Customizing haptic effects on an end user device

• US 9,990,038 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Ramsay, Erin B., Heubel, Robert W., Fleming, Jason D., Rank, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Le
• Application Number:
  US14/097,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 715702, 715864-865
• 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 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

Systems, methods, and associated software are described herein for enabling a regular user of an end user device, such as a cellular telephone, to customize parameters associated with haptic effects applied to the user by the end user device. In one implementation, among several, a method described herein includes enabling a user of an end user device to access software adapted to design or modify haptic effects of the end user device. The method further includes enabling the user to open a haptic track file and enter or modify parameters associated with the haptic effects of the opened haptic track file.

Claims

1. An electronic handheld device comprising:

a resonant haptic actuating device;

a touch screen configured to sense pressing inputs at a surface of the touch screen and to display a graphical user interface (GUI) for representing at least one vibratory characteristics of a haptic effect;

a memory storing software that enables the pressing inputs to define the haptic effect as a set of beats; and

a processor configured, when executing the software stored in memory,

to detect the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen for defining the set of beats of the haptic effect,

to determine an amount of pressure that is received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen,

to translate the pressing inputs into the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect, wherein the one or more vibratory characteristics include a duration and a magnitude of the haptic effect, wherein the magnitude of the haptic effect is based on the amount of pressure that is received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen,

to display the duration of the haptic effect via the GUI on the touch screen,

to store, in a haptic effect file in the memory, the one of more vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect that are based on the pressing inputs,

wherein the processor is further configured to cause the resonant haptic actuating device to play the set of beats of the haptic effect when an event associated with the haptic effect occurs, wherein the event is associated with receiving a communication, and

wherein the haptic effect is a vibrotactile haptic effect on the electronic handheld device.

2. The electronic handheld device of claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer configured to detect tapping motions at the device.

3. The electronic handheld device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display the magnitude of the haptic effect via the GUI on the touch screen.

4. The electronic handheld device of claim 1, wherein the one or more vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect further comprise a frequency of the haptic effect.

5. The electronic handheld device of claim 1, wherein the electronic handheld device includes one of a mobile handset, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, personal navigation device, or tablet PC.

6. The electronic handheld device of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store a library of haptic tracks that can be used as a starting point for creating haptic effects.

7. The electronic handheld device of claim 1, wherein the communication that is associated with the event is an e-mail.

8. A method of defining haptic effects on a mobile device comprising a resonant haptic actuating device and a touch screen configured to display a graphical user interface (GUI) for representing at least one vibratory characteristics of the haptic effects, the method comprising:

detecting pressing inputs at a surface of the touch screen, the pressing inputs defining a haptic effect as a set of beats;

determining an amount of pressure received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen;

translating the pressing inputs to vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect, wherein the vibratory characteristics include a magnitude of the haptic effect and a duration of the haptic effect, wherein the magnitude of the haptic effect is based on the amount of pressure received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen;

displaying the duration of the haptic effect via the GUI on the touch screen;

storing the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect on the mobile device; and

causing the resonant haptic actuating device to play the set of beats of the haptic effect when an event associated with the haptic effect occurs, wherein the event is associated with receiving a communication,

wherein the haptic effect is a vibrotactile haptic effect.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting, by an accelerometer of the mobile device, tapping motions at the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the magnitude of the haptic effect via the GUI on the touch screen.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more vibratory characteristics of the defined haptic effect further comprise a frequency of the haptic effect.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile device includes one of a mobile handset, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, personal navigation device, or tablet PC.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing a library of haptic tracks that can be used as a starting point for creating haptic effects.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication that is associated with the event is an e-mail.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate haptic effects on a mobile device that comprises an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) actuator and a touch screen configured to display a graphical user interface (GUI) for representing at least one vibratory characteristics of haptic effects, the instructions being configured to cause the processor to generate the haptic effects by:

detecting pressing inputs at a surface of the touch screen, the pressing inputs defining a set of beats;

determining an amount of pressure received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen;

translating the pressing inputs to vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect, wherein the vibratory characteristics include a duration and a magnitude of the haptic effect, wherein the magnitude of the haptic effect is based on the amount of pressure that is received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen;

displaying the duration of the haptic effect via the GUI on the touch screen;

storing the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect on the mobile device; and

causing the ERM actuator to play the set of beats of the haptic effect when an event associated with the haptic effect occurs, wherein the event is associated with receiving a communication,

wherein the haptic effect is a vibrotactile haptic effect.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processor to detect tapping motions at the mobile device through an accelerometer of the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to display the magnitude of the haptic effect via the GUI on the touch screen.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect further comprise a frequency of the haptic effect.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are configured to further cause the processor to store a library of haptic tracks that can be used as a starting point for creating haptic effects.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the communication that is associated with the event is an e-mail.