Mobile devices and methods employing haptics
First Claim
1. A method involving a user'"'"'s camera-equipped mobile device interacting with a consumer product, the consumer product having been produced by a first party, the method comprising the acts:
- with a camera of the mobile device, capturing image data from the consumer product;
recognition-processing the captured data to obtain identification data for the consumer product;
consulting a data structure with the identification data, to obtain data indicating a haptic signature associated with said consumer product, said haptic signature also having been defined by said first party; and
presenting the haptic signature to a user of the mobile device;
wherein the first party both creates the consumer product, and also defines the haptic signature presented to users interacting with that consumer product, wherein a single party defines both a look and feel associated with that product.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A variety of haptic improvements useful in mobile devices are detailed. In one, a smartphone captures image data from a physical object, and discerns an object identifier from the imagery (e.g., using watermark, barcode, or fingerprint techniques). This identifier is sent to a remote data structure, which returns data defining a distinct haptic signature associated with that object. This smartphone then renders this haptic signal to the user. (Related embodiments identify the object using other means, such as location, or NFC chip.) In another arrangement, haptic feedback signals social network information about a product or place (e.g., the user'"'"'s social network friends “Like” a particular brand of beverage). In yet another arrangement, the experience of watching a movie on a television screen is augmented by tactile effects issued by a tablet computer on the viewer'"'"'s lap. In still another arrangement, commercial vendors bid for rights to employ different ones of a library of haptic signals on one or more users'"'"' smartphones, e.g., to alert such user(s) to their products/services. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
41 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method involving a user'"'"'s camera-equipped mobile device interacting with a consumer product, the consumer product having been produced by a first party, the method comprising the acts:
-
with a camera of the mobile device, capturing image data from the consumer product; recognition-processing the captured data to obtain identification data for the consumer product; consulting a data structure with the identification data, to obtain data indicating a haptic signature associated with said consumer product, said haptic signature also having been defined by said first party; and presenting the haptic signature to a user of the mobile device; wherein the first party both creates the consumer product, and also defines the haptic signature presented to users interacting with that consumer product, wherein a single party defines both a look and feel associated with that product. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
2. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing software instructions for configuring a user'"'"'s mobile device programmed thereby to perform acts including:
-
capturing image data from a consumer product; recognition-processing the captured data to obtain identification data for the consumer product; consulting a data structure with the identification data, to obtain data indicating a haptic signature defined by a first party that produced the consumer product; and presenting the haptic signature to a user of the mobile device.
-
-
19. A method comprising:
-
with a mobile device, capturing image data from a subject; processing the captured data to obtain metadata corresponding to said subject, said processing including fingerprint extraction, watermark decoding or barcode decoding; consulting a data structure with the metadata, to obtain data indicating a haptic signature associated with said subject; and presenting the haptic signature to a user of the mobile device; wherein the subject comprises a pharmaceutical or food product, and in which the haptic signature indicates a potentially adverse reaction to said pharmaceutical or food product.
-
Specification