Systems and methods for deformation-based haptic effects

• US 9,535,550 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Levesque, Vincent, Grant, Danny, Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Modarres, Ali, Rihn, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Application Number:
  US14/552,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20160147333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• 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 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a deformation sensor configured to detect a deformation of a deformable surface and transmit a first sensor signal associated with the deformation. The system also includes a sensor configured to detect a user interaction with a user input device and transmit a second sensor signal associated with the user interaction. The system further includes a processor configured to: receive the first sensor signal; receive the second sensor signal; execute a function based at least in part on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal. The processor is also configured to: determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the first sensor signal or the second sensor signal; and transmit a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect to a haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device comprising;

a deformable housing;

a deformation sensor coupled to the deformable housing and configured to detect a deformation in the deformable housing and transmit a first sensor signal associated with the deformation;

an input sensor configured to detect an interaction with an input device and transmit a second sensor signal associated with the interaction;

a processor in communication with the deformation sensor and the input sensor, the processor configured to;

receive the first sensor signal;

determine an amount of deformation in the deformable housing based at least in part on the first sensor signal;

determine a first characteristic of a function to execute based at least in part on the amount of deformation in the deformable housing;

receive the second sensor signal;

determine a second characteristic of the function based at least in part on the interaction with the input device;

cause the function to be executed based at least in part on the first characteristic and the second characteristic;

determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the first sensor signal or the second sensor signal; and

transmit a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect; and

a haptic output device in communication with the processor, the haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the deformation comprises rolling, bending, folding, stretching, twisting, or squeezing the deformable surface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a characteristic of a virtual object; and

determine the haptic effect based at least in part on the amount of deformation in the deformable housing and the characteristic of the virtual object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a button, a switch, a trigger, a wheel, a directional pad, or a joystick.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic output device is coupled to a wearable device that is separate from the computing device, and wherein the wearable device comprises a shoe, an armband, a sleeve, a jacket, glasses, a glove, a ring, a watch, a wristband, an article of clothing, a hat, a headband, or jewelry.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is configured to resist against deformation of the deformable housing, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the haptic effect based at least in part on the amount of deformation in the deformable housing; and

cause the haptic output device to output the haptic effect in response to the deformation in the deformable housing.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a third sensor signal associated with another deformation of the deformable surface; and

cause another function to be executed based at least in part on the third sensor signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause another haptic effect to be output via the haptic output device in response to the third sensor signal.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the function to be executed by transmitting a command to a remote device, the command being configured to cause the function to be executed by the remote device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the deformable housing surrounds a perimeter of a rigid housing of the computing device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is configured to cause the deformable housing to change in shape.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

increase a characteristic of the haptic effect in response to the deformable housing being deformed in a first direction; and

decrease the characteristic of the haptic effect in response to the deformable housing being deformed in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a first characteristic of the haptic effect based at least in part on the amount of deformation in the deformable housing; and

determine a second characteristic of the haptic effect based at least in part on the interaction with the input device.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

update a parameter associated with an application executing on the computing device in response to the deformation of the deformable housing; and

determine the first characteristic of the function to be executed based at least in part on the updated parameter.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a first sensor signal associated with a deformation of a deformable surface;

determining an amount of deformation in the deformable surface based at least in part on the first sensor signal;

determining a first characteristic of a function to execute based at least in part on the amount of deformation in the deformable surface;

receiving a second sensor signal associated with an interaction with an input device;

determining a second characteristic of the function based at least in part on the interaction with the input device;

executing the function based at least in part on the first characteristic and the second characteristic;

determining a haptic effect based at least in part on the first sensor signal or the second sensor signal; and

causing the haptic effect to be output via a haptic output device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the deformation comprises rolling, bending, folding, stretching, twisting, or squeezing the deformable surface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the deformable surface is coupled to a computing device and the haptic output device is coupled to a wearable device that is separate from the computing device, and wherein the wearable device comprises a shoe, an armband, a sleeve, a jacket, glasses, a glove, a ring, a watch, a wristband, an article of clothing, a hat, a headband, or jewelry.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the input device comprises a button, a switch, a trigger, a wheel, a directional pad, or a joystick.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program code, which when executed by a processor is configured to cause the processor to:

receive a first sensor signal associated with a deformation of a deformable surface;

determine an amount of deformation in the deformable surface based at least in part on the first sensor signal;

determine a first characteristic of a function to execute based at least in part on the amount of deformation in the deformable surface;

receive a second sensor signal associated with an interaction with an input device;

determine a second characteristic of the function based at least in part on the interaction with the input device;

execute the function based at least in part on the first characteristic and the second characteristic;

determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the first sensor signal or the second sensor signal; and

cause the haptic effect to be output via a haptic output device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the deformation comprises rolling, bending, folding, stretching, twisting, or squeezing the deformable surface.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the input device comprises a button, a switch, a trigger, a wheel, a directional pad, or a joystick.