Haptic feedback for touchpads and other touch controls

• US 9,740,290 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B., Riegel, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US15/054,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20160252959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• 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: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/10 characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• 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 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• 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 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 : the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 : the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 : Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 : Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 : Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 : 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 3/03543 : Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 : Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 : Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 : with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 : Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 : Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 : Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 : with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/052 : piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch notice that inputs a position signal to a processor of the computer based on a location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphic environment based at least in part on the position signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate from the computer'"'"'s display screen, or can be a touch screen. Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can include pulses vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.

Claims

1. A haptic feedback device comprising:

a touch screen configured to display one or more graphical items, at least one of which has an active state; and

an actuator configured to impart to the haptic feedback device a first haptic force associated with a first displayed graphical item that is in an active state when the first displayed graphical item is selected by a user by having the user contact the first displayed graphical item on the touch screen with a finger or an object, and a second haptic force, different than the first haptic force, associated with a second displayed graphical item that is in an inactive state when the second displayed graphical item is selected by the user by having the user contact the second displayed graphical item on the touch screen with the finger or the object;

wherein the first haptic force is imparted directly to the finger or the object when the first displayed graphical item is selected by the user and the second haptic force is imparted directly to the finger or the object when the second displayed graphical item is selected by the user.

2. The haptic feedback device of claim 1, wherein the haptic feedback device comprises a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a handheld device.

3. The haptic feedback device of claim 2, wherein the handheld device comprises a computer game controller, a cell phone, a PDA or a multi-media remote controller.

4. The haptic feedback device of claim 1, wherein the touch screen comprises a microprocessor that outputs coordinates of a contacted location on the touch screen.

5. The haptic feedback device of claim 1, wherein the touch screen comprises a flat-panel display that includes a transparent sensor film overlaid on the display.

6. The haptic feedback device of claim 1, wherein the touch screen comprises a microprocessor that outputs coordinates of a contacted location on the touch screen.

7. A method of generating haptics on a haptic feedback device that comprises a touch screen and an actuator, the method comprising:

displaying one or more graphical items on the touch screen, at least one of which has an active state; and

imparting to the haptic feedback device, using the actuator, a first haptic force associated with a first displayed graphical item that is in an active state when the first displayed graphical item is selected by a user by having the user contact the first displayed graphical item on the touch screen with a finger or an object, and a second haptic force, different than the first haptic force, associated with a second displayed graphical item that is in an inactive state when the second displayed graphical item is selected by the user by having the user contact the second displayed graphical item on the touch screen with the finger or the object;

wherein the first haptic force is imparted directly to the finger or the object when the first displayed graphical item is selected by the user and the second haptic force is imparted directly to the finger or the object when the second displayed graphical item is selected by the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the haptic feedback device comprises a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a handheld device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the handheld device comprises a computer game controller, a cell phone, a PDA or a multi-media remote controller.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the touch screen comprises a microprocessor that outputs coordinates of a contacted location on the touch screen.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the touch screen comprises a flat-panel display that includes a transparent sensor film overlaid on the display.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the touch screen comprises a microprocessor that outputs coordinates of a contacted location on the touch screen.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate haptics on a haptic feedback device that comprises a touch screen and an actuator, the generating haptics comprising:

displaying one or more graphical items on the touch screen, at least one of which has an active state; and

imparting to the haptic feedback device, using the actuator, a

first haptic force associated with a first displayed graphical item that is in an active state when the first displayed graphical item is selected by a user by having the user contact the first displayed graphical item on the touch screen with a finger or an object, and a second haptic force, different than the first haptic force, associated with a second displayed graphical item that is in an inactive state when the second displayed graphical item is selected by the user by having the user contact the second displayed graphical item on the touch screen with the finger or the object;

wherein the first haptic force is imparted directly to the finger or the object when the first displayed graphical item is selected by the user and the second haptic force is imparted directly to the finger or the object when the second displayed graphical item is selected by the user.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the haptic feedback device comprises a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a handheld device.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the handheld device comprises a computer game controller, a cell phone, a PDA or a multi-media remote controller.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the touch screen comprises a microprocessor that outputs coordinates of a contacted location on the touch screen.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the touch screen comprises a flat-panel display that includes a transparent sensor film overlaid on the display.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the touch screen comprises a microprocessor that outputs coordinates of a contacted location on the touch screen.