Systems and methods for generating friction and vibrotactile effects

• US 9,639,158 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Levesque, Vincent, Modarres, Ali, Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Weddle, Amaya Becvar, Birnbaum, David M., Grant, Danny A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US14/090,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A system includes a sensor configured to sense an input received from a user at a surface; a first haptic output device configured to generate a first haptic effect at the surface based on the input received from the user, the first haptic effect comprising a friction effect at the surface; a second haptic output device configured to generate a second haptic effect, the second haptic effect comprising vibrotactile feedback; and a processor configured to receive an input signal from the sensor and output a first drive signal to the first haptic output device to generate the first haptic effect and to output a second drive signal to the second haptic output device to generate the second haptic effect.

Claims

1. A system for reducing adaptation to a haptic effect, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to sense an input received at a surface;

a first haptic output device configured to generate a first type of haptic feedback;

a second haptic output device configured to generate a second type of haptic feedback that is different than the first type of haptic feedback;

a processor in communication with the sensor, the first haptic output device, and the second haptic output device; and

a memory on which instructions executable by the processor are stored to cause the processor to;

determine that the haptic effect is to be output for a duration in response to the input, the haptic effect being the first type of haptic feedback;

cause the first haptic output device to output the haptic effect for a time period that is less than the duration; and

in response to the time period exceeding a predetermined amount of time associated with adapting to the haptic effect, cause the second haptic output device to output the second type of haptic feedback during the duration.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first haptic output device comprises an electrostatic device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first haptic output device comprises an ultrasonic vibration device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second haptic output device comprises an actuator.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator, a voice coil, a magnetic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, an ultrasonic energy actuator, an eccentric mass actuator, an electroactive polymer actuator, or a shape memory alloy.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a touch screen comprising the surface.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the touch screen comprises a display configured to display an image.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the haptic effect is associated with the image being displayed by the display and a second haptic effect that is not associated with the image being displayed by the display is output.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is output in response to a notification.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the haptic effect is associated with movement of the image by the user.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the haptic effect is associated with an interaction of the image displayed by the display with an edge of the display.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the haptic effect is associated with movement of the image without interaction by the user.

13. The system according to claim 7, wherein the haptic effect is associated with an interaction of the image displayed by the display with a second image displayed by the display.

14. The system according to claim 7, wherein the haptic effect is associated with alteration of the image from a first shape to a second shape, and wherein a second haptic effect is output in response to the image being held in the second shape.

15. The system according to claim 7, wherein the haptic effect is generated in response to a user interaction with the image comprising sliding a body part across the surface at a location of the image.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to cause the first type of haptic feedback and the second type of haptic feedback to be output at the same time.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second type of haptic feedback is output after the first type of haptic feedback and for a remainder of the duration.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is generated in response to the user hovering a body part over, and at a distance from, the surface.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions to cause the processor to:

cause the first haptic output device to output the first type of haptic feedback by transmitting a first drive signal that comprises a first frequency in a first range of frequencies to the first haptic output device; and

cause the second haptic output device to output the second type of haptic feedback by transmitting a second drive signal that comprises a second frequency in a second range of frequencies to the second haptic output device,

wherein a low end of the first range of frequencies is less than a low end of the second range of frequencies, and a high end of the first range of frequencies is less than a high end of the second range of frequencies.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the first range of frequencies overlaps with the second range of frequencies.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the first type of haptic feedback is a friction effect and the second type of haptic feedback is a vibrotactile effect, or the first type of haptic feedback is the vibrotactile effect and the second type of haptic feedback is the friction effect.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

determine that the first type of haptic feedback and the second type of haptic feedback should be alternatively output, during the duration, according to a predetermined sequence.

23. A method for reducing adaptation to a haptic effect, the method comprising:

determining that the haptic effect is to be output for a duration in response to an input, the haptic effect being a first type of haptic feedback;

causing a first haptic output device to output the haptic effect for a time period that is less than the duration; and

in response to the time period exceeding a predetermined amount of time associated with adapting to the haptic effect, causing a second haptic output device to output a second type of haptic feedback during the duration, the second type of haptic feedback being different from the first type of haptic feedback.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising displaying an image through a touch surface.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the haptic effect is associated with the image being displayed, and wherein a second haptic effect that is not associated with the image being displayed is output.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the haptic effect is output in response to a notification and independent of a user interaction.

27. The method according to claim 23, wherein the haptic effect is associated with movement of the image by the user.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein the haptic effect is associated with an interaction of the image displayed by the display with an edge of the display.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein the haptic effect is associated with movement of the image without interaction by the user.

30. The method according to claim 24, further comprising displaying a second image at the same time the image is being displayed, wherein the haptic effect is associated with an interaction of the image being displayed with the second image being displayed.

31. The method according to claim 24, wherein the haptic effect is associated with alteration of the image from a first shape to a second shape, and wherein a second haptic effect is output in response to the image being held in the second shape.

32. The method according to claim 24, wherein the haptic effect is generated in response to a user interaction with the image comprising sliding a body part across the surface at a location of the image.

33. The method according to claim 23, further comprising causing first type of haptic feedback and the second type of haptic feedback to be output at the same time.

34. The method according to claim 23, wherein the second type of haptic feedback is output after the first type of haptic feedback and for a remainder of the duration.

35. The method according to claim 24, wherein the haptic effect is generated in response to the user hovering a body part over, and at a distance from, the touch surface.

36. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

causing the first haptic output device to output the first type of haptic feedback by transmitting a first drive signal comprising a first frequency in a first range of frequencies to the first haptic output device; and

causing the second haptic output device to output the second type of haptic feedback by transmitting a second drive signal comprising a second frequency in a second range of frequencies to the second haptic output device,

wherein a low end of the first range of frequencies is less than a low end of the second range of frequencies, and a high end of the first range of frequencies is less than a high end of the second range of frequencies.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the first range of frequencies overlaps with the second range of frequencies.