Systems and methods for pressure-based haptic effects

• US 9,939,904 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Ullrich, Christopher J., Weddle, Amaya, Yu, Hua, Birnbaum, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Azongha, Sardis F
• Application Number:
  US15/462,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20170192510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a sensor configured to detect a user interaction with a touch surface and transmit a sensor signal including data associated with a pressure of the user interaction. The illustrative system also includes a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to: receive the sensor signal; determine, based on the sensor signal, a pressure level; determine a user interface level based at least in part on the pressure level; perform a function associated with the user interface level and the user interaction; determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the user interface level and the user interaction; generate a haptic signal based at least in part on the haptic effect; and transmit the haptic signal. The illustrative system further includes a haptic output device in configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory comprising program code executable by the processor to cause the processor to;

display a graphical user interface (GUI) via a touch-screen display, the GUI comprising a first virtual object;

determine that a contact with the touch-screen display corresponds to a location of the first virtual object;

determine that a pressure of the contact with the touch-screen display exceeds a pressure threshold;

based on determining that the contact corresponds to the location of the first virtual object and the pressure of the contact exceeds the pressure threshold, display a second virtual object within the GUI, the second virtual object being different from the first virtual object;

based on displaying the second virtual object within the GUI, determine a haptic effect configured to (i) simulate a visual feature of the second virtual object, or (ii) indicate content in the second virtual object;

generate a haptic signal based at least in part on the haptic effect; and

transmit the haptic signal; and

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

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to select a pressure level from a plurality of pressure levels based on the pressure of the contact, wherein each pressure level of the plurality of pressure levels is associated with a different haptic effect configured to simulate a different visual feature of a virtual object.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the haptic effect comprises determining no haptic effect.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual feature comprises a first visual feature, and wherein the memory further includes program code executable by the processor to cause the processor to modify a second visual feature of the second virtual object based on the contact.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes program code executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

select a function from among a plurality of functions based on the pressure of the contact and a virtual object, wherein at least one function of the plurality of functions is configured to manipulate the virtual object within a video game environment; and

execute the function.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the pressure threshold is a first pressure threshold, and wherein the memory further includes program code executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

select a first function that comprises outputting a first data set in response to the pressure of the contact exceeding the first pressure threshold; and

select a second function that comprises outputting a second data set that is different from the first data set in response to the pressure of the contact exceeding a second pressure threshold that is higher than the first pressure threshold.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is configured to simulate the visual feature of the second virtual object, and wherein the visual feature includes a surface of the second virtual object.

8. A method, comprising:

displaying, by a processor, a graphical user interface (GUI) via a touch-screen display, the GUI comprising a first virtual object;

determining that a contact with the touch-screen display corresponds to a location of the first virtual object;

determining, by the processor, that a pressure of the contact with the touch-screen display exceeds a pressure threshold;

based on determining that the contact corresponds to the location of the first virtual object and the pressure of the contact exceeds the pressure threshold, displaying, by the processor, a second virtual object within the GUI via the touch-screen display, the second virtual object being different from the first virtual object;

based on displaying the second virtual object within the GUI, determining, by the processor, a haptic effect configured to (i) simulate a visual feature of the second virtual object, or (ii) indicate content in the second virtual object; and

causing, by the processor, a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein further comprising selecting a pressure level from a plurality of pressure levels based on the pressure of the contact, wherein each pressure level of the plurality of pressure levels is associated with a different haptic effect configured to simulate a different virtual feature of a virtual object.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the haptic effect comprises determining no haptic effect.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the visual feature comprises a first visual feature, and further comprising modifying a second visual feature of the second virtual object based on the contact.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

selecting a function from among a plurality of functions based on the pressure of the contact and a virtual object, wherein at least one function of the plurality of functions is configured to manipulate the virtual object within a video game environment; and

executing the function.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the pressure threshold is a first pressure threshold, and further comprising:

selecting a first function that comprises outputting a first data set in response to the pressure of the contact exceeding the first pressure threshold; and

selecting a second function that comprises outputting a second data set that is different from the first data set in response to the pressure of the contact exceeding a second pressure threshold that is higher than the first pressure threshold.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the haptic effect is configured to simulate operation of the second virtual object.

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

display a graphical user interface (GUI) via a touch-screen display, the GUI comprising a first virtual object;

determine that a contact with the touch-screen display corresponds to a location of the first virtual object;

determine that a pressure of the contact with the touch-screen display exceeds a pressure threshold;

based on determining that the contact corresponds to the location of the first virtual object and the pressure of the contact exceeds the pressure threshold, display a second virtual object within the GUI, the second virtual object being different from the first virtual object;

based on displaying the second virtual object within the GUI, determine a haptic effect configured to (i) simulate a visual feature of the second virtual object, or (ii) indicate content in the second virtual object;

generate a haptic signal based at least in part on the haptic effect; and

transmit the haptic signal to a haptic output device, wherein the haptic output device is configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to select a pressure level from a plurality of pressure levels based on the pressure of the contact, wherein each pressure level of the plurality of pressure levels is associated with a different haptic effect configured to simulate a different virtual feature of a virtual object.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the haptic effect is configured to indicate the content in the second virtual object.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the visual feature comprises a first visual feature, and further comprising program code executable by the processor to cause the processor to modify a second virtual visual feature of the second virtual object based on the contact.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising program code executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

select a function from among a plurality of functions based on the pressure of the contact and a virtual object, wherein each function of the plurality of functions is configured to manipulate the virtual object within a video game environment in a different manner; and

execute the function.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the pressure threshold is a first pressure threshold, and further comprising program code executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

select a first function that comprises outputting a first data set in response to the pressure of the contact exceeding the first pressure threshold; and

select a second function that comprises outputting a second data set that is different from the first data set in response to the pressure of the contact exceeding a second pressure threshold that is higher than the first pressure threshold.