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

• US 9,671,866 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Birnbaum, David M., Ramsay, Erin B., Heubel, Robert W., Grant, Danny A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US14/955,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 463 30, 463 31, 463 37
• 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:

detecting, by a sensor, a pressure applied to a user interface device by a body part of a user;

comparing the pressure applied to the user interface device to a control gesture with a gesture module executable by a processor;

generating a first haptic effect with a haptic output device if the pressure applied to the user interface device corresponds to the control gesture; and

generating a second haptic effect with the haptic output device if the pressure applied to the user interface device 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 pressure applied to the user interface device comprises an initial portion and an intermediate portion, and further comprising:

generating the first haptic effect with the haptic output device if the initial portion of the pressure applied to the user interface device corresponds to an initial portion of the control gesture;

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the initial portion of the control gesture comprises a contact between the body part of the user and the user interface device and the intermediate portion of the control gesture comprises maintaining the contact with the user interface device for a predetermined time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the initial portion of the control gesture comprises a first contact at a first location on the user interface device and the intermediate portion of the control gesture comprises a second contact at a second location on the user interface device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a parameter of the first haptic effect based at least in part on an amount of the pressure applied to the user interface device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a parameter of the first haptic effect based at least in part on a duration of the pressure applied to the user interface device.

7. A haptic effect enabled system, comprising:

a user interface device;

a sensor configured to detect a pressure applied to the user interface device by a body part of a user;

a haptic actuator configured to generate a first haptic effect; and

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

a gesture module electronically coupled to the sensor, the gesture module configured to compare the pressure applied to the user interface device with a control gesture, and wherein the haptic actuator is configured to generate the first haptic effect if the pressure applied to the user interface device corresponds to the control gesture.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the haptic actuator is further configured to generate a second haptic effect that is different from the first haptic effect if the pressure applied to the user interface device by the body part of the user does not correspond to the control gesture.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the pressure applied to the user interface device comprises an initial portion, an intermediate portion, and an ending portion, wherein the first haptic effect is generated if the initial portion of the pressure applied to the user interface device corresponds to an initial portion of the control gesture, and wherein a second haptic effect that is different from the first haptic effect is generated if the intermediate portion of the pressure applied to the user interface device corresponds to an intermediate portion of the control gesture.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a third haptic effect that is different from the first haptic effect and the second haptic effect is generated if the ending portion of the pressure applied to the user interface device corresponds to an ending portion of the control gesture.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the initial portion of the control gesture comprises a contact between the body part of the user and the user interface device and the intermediate portion of the control gesture comprises maintaining the contact with the user interface device for a predetermined time.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the initial portion of the control gesture comprises a first contact at a first location on the user interface device and the intermediate portion of the control gesture includes a second contact at a second location on the user interface.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising a stimulation module configured to determine a parameter of the first haptic effect based at least in part on an amount of the pressure applied to the user interface device.

14. The system of claim 7, further comprising a stimulation module configured to determine a parameter of the first haptic effect based at least in part on a duration of the pressure applied to the user interface device.

15. A method of producing a haptic effect, comprising

detecting a pressure applied to a user interface device by a body part of a user with a sensor, wherein the pressure applied to the user interface device comprises an initial portion, an intermediate portion, and an ending portion;

comparing the pressure applied to the user interface device 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 pressure applied to the user interface device 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 pressure applied to the user interface device corresponds to an intermediate portion of the control gesture, wherein the second haptic effect is different from the first haptic effect.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a third haptic effect with the haptic output device if the ending portion of the pressure applied to the user interface device 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.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the initial portion of the control gesture includes a contact between the body part of the user and the user interface device and the intermediate portion of the control gesture includes maintaining the contact with the user interface device for a predetermined time.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the initial portion of the control gesture includes a first contact at a first location on the user interface device and the intermediate portion of the control gesture includes a second contact at a second location on the user interface device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a parameter of the first haptic effect or the second haptic effect based at least in part on an amount of the pressure applied to the user interface device by the body part of the user.