Haptic Feedback for a Touch Input Device

• US 20170212591A1
• Filed: 01/22/2016
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Churikov, Anatoly Yuryevich, Picciotto, Carl E., Fitz-Coy, Aric A., Protasio Ribeiro, Flavio, Bathiche, Steven Nabil
• Granted Patent: US 10,061,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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

Abstract

Techniques for haptic feedback for a touch input device are described. Generally, haptic feedback is provided for different user interactions with a touch input device, such as interactions with applications, services, and so forth. According to various embodiments, how haptic feedback is initiated depends on whether different functionalities directly support haptic feedback. For instance, techniques described herein enable haptic feedback to be provided whether or not a particular functionality directly supports haptic feedback.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a haptic-enabled touch input device;

at least one processor; and

one or more computer-readable storage media including instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the at least one processor, cause the system perform operations including;

receiving an indication of input via the touch input device;

ascertaining whether haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an external haptic event received from an external functionality that is external to the touch input device, or whether haptic feedback is to be initiated by an internal haptic event generated by the touch input device in response to the input; and

causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback based on one of the external haptic event or the internal haptic event.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the touch input device comprises one or more of a haptic-enabled trackpad, a haptic-enabled touchscreen, or a haptic-enabled pen.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more computer-readable storage media comprises firmware of the touch input device.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further include determining that the external functionality directly supports haptic feedback, wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an external haptic event, and said causing comprises causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback based on the external haptic event.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external functionality comprises an application that currently has focus, the operations further include determining that the application directly supports haptic feedback, and wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an external haptic event received from the application, and said causing comprises causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback based on the external haptic event.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external functionality comprises an operating system, the operations further include determining that the operating system directly supports haptic feedback, and wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an external haptic event received from the operating system, and said causing comprises causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback based on the external haptic event.

7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further include determining that the external functionality does not directly support haptic feedback, wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an internal haptic event, and said causing comprises causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback based on the internal haptic event.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external functionality comprises an application that currently has focus, the operations further include determining that the application does not directly support haptic feedback, and wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an internal haptic event, and said causing comprises causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback based on the internal haptic event.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external functionality comprises an operating system, the operations further include determining that the operating system does not directly support haptic feedback, and wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an internal haptic event, and said causing comprises causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback based on the internal haptic event.

10. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an internal haptic event, and said causing comprises:

ascertaining one or more attributes of a gesture used to provide the input to the touch input device; and

causing output of the haptic feedback based on the one or more attributes.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an indication of input to a touch surface of a touch input device;

ascertaining whether haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an external haptic event received from an external functionality that is external to the touch input device, or whether haptic feedback is to be initiated by an internal haptic event generated by the touch input device in response to the input; and

causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback based on one of the external haptic event or the internal haptic event.

12. A method as described in claim 11, further comprising determining based on haptic data whether the external functionality directly supports haptic feedback, and wherein said ascertaining comprises one of:

in an event that the haptic data indicates that the external functionality directly supports haptic feedback, ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by the external haptic event received from an external functionality;

or

in an event that the haptic data indicates that the external functionality does not directly support haptic feedback, ascertaining that the haptic feedback is to be initiated by the internal haptic event generated by the touch input device in response to the input.

13. A method as described in claim 11, further comprising receiving a notification that the external functionality directly supports haptic feedback, wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an external haptic event, and said causing comprises causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback based on the external haptic event.

14. A method as described in claim 11, wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an internal haptic event, and said causing comprises:

ascertaining one or more attributes of a gesture used to provide the input to the touch input device;

mapping the attributes of the gesture to haptic feedback; and

causing output of the haptic feedback.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving an indication of input to a touch input device;

determining that an external functionality external to the touch input device does not directly support haptic feedback;

ascertaining, responsive to said determining, that haptic feedback for the input is to be initiated by an internal haptic event generated by the touch input device in response to the input;

ascertaining one or more attributes of a gesture that caused the input; and

causing the touch input device to output haptic feedback in response to the internal haptic event and based on the one or more attributes of the gesture.

16. A method as described in claim 15, wherein said determining comprises receiving a notification that the external functionality does not directly support haptic feedback.

17. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the external functionality comprises an application that does not directly support haptic feedback, and wherein the input comprises input to a graphical user interface of the application.

18. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the external functionality comprises an operating system that does not directly support haptic feedback.

19. A method as described in claim 15, wherein said ascertaining one or more attributes of the gesture comprises ascertaining one or more of a direction of movement of the gesture relative to the touch input device, distance of movement of the gesture, velocity of movement of the gesture, acceleration of the gesture, deceleration of the gesture, or an amount of pressure applied to the touch input device while generating the gesture.

20. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the external functionality comprises an application, and wherein said causing is performed independent of information concerning an input context of the application.