Systems and Methods for Providing Haptic Effects

• US 20170088051A1
• Filed: 10/17/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Levin, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,179,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing haptic effects are disclosed. One disclosed system comprises an actuator, a non-volatile memory configured to store a haptic effect profile, and a processor in communication with the actuator and the non-volatile memory. The processor may be configured to receive a sensor signal indicating a movement of a manipulandum, to identify an effect parameter associated with the sensor signal in the haptic effect profile, and to generate an output signal based, at least in part, on the effect parameter. The generated output signal may be configured to cause the actuator to output a haptic effect associated with the effect parameter.

Claims

1-30. -30. (Cancelled)

31. A system comprising:

a control knob assembly associated with a vehicle'"'"'s heat/ventilation/air-conditioning (“

HVAC”

) system, the control knob assembly comprising;

a control knob movable in a degree of freedom to control an HVAC function;

an actuator configured to output a haptic effect to the control knob;

a non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of haptic effect profiles, each of the haptic effect profiles comprising;

a plurality of haptic parameters describing a plurality of haptic effects, the plurality of haptic effects associated with positions of the control knob within the degree of freedom,

a plurality of sensor parameters associated with the plurality of haptic effects, the plurality of sensor parameters associated with the positions of the control knob within the degree of freedom;

a processor in communication with the actuator and the non-volatile memory, the processor configured to;

receive a sensor signal indicating a position of the control knob;

identify a haptic effect in the respective selected haptic effect profile based at least in part on (i) the sensed position of the control knob, and (ii) a sensor parameter of the plurality of sensor parameters of the selected haptic effect profile associated with the sensed position of the control knob and the respective haptic parameters associated with a haptic effect; and

output an actuator signal configured to cause the actuator to output the haptic effect.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the degree of freedom is one of a rotational degree of freedom or an axial degree of freedom.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the control knob is movable in two degrees of freedom, the two degrees of freedom comprising a rotational degree of freedom and an axial degree of freedom, and further comprising a second actuator, the actuator configured to output the haptic effect in the rotational degree of freedom and the second actuator configured to output a second haptic effect in the axial degree of freedom.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the actuator comprises a direct-current rotary motor.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the HVAC function comprises one of a fan speed, a temperature, or a location.

36. The device of claim 31, wherein the non-volatile memory is configured to receive a download of the haptic effect profile.

37. The device of claim 31, wherein the control knob assembly comprises a downloaded haptic effect profile.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the control knob assembly is configured to download the downloaded haptic effect profile from a programmable bus.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the control knob assembly is a first control knob assembly, further comprising:

a second control knob assembly associated with the vehicle'"'"'s HVAC system, the second control knob assembly comprising;

a second control knob movable in a second degree of freedom to control a second HVAC function;

a second actuator configured to output a second haptic effect to the second control knob;

wherein the non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of haptic effect profiles, each of the haptic effect profiles comprising;

a second plurality of haptic parameters describing a second plurality of haptic effects, the second plurality of haptic effects associated with positions of the second control knob within the second degree of freedom,

a second plurality of sensor parameters associated with the second plurality of haptic effects, the second plurality of sensor parameters associated with the positions of the second control knob within the second degree of freedom;

wherein the processor is further configured to;

receive a second sensor signal indicating a position of the second control knob;

identify a second haptic effect in the respective selected haptic effect profile based at least in part on (i) the sensed position of the second control knob, and (ii) a sensor parameter of the plurality of sensor parameters of the selected haptic effect profile associated with the sensed position of the second control knob and the respective haptic parameters associated with a haptic effect; and

output a second actuator signal configured to cause the second actuator to output the second haptic effect.

40. A system comprising:

a control knob assembly associated with a vehicle'"'"'s stereo system, the control knob assembly comprising;

a control knob movable in a degree of freedom to control a stereo function;

an actuator configured to output a haptic effect to the control knob;

a non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of haptic effect profiles, each of the haptic effect profiles comprising;

a plurality of haptic parameters describing a plurality of haptic effects, the plurality of haptic effects associated with positions of the control knob within the degree of freedom,

a plurality of sensor parameters associated with the plurality of haptic effects, the plurality of sensor parameters associated with the positions of the control knob within the degree of freedom;

a processor in communication with the actuator and the non-volatile memory, the processor configured to;

receive a sensor signal indicating a position of the control knob;

identify a haptic effect in the respective selected haptic effect profile based at least in part on (i) the sensed position of the control knob, and (ii) a sensor parameter of the plurality of sensor parameters of the selected haptic effect profile associated with the sensed position of the control knob and the respective haptic parameters associated with a haptic effect; and

output an actuator signal configured to cause the actuator to output the haptic effect.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the degree of freedom is one of a rotational degree of freedom or an axial degree of freedom.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the control knob is movable in two degrees of freedom, the two degrees of freedom comprising a rotational degree of freedom and an axial degree of freedom, and further comprising a second actuator, the actuator configured to output the haptic effect in the rotational degree of freedom and the second actuator configured to output a second haptic effect in the axial degree of freedom.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein the actuator comprises a direct-current rotary motor.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein the stereo function comprises one of a volume, a radio frequency, a balance, a fader, a bass level, or a treble level.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein the control knob assembly is a first control knob assembly, further comprising:

a second control knob assembly associated with the vehicle'"'"'s stereo system, the second control knob assembly comprising;

a second control knob movable in a second degree of freedom to control a second stereo function;

a second actuator configured to output a second haptic effect to the second control knob;

wherein the non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of haptic effect profiles, each of the haptic effect profiles comprising;

a second plurality of haptic parameters describing a second plurality of haptic effects, the second plurality of haptic effects associated with positions of the second control knob within the second degree of freedom,

a second plurality of sensor parameters associated with the second plurality of haptic effects, the second plurality of sensor parameters associated with the positions of the second control knob within the second degree of freedom;

wherein the processor is further configured to;

receive a second sensor signal indicating a position of the second control knob;

identify a second haptic effect in the respective selected haptic effect profile based at least in part on (i) the sensed position of the second control knob, and (ii) a sensor parameter of the plurality of sensor parameters of the selected haptic effect profile associated with the sensed position of the second control knob and the respective haptic parameters associated with a haptic effect; and

output a second actuator signal configured to cause the second actuator to output the second haptic effect.

46. The device of claim 40, wherein the non-volatile memory is configured to receive a download of the haptic effect profile.

47. The device of claim 40, wherein the control knob assembly comprises a downloaded haptic effect profile.

48. The device of claim 47, wherein the control knob assembly is configured to download the downloaded haptic effect profile from a programmable bus.