Systems and methods for providing features in a friction display wherein a haptic effect is configured to vary the coefficient of friction

• US 9,746,923 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Grant, Danny A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Application Number:
  US12/696,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,769 Days
• Field of Search: 340 41, 340 412, 3404071, 3404072, 116205, 341 20- 27, 341 34, 345168-183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/04 Texture mapping
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A touch-enabled device can simulate one or more features in a touch area. Features may include, but are not limited to, changes in texture and/or simulation of boundaries, obstacles, or other discontinuities in the touch surface that can be perceived through use of an object in contact with the surface. Systems include a sensor configured to detect a touch in a touch area when an object contacts a touch surface, an actuator, and one or more processors. The processor can determine a position of the touch using the sensor and select a haptic effect to generate based at least in part on the position, the haptic effect selected to simulate the presence of a feature at or near the determined position. The processor can transmit a haptic signal to generate the identified haptic effect using the actuator. Some features are simulated by varying the coefficient of friction of the touch surface.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display comprising a plurality of pixels;

a sensor configured to detect a touch in a touch area when an object contacts a touch surface;

an actuator coupled to the touch surface, the actuator configured to receive a haptic signal and output a haptic effect; and

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

determine a position of the touch based on data from the sensor,

receive haptic parameters associated with a location on the touch surface;

map the position of the touch to the location on the touch surface;

determine a haptic effect to simulate a presence of a feature based in part on a color and a degree of shading at the location on the touch surface, wherein the haptic effect is configured to vary a coefficient of friction on the touch surface at the position of the touch, wherein the degree of shading corresponds to a level of the coefficient of friction; and

transmit a haptic signal to generate the haptic effect using the actuator.

2. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the feature further comprises a texture at or near the determined position of the touch.

3. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the feature comprises a boundary between a first region and a second region in a graphical user interface displayed in the display.

4. The system set forth in claim 3, wherein the boundary comprises a boundary between two simulated keys of a keyboard.

5. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein determining the haptic effect further comprises:

accessing a mapping file that maps each of a plurality of positions to a respective haptic effect; and

identifying a haptic effect mapped to a selected position, the selected position selected based on the determined position of the touch.

6. The system set forth in claim 5, wherein the selected position is the position of the touch.

7. The system set forth in claim 5, wherein the selected position is determined based on the position of the touch and a velocity of the touch.

8. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to displace the touch surface vertically, laterally, or vertically and laterally at an ultrasonic frequency.

9. The system set forth in claim 8, wherein the actuator comprises at least one of:

a piezoelectric actuator;

an electromagnetic actuator;

an electroactive polymer;

a shape memory alloy;

or

a composite.

10. The system set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a pressure of the touch based on data from the sensor, wherein the haptic effect is selected based at least in part on the pressure of the touch.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein varying the coefficient of friction of the touch surface comprises increasing the coefficient of friction of the touch surface.

11. A method, comprising:

displaying an image in a display area comprising a plurality of pixels;

detecting a touch in a touch area associated with the display area in response to contact between an object and a touch surface;

determining a position of the touch;

receiving haptic parameters associated with a location on the touch surface;

mapping the position of the touch to a location on the touch surface;

determining a haptic effect to simulate a presence of a feature based in part on a color and a degree of shading at the location on the touch surface, wherein the haptic effect is configured to vary a coefficient of friction on the touch surface at the position of the touch, wherein the degree of shading corresponds to a level of the coefficient of friction; and

generating the haptic effect by providing a haptic signal to at least one actuator coupled to the touch surface.

12. The method set forth in claim 11, wherein the feature further comprises a texture at or near the determined position of the touch.

13. The method set forth in claim 11, wherein the feature comprises a boundary between a first region displayed in a display area and a second region in the display area, the display area mapped to the touch area.

14. The method set forth in claim 13, wherein the boundary comprises a boundary between two keys of a keyboard depicted in the display area.

15. The method set forth in claim 11, wherein selecting a haptic effect comprises:

accessing a mapping file that maps each of a plurality of positions to a respective haptic effect; and

identifying a haptic effect mapped to a selected position, the selected position selected based on the determined position of the touch.

16. The method set forth in claim 15, wherein the selected position is the position of the touch or is determined based on the position of the touch and a velocity of the touch.

17. The method set forth in claim 11, wherein the actuator is configured to displace the touch surface vertically, laterally, or vertically and laterally at an ultrasonic frequency.

18. The method set forth in claim 17, wherein the actuator comprises at least one of:

a piezoelectric actuator;

an electromagnetic actuator;

an electroactive polymer;

a shape memory alloy;

or

a composite.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein varying the coefficient of friction of the touch surface comprises increasing the coefficient of friction of the touch surface.

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

display an image in a display area comprising a plurality of pixels;

track a position of a touch on a touch surface associated with the display area;

receive haptic parameters associated with a location on the touch surface;

map the position of the touch to a location on the touch surface;

determine a haptic effect to simulate a presence of a feature based in part on a color and a degree of shading at the location on the touch surface, wherein the haptic effect is configured to vary a coefficient of friction on the touch surface at the position of the touch, wherein the degree of shading corresponds to a level of the coefficient of friction; and

transmit a haptic signal to at least one actuator to generate the feature by varying a coefficient of friction of the touch surface.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein varying the coefficient of friction of the touch surface comprises increasing the coefficient of friction of the touch surface.