Three Dimensional Haptics Hybrid Modeling

• US 20160321882A1
• Filed: 07/11/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mankowski, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,704,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/02 using reflection of acoustic waves G01S15/66 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 3/017 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: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing a haptic sensation is disclosed. An acoustic transducer at a first cellular communication device is used to determine a gesture of a user object with respect to a first cellular communication device. The gesture is generally performed in a three-dimensional space of the first cellular communication device. A haptic signal is created that corresponds to the determined gesture and is sent from the first cellular communication device to a second cellular communication device. An actuator at the second cellular communication device is actuated according to the haptic signal to produce a haptic sensation at the second cellular communication device.

Claims

1. A method of producing a haptic sensation, comprising:

using an acoustic transducer at a first cellular communication device to determine a first gesture with respect to a first cellular communication device;

sending a first haptic signal from the first cellular communication device to a second cellular communication device; and

actuating at least one actuator at the second cellular communication device according to the first haptic signal to produce a haptic sensation at the second cellular communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using an acoustic transducer at the second cellular communication device to determine a second gesture with respect to the second cellular communication device;

sending a second haptic signal from the second cellular communication device to the first cellular communication device; and

actuating at least one actuator at the first cellular communication device according to the second haptic signal to produce a haptic sensation at the first cellular communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture is performed by an object in three-dimensional at a location away from a screen of the first cellular communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic signal is sent from the first cellular communication device to the second cellular communication device in a data frame that includes at least one of:

(i) an audio signal;

(ii) a visual signal; and

(iii) a text message signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator further comprises one of:

three actuators;

four actuators; and

more than four actuators.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic sensation further includes at least one of:

a sensation of a translation of the second cellular communication device in a selected direction; and

a sensation of a rotation of the second cellular communication device about a selected axis.

7. An apparatus for haptic communication, comprising:

at least one acoustic transducer configured to generate an acoustic signal and receive a reflection of the acoustic signal from an object in three-dimensional space;

a processor configured to determine a movement of the object from the received acoustic signal and generate a haptic signal based on the determined movement; and

a communication circuit configured to send the haptic signal to a device to produce a haptic sensation at the device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the generated haptic signal corresponds to the motion of the object.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the motion of the object is performed in three-dimensional space at a distance away from inducing a pressure-sensitive signal at a screen of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising at least one actuator, wherein the processor is configured to receive a haptic signal communicated to the apparatus and activate the at least one actuator to produce a haptic sensation corresponding to the received haptic signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor sends haptic signal to the device in a data frame that includes at least one of:

(i) an audio signal;

(ii) a visual signal; and

(iii) a text message signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one actuator further comprises one of:

three actuators;

four actuators; and

more than four actuators.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the haptic sensation further includes at least one of:

a sensation of a translation of the device in a selected direction; and

a sensation of a rotation of the second cellular communication device about a selected axis.

14. A system for haptic communication, comprising:

a first communication device and a second communication device in communication with each other;

an acoustic transducer of the first communication device configured to generate an acoustic signal and receive a reflection of the generated acoustic signal;

a first processor of the first communication device configured to generate a first haptic signal that corresponds to the received reflections of the generated acoustic signal;

at least one actuator of the second communication device; and

a second processor of the second communication device configured to received the first haptic signal from the first communication device and actuate the at least one actuator to produce a haptic sensation at the second communication device that corresponds to the received acoustic signal at the first communication device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein a motion of an object with respect to the first communication device affects the reflected acoustic signal and the haptic sensation at the second device corresponds to the motion of the object.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the motion of the object is performed in three-dimensional space at a distance away from inducing a pressure-sensitive signal at a screen of the first communication device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the haptic signal is sent from the first cellular communication device to the second cellular communication device in a data frame that includes at least one of:

(i) an audio signal;

(ii) a visual signal; and

(iii) a text message signal.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one actuator further comprises one of:

three actuators;

four actuators; and

more than four actuators.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the haptic sensation further includes at least one of:

a sensation of a translation of the device in a selected direction; and

a sensation of a rotation of the second cellular communication device about a selected axis.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a second acoustic transducer at the second communication device and at least one actuator at the first communication device and a second actuator at the second cellular communication device, wherein the second processor determines a second gesture from signals obtained using the second acoustic transducer and sends a second haptic signal from the second cellular communication device to the first cellular communication device over the cellular phone network;

and the first processor actuates the actuator of the first communication device according to the second haptic signal to produce a haptic sensation at the first communication device.