Haptically-enabled modular peripheral device assembly

• US 10,198,074 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Grant, Danny, Rihn, William, Soskin, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Ritchie, Darlene M
• Application Number:
  US15/350,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20170242486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/121 Strap or belt
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/52 with a remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04703 Mounting of controlling member
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04718 with cardan or gimbal type joint
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• 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 3/0346 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

Abstract

A modular peripheral device assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a handheld controller and an assembly base. The handheld controller includes a first haptic actuator configured to generate a haptic effect at the handheld controller. The assembly base includes an attachment component that is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the handheld controller, and a second haptic actuator configured to generate haptic a effect at the assembly base or at the handheld controller when it is attached to the attachment component. The assembly further includes a control unit configured to select, based on whether the handheld controller is attached to or detached from the assembly base, at least one of the first and second haptic actuators to generate a haptic effect.

Claims

1. A modular peripheral device assembly configured to generate a haptic effect, wherein the haptic effect is associated with an event in an application receiving input from the modular peripheral device assembly, the assembly comprising:

a handheld controller configured to sense at least one of motion or orientation of the handheld controller, wherein the handheld controller includes,

a user input component,

a sensor configured to track at least one of motion or orientation of the handheld controller, and

a first haptic actuator or a first set of haptic actuators configured, when activated, to generate the haptic effect at the handheld controller;

an assembly base that includes,

an attachment component that is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the handheld controller, and

a second haptic actuator or a second set of haptic actuators configured, when activated, to generate the haptic effect at the assembly base or, when the handheld controller is attached to the attachment component, at the handheld controller; and

a control unit located in at least one of the handheld controller or the assembly base, and configured,

in response to a determination that the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base and that the haptic effect is associated with a first type of event in the application;

to select the second haptic actuator or the second set of haptic actuators to generate the haptic effect, and to activate the second haptic actuator or the second set of haptic actuators to generate the haptic effect,

in response to a determination that the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base and the haptic effect is associated with a second type of event in the application;

to select the first haptic actuator or the first set of haptic actuators to generate the haptic effect, and to activate the first haptic actuator or the first set of haptic actuators to generate the haptic effect, and

in response to a determination that the handheld controller is detached from the assembly base, to select only the first haptic actuator or only the first set of haptic actuators to generate the haptic effect, and to activate only the first haptic actuator or only the first set of haptic actuators to generate the haptic effect.

2. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment component of the assembly base includes a sleeve having a first groove and a ball extendable from the first groove, wherein the handheld controller has a second groove, and wherein the ball is configured to extend from the first groove to the second groove to lock the handheld controller to the assembly base when the two grooves are aligned.

3. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly base includes a strap configured for attachment to a user'"'"'s body.

4. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly is configured to provide input to a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) application.

5. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment component is configured to be attachable to and detachable from an end of the handheld controller, and wherein the handheld controller is pivotable about the assembly base when attached thereto, such that the peripheral device assembly is operable as a joystick when the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base, and wherein the second haptic actuator or the second set of haptic actuators, when activated, are configured to generate a kinesthetic haptic effect on the joystick when the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base.

6. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 5, wherein the attachment component comprises a gimbal configured to provide at least two degrees of freedom, and the second haptic actuator is configured to exert a force or torque on the handheld controller via the attachment component.

7. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to select only the first haptic actuator to generate the haptic effect in response to determining that the handheld controller is detached from the assembly base.

8. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to

i) select only the second haptic actuator or only the second set of haptic actuators to generate the haptic effect in response to determining that the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base and that the haptic effect is associated with the first type of event in the application, and

ii) select only the first haptic actuator or only the first set of haptic actuators to generate the haptic effect in response to determining that the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base and that the haptic effect is associated with the second type of event in the application.

9. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 7, wherein, in response to a determination that the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base and the haptic effect is associated with the first type of event in the application, the control unit is configured to also select the first haptic actuator to generate the haptic effect if device profile information stored on the modular peripheral device assembly indicates that an output intensity of the first haptic actuator is less than a programmed threshold.

10. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 7, wherein, in response to a determination that the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base and that the haptic effect is associated with the first type of event in the application, the control unit is configured to also select the first haptic actuator to generate the haptic effect, but is configured to delay activation of the first haptic actuator relative to activation of the second haptic actuator.

11. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 1, wherein the handheld controller is a first handheld controller, the assembly further comprising a second handheld controller having another attachment component that is attachable to and detachable from an opposite end of the first handheld controller, the second handheld controller further comprising a third haptic actuator.

12. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 11, wherein when the first handheld controller is attached to the assembly base and is not attached to the second handheld controller, and the haptic effect is associated with the first type of event in the application, the control unit is configured to activate the second haptic actuator with a first level of output intensity to generate the haptic effect.

13. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 12, wherein, when the first handheld controller is attached to the assembly base and to the second handheld controller, and the haptic effect is associated with the first type of event in the application, the control unit is configured to activate the second haptic actuator with a second level of output intensity to generate the haptic effect or to activate the third haptic actuator with the second level of output intensity, the second level of output intensity being higher than the first level of output intensity.

14. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 13, wherein the first handheld controller is configured as a one-handed controller, the second handheld controller is configured as a two-handed controller.

15. The modular peripheral device assembly of claim 11, wherein when the first handheld controller is attached to the assembly base and is not attached to the second handheld controller, and the haptic effect is associated with the second type of event in the application, the control unit is configured to select the first haptic actuator, and to select no actuator of the second handheld controller to generate the haptic effect.

16. A method of generating haptic effects in a modular peripheral device assembly that includes i) a handheld controller configured to sense at least one of motion or orientation of the handheld controller and having a first haptic actuator or first set of haptic actuators configured, when activated, to generate the haptic effects at the handheld controller, ii) an assembly base that is attachable to and detachable from an end of the handheld controller and that has a second haptic actuator or second set of haptic actuators, wherein the handheld controller is pivotable about the assembly base when attached thereto, such that the modular peripheral device assembly is operable as a joystick when the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base, and wherein the second haptic actuator or second set of haptic actuators, when activated, are configured to generate a kinesthetic haptic effect on the joystick when the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base, and iii) a control unit located in at least one of the handheld controller or the assembly base, the method comprising:

the control unit determining that a first haptic effect needs to be generated for an application receiving input from the peripheral device assembly and determining that the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base;

the control unit selecting, in response to determining that the handheld controller is attached to the assembly base, the second haptic actuator or second set of haptic actuators to generate the first haptic effect as the kinesthetic haptic effect on the joystick;

the control unit activating the second haptic actuator or the second set of haptic actuators to generate the kinesthetic haptic effect;

the control unit determining that a second haptic effect needs to be generated and determining that the handheld controller is detached from the assembly base; and

the control unit selecting, in response to determining that the handheld controller is detached from the assembly base, only the first haptic actuator or only the first set of haptic actuators to generate the second haptic effect; and

the control unit activating only the first haptic actuator or only the first set of haptic actuators to generate the second haptic effect.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of selecting the second haptic actuator or the second set of haptic actuators comprises selecting only the second haptic actuator or only the second set of haptic actuators to generate the first haptic effect.