Management of multiple wearable haptic devices

• US 9,466,187 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Grant, Danny, Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURGDORF, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US13/758,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 345/156, 345/633, 715/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A system for managing a plurality of wearable devices on a user receives information to be conveyed using haptic effects and determines an intent of the information. The system then determines, for each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices, a location of the wearable haptic device on the user and a haptic capability. The system then maps the information as a haptic effect to one or more of the wearable haptic devices based at least on the determined locations on the user and the haptic capabilities.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to manage a plurality of wearable haptic devices on a user, the managing comprising:

receiving information to be conveyed using haptic effects;

determining an intent of the information;

determining for each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices, a location of the wearable haptic device on the user, a haptic capability for each of the locations on the user and a perceptual human threshold for each of the locations; and

mapping the information as a haptic effect to one or more of the wearable haptic devices by selecting a subset of the plurality of wearable haptic devices to generate the haptic effects based at least on the determined locations on the user, the perceptual human threshold for each of the locations, and the haptic capabilities of each of the wearable haptic devices;

wherein the plurality of wearable haptic devices are each discrete devices, each configured to be located on any of a plurality of different body parts,

wherein a first wearable haptic device is located on a first body part of the user, and a second wearable haptic device is located on a second body part of the user that is different from the first body part;

wherein the mapping comprises a determination to generate the haptic effects on either the first body part or the second body part;

wherein the first wearable haptic device comprises a self-aware capability to determine its location on the user without communicating with the other wearable haptic devices, and

wherein the first wearable haptic device performs the mapping.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising adjusting at least one of an intensity of the haptic effects or a spacing of the haptic effects to correspond to the determined perceptual human threshold for the selected subset of the plurality of wearable haptic devices.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the haptic capability comprises determining types of available haptic effects.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the types of available haptic effects comprise at least one of:

vibration, pressure, texture, temperature changes or deformation.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the haptic capability comprises determining types of actuators in each wearable haptic device.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the managing further comprising:

determining a status of each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices, wherein each discrete wearable haptic device determines its worn location on the user.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the intent comprises at least one of:

an alert, a notification, background information or directional information.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the managing further comprising:

receiving audio or video data;

routing the audio or video data to one or more of the wearable haptic devices.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the receiving information to be conveyed using haptic effects is received from a standalone device manager.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of wearable haptic devices are not directly physically coupled to each other.

11. A wearable device manager in communication with one or more wearable devices, the wearable device manager comprising:

a processor;

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor manage the wearable devices;

wherein the processor, in response to receiving information to be conveyed;

determines an intent of the information;

determines, for each of the wearable devices, a location of the wearable device on a user, a haptic capability for each of the locations on the user and a perceptual human threshold for each of the locations; and

maps the information to one or more of the wearable devices by selecting a subset of the plurality of wearable haptic devices to generate the haptic effects based at least on the determined locations on the user, the perceptual human threshold for each of the locations, and the capabilities of each of the wearable haptic devices;

wherein the plurality of wearable devices are each discrete devices, each configured to be located on any of a plurality of different body parts,

wherein a first wearable device is located on a first body part of the user, and a second wearable device is located on a second body part of the user that is different from the first body part;

wherein the mapping comprises a determination to generate the haptic effects on either the first body part or the second body part;

wherein the first wearable device comprises a self-aware capability to determine its location on the user without communicating with the other wearable devices, and

wherein the first wearable device performs the mapping.

12. The wearable device manager of claim 11, wherein the information is conveyed as a haptic effect, and the capability of the wearable device is a haptic capability.

13. The wearable device manager of claim 12, wherein the haptic capability comprises types of available haptic effects.

14. The wearable device manager of claim 13, wherein the types of available haptic effects comprise at least one of:

vibration, pressure, texture, temperature changes or deformation.

15. The wearable device manager of claim 12, wherein the haptic capability comprises determining types of actuators in each wearable device.

16. The wearable device manager of claim 11, the processor further adjusting at least one of an intensity of the haptic effects or a spacing of the haptic effects to correspond to the determined perceptual human threshold for the selected subset of the plurality of wearable devices.

17. The wearable device manager of claim 11, the processor further determining a status of each of the wearable devices, wherein each discrete wearable device determines its worn location on the user.

18. The wearable device manager of claim 11, wherein the intent comprises at least one of:

an alert, a notification, background information or directional information.

19. The wearable device manager of claim 11, wherein the information is conveyed as audio or video data, the processor routing the audio or video data to the one or more wearable devices.

20. The wearable device manager of claim 11, wherein the one or more wearable devices are not directly physically coupled to each other.

21. The wearable device manager of claim 11, wherein a standalone manager is in communication with the wearable device manager, and the standalone manager provides the information.

22. The wearable device manager of claim 21, wherein the standalone manager is in communication with one or more additional wearable device managers and the standalone manager manages all of the wearable device managers.

23. A computer implemented method for managing a plurality of wearable haptic devices on a user, the method comprising:

receiving information to be conveyed using haptic effects;

determining an intent of the information;

determining for each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices, a location of the wearable haptic device on the user, a haptic capability for each of the locations on the user and a perceptual human threshold for each of the locations; and

mapping the information as a haptic effect to one or more of the wearable haptic devices by selecting a subset of the plurality of wearable haptic devices to generate the haptic effects based at least on the determined locations on the user, the perceptual human threshold for each of the locations, and the haptic capabilities of each of the wearable haptic devices;

wherein the plurality of wearable haptic devices are each discrete devices, each configured to be located on any of a plurality of different body parts,

wherein a first wearable haptic device is located on a first body part of the user, and a second wearable haptic device is located on a second body part of the user that is different from the first body part;

wherein the mapping comprises a determination to generate the haptic effects on either the first body part or the second body part;

wherein the first wearable haptic device comprises a self-aware capability to determine its location on the user without communicating with the other wearable haptic devices, and

wherein the first wearable haptic device performs the mapping.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 23, further comprising adjusting at least one of an intensity of the haptic effects or a spacing of the haptic effects to correspond to the determined perceptual human threshold for the selected subset of the plurality of wearable haptic devices.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 23, wherein determining the haptic capability comprises determining types of available haptic effects.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 25, wherein the types of available haptic effects comprise at least one of:

vibration, pressure, texture, temperature changes or deformation.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 23, wherein determining the haptic capability comprises determining types of actuators in each wearable haptic device.

28. The computer implemented method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining a status of each of the plurality of wearable haptic devices, wherein each discrete wearable haptic device determines its worn location on the user.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 23, wherein the intent comprises at least one of:

an alert, a notification, background information or directional information.

30. The computer implemented method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving audio or video data; and

routing the audio or video data to one or more of the wearable haptic devices.

31. The computer implemented method of claim 23, wherein the receiving information to be conveyed using haptic effects is received from a standalone device manager.

32. The computer implemented method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of wearable haptic devices are not directly physically coupled to each other.