System and method for providing haptic feedback from haptic textile

• US 8,665,241 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Heubel, Robert W., Steger, Ryan, Bakircioglu, Muge
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US13/751,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20130155020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/517, 340/521, 340/539.1, 340/407.1
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/18 including electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• 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 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0031 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A system includes a haptic textile comprising a plurality of haptic threads configured to provide haptic feedback, and an ancillary electronic device configured to transfer data to or from the haptic textile.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a haptic textile comprising a plurality of haptic threads configured to provide haptic feedback, wherein the haptic feedback includes varying surface textures or vibrations propagated to an entire surface or at a discrete point of the haptic textile; and

an ancillary electronic device configured to transfer data to or from the haptic textile.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to transfer data via a wireless communications bus.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to transfer data via a conductive contact-based communications bus.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to be a wearable device.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to be worn on at least one portion of a body of a user selected from the group consisting of:

an ear, a wrist, a neck, a chest, and a finger.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to be held in a pocket.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the ancillary electronic device is a cell phone.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the surface texture or vibrations are varied by controlling an input energy to the plurality of haptic threads.

9. A method comprising:

transmitting information between a haptic textile comprising a plurality of haptic threads configured to provide haptic feedback and an ancillary electronic device, wherein the haptic feedback includes varying surface textures or vibrations propagated to an entire surface or at a discrete point of the haptic textile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said transmitting is completed through a wireless communications network.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the surface texture or vibrations are varied by controlling an input energy to the plurality of haptic threads.

12. A system comprising:

a haptic textile comprising a plurality of haptic threads configured to provide haptic feedback, wherein the haptic feedback includes varying surface textures or vibrations propagated to an entire surface or at a discrete point of the haptic textile; and

an ancillary electronic device configured to transfer power to the haptic textile.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to transfer power via a wireless communications bus.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to transfer power via a conductive contact-based communications bus.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to be a wearable device.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to be worn on at least one portion of a body of a user selected from the group consisting of:

an ear, a wrist, a neck, a chest, and a finger.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the ancillary electronic device is configured to be held in a pocket.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the ancillary electronic device is a cell phone.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the surface texture or vibrations are varied by controlling an input energy to the plurality of haptic threads.