Method and system for haptic data encoding and streaming using a multiplexed data stream

1. A method comprising:

receiving digital content data including audio data and/or video data;

generating haptic data using at least some of the received digital content data;

encoding by an encoder the haptic data for efficient transmission over a communication network;

multiplexing by a multiplexer the encoded haptic data with the received digital content data;

embedding information for decoding the encoded haptic data in metadata of the multiplexed data stream; and

sending the multiplexed data stream over the communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

analyzing the haptic data to determine at least one characteristic of the haptic data,

wherein said encoding the haptic data comprises encoding, based on the determined characteristic, the haptic data to meet a pre-defined criteria.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the pre-defined criteria includes an output encoded haptic bit stream having the least number of bits.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving an endpoint configuration of an end user device from the end user device,

wherein the pre-defined criteria includes preserving a range of frequency of the haptic data that correspond to the received endpoint configuration of the end user device.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein said encoding the haptic data comprises selecting the encoder from a list of pre-determined encoders based on the determined characteristic and applying the selected encoder to transform the haptic data.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the list of pre-determined encoders includes an Advanced Audio Coding encoder and/or a Free Lossless Audio encoder.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the characteristics of the haptic data comprise one or more types of haptic output devices used to generate haptic effects based on the haptic data, intended use case of the haptic data, magnitude of the haptic data, frequency of the haptic data, and length of the silence in the haptic data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the types of haptic output devices include one or more of the group consisting of an eccentric rotating mass actuator, a linear resonant actuator, and a piezoelectric actuator.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the intended use case of the haptic data is selected from the group consisting of music, movies and games.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein encoding the haptic data comprises:

applying each one of a list of pre-determined encoders to the haptic data to generate a corresponding list of encoded haptic data streams; and

selecting, using the pre-defined criteria, an encoded haptic data stream from the list of encoded haptic data streams.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said encoding the haptic data comprises encoding the haptic data for a predetermined list of density factors to generate a plurality of encoded haptic data streams, each encoded haptic data stream corresponding to a density factor of the predetermined list of density factors, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving network bandwidth information from an end user device over a communication network; and

selecting one of the encoded haptic data streams based on a corresponding density factor matching a condition of the communication network bandwidth for multiplexing with the received digital content data.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a first encoded data stream of the plurality of encoded data streams corresponds to a first density factor of the predetermined list of density factors, and a second encoded data stream of the plurality of encoded data streams corresponds to a second density factor of the predetermined list of density factors, and wherein the second encoded data stream comprises more haptic data than the first data stream and the second density factor is greater than the first density factor.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

detecting a change in the network bandwidth information;

selecting a different one of the encoded haptic data streams based on the corresponding density factor matching the condition of the communication network bandwidth; and

transmitting the selected different one of the encoded data streams to the end user device.

14. A system comprising:

a processor configured to:

receive digital content data including audio data and/or video data,

generate haptic data using at least some of the received digital content data,

encode the haptic data using an encoder for efficient transmission over a communication network,

multiplex the encoded haptic data using a multiplexer with the received digital content data,

embed information for decoding the encoded haptic data in metadata of the multiplexed data stream; and

send the multiplexed data stream over the communication network; and

a user device configured to receive the multiplexed encoded haptic data and digital contact data over the communication network, the user device comprising a haptic output device configured to output a haptic effect based on the haptic data.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to analyze the haptic data to determine at least one characteristic of the haptic data, and encode the haptic data based on the determined characteristic to meet a pre-defined criteria.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the pre-defined criteria includes an output encoded haptic bit stream having the least number of bits.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive an endpoint configuration of the user device from the user device, wherein the pre-defined criteria includes preserving a range of frequency of the haptic data that correspond to the received endpoint configuration of the end user device.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to select the encoder from a list of pre-determined encoders based on the determined characteristic and apply the selected encoder to transform the haptic data.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the list of pre-determined encoders includes an Advanced Audio Coding encoder and/or a Free Lossless Audio encoder.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the characteristics of the haptic data comprise one or more types of haptic output devices used to generate haptic effects based on the haptic data, intended use case of the haptic data, magnitude of the haptic data, frequency of the haptic data, and length of the silence in the haptic data.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the types of haptic output devices include one or more of the group consisting of an eccentric rotating mass actuator, a linear resonant actuator, and a piezoelectric actuator.

22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the intended use case of the haptic data is selected from the group consisting of music, movies and games.

23. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

apply each one of a list of pre-determined encoders to the haptic data to generate a corresponding list of encoded haptic data streams; and

select, using the pre-defined criteria, an encoded haptic data stream from the list of encoded haptic data streams.

24. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to encode the haptic data for a predetermined list of density factors to generate a plurality of encoded haptic data streams, each encoded haptic data stream corresponding to a density factor of the predetermined list of density factors;

receive network bandwidth information from an end user device over a communication network; and

select one of the encoded haptic data streams based on a corresponding density factor matching a condition of the communication network bandwidth to multiplex with the received digital content data.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein a first encoded data stream of the plurality of encoded data streams corresponds to a first density factor of the predetermined list of density factors, and a second encoded data stream of the plurality of encoded data streams corresponds to a second density factor of the predetermined list of density factors, and wherein the second encoded data stream comprises more haptic data than the first data stream and the second density factor is greater than the first density factor.

26. The system of claim 24 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a change in the network bandwidth information;

select a different one of the encoded haptic data streams based on the corresponding density factor matching the condition of the communication network bandwidth; and

transmit the selected different one of the encoded data streams to the end user device.