptic output device from a plurality of haptic output devices for the haptic effect.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of haptic output devices comprise at least one of a vibratory device, an electrostatic friction device, or a deformable surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible parts of the contactor comprises a stylus, a fingerpad, a fingernail or a knuckle.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the distinct type of haptic effect is further based at least on a confirmation of a correct detection of the contactor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing comprises determining a proximity of the contactor to the device, and the sensing is performed before the contact.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing comprises receiving a signal from a touch surface of the device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate haptic effects on a device, the generating comprising:

sensing a first contact with the device by a contactor, wherein the contactor is associated with a user;

determining for the first contact an identity of a first part out of a plurality of possible parts of the contactor that has contacted the device;

determining a first tactile sensitivity that corresponds to the first part, wherein the first tactile sensitivity is a first measurement of an ability of the user to feel a haptic effect at the first part;

in response to the first contact, generating a first haptic effect and applying the first haptic effect to the first part, wherein the first haptic effect comprises first haptic effect parameters based at least on the first tactile sensitivity;

sensing a second contact with the device by the contactor;

determining for the second contact an identity of a second part out of a plurality of possible parts of the contactor that has contacted the device, wherein the second part is different than the first part;

determining a second tactile sensitivity that corresponds to the second part and is different than the first tactile sensitivity, wherein the second tactile sensitivity is a second measurement of the ability of the user to feel the haptic effect at the second part; and

in response to the second contact, generating a second haptic effect and applying the second haptic effect to the second part, wherein the second haptic effect comprises second haptic effect parameters, based at least on the second tactile sensitivity, that are varied in comparison to the first haptic effect parameters to cause the applied second haptic effect to feel approximately the same to the user as the applied first haptic effect.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising generating a distinct type of first haptic effect in response to the contact, wherein the distinct type of haptic effect is generated by determining parameters of the distinct type of haptic effect.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first and second haptic effects are a vibratory haptic effect, and the first and second haptic effect parameters comprise at least one of magnitude, frequency or duration.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the distinct type of haptic effect is generated by selecting a haptic output device from a plurality of haptic output devices for the haptic effect.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of haptic output devices comprise at least one of a vibratory device, an electrostatic friction device, or a deformable surface.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of possible parts of the contactor comprises a stylus, a fingerpad, a fingernail or a knuckle.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the distinct type of haptic effect is further based at least on a confirmation of a correct detection of the contactor.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the sensing comprises determining a proximity of the contactor to the device, and the sensing is performed before the contact.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the sensing comprises receiving a signal from a touch surface of the device.

19. A system comprising:

an interface that senses a first contact by a contactor, wherein the contactor is associated with a user;

a haptic output device coupled to the interface;

a contactor property module that determines for the first contact an identity of a first part out of a plurality of possible parts of the contactor that has contacted the device;

determines a first tactile sensitivity that corresponds to the first part, wherein the first tactile sensitivity is a first measurement of an ability of the user to feel a haptic effect at the first part;

in response to the first contact, generates a first haptic effect and applying the first haptic effect to the first part using the haptic output device, wherein the first haptic effect comprises first haptic effect parameters based at least on the first tactile sensitivity;

senses a second contact with the device by the contactor;

determines for the second contact an identity of a second part out of a plurality of possible parts of the contactor that has contacted the device, wherein the second part is different than the first part;

determines a second tactile sensitivity that corresponds to the second part and is different than the first tactile sensitivity, wherein the second tactile sensitivity is a second measurement of the ability of the user to feel the haptic effect at the second part; and

in response to the second contact, generates a second haptic effect and applies the second haptic effect to the second part using the haptic output device, wherein the second haptic effect comprises second haptic effect parameters, based at least on the second tactile sensitivity, that are varied in comparison to the first haptic effect parameters to cause the applied second haptic effect to feel approximately the same to the user as the applied first haptic effect.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the haptic output device comprises an actuator, and the first and second haptic effects are vibratory haptic effects.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first and second haptic effect parameters comprise at least one of magnitude, frequency or duration.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the interface comprises a proximity sensor that senses the contact before the contactor contacts the device.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the interface comprises a touchscreen.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the interface comprises a doorknob.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising generating a distinct type of haptic effect in response to the contact, wherein the distinct type of haptic effect is generated by determining parameters of the distinct type of haptic effect.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the contactor property module further determines if the contactor is an inanimate object.