Haptic output systems

1. A system for providing audio and haptic outputs, the system comprising:

an audio output amplifier for driving an audio output transducer;

a haptic output amplifier for driving a haptic output transducer; and

a signal processor,

wherein the signal processor is configured to:

receive an audio signal representing audio to be output by the audio output transducer;

receive a haptic signal representing a haptic output to be output by the haptic output transducer;

apply a delay to the received audio signal to generate a delayed audio signal or apply a delay to the received haptic signal to generate a delayed haptic signal;

output the delayed audio signal to the audio amplifier and output the haptic signal to the haptic output amplifier, or output the delayed haptic signal to the haptic output amplifier and output the audio signal to the audio output amplifier, such that an audio output signal output by the audio output amplifier is substantially synchronised with a haptic output signal output by the haptic output amplifier.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to:

detect a characteristic of the received audio signal that indicates that a particular audio effect is represented by the received audio signal;

upon detecting the characteristic of the received audio signal, generate a haptic signal which corresponds to the particular audio effect;

apply a delay to the received audio signal to generate a delayed audio signal;

output the delayed audio signal to the audio amplifier and output the haptic signal to the haptic output amplifier, such that an audio output signal representing the particular audio effect output by the audio output amplifier is substantially synchronised with a haptic output signal corresponding to the particular audio effect output by the haptic output amplifier.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the signal processor is configured to detect a characteristic comprising an envelope of the received audio signal, which envelope corresponds to an envelope of the particular audio effect.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the signal processor is configured to analyse one or more characteristics of the envelope of the received audio signal, wherein the one or more characteristics comprise:

signal strength;

attack time;

decay time;

speed of attack; and

speed of decay.

5. A system according to claim 2 wherein the signal processor is configured to detect a characteristic comprising a frequency signature present in the received audio signal, which frequency signature corresponds to a frequency signature of the particular audio effect.

6. A system according to claim 2 wherein generating the haptic output signal comprises retrieving a haptic playback waveform corresponding to the particular sound from a memory containing a plurality of haptic playback waveforms.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein the signal processor is further configured to:

receive a signal from the audio output amplifier;

receive a signal from the haptic output amplifier;

compare the received signals to estimate a time delay between output of an audio output drive signal by the audio output amplifier and output of a haptic output drive signal by the haptic output amplifier; and

adjust the delay applied to the received audio signal or the delay applied to the received haptic signal to compensate for the time delay so estimated.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the signal processor is further configured to:

monitor a voltage or current level at the audio output amplifier or haptic output amplifier;

based on the monitored voltage or current levels, estimate a time delay between the output of the audio signal by the audio output transducer and output of the haptic signal by the haptic output transducer; and

adjust the delay applied to the received audio signal or the delay applied to the received haptic signal to compensate for the time delay so estimated.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the signal processor is configured to:

estimate a time delay between the received audio signal and the received haptic signal based on the difference between a time at which the audio signal was received by the signal processor and a time at which the haptic signal was received by the signal processor; and

apply a delay based on the estimated time delay to the received audio signal to generate the delayed audio signal or apply a delay based on the estimated time delay to the received haptic signal to generate the delayed haptic signal.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein the signal processor is configured to:

analyse the received audio signal to identify the presence of a particular audio effect in the received audio signal;

analyse the received haptic signal to identify the presence of a particular haptic effect in the received haptic signal;

estimate a time delay between the received audio signal and the received haptic signal based on the difference between a time at which the identified audio effect was detected in the received audio signal and a time at which the identified haptic effect was detected in the received haptic signal; and

apply a delay based on the estimated time delay to the received audio signal to generate the delayed audio signal or apply a delay based on the estimated time delay to the received haptic signal to generate the delayed haptic signal.

11. A method for providing a haptic output and an audio output at a device, the method comprising:

receiving an audio signal representing audio to be output by the device;

detecting a characteristic of the received audio signal that indicates that a particular audio effect is represented by the received audio signal;

upon detecting the characteristic of the received audio signal, generating a haptic signal which corresponds to the particular audio effect;

applying a delay to the received audio signal to generate a delayed audio signal; and

outputting the delayed audio signal and outputting the generated haptic signal, such that an audio signal representing the particular audio effect output by the device is substantially synchronised with a haptic signal corresponding to the particular audio effect output by the device.

12. A signal processor configured to:

receive an audio signal representing audio to be output by a device;

detect a characteristic of the received audio signal that indicates that a particular audio effect is represented by the received audio signal;

upon detecting the characteristic of the received audio signal, generate a haptic signal which corresponds to the particular audio effect;

apply a delay to the received audio signal to generate a delayed audio signal;

output the delayed audio signal and output the haptic signal, such that an audio output signal representing the particular audio effect output by the device is substantially synchronised with a haptic output signal corresponding to the particular audio effect output by the device.

13. A method according to claim 11 , wherein generating the haptic signal comprises retrieving, from a memory, a haptic output signal that corresponds to the particular audio effect.

14. A method according to claim 11 , wherein generating the haptic signal comprises generating the haptic output signal in real-time using an algorithm that detects characteristics of part or all of the audio signal and, based on the detected characteristics, constructing a corresponding haptic output signal.

15. A signal processor according to claim 12 , wherein the signal processor is configured to generate the haptic signal by retrieving, from a memory, a haptic output signal that corresponds to the particular audio effect.

16. A signal processor according to claim 12 , wherein the signal processor is configured to generate the haptic signal by generating the haptic output signal in real-time using an algorithm that detects characteristics of part or all of the audio signal and, based on the detected characteristics, constructing a corresponding haptic output signal.