System and method for feedforward and feedback with haptic effects

• US 9,836,150 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Levesque, Vincent, Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mummalaneni, Nalini
• Application Number:
  US13/830,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Systems and methods for feedforward and feedback with haptic effects are disclosed. One such system may include a sensor configured to detect an interaction with a touch surface and transmit a sensor signal associated with the interaction; a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to: determine an operation available on a device, the operation associated with a first user interaction; determine a simulated texture associated with the operation; output a haptic signal associated with the simulated texture; determine whether to perform the operation based on a second user interaction; and a haptic output device in communication with the processor and coupled to the touch surface, the haptic output device configured to receive a haptic signal and simulate a texture on the touch surface based in part on the haptic signal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a sensor configured to detect an interaction with a touch surface and transmit a sensor signal associated with the interaction;

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

determine an operation available on a device, the operation associated with a first interaction;

determine a haptic effect associated with the operation, wherein the haptic effect is configured to provide information associated with the operation prior to performance of the operation;

output a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect; and

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

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

determine whether to perform the operation based on a second interaction; and

perform the operation.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a second haptic effect associated with performing the operation; and

output a signal associated with the second haptic effect to the haptic output device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect comprises one of:

a simulated texture on the touch surface or a change in a coefficient of friction on the touch surface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is associated with one or more of:

a warning, a confirmation, or an importance of the operation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic output device comprises an actuator configured to output a vibration at an ultrasonic frequency.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic output device comprises a device configured to generate an electrostatic field.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to receive a display signal and display an image associated with the display signal and wherein the processor is configured to modify at least one feature of the display signal based in part on the first interaction.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the display comprises the sensor.

10. A method comprising:

detecting a first interaction with a touch surface;

determining an operation available on a device, the operation associated with the first interaction;

determining a haptic effect associated with the operation, wherein the haptic effect is configured to provide information associated with the operation prior to performance of the operation; and

outputting the haptic effect on the touch surface.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying an image associated with a display signal; and

modifying at least one feature of the display signal based in part on the first interaction.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether to perform the operation based on a second interaction with the touch surface; and

performing the operation.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a second haptic effect associated with performing the operation; and

outputting the second haptic effect.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the haptic effect comprises one of:

a simulated texture on a surface of the touch surface or a change in a coefficient of friction of a surface of the touch surface.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the haptic effect comprises one or more of:

a warning, a confirmation, or an importance of the operation.

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

detect a first interaction with a touch surface;

transmit a sensor signal associated with the first interaction;

determine an operation available on a device, the operation associated with the first interaction;

determine a haptic effect associated with the operation, wherein the haptic effect is configured to provide information associated with the operation prior to performance of the operation; and

output the haptic effect on the touch surface.

17. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code, which when executed by a processor is configured to cause the processor to:

output a display signal comprising an image to output on a display; and

modify at least one feature of the display signal based in part on the first interaction.

18. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code, which when executed by a processor is configured to cause the processor to:

determine whether to perform the operation based on a second interaction with the touch surface; and

perform the operation.

19. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising program code, which when executed by a processor is configured to cause the processor to:

determine a second haptic effect associated with performing the operation; and

output the second haptic effect.

20. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the haptic effect comprises one of:

a simulated texture on a surface of the touch surface or a change in a coefficient of friction of a surface of the touch surface.