Devices, methods, and graphical user interfaces for haptic mixing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9690382-B1
Application number	US-201615271534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2016
Priority date	Sep 6, 2016
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device receives a plurality of requests to generate a plurality of tactile outputs, including two or more overlapping tactile outputs, using the one or more tactile output generators. In response, the device generates and outputs combined tactile outputs. If the plurality of tactile outputs exceeds a threshold number of tactile outputs that is permitted to be mixed together for concurrent output, the device mixes a subset of the plurality of tactile outputs together into a combined tactile output that excludes at least one of the plurality of tactile outputs to produce a combined tactile output that is output via the device's one or more tactile output generators.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
at an electronic device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface, and one or more tactile output generators:
receiving a plurality of requests to generate a plurality of tactile outputs using one or more tactile output generators, wherein the plurality of tactile outputs include two or more overlapping tactile outputs; and
in response to receiving the plurality of requests, generating and outputting, via the one or more tactile output generators, combined tactile outputs, the generating and outputting including:
in accordance with a determination that the plurality of tactile outputs does not exceed a threshold number of tactile outputs that is permitted to be mixed together for concurrent output via the one or more tactile output generators:
mixing the plurality of tactile outputs together into a first combined tactile output, and including the first combined tactile output in the combined tactile outputs; and
outputting, via the one or more tactile output generators, the combined tactile outputs, including the first combined tactile output; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of tactile outputs exceeds the threshold number of tactile outputs that is permitted to be mixed together for concurrent output via the one or more tactile output generators:
mixing a subset of the plurality of tactile outputs together into a second combined tactile output that excludes at least one of the plurality of tactile outputs, and including the second combined tactile output in the combined tactile outputs; and
outputting, via the one or more tactile output generators, the combined tactile outputs, including the second combined tactile output.

2. The method of claim 1 , including:
after receiving the plurality of requests to output the plurality of tactile outputs, receiving a request to output an additional tactile output that at least partially overlaps with a respective tactile output of the plurality of tactile outputs; and
after outputting a first portion of the respective tactile output and in response to receiving the request to output the additional tactile output:
in accordance with a determination that a combination of the additional tactile output and the plurality of tactile outputs does not exceed the threshold number of tactile outputs that is permitted to be mixed together for concurrent output via the one or more tactile output generators:
mixing the additional tactile output with the plurality of tactile outputs, including a second portion of the respective tactile output, together into a third combined tactile output, and including the third combined tactile output in the combined tactile outputs; and
outputting, via the one or more tactile output generators, the combined tactile outputs, including the third combined tactile output; and

in accordance with a determination that the combination of the additional tactile output and the plurality of tactile outputs exceeds the threshold number of tactile outputs that is permitted to be mixed together for concurrent output via the one or more tactile output generators:
mixing the additional tactile output with the plurality of tactile outputs, excluding the second portion of the respective tactile output, together into a fourth combined tactile output, and including the fourth combined tactile output in the combined tactile outputs; and
outputting, via the one or more tactile output generators, the combined tactile outputs, including the fourth combined tactile output.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second portion of the respective tactile output is selected, from the plurality of tactile outputs, to be excluded from the plurality of tactile outputs based on an age of an input that triggered the respective tactile output.

4. The method of claim 3 , including:
playing an audio output that is synchronized with the respective tactile output and is triggered by a same condition that triggered the respective tactile output; and
continuing to play the audio output that is synchronized with the respective tactile output without regard to whether the second portion of the respective tactile output is excluded from the combined tactile outputs that are output via the one or more tactile output generators.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one tactile output of the plurality of tactile outputs is part of a synchronized tactile and audio output that includes both an audio output and a corresponding tactile output that are synchronized to occur with a particular temporal alignment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tactile outputs includes a tactile output generated in response to a user input directed toward a control element in a displayed user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tactile outputs includes a tactile output generated in response to a user input directed toward a hardware control.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tactile outputs includes a tactile output generated in response to the occurrence of a predefined condition.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the combined tactile outputs include a first portion and a second portion; and
the method further includes:
in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the combined tactile outputs meets output limiting criteria for the one or more tactile output generators:
reducing a scale of the combined tactile outputs during at least the first portion of the combined tactile outputs immediately preceding the second portion of the combined tactile outputs; and
outputting, via the one or more tactile output generators, a tactile output sequence based on the combined tactile outputs that includes the first portion of the combined tactile outputs with reduced scale.

10. The method of claim 9 , including, in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the combined tactile outputs does not meet output limiting criteria for the one or more tactile output generators, outputting, via the one or more tactile output generators, a tactile output sequence based on the combined tactile outputs without reducing the scale of the combined tactile outputs during at least the first portion of the combined tactile outputs.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, after reducing the scale of the combined tactile outputs during the first portion of the combined tactile outputs, continuing to output, via the one or more tactile output generators, the combined tactile outputs with the reduced scale during the second portion of the combined tactile outputs.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after outputting, via the one or more tactile output generators, the second portion of the combined tactile outputs at reduced scale, gradually increasing the scale of the combined tactile outputs during at least a third portion of the combined tactile outputs.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, after reducing the scale of the combined tactile outputs during the first portion of the combined tactile outputs, applying a low pass filter to the combined tactile outputs so as to remove or reduce frequency components, if any, of the combined tactile outputs that are above a predefined cutoff frequency.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein reducing the scale of the combined tactile outputs is performed using a smoothly varying scale reduction parameter.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the plurality of requests includes:
receiving a first set of one or more inputs corresponding to user interface elements di

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Moussette Camille
• Gleeson Brian T
• Morrell John B
• Scott Douglas A
• Williams Joseph M

Classifications

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title

• G06F1/1684

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

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

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title