Granted Patent B2

US 8,072,422 · App. 12/638,263 · Granted Dec 6, 2011

Assignee: Immersion Corporation

Abstract

Claims (47)

1. A networked haptic feedback gaming system comprising:

a first computer having a network interface for communicating with a second computer over a network, the first computer configured to:

generate a first image in a first gaming environment on the visual display, the first image based on second information received from a second computer, the second information comprising second force information,

transmit the first image to a first display;

generate a first force feedback signal based at least in part on the second force information received from the second computer;

transmit the first force feedback signal to a first actuator configured to output a first force effect based on the first force feedback signal,

generate first information, the first information comprising first force information,

transmit the first information to the second computer; and

wherein the second computer is configured to:

generate a second image in a second gaming environment on the visual display, the second image based on the first information received from the first computer,

transmit the second image to a second display;

generate a second force feedback signal based at least in part on the first force information received from the first computer; and

transmit the second force feedback signal to a second actuator configured to output a second force effect based on the second force feedback signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computer is in communication with a first manipulandum comprising the first actuator configured to output the first haptic effect.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first manipulandum comprises a local processor configured to:

receive the first force feedback signal and to generate a first actuator signal based on the first force feedback signal; and

transmit the first actuator signal to the first actuator to cause the first actuator to output the first force effect.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first force effect is correlated with the first image.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computer is configured to communicate with the second computer in a peer-to-peer mode.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second haptic information comprises mapping information indicating a feel sensation.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first computer is further configured to request server force information over the network from a server, receive the server force information, and to generate the first force feedback signal based on the server force information.

8. A method comprising:

sending a first force signal from a first computer to a second computer, the first force signal configured to cause a first force feedback signal to be sent to a second force feedback device from the second computer, wherein the first force feedback signal is configured to cause the second force feedback device to output a first force using an actuator of the second force feedback device;

receiving second information from the second computer, the second information comprising second force information;

generating a second force feedback signal based on the second force information, the second force feedback signal configured to cause the first force feedback device to output a second force using an actuator of the first force feedback device;

transmitting the second force feedback signal to a first force feedback device in communication with the first computer; and

displaying an image based on the second information.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein outputting the second force is correlated with first image.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first computer is configured to communicate with the second computer in a peer-to-peer mode.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second force information comprises mapping information indicating a feel sensation.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising

requesting server force information from a server,

receiving the server force information, and

generating the first force feedback signal based on the server haptic information.

13. A memory comprising program code, the program code comprising:

program code for sending a first force signal from a first computer to a second computer, the first force signal configured to cause a first force feedback signal to be sent to a second force feedback device from the second computer, wherein the first force feedback signal is configured to cause the second force feedback device to output a first force using an actuator of the second force feedback device;

program code for receiving second information from the second computer, the second information comprising second force information;

program code for generating a second force feedback signal based on the second force information, the second force feedback signal configured to cause the first force feedback device to output a second force using an actuator of the first force feedback device;

program code for transmitting the second force feedback signal to a first force feedback device in communication with the first computer; and

program code for displaying an image based on the second information.

14. The memory of claim 13 , wherein outputting the second force is correlated with first image.

15. The memory of claim 13 , wherein the first computer is configured to communicate with the second computer in a peer-to-peer mode.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second force information comprises mapping information indicating a feel sensation.

17. The memory of claim 13 , further comprising

program code for requesting server force information from a server,

program code for receiving the server force information, and

program code for generating the first force feedback signal based on the server force information.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (9)