Haptic effects broadcasting during a group event

• US 9,098,984 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Heubel, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N
• Application Number:
  US13/803,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/36 in discharge-tube amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements

Abstract

A system that generates haptic effects on mobile devices during a group event receives an identity of a first type of haptic effect to be broadcast during the group event and determines a first set of the mobile devices during the group event that will generate the haptic effect. The system then broadcasts the first type of haptic effect to the first set of mobile devices during the group event.

Claims

1. A method of generating haptic effects on mobile devices during a group event, the method comprising:

receiving an identity of a first type of haptic effect to be broadcast during the group event, wherein the group event comprises a plurality of audio events and a haptic track that comprises a plurality of haptic events;

determining a first set of the mobile devices during the group event that will generate the first type of haptic effect; and

broadcasting the first type of haptic effect to the first set of mobile devices during the group event, wherein the first type of haptic effect is synchronized with one of the haptic events and one or more of the audio events.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location and an identification of a second set of the mobile devices, wherein the second set comprises all mobile devices that are configured to receive a haptic effect broadcast during the group event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first set of mobile devices comprises a subset of the second set of mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the first set mobile devices is based at least on the location of each of the first set of mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the first type of haptic effect is received from the haptic track.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of mobile devices comprises all mobile devices that are configured to receive a haptic effect broadcast during the group event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identity of a second type of haptic effect to be broadcast during the group event;

determining a third set of the mobile devices during the group event that will generate the second type of haptic effect; and

broadcasting the second type of haptic effect to the third set of mobile devices during the group event;

wherein the second type of haptic effect is a different type than the first type of haptic effect.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first type of haptic effect is broadcast at approximately the same time as the second type of haptic effect, and the first set of mobile devices are different mobile devices than the second set of mobile devices.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate haptic effects on mobile devices during a group event, the generating comprising:

receiving an identity of a first type of haptic effect to be broadcast during the group event, wherein the group event comprises a plurality of audio events and a haptic track that comprises a plurality of haptic events;

determining a first set of the mobile devices during the group event that will generate the first type of haptic effect; and

broadcasting the first type of haptic effect to the first set of mobile devices during the group event, wherein the first type of haptic effect is synchronized with one of the haptic events and one or more of the audio events.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, the generating further comprising:

determining a location and an identification of a second set of the mobile devices, wherein the second set comprises all mobile devices that are configured to receive a haptic effect broadcast during the group event.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first set of mobile devices comprises a subset of the second set of mobile devices.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining the first set mobile devices is based at least on the location of each of the first set of mobile devices.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the identity of the first type of haptic effect is received from the haptic track.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first set of mobile devices comprises all mobile devices that are configured to receive a haptic effect broadcast during the group event.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, the generating further comprising:

receiving an identity of a second type of haptic effect to be broadcast during the group event;

determining a third set of the mobile devices during the group event that will generate the second type of haptic effect; and

broadcasting the second type of haptic effect to the third set of mobile devices during the group event;

wherein the second type of haptic effect is a different type than the first type of haptic effect.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first type of haptic effect is broadcast at approximately the same time as the second type of haptic effect, and the first set of mobile devices are different mobile devices than the second set of mobile devices.

17. A broadcast system for a group event, the system comprising;

a determining module that, in response to receiving an identity of a first type of haptic effect, determines one or more of a plurality of mobile devices that are present during the group event, wherein the group event comprises a plurality of audio events and a haptic track that comprises a plurality of haptic events; and

a broadcast module that broadcast the first type of haptic effect to the determined plurality of mobile devices, wherein the first type of haptic effect is synchronized with one of the haptic events and one or more of the audio events.

18. The broadcast system of claim 17, wherein the determined plurality of mobile devices comprise all mobile devices that are configured to receive a haptic effect broadcast during the group event.

19. The broadcast system of claim 17, wherein the determined plurality of mobile devices comprise less than all mobile devices that are configured to receive a haptic effect broadcast during the group event.

20. The broadcast system of claim 17, further comprising:

a location module that determines a location of all mobile devices that are configured to receive a haptic effect broadcast during the group event.

21. The broadcast system of claim 20, wherein the determining module determines one or more of the plurality of mobile devices that are present during the group event based at least on the location of each of the plurality of mobile devices.

22. The broadcast system of claim 17, wherein the first type of haptic effect is defined using haptic effect parameters.

23. The broadcast system of claim 17, wherein the first type of haptic effect is defined by specifying a haptic output device.