Systems and methods for shifting haptic feedback function between passive and active modes

• US 10,416,775 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Birnbaum, David M., Ullrich, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Duc Q
• Application Number:
  US16/223,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20190121440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 273 Days
• Field of Search: 715700-702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 : according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 : Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 : including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications

Abstract

Systems and methods for shifting haptic feedback function between passive and active modes are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes receiving a first signal from a sensor, the first signal associated with a mode of interaction with a graphical user interface; receiving a second signal associated with an interaction with the graphical user interface; determining a haptic feedback effect based at least in part on the mode of interaction with the graphical user interface and the interaction with the graphical user interface; and generating a haptic signal configured to output the haptic feedback effect.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display device configured to display a virtual object within a graphical environment;

a haptic output device; and

a processor configured to;

detect user interaction with the virtual object;

determine whether the user interaction is detected while the system is in an active mode of interaction or a passive mode of interaction, wherein the active mode of interaction is a mode in which the system moves the virtual object within the graphical environment based on the user interaction, and wherein the passive mode of interaction is a mode in which the user interaction causes the system to simulate a surface feature of the virtual object;

in response to a determination that the user interaction is received while the system is in the active mode of interaction, determine a haptic effect based on at least one of a simulated friction experienced by the virtual object while it is moving in the graphical environment or a simulated impact experienced by the virtual object;

in response to a determination that the user interaction is received while the system is in the passive mode of interaction, determine the haptic effect based on the simulated surface feature of the virtual object; and

control the haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the surface feature is a simulated texture of the virtual object.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a mobile device, the display device comprises a touchscreen, and the user interaction is a touch input applied by a user on the touchscreen.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein when the mode of interaction comprises an active mode of interaction the haptic effect is configured to simulate collision between the user and the virtual object.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein when the mode of interaction comprises a passive mode of interaction the haptic effect is configured to simulate a texture of the virtual object at a location of the touchscreen touched by the user.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the virtual object comprises data and a shape of the virtual object is determined based on a type of the data.

7. The system of claim 3, further comprising a sensor configured to detect movement of the mobile device and wherein the processor is configured to determine a change in the mode of interaction based in part on the movement.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determine a haptic effect based in part on the change in mode of operation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical environment comprises a plurality of virtual objects, and wherein each of the plurality of virtual objects is associated with a type of data.

10. A method comprising:

displaying a virtual object within a graphical environment;

detecting user interaction with the virtual object;

determining whether the user interaction is detected while a system is in an active mode of interaction or a passive mode of interaction, wherein the active mode of interaction is a mode in which the system moves the virtual object within the graphical environment based on the user interaction, and wherein the passive mode of interaction is a mode in which the user interaction causes the system to simulate a surface feature of the virtual object;

in response to a determination that the user interaction is received while the system is in the active mode of interaction, determine a haptic effect based on at least one of a simulated friction experienced by the virtual object while it is moving in the graphical environment or a simulated impact experienced by the virtual object;

in response to a determination that the user interaction is received while the system is in the passive mode of interaction, determine the haptic effect based on the simulated surface feature of the virtual object; and

controlling a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the surface feature is a simulated texture of the virtual object.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the displaying is on a display of a mobile device, the display comprising a touchscreen, and the user interaction is a touch input applied by a user on the touchscreen.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein when the mode of interaction comprises an active mode of interaction the haptic effect is configured to simulate collision between the user and the virtual object.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein when the mode of interaction comprises a passive mode of interaction the haptic effect is configured to simulate a texture of the virtual object at a location of the touchscreen touched by the user.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual object comprises data and a shape of the virtual object is determined based on a type of the data.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting a movement of the mobile device and determining a change in the mode of interaction based in part on the movement.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a haptic effect based in part on the change in mode of operation.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the graphical environment comprises a plurality of virtual objects, and wherein each of the plurality of virtual objects is associated with a type of data.

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

display a virtual object within a graphical environment;

detect user interaction with the virtual object;

determine whether the user interaction is detected while a system is in an active mode of interaction or a passive mode of interaction, wherein the active mode of interaction is a mode in which the system moves the virtual object within the graphical environment based on the user interaction, and wherein the passive mode of interaction is a mode in which the user interaction causes the system to simulate a surface feature of the virtual object;

in response to a determination that the user interaction is received while the system is in the active mode of interaction, determine a haptic effect based on at least one of a simulated friction experienced by the virtual object while it is moving in the graphical environment or a simulated impact experienced by the virtual object;

in response to a determination that the user interaction is received while the system is in the passive mode of interaction, determine the haptic effect based on the simulated surface feature of the virtual object; and

control a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.