Interactive touch screen gaming metaphors with haptic feedback

• US 8,502,651 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Birnbaum, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US12/841,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.2, 340/407.1, 340/4.1, 340/4.12, 715/701, 715/702
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• 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 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 : Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A game is provided on one or more portable computing device in which a virtual object travels through views of the game displayed on the interfaces of the one or more portable computing devices. Haptic effects corresponding to the travel of the virtual object through the views are provided on the individual portable computing devices. The haptic effects may be determined based on one or more parameters of the travel of the virtual object, one or more parameters of objects and/or features with which the virtual object interacts, and/or other parameters. The haptic effects may include haptic effects to be provided on portable computing devices that are not currently displaying the virtual object corresponding to the haptic effects.

Claims

1. A system configured to provide haptic effects to a first user of a multi-user application, the system comprising:

a first computing platform associated with the first user, the first computing platform comprising;

a first user interface configured to receive control inputs from the first user;

a first haptic interface configured to generate haptic effects perceptible to the first user;

a first display; and

a first set of one or more processors configured;

to execute a first instance of the multi-user application, the multi-user application including a game that takes place in a virtual space that includes a first play area that is different from a second play area, the game further including interaction with a virtual object that travels through the virtual space between the first play area and the second play area, wherein interaction with the virtual object by the first user and a second user is accomplished based on control inputs received from the first user and based on control inputs received from the second user via a second computing platform executing a second instance of the multi-user application, and wherein the multi-user application is configured to cause a view of the first play area to be presented to the first user on the first display; and

to determine haptic effects that are to be generated by the first haptic interface, such haptic effects comprising a first haptic effect conveying information to the first user related to an interaction with the virtual object caused by a first control input of the second user to the second computing platform while the virtual object is in the second play area and outside of the first play area in the virtual space such that the virtual object is not present in the view of the virtual space presented to the first user on the first display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first haptic effect conveys information related to a position of the virtual object in the virtual space relative to the first play area during the interaction caused by the first control input.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first haptic effect conveys information related to an intensity of the interaction with the virtual object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the view of the virtual space presented through the first display consists of the first play area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual space includes a two-dimensional field, and wherein the virtual object is configured to move across the two-dimensional field in a course determined based on interactions of the first user and the second user with the virtual object.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first virtual object is represented as a ball.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second play area is presented to the second user on a display of the second computing platform.

8. A system configured to provide haptic effects to a first user of a multi-user application, the system comprising:

a first computing platform associated with the first user, the first computing platform comprising;

a first user interface configured to receive control inputs from the first user;

a first haptic interface configured to generate haptic effects perceptible to the first user;

a first display; and

a first set of one or more processors configured;

to execute a first instance of the multi-user application, the multi-user application including as game that takes place in a virtual space that includes a first play area that is different from a second play area, the game further including interaction with a virtual object that travels through the virtual space between the first play area and the second play area, wherein interaction with the virtual object by the first user is accomplished based on control inputs received from the first user through the first user interface; and

to determine haptic effects that are to be generated by the first haptic interface; and

a second computing platform associated with a second user, the second computing platform being in operative communication with the first computing platform and comprising;

a second user interface configured to receive control inputs from the second user, the control inputs comprising a first control input; and

a second set of one or more processors configured to execute a second instance of the multi-user application, the multi-user application being further configured such that interaction with the virtual object by the second user is accomplished based on control inputs received from the second user;

wherein the first set of one or more processors is further configured such that responsive to performance of the first control input by the second user, the first haptic interface is controlled to generate a first haptic effect conveying information to the first user related to an interaction with the virtual object caused by the first control input while the virtual object is in the second play area and outside of the first play area in the virtual space such that the virtual object is not present in the view of the virtual space presented to the first user on the first display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first haptic effect conveys information related to a position of the virtual object in the virtual space relative to the first play area during the interaction caused by the first control input.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the first haptic effect conveys information related to an intensity of the interaction with the virtual object.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the view of the virtual space presented through the first display consists of the first play area.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual space includes a two-dimensional field, and wherein the virtual object is configured to move across the two-dimensional field in a course determined based on interactions of the first user and the second user with the virtual object.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first virtual object is represented as a ball.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the second computing platform further comprises a second display, wherein the multi-user application is further configured such that the second set of one or more processors control the second display to present a view of the second play area.

15. A computer-implemented method of providing haptic effects to a first user of a multi-user application, the method comprising:

executing a first instance of the multi-user application on a first computing platform associated with the first user, the multi-user application including a game that takes place in a virtual space that includes a first play area that is different from a second play area, the game further including interaction with a virtual object that travels through the virtual space between the first play area and the second play area, wherein interaction with the virtual object by the first user and a second user is accomplished based on control inputs received from the first user and based on control inputs received from a second user via a second computing platform executing a second instance of the multi-user application, and wherein the multi-user application is configured to cause a view of the first play area to be presented to the user by the first computing platform;

responsive to reception of a first control input by the second user on the second computing platform that causes an interaction with the virtual object while the virtual object is in the second play area and outside of the first play area in the virtual space such that the virtual object is not present in the view of the virtual space presented to the first user on the first display, generating a first haptic effect for the first user on the first computing platform, the first haptic effect conveying information to the first user about the interaction with the virtual object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first haptic effect conveys information related to a position of the virtual object in the virtual space relative to the first play area during the interaction caused by the first control input.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first haptic effect conveys information related to an intensity of the interaction with the virtual object.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the view of the virtual space presented by the first computing platform consists of the first play area.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the virtual space includes a two-dimensional field, and wherein the virtual object is configured to move across the two-dimensional field in a course determined based on interactions of the first user and the second user with the virtual object.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the virtual object is represented as a ball.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the second play area is presented to the second user on the second computing platform.