Systems and Methods for Providing Haptic Feedback via a Case

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017364154-A1
Application number	US-201615183182-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	Jun 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a case configured to mechanically couple with a mobile device and position the mobile device such that the mobile device serves as a display for the case. The system also includes a processor coupled to the case and configured to generate a haptic signal based at least in part on a characteristic of the case. The system also includes a haptic output device in communication with the processor and configured to receive the haptic signal and output a haptic effect in response to the haptic signal.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A system comprising:
a case configured to mechanically couple with a mobile device and position the mobile device such that the mobile device serves as a display for the case; a processor coupled to the case and configured to generate a haptic signal based at least in part on a characteristic of the case; and a haptic output device in communication with the processor and configured to receive the haptic signal and output a haptic effect in response to the haptic signal.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the case comprises a material positioned to contact the mobile device and transmit vibrations from the mobile device to a housing of the case, the material configured to resonate at a frequency of the vibrations.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the case comprises a material configured to contact a surface of the mobile device and extend through a housing of the case to an interface of the case that is configured to contact a user's body, the material comprising metal or hard plastic.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the material comprises a spring, rod, or pin, and wherein a first end of the material is configured to contact the surface of the mobile device and a second end of the material is configured to contact the user's body.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the material is configured to contact a location on the surface of the mobile device that is positioned proximate to a haptic actuator disposed within the mobile device.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the case includes a fastening component configured to grip the mobile device with an amount of force above a threshold, the fastening component comprising a screw, spring, groove, or elastic band.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor positioned on the case and configured to transmit a sensor signal to the processor, the processor configured to:
receive the sensor signal from the sensor; and generate the haptic signal based at least in part on the sensor signal.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is positioned on the case, the haptic output device is positioned on the case, and the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect audio or video output by the mobile device, the sensor signal associated with the audio or video.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the case comprises a wearable device configured to be worn.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the case comprises a headset.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to be localized to a particular portion of a user's head.

13 . A mobile device comprising:
a housing; a display coupled to the housing; a memory; and a processor in communication with the memory and the display, the processor disposed within the housing and configured to:
receive a sensor signal from a sensor;
determine a characteristic of a case based on the sensor signal;
determine a haptic effect based on the characteristic of the case; and
cause the haptic effect to be output by a haptic output device.

14 . The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the characteristic of the case comprises an attachment status between the mobile device and the case.

15 . The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the characteristic comprises a model, manufacturer, hardware component, or software component of the case.

16 . The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the characteristic comprises a location on a body part to which the case is configured to output the haptic effect.

17 . The mobile device of claim 13 , further comprising the sensor and the haptic output device.

18 . The mobile device of claim 17 , wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor and the sensor signal comprises a first sensor signal, and further comprising a second sensor, wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive a second sensor signal from the second sensor; determine an amount of bend present in the mobile device based on the second sensor signal; and modify an image output on the display of the mobile device based on the amount of bend present in the mobile device.

19 . The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the haptic effect comprises a deformation haptic effect configured to cause the mobile device to bend.

20 . A method comprising:
receiving a sensor signal from a sensor; determining a characteristic of a case based on the sensor signal; determining a haptic effect based on the characteristic of the case; and causing the haptic effect to be output by a haptic output device.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the characteristic comprises an attachment status between a computing device and the case.

22 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
outputting the haptic effect to a location on a user's body by causing a computing device to bend in an amount configured to apply a force to the case, the force configured to cause a portion of the case to deform and contact the location on the user's body.

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor and the sensor signal comprises a first sensor signal, and further comprising:
receiving a second sensor signal from a second sensor; determining an amount of bend present in a computing device based on the second sensor signal; and modifying an image output on a display of the computing device based on the amount of bend present in the computing device.

24 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code, which when executed by a processor is configured to cause the processor to:
receive a sensor signal from a sensor; determine a characteristic of a case based on the sensor signal; determine a haptic effect based on the characteristic of the case; and cause the haptic effect to be output by a haptic output device.

25 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the characteristic comprises an attachment status between a computing device and the case.

26 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24 , further comprising program code which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to:
cause the haptic effect to be output to a specific location on a user's body by causing the haptic output device to bend in an amount configured to apply a force to the case, the force configured to cause a portion of the case to deform and contact the specific location on the user's body.

27 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor and the sensor signal comprises a first sensor signal, and further comprising program code which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to:
receive a second sensor signal from a second sensor; determine an amount of bend present in a computing device based on the second sensor signal; and modify an image output on a display of the computing device based on the amount of bend present in the computing device.

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

• Levesque Vincent
• Grant Danny
• Mousakhanian Razmik
• Rabemiarisoa Andry
• Isajanyan Gor
• Zhu Alex

Classifications

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G06F2203/014

  Force feedback applied to GUI · CPC title

• G06F3/041

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

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title