Systems and methods for haptic surface elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9898903-B2
Application number	US-201615062903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2016
Priority date	Mar 7, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes an enclosure configured to define a boundary of a chamber, the chamber including a material, and a flexible layer coupled overtop of the chamber and configured to enclose the chamber. The illustrative system also includes a first actuation device configured to receive a first haptic signal and responsively output a first haptic effect by changing a characteristic of the material to deform the flexible layer. The illustrative system also includes a second actuation device configured to receive a second haptic signal and responsively output a second haptic effect by applying an electrical signal to the flexible layer. The illustrative system further includes a processor in communication with the first actuation device and the second actuation device. The processor is configured to transmit the first haptic signal to the first actuation device and the second haptic signal to the second actuation device.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system comprising:
an enclosure configured to define a boundary of a chamber, wherein a material is disposed in the chamber;
a flexible layer coupled overtop of the chamber and configured to enclose the chamber;
a first actuation device configured to receive a first haptic signal and, in response to the first haptic signal, output a first haptic effect by changing a characteristic of the material to deform the flexible layer;
a second actuation device configured to receive a second haptic signal and, in response to the second haptic signal, output a second haptic effect by applying an electrical signal to the flexible layer; and
a processor in communication with the first actuation device and the second actuation device, the processor configured to:
transmit the first haptic signal to the first actuation device; and
transmit the second haptic signal to the second actuation device.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor positioned on the flexible layer or within the chamber, the sensor configured to detect a user interaction with the flexible layer and transmit a sensor signal associated with the user interaction, wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive the sensor signal and determine the first haptic effect or the second haptic effect based at least in part on the sensor signal.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the sensor comprises a smart material disposed within the flexible layer.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive a first sensor signal from the sensor, the first sensor signal indicating a first force on the flexible layer;
execute a first function based on the first force;
receive a second sensor signal from the sensor, the second sensor signal indicating a second force on the flexible layer; and
execute a second function based on the second force.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second haptic effect comprises an electrostatic haptic effect, an electrotactile haptic effect, a thermal haptic effect, or a deformation of the flexible layer.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a combined haptic effect based on an event, the combined haptic effect comprising the first haptic effect and the second haptic effect; and
transmit the first haptic signal and the second haptic signal concurrently to output the combined haptic effect.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a display and a plurality of haptic cells, wherein the processor is further configured to:
output a dynamic haptic effect associated with a virtual object moving across the display by sequentially actuating the plurality of haptic cells.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is in communication with a first sensor and a second sensor, the processor further configured to:
receive a first sensor signal from the first sensor;
receive a second sensor signal from the second sensor; and
determine the first haptic effect or the second haptic effect based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the material comprises a smart material, an electroactive polymer, or a piezoelectric material, and wherein the first actuation device is configured to apply a stimulus to the material in response to the first haptic signal, the stimulus configured to cause the material to change in size.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein flexible layer and the chamber are positioned on a surface of a computing device, wherein the surface does not include a display.

11. A method comprising:
determining a first haptic effect based on a first event, the first haptic effect comprising a deformation of a flexible layer enclosing a chamber;
transmitting a first haptic signal to a first actuation device, the first actuation device configured to output the first haptic effect;
outputting, via the first actuation device and in response to the first haptic signal, the first haptic effect by changing a characteristic of a material disposed within the chamber;
determining a second haptic effect based on a second event;
transmitting a second haptic signal to a second actuation device, the second actuation device configured to output the second haptic effect; and
outputting, via the second actuation device and in response to the second haptic signal, the second haptic effect by transmitting an electrical signal to the flexible layer.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a sensor signal from a sensor positioned on the flexible layer or within the chamber, wherein the sensor is configured to detect an interaction with the flexible layer; and
determining the first haptic effect or the second haptic effect based at least in part on the sensor signal.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a first sensor signal from a sensor configured to detect user interaction with the flexible layer, the first sensor signal indicating a first force on the flexible layer;
executing a first function based on the first force;
receiving a second sensor signal from the sensor, the second sensor signal indicating a second force on the flexible layer; and
executing a second function based on the second force.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second haptic effect comprises an electrostatic haptic effect, an electrotactile haptic effect, a thermal haptic effect, or another deformation of the flexible layer.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a combined haptic effect based on an event, the combined haptic effect comprising the first haptic effect and the second haptic effect; and
transmitting the first haptic signal to the first actuation device and concurrently transmitting the second haptic signal to the second actuation device.

16. A non-transient computer readable medium comprising program code, which when executed by a processor is configured to cause the processor to:
determine a first haptic effect based on a first event, the first haptic effect comprising a deformation of a flexible layer enclosing a chamber;
transmit a first haptic signal to a first actuation device, the first actuation device configured to output the first haptic effect by changing a characteristic of a material disposed within the chamber;
determine a second haptic effect based on a second event;
transmit a second haptic signal to a second actuation device, the second actuation device configured to output the second haptic effect by transmitting an electrical signal to the flexible layer.

17. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising program code, which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to:
receive a sensor signal from a sensor positioned on the flexible layer or within the chamber, wherein the sensor is configured to detect an interaction with the flexible layer; and
determine the first haptic effect or the second haptic effect based at least in part on the sensor signal.

18. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising program code, which when executed by the processor is configured to cause the processor to:
receive a first sensor signal from a sensor configured to detect user interaction with the flexible layer, the first sensor signal indicating a first force on the flexible layer;
execute a first function based on the first force;
receive a second sensor signal from the sensor, the second sensor signal indicating a second force

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

• Khoshkava Vahid
• Levesque Vincent
• Saboune Jamal
• Hamam Abdelwahab
• Cruz Hernandez Juan Manuel
• Wu Liwen

Classifications

• G08B6/00 Primary

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• G06F2203/013

  Force feedback applied to a game · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

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

• G06F2203/04809

  Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard · CPC title

• G06F2203/014

  Force feedback applied to GUI · CPC title