Systems and methods for haptically-enabled conformed and multifaceted displays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9715281-B2
Application number	US-201615092088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2016
Priority date	Apr 26, 2013
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a touch-sensitive surface, which includes: a first surface on a first plane; and a second surface adjacent to the first surface, wherein the second surface is on a second plane different from the first plane. The illustrative system also includes a haptic output device configured to receive a haptic signal and output a haptic effect. Further, the illustrative system includes a processor coupled to the haptic output device and the touch-sensitive surface, the processor configured to: determine an event; determine the haptic effect based at least in part on the event; determine the haptic signal based at least in part on the haptic effect; and transmit the haptic signal associated with the haptic effect to the haptic output device.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system comprising:
a touch-sensitive surface comprising a curvature formed from a first surface of the touch-sensitive surface being on a first plane and a second surface of the touch-sensitive surface being on a second plane different from the first plane;
a processor coupled to the touch-sensitive surface;
a memory on which instructions executable by the processor are stored to cause the processor to:
determine an interaction with the touch-sensitive surface;
determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the interaction with the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the haptic effect is configured to offset a physical feeling of the curvature in the touch-sensitive surface;
determine a haptic signal based at least in part on the haptic effect; and
transmit the haptic signal associated with the haptic effect; and

a haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a conformed display that is conformed around at least one surface of a device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a multifaceted display.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first surface is connected to the second surface by a moveable joint.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interaction is a first interaction with the first surface, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a second interaction with the second surface;
determine a second haptic effect based at least in part on the second interaction with the second surface;
determine a second haptic signal based at least in part on the second haptic effect; and
transmit the second haptic signal associated with the second haptic effect to the haptic output device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a periphery of the touch-sensitive surface defines a cylindrical, spherical, cubic, pyramid, prism, octahedron, tetrahedron, or cone shape.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface is associated with a wearable device comprising a ring, headband, bracelet, anklet, watch, or wristband.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface further comprises a third surface adjacent to the first surface, wherein the third surface is on a third plane different from the first plane and the second plane.

9. A method comprising:
determining an interaction with a touch-sensitive surface comprising a curvature formed from a first surface of the touch-sensitive surface being on a first plane and a second surface of the touch-sensitive surface being on a second plane different from the first plane;
determining a haptic effect based at least in part on the interaction with the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the haptic effect is configured to offset a physical feeling of the curvature in the touch-sensitive surface;
determining a haptic signal based at least in part on the haptic effect; and
transmitting the haptic signal associated with the haptic effect to a haptic output device, wherein the haptic output device is configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a conformed display that is conformed around at least one surface of a device.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a multifaceted display.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first surface is connected to the second surface by a moveable joint.

13. A non-transient computer readable medium comprising program code, which when executed by a processor is configured to cause the processor to:
determine an interaction with a touch-sensitive surface comprising a curvature formed from a first surface of the touch-sensitive surface being on a first plane and a second surface of the touch-sensitive surface being on a second plane different from the first plane;
determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the interaction with the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the haptic effect is configured to offset a physical feeling of the curvature in the touch-sensitive surface;
determine a haptic signal based at least in part on the haptic effect; and
transmit the haptic signal associated with the haptic effect to a haptic output device, wherein the haptic output device is configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

14. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a conformed display that is conformed around at least one surface of a device.

15. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a multifaceted display.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the curvature of the touch-sensitive surface is formed in a transition surface positioned between and physically connecting the first surface and the second surface of the touch-sensitive surface; and
wherein the interaction with the touch-sensitive surface comprises an interaction with the transition surface.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the touch-sensitive surface is a touch-screen display;
the interaction is with a graphical object displayed via the transition surface; and
the haptic effect is based at least in part on the graphical object.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface is a touch-screen display, and wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
display, via the first surface, a first side of a graphical object;
display, via the second surface, a second side of the graphical object; and
display, via the transition surface, an edge of the graphical object that is between the first side of the graphical object and the second side of the graphical object.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to simulate the edge between the first side of the graphical object and the second side of the graphical object.

20. The system of claim 5 , wherein the haptic effect is output to the first surface and the second haptic effect is output to the second surface.

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

• Modarres Ali
• Grant Danny

Classifications

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G06F1/1641

  the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components (G06F1/1647 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0487

  using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser · CPC title

• G06F2203/04104

  Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger · CPC title