Haptic feedback for touchpads and other touch controls

• US 20070229478A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Riegel, James, Rosenberg, Louis
• Application Number:
  US11/805,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20070229478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/10 characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/169 : the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 : the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 : Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 : Force feedback applied to GUI
• 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 3/03543 : Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 : Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 : Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 : with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 : Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 : Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 : Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 : with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/052 : piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch surface that inputs a position signal to a processor of the computer based on a location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphical environment based at least in part on the position signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate from the computer'"'"'s display screen, or can be a touch screen. Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can include pulses, vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user of a touch input device with interactive feedback, the method comprising:

detecting a user interaction with a first portion of the touch input device, said interaction including exertion of a degree of pressure; and

generating a haptic force proportional to or variable with said degree of pressure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in interaction comprises movement of an interaction object from the first portion to the second portion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein pressure exertion is by way of a finger.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein pressure exertion is by way of a stylus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input device is a touch pad.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the touch pad is provided with a graphical representation of a button substantially corresponding to the first portion of the touch input device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input device is a touch screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the touch screen is configured to display a graphical representation of a button substantially corresponding to the first portion of the touch input device.

9. A method for providing a user of a touch input device with interactive feedback, the method comprising:

assigning a first function to a first portion of the touch input device such that interaction with the first portion initiates the first function, said interaction including exertion of a degree of pressure; and

generating a haptic force proportional to or variable with said degree of pressure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the touch input device is coupled to a computer and the first function is a computer function.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the interaction is with a finger of the user.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the interaction is with a stylus.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the touch input device is a touch pad.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the touch pad is provided with a graphical representation of a button substantially corresponding to the first portion of the touch input device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the touch input device is a touch screen.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the touch screen is configured to display a graphical representation of a button substantially corresponding to the first portion of the touch input device.

17. A method for providing interactive feedback to a user of a touch input device coupled to a display on which a graphical object and a cursor are displayed, the cursor being movable in the display in accordance with interaction by the user with the touch input device, said interaction including exertion of pressure, the method comprising:

determining the amount of pressure exerted; and

generating haptic force commensurate with the amount of pressure exerted.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the touch input device is a touch pad.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the touch input device is a touch screen.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the touch input device has a substantially planar surface configured to receive user interaction, and wherein the haptic force is in a direction that is substantially normal to said planar surface.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the touch input device has a substantially planar surface configured to receive user interaction, and wherein the haptic force is in a direction that is substantially parallel to said planar surface.

22. A touch input device comprising:

a first portion configured to initiate a first function in response to a user interaction with the first portion, said interaction including exertion of a degree of pressure; and

an actuator configured to impart a haptic force to the touch input device proportional to or variable with said degree of pressure.

23. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the touch input device has a substantially planar surface in which the first and second portions are disposed.

24. The touch input device of claim 23, wherein the haptic force is in a direction substantially orthogonal to the substantially planar surface.

25. The touch input device of claim 23, wherein the haptic force is in a direction substantially parallel to the substantially planar surface.

26. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the touch input device is a touch screen.

27. The touch input device of claim 26, wherein the touch screen is configured to display a graphical representation of a button substantially corresponding to the first portion of the touch input device.

28. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the touch input device is a touch pad.

29. The touch input device of claim 28, further comprising a graphical representation of a button substantially corresponding to the first portion of the touch input device.

30. A handheld device comprising:

a display; and

a first portion configured to initiate a first function in response to a user interaction with the first portion, said interaction including exertion of a degree of pressure; and

an actuator configured to impart a haptic force to the touch input device proportional to or variable with said degree of pressure.

31. The handheld device of claim 30, wherein the touch input device has a substantially planar surface in which the first and second portions are disposed.

32. The handheld device of claim 31, wherein the haptic force is in a direction substantially orthogonal to the substantially planar surface.

33. The handheld device of claim 31, wherein the haptic force is in a direction substantially parallel to the substantially planar surface.

34. The handheld device of claim 30, wherein the touch input device is a touch screen.

35. The handheld device of claim 34, wherein the touch screen is configured to display a graphical representation of a button substantially corresponding to the first portion of the touch input device.

36. The handheld device of claim 30, wherein the touch input device is a touch pad.

37. The handheld device of claim 36, further comprising a graphical representation of a button substantially corresponding to the first portion of the touch input device.