Friction modulation for three dimensional relief in a haptic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10649530-B2
Application number	US-201715807687-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2017
Priority date	Jan 24, 2013
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A haptic device includes a display configured to display an image, a haptic output device configured to generate a haptic effect to a user when the user interacts with the display, and a processor configured to receive information related to the image displayed on the display. The processor is also configured to create a friction based haptic effect map associated with the image displayed on the display, and generate a signal to the haptic output device to output the haptic effect when the user interacts with the display when the image is displayed on the display, the haptic effect being configured to simulate a feel of the image in three dimensions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a touchscreen display;
a camera configured to capture an image and transmit an image signal;
a processing device communicatively coupled to the camera and the touchscreen display;
a memory device comprising program code that is executable by the processing device to cause the processing device to:
receive the image signal, the image signal comprising an object;
generate a display signal comprising a graphical representation of the object and a graphical representation of a texture at least partially overlaying the graphical representation of the object in an augmented reality environment;
transmit the display signal to the touchscreen display;
detect an interaction with the graphical representation of the object via the touchscreen display;
responsive to detecting the interaction with the graphical representation of the object:
generate a haptic effect using a haptic output device, the haptic effect being generated based at least in part on the graphical representation of the object and the graphical representation of the texture; and
generate a visual effect on the touchscreen display, the visual effect comprising a distortion of the graphical representation of the object.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interaction comprises a movement in one or more directions across the graphical representation of the object, and wherein the memory device further comprises program code that is executable by the processing device to cause the processing device to:
modulate an intensity of the haptic effect based on a direction of the movement across the graphical representation of the object to simulate a feel of the object in three dimensions.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory device further comprises program code that is executable by the processing device to cause the processing device to modulate the intensity of the haptic effect by:
determining a plurality of haptic-effect maps corresponding to the graphical representation of the object; and
selecting a haptic-effect map from among the plurality of haptic-effect maps as a function of the direction of the movement across the graphical representation of the object.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory device further comprises program code that is executable by the processing device to cause the processing device to:
modulate the intensity of the haptic effect to simulate a first gravitational effect when the direction is a first direction and a second gravitational effect when the direction is a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the memory device further comprises program code that is executable by the processing device to cause the processing device to:
identify a plurality of gradients associated with a surface of the object;
determine a gradient, from among the plurality of gradients, associated with the direction of the movement across the graphical representation of the object; and
modulate the intensity of the haptic effect based on the gradient.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect comprises electrostatic friction or ultrasonic vibration.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to simulate a textured surface of a contour of the object.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the visual effect corresponds to a location of the interaction, and the distortion is generated at least in part by (i) remapping pixels in the graphical representation of the object by changing locations of the pixels based on distances between the pixels and the location of the interaction, or (ii) adding a shadow to the graphical representation of the object.

9. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processing device, an image signal from a camera, the image signal comprising an image of an object;
generating, by the processing device, a display signal comprising a graphical representation of the object and a graphical representation of a texture at least partially overlaying the graphical representation of the object in an augmented reality environment;
transmitting, by the processing device, the display signal to a touchscreen display;
detecting, by the processing device, an interaction with the graphical representation of the object via the touchscreen display;
responsive to detecting the interaction with the graphical representation of the object:
generating, by the processing device, a haptic effect using a haptic output device, the haptic effect being generated based at least in part on the graphical representation of the object and the graphical representation of the texture; and
generating, by the processing device, a visual effect on the touchscreen display, the visual effect comprising a distortion of the graphical representation of the object.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the interaction comprises a movement in one or more directions across the graphical representation of the object, and further comprising:
modulating an intensity of the haptic effect based on a direction of the movement across the graphical representation of the object to simulate a feel of the object in three dimensions.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising modulating the intensity of the haptic effect by:
determining a plurality of haptic-effect maps corresponding to the graphical representation of the object; and
selecting a haptic-effect map from among the plurality of haptic-effect maps as a function of the direction of the movement across the graphical representation of the object.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
modulating the intensity of the haptic effect to simulate a first gravitational effect when the direction is a first direction and a second gravitational effect when the direction is a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
identifying a plurality of gradients associated with a surface of the object;
determining a gradient, from among the plurality of gradients, associated with the direction of the movement across the graphical representation of the object; and
modulating the intensity of the haptic effect based on the gradient.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to simulate a textured surface of a contour of the object.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code that is executable by a processing device to cause the processing device to:
receive an image signal from a camera, the image signal comprising an image of an object;
generate a display signal comprising a graphical representation of the object and a graphical representation of a texture at least partially overlaying the graphical representation of the object in an augmented reality environment;
transmit the display signal to a touchscreen display;
detect an interaction with the graphical representation of the object via the touchscreen display;
responsive to detecting the interaction with the graphical representation of the object:
generate a haptic effect using a haptic output device, the haptic effect being generated based at least in part on the graphical representation of the object and the graphical representation of the texture; and
generate a visual effect on the touchscreen display, the visual effect comprising a distortion of the graphical representation of the object.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the interaction comprises a movement in one or more directions across the graphical represen

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

• Lacroix Robert
• Levesque Vincent

Classifications

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title