IP Library Granted Patent US 10,606,356
Granted Patent B2
US 10,606,356 · App. 15/889,335 · Granted Mar 31, 2020

Systems and methods for haptically-enabled curved devices

Inventors: Vincent Levesque (Montreal, CA); Danny Grant (Laval, CA); Ali Modarres (Montreal, CA); Jamal Saboune (Montreal, CA)
Assignee: Immersion Corporation
G06F3/016G06F1/1637G06F1/1694G06F3/0488G06F2200/1637
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,606,356
App. No.
15/889,335
Granted
Mar 31, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a curved device that includes a curved outer housing. The illustrative system also includes a sensor configured to detect a user interaction with the curved device and transmit a sensor signal associated with the user interaction. The illustrative system additionally includes a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to: receive the sensor signal from the sensor; determine a user interaction based on the sensor signal, determine a first haptic effect based at least in part on the user interaction, and transmit a haptic signal associated with the first haptic effect. The illustrative system also includes a haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output the first haptic effect.

Claims (43)

1. A computing device, comprising:

a touch-screen display having a curvature;

a processor in communication with the touch-screen display; and

a memory on which program code executable by the processor are stored to cause the processor to:

detect an interaction at a location on the curvature of the touch-screen display based on a sensor signal from the touch-screen display;

after detecting the interaction at the location on the curvature, determine an angle or a slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction;

determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the angle or the slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction; and

transmit a haptic signal configured to cause a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the curvature is one of at least two curvatures defined in the touch-screen display.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a smartphone, a tablet, an e-reader, a gamepad, a portable gaming console, or a remote control.

4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the curvature is permanently defined in the touch-screen display.

5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the curvature defined in the touch-screen display is a first curvature, and wherein the computing device has an outer housing defining a second curvature.

6. The computing device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect rolling of the computing device on a surface, wherein the haptic effect is a first haptic effect, and wherein the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

determine a second haptic effect based on detecting rolling of the computing device on the surface via the sensor; and

transmit a signal configured to cause the second haptic effect to be output by the haptic output device.

7. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises the haptic output device, the haptic effect comprises a plurality of haptic effects configured to be output by multiple devices in a predetermined order, and the memory further includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

transmit the haptic signal to the haptic output device of the computing device to generate a first haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects; and

transmit a signal to a remote wearable device configured to cause the remote wearable device to output a second haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects.

8. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to cause the computing device to roll in a predetermined direction along a surface.

9. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to resist or stop rolling of the computing device along a surface.

10. A method comprising:

detecting, by a computing device, an interaction at a location on a curvature of a touch-screen display based on a sensor signal from the touch-screen display;

after detecting the interaction at the location on the curvature, determining, by the computing device, an angle or a slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction;

determining, by the computing device, a haptic effect based at least in part on the angle or the slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction; and

transmitting, by the computing device, a haptic signal configured to cause a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the curvature is one of at least two curvatures defined in the touch-screen display.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device is a smartphone, a tablet, an e-reader, a gamepad, a portable gaming console, or a remote control.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the curvature is permanently defined in the touch-screen display.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the curvature defined in the touch-screen display is a first curvature, and wherein the computing device has an outer housing defining a second curvature.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the computing device comprises the haptic output device, and wherein the haptic effect comprises a plurality of haptic effects configured to be output by multiple devices in a predetermined order, and further comprising:

transmitting the haptic signal to the haptic output device of the computing device to generate a first haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects; and

transmitting a signal to a remote wearable device configured to cause the remote wearable device to output a second haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code that is executable by a processor of a computing device to cause the processor to:

detect an interaction at a location on a curvature of a touch-screen display based on a sensor signal from the touch-screen display;

after detecting the interaction at the location on the curvature, determine an angle or a slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction;

determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the angle or the slope of the curvature at the location of the interaction; and

transmit a haptic signal configured to cause a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the curvature is one of at least two curvatures defined in the touch-screen display.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the computing device is a smartphone, a tablet, an e-reader, a gamepad, a portable gaming console, or a remote control.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the curvature defined in the touch-screen display is a first curvature, and wherein the computing device has an outer housing defining a second curvature.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the computing device comprises the haptic output device, and wherein the haptic effect comprises a plurality of haptic effects configured to be output by multiple devices in a predetermined order, and further comprising program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to:

transmit the haptic signal to the haptic output device of the computing device to generate a first haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects; and

transmit a signal to a remote wearable device configured to cause the remote wearable device to output a second haptic effect in the plurality of haptic effects.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2018
From: LEVESQUE, VINCENT; GRANT, DANNY; MODARRES, ALI; SABOUNE, JAMAL
To: IMMERSION CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044951/0612 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14663405 · Mar 19, 2015
Provisional Application 61968753 · Mar 21, 2014
Related Publication 20180157327A1 · Jun 7, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,487,694