Mobile Haptic Broadcasting for Synchronized Group Events
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies for group events lack the ability to provide synchronized or location-based haptic effects to attendees, limiting the immersive experience that can be achieved with audio and visual elements alone.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes a central server to broadcast haptic effects to mobile devices carried by attendees, determining the type and location of each device to deliver synchronized or asynchronous haptic experiences, enhancing the sensory immersion by incorporating vibrations, deformations, and other tactile feedback based on the user's location and the event's narrative.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If haptic effects are broadcast to all mobile devices during a group event, then the sensory immersion and group experience are enhanced, but the system complexity and coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A central server acts as an intermediary to manage and coordinate haptic effect distribution to multiple mobile devices. The server receives haptic effect data, determines which devices should receive which effects based on user locations and event context, and broadcasts the appropriate effects to each device. This intermediary approach enables complex coordinated haptic experiences without requiring direct peer-to-peer communication between devices, thereby managing system complexity while enhancing sensory immersion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If location-specific haptic effects are provided to different attendees, then the personalized experience is improved, but the measurement and tracking of user locations becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where mobile devices continuously report their location information to the central server. The server uses this feedback to determine which haptic effects should be sent to which devices based on their current positions within the event space. This feedback loop enables location-specific personalized haptic experiences while managing the complexity of location tracking through automated reporting and processing.
3Productivity
If synchronized haptic effects are broadcast to multiple devices, then the group experience is enhanced, but the coordination and timing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The central server performs preliminary actions by pre-processing haptic effect data and determining distribution schedules before broadcasting to multiple devices. The server calculates timing and synchronization requirements in advance, preparing the coordinated haptic effect sequence that will be broadcast to multiple mobile devices. This preliminary preparation enables synchronized group haptic experiences while managing timing precision requirements through advance planning and calculation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system that generates haptic effects on mobile devices during a group event receives an identity of a first type of haptic effect to be broadcast during the group event and determines a first set of the mobile devices during the group event that will generate the haptic effect. The system then broadcasts the first type of haptic effect to the first set of mobile devices during the group event.