Second-Screen Feedback Signatures for Tactile Game Event Cues

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Solution Overview

Problem

Players often struggle to correctly interact with displayed video game control elements on screen devices due to lack of tactile feedback, leading to missed interactions and inaccuracies in gameplay, and changes in the gaming environment may go unnoticed, causing resource waste and gameplay errors.

Innovation Solution

A system generates tailored feedback signatures using visual, auditory, and haptic signals to convey events in video games, adapting to the capabilities and preferences of the display screen device, ensuring players are informed without needing to look away from the main screen.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If displayed video game control elements are used on a touch screen display, then the device can function as both a display and a controller, but players find it difficult to correctly interact with the control elements because they lack physical tactile feedback

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice functionalityVSAvoidcontrol element interaction accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies feedback by providing tactile sensations through haptic actuators when players interact with displayed control elements. The system detects touch input on the touch screen and generates corresponding haptic feedback signals that simulate physical button presses, allowing players to receive tactile confirmation without looking away from the game display.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical tactile feedback of physical controllers with electronic haptic feedback generated by actuators. Instead of relying on physical button mechanisms, the system uses electronic signals to create tactile sensations through the touch screen device, substituting mechanical interaction with electronically-generated haptic effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If a player's attention is focused on the video game display, then immersive gameplay is maintained, but the player may miss important changes in the gaming environment such as disconnections or battery warnings

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegameplay immersionVSAvoidunobserved environmental changes

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses feedback to inform players of environmental changes through tactile signals. When events such as disconnections, battery warnings, or control element interactions occur, the system generates haptic feedback signals that provide physical confirmation to the player without requiring them to shift visual attention from the game display.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments information delivery by separating visual game content from tactile feedback signals. The display screen continues to show gameplay without interruption, while separate haptic feedback channels convey environmental changes and control interactions, allowing players to receive all information through different sensory modalities simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Loss of information

If multiple feedback signals are generated to convey different events, then comprehensive information is provided to the player, but the feedback system becomes complex and difficult to manage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidfeedback system management

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple feedback signals into unified feedback signatures. Instead of managing separate feedback mechanisms for different events, the system combines visual, auditory, and haptic feedback into integrated signatures that convey multiple types of information through coordinated multi-sensory signals, simplifying the management of comprehensive feedback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates universal feedback signatures that can convey different types of information through a single integrated signal structure. Each feedback signature is designed to work across multiple sensory modalities and event types, allowing the system to provide comprehensive information using a standardized, manageable framework rather than separate specialized signals for each event.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12539462B2Systems and methods for executing feedback signatures on a second screen device to convey occurrences of events in connection with a video game

Publication Date: 2026.02.03 NETFLIX INC

AI summary

The disclosed computer-implemented methods and systems can generate and implement feedback signatures including feedback signals that can convey—on a display screen device—the occurrence of a particular event relative to a video game. For example, the disclosed methods and systems can generate feedback signatures including combinations of visual feedback signals, auditory feedback signals, and/or haptic feedback signals. The disclosed methods can further modify generated feedback signatures such that the feedback signatures are specifically tailored to the capabilities of the display screen device and the preferences of the video game player. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.