Haptically enabled user interface

• US 9,513,704 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Heubel, Robert W., Fleming, Jason D., Ramsay, Erin B., Vetter, A. Timothy, Lacroix, Robert A., Gregorio, Pedro, Grant, Danny A., Impivaara, Lauri Olli Matias
• Primary Examiner(s): Okebato, Sahlu
• Application Number:
  US12/046,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20090231271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,191 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 715/780, 715/816, 715/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A device has a user interface that generates a haptic effect in response to user inputs or gestures. In one embodiment, the device receives an indication that the user is scrolling through a list of elements and an indication that an element is selected. The device determines the scroll rate and generates a haptic effect that has a magnitude that is based on the scroll rate.

Claims

1. A method of operating a user interface comprising:

receiving an indication that an object has been flicked by a user gesture and that the object has reached an end point that causes the object to bounce;

generating a haptic effect when the object has reached the end point, wherein the haptic effect decreases in magnitude as the bounced object comes to rest; and

generating a second haptic effect to confirm that the bounced object has come to rest.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising determining a speed of the flick, wherein a speed of the object is determined based on the speed of the flick.

2. A method of operating a device having a touchscreen comprising:

storing a gesture on the device, wherein the gesture comprises a user interaction associated with a directional motion on the touchscreen; and

generating a dynamic haptic effect that simulates the gesture, wherein the dynamic haptic effect is applied to different individual portions of the touchscreen in series to simulate the directional motion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the dynamic haptic effect comprises generating a haptic effect that changes amplitude to simulate a varied pressure portion of the gesture, wherein the varied pressure portion includes a varied finger pressure data pattern associated with the gesture.

4. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising unlocking the device based on the gesture.

5. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising initiating a task based on the gesture.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the gesture comprises at least one of a swirl pattern, a swipe pattern, or a tap pattern.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the directional motion of the gesture comprises a circular motion.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the dynamic haptic effect comprises:

generating a first haptic effect at a first portion of the touchscreen at a first time; and

generating a second haptic effect at a second portion of the touchscreen at a second time, wherein the second haptic effect is different from the first haptic effect, the first portion is different from the second portion, and the first time is different from the second time.

10. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising:

receiving an input on the touchscreen;

comparing the input on the touchscreen to the stored gesture; and

generating the dynamic haptic effect to confirm that the input matches the stored gesture.