Systems and methods for haptically-enabled curved devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10606356-B2
Application number	US-201815889335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2018
Priority date	Mar 21, 2014
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a curved device that includes a curved outer housing. The illustrative system also includes a sensor configured to detect a user interaction with the curved device and transmit a sensor signal associated with the user interaction. The illustrative system additionally includes a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to: receive the sensor signal from the sensor; determine a user interaction based on the sensor signal, determine a first haptic effect based at least in part on the user interaction, and transmit a haptic signal associated with the first haptic effect. The illustrative system also includes a haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output the first haptic effect.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A computing device, comprising:
a touch-screen display having a curvature;
a processor in communication with the touch-screen display; and
a memory on which program code executable by the processor are stored to cause the processor to:
detect an interaction at a location on the curvature of the touch-screen display based on a sensor signal from the touch-screen display;
after detecting the interaction at the location on the curvature, determine an angle or a slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction;
determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the angle or the slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction; and
transmit a haptic signal configured to cause a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the curvature is one of at least two curvatures defined in the touch-screen display.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a smartphone, a tablet, an e-reader, a gamepad, a portable gaming console, or a remote control.

4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the curvature is permanently defined in the touch-screen display.

5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the curvature defined in the touch-screen display is a first curvature, and wherein the computing device has an outer housing defining a second curvature.

6. The computing device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect rolling of the computing device on a surface, wherein the haptic effect is a first haptic effect, and wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
determine a second haptic effect based on detecting rolling of the computing device on the surface via the sensor; and
transmit a signal configured to cause the second haptic effect to be output by the haptic output device.

7. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises the haptic output device, the haptic effect comprises a plurality of haptic effects configured to be output by multiple devices in a predetermined order, and the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
transmit the haptic signal to the haptic output device of the computing device to generate a first haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects; and
transmit a signal to a remote wearable device configured to cause the remote wearable device to output a second haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects.

8. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to cause the computing device to roll in a predetermined direction along a surface.

9. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to resist or stop rolling of the computing device along a surface.

10. A method comprising:
detecting, by a computing device, an interaction at a location on a curvature of a touch-screen display based on a sensor signal from the touch-screen display;
after detecting the interaction at the location on the curvature, determining, by the computing device, an angle or a slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction;
determining, by the computing device, a haptic effect based at least in part on the angle or the slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction; and
transmitting, by the computing device, a haptic signal configured to cause a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the curvature is one of at least two curvatures defined in the touch-screen display.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device is a smartphone, a tablet, an e-reader, a gamepad, a portable gaming console, or a remote control.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the curvature is permanently defined in the touch-screen display.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the curvature defined in the touch-screen display is a first curvature, and wherein the computing device has an outer housing defining a second curvature.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device comprises the haptic output device, and wherein the haptic effect comprises a plurality of haptic effects configured to be output by multiple devices in a predetermined order, and further comprising:
transmitting the haptic signal to the haptic output device of the computing device to generate a first haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects; and
transmitting a signal to a remote wearable device configured to cause the remote wearable device to output a second haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code that is executable by a processor of a computing device to cause the processor to:
detect an interaction at a location on a curvature of a touch-screen display based on a sensor signal from the touch-screen display;
after detecting the interaction at the location on the curvature, determine an angle or a slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction;
determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the angle or the slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction; and
transmit a haptic signal configured to cause a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the curvature is one of at least two curvatures defined in the touch-screen display.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the computing device is a smartphone, a tablet, an e-reader, a gamepad, a portable gaming console, or a remote control.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the curvature defined in the touch-screen display is a first curvature, and wherein the computing device has an outer housing defining a second curvature.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the computing device comprises the haptic output device, and wherein the haptic effect comprises a plurality of haptic effects configured to be output by multiple devices in a predetermined order, and further comprising program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
transmit the haptic signal to the haptic output device of the computing device to generate a first haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects; and
transmit a signal to a remote wearable device configured to cause the remote wearable device to output a second haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects.

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

• Levesque Vincent
• Grant Danny
• Modarres Ali
• Saboune Jamal

Classifications

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F2200/1637

  Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer · CPC title

• G06F1/1637 Primary

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F1/1694

  the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer · CPC title