Multiplexing and demultiplexing haptic signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9317120-B2
Application number	US-201414185102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2014
Priority date	Sep 6, 2013
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A system receives a multiplexed signal with two or more different types of haptic signals encoded therein. Each type of haptic signal represents a haptic effect for different types of haptic output devices. The system determines a target haptic output device located on a haptic playback device. The system demultiplexes the multiplexed signal into at least the type of haptic signal corresponding to the target output device. The system provides the demultiplexed haptic signal to the target haptic output device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to demultiplex haptic signals, the demultiplexing comprising:
receiving a multiplexed signal comprising two or more different types of haptic signals, each type of haptic signal representing a haptic effect and adapted to be played on a corresponding haptic output device;
determining a target haptic output device on a haptic playback device;
demultiplexing the multiplexed signal into a haptic signal for playback on the target haptic output device; and
providing the demultiplexed haptic signal to the target haptic output device;
wherein the demultiplexed haptic signal is adapted to be played on the target haptic output device:,
wherein the demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises:
extracting channel information about the multiplexed signal; and
parsing sample data to extract a channel from the multiplexed signal based on the channel information;
wherein the channel information includes information for haptic streams corresponding to at least two different signals of a basic haptic signal, a standard definition haptic signal, and a high definition haptic signal.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the target haptic device can play the basic haptic signal; and demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises receiving samples of the multiplexed signal and for each sample selecting a basic haptic signal portion of the multiplexed signal.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2 , wherein demultiplexing the multiplexed signal further comprises, prior to selecting the basic haptic signal portion of the multiplexed signal, applying a frequency filter to the multiplexed signal.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the target haptic output device can play the standard definition haptic signal, and demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises receiving samples of the multiplexed signal and for each sample selecting a standard definition portion of the multiplexed signal.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4 , wherein each sample is represented by a binary number, and the demultiplexing the multiplexed signal further comprises applying a frequency filter to the multiplexed signal and then replacing a most significant bit of each sample with a zero.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the target haptic output device can play the high definition haptic signal, and demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises applying a frequency filter to the multiplexed signal, and subsequently receiving a sample and for each sample, multiplying each sample value by two.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the target haptic output device can play the standard definition haptic signal, the multiplexed signal is comprised of a standard definition carrier wave, and demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises:
multiplying the multiplexed signal by the standard definition carrier wave to find a squared signal; and
square-rooting the squared signal to find the standard definition haptic signal.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises:
taking a periodic sample of the multiplexed signal;
removing the sample from the multiplexed signal; and
computing a replacement sample for the multiplexed signal based on a sample immediately before the periodic sample.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the target output device for the basic haptic signal is an Eccentric Rotating Mass (ERM) actuator, the target output device for the standard definition haptic signal is a Linear Resonant Actuator (LRA), and the target output device for the high definition haptic signal is a piezoelectric actuator.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the basic haptic signal comprises an on/off binary signal, the standard definition haptic signal comprises a signal encoded with one of 128 non-negative values for each sample, and the high definition haptic signal comprises a signal encoded with a value of +/−127 for each sample.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the demultiplexing the multiplexed signal occurs on a server, and wherein the providing comprises receiving a haptic stream from the server and providing it to the target haptic output device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein each type of haptic signal is derived from a same source or input prior to multiplexing.

13. A method of demultiplexing haptic signals comprising:
receiving a multiplexed signal comprising two or more different types of haptic signals, each type of haptic signal representing a haptic effect and adapted to be played on a corresponding haptic output device;
determining a target haptic output device on a haptic playback device;
demultiplexing the multiplexed signal into a haptic signal for playback on the target haptic output device; and
providing the demultiplexed haptic signal to the target haptic output device;
wherein the demultiplexed haptic signal is adapted to be played on the target haptic output device:,
wherein the demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises:
extracting channel information about the multiplexed signal; and
parsing sample data to extract a channel from the multiplexed signal based on the channel information;
wherein the channel information includes information for haptic streams corresponding to at least two different signals of a basic haptic signal, a standard definition haptic signal, and a high definition haptic signal.

14. The method claim 13 , wherein the target haptic device can play the basic haptic signal; and demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises receiving samples of the multiplexed signal and for each sample selecting a basic haptic signal portion of the multiplexed signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein demultiplexing the multiplexed signal further comprises, prior to selecting the basic haptic signal portion of the multiplexed signal, applying a frequency filter to the multiplexed signal.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the target haptic output device can play the standard definition haptic signal, and demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises receiving samples of the multiplexed signal and for each sample selecting a standard definition portion of the multiplexed signal.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein each sample is represented by a binary number, and the demultiplexing the multiplexed signal further comprises applying a frequency filter to the multiplexed signal and then replacing a most significant bit of each sample with a zero.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the target haptic output device can play the high definition haptic signal, and demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises applying a frequency filter to the multiplexed signal, and subsequently receiving a sample and for each sample, multiplying each sample value by two.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the target haptic output device can play the standard definition haptic signal, the multiplexed signal is comprised of a standard definition carrier wave, and demultiplexing the multiplexed signal comprises:
multiplying the multiplexed signal by the standard definition carrier wave to find a squared signal; and
square

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

• Rank Stephen D
• Bhatia Satvir Singh
• Sen Arnab
• Cruz-Hernandez Juan Manuel

Classifications

• H04N21/4131

  home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices (home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807) · CPC title

• H04N21/23614

  Multiplexing of additional data and video streams (arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28) · CPC title

• H04N21/435

  Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream · CPC title

• 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