Context-Specific Haptic Feedback Using Predefined Effects

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Solution Overview

Problem

Handheld devices lacking mechanical buttons for tactile feedback, such as touch screens, require innovative methods to provide content- and context-specific haptic effects to alert users to various events.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device receives electronic content, predefined haptic effects, and associations between these effects and events, identifying occurrences of predefined events within the content to generate corresponding haptic feedback, allowing for customizable and context-aware tactile sensations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If mechanical buttons are removed from handheld devices, then device design flexibility and form factor are improved, but tactile feedback and user interaction quality deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice design flexibilityVSAvoidtactile feedback

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical buttons with software-based haptic effects that simulate tactile feedback through controlled vibrations and sensations on the touch screen surface, eliminating the need for physical mechanical components while maintaining user interaction quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts haptic effect parameters such as vibration frequency, amplitude, and duration based on the content being displayed and user interaction context, enabling adaptive tactile feedback that responds to different operational states

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If generic haptic effects are used for all events, then device complexity is reduced, but user experience relevance and engagement deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehaptic effect configurationVSAvoidcontent-specific feedback

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-configures multiple haptic effects with different characteristics before they are needed, allowing rapid selection and application of appropriate tactile feedback based on the current content and event type without requiring complex real-time computation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The haptic feedback system transitions from static, generic effects to dynamic, context-aware effects that automatically adapt to the displayed content and user interaction state, providing relevant tactile feedback for different scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9891709B2Systems and methods for content- and context specific haptic effects using predefined haptic effects

Publication Date: 2018.02.13 IMMERSION CORP

AI summary

Systems and methods for content- and/or context-specific haptic effects are disclosed. In one embodiment electronic content is received by an electronic device. A plurality of predefined effects are received. The plurality of predefined effects may be a database of predefined haptic effects, a library of predefined haptic effects, or a list of predefined haptic effects. An association between at least one predefined haptic effect from the plurality of predefined haptic effects and a predefined event is received. An occurrence of the predefined event is identified wherein the occurrence of the predefined event is associated with a portion of the electronic content. In response to identifying the occurrence of the event, the predefined haptic effect can be generated.