CA2518914A1 - A method and system for providing haptic effects - Google Patents

Abstract

A transparent haptic overlay device, system and method are provided. The transparent haptic overlay device (10) includes a transparent overlay (22) for transmitting the force of the user to a display (20), an actuator (24) for generating forces corresponding to haptic effects and imparting these forces to the user~s finger and a controller (28) for simulating the haptic effects.
The display (20) may be a touch sensitive display, which has a functionality of sensing the position of the user. Through the overlay (22), the user receives the haptic effects in response to the motion relative to the image of the objects (14) on the display (20).

Claims (48)

1. What is claimed is:
   
   A system for providing haptic effects to a user, a display for providing an image of an object; and a transparent overlay haptic device, which includes:
   a transparent overlay for translating the motion of the user's finger to the image and providing haptic effects to the user, the user contacting the image through the overlay, and a haptic effect element for generating the haptic effect on the overlay in response to the motion of the user.
2. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display is a touch sensitive display having a functionality of sensing the motion of the user.
3. 3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the overlay is a clear sheet and is thin so as to allow forces applied by the user to pass through to the touch sensitive display.
4. 4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect element includes a sensor for sensing the motion of the user, and a controller for processing information provided from the sensor to simulate the haptic effect.
5. 5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the haptic effect element further includes an actuator, the controller controlling the actuator for generating the haptic effect on the overlay.
6. 6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a communication interface for communication between the controller and an external system.
7. 7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect element includes an overlay homing assembly to provide a home position to the overlay.
8. 8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the overlay homing assembly has a spring attached to the overlay and a base of the device.
9. 9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect element includes an actuator assembly for generating a force to provide the haptic effect on the overlay.
10. 10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the actuator assembly includes a solenoid, a brake pad and a brake pad bracket.
11. 11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect element includes a controller for simulating the haptic effects.
12. 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the controller simulates a thin wall effect.
13. 13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the controller simulates a thick wall effect.
14. 14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the controller simulates a series of wall effect.
15. 15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the controller simulates a haptic effect associated with knobs, rotary dials, sliders or any other mechanical control device.
16. 16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the controller has a functionality of generating audio feedback.
17. 17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the controller has a functionality of controlling the image of the object in accordance with the haptic effect.
18. 18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect element generates the haptic effects in a passive manner.
19. 19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect element generates the haptic effects in an active manner.
20. 20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect element includes a braking system for generating the haptic effects in a passive manner.
21. 21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the overlay is a circular sheet.
22. 22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the haptic effect element includes a roller for rotating the overlay along one axis over the display.
23. 23. The system according to claim 22, wherein the haptic effect element further includes a braking system for applying a brake to the overlay along one axis.
24. 24. The system according to claim 22, wherein the haptic effect element further includes a homing mechanism to sustain the overlay along an axis.
25. 25. The system according to claim 1, wherein the overlay includes an overlay strip for the x-axis and an overlay strip for the y-axis.
26. 26. The system according to claim 25, wherein a divot is placed on an area where the strip for the x-axis intersects the strip for the y-axis.
27. 27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the haptic effect element includes a homing mechanism to provide a home position for the divot.
28. 28. The system according to claim 26, wherein the haptic effect element includes a roller for the x-axis, a roller for the y-axis, a spline axle for the x-axis and a spline axle for the y-axis, the roller for the x-axis sliding along and being driven by the spline axle for the x-axis and the roller for the y-axis sliding along and being driven by the spline axle for the y-axis.
29. 29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the haptic effect element further includes spline mounts and spline bearings, the axle being attached to the spline mounts through the spline bearings such that the axle rotates.
30. 30. The system according to claim 28, wherein the roller rotates in response to a rotation of the axle, the rotation of the roller allowing the strip to passing over the roller and the divot to move in one axis.
31. 31. The system according to claim 25, wherein the haptic effect element further includes a braking system for applying a brake to the strips.
32. 32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the braking system includes a disc brake applied to a drive mechanism of the strip for the x-axis and a disc brake applied to a drive mechanism of the strip for the y-axis.
33. 33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the braking system further includes solenoid brakes, each of which is mounted such that the rotation of the disc is restricted when the solenoid is engaged.
34. 34. The system according to claim 1, where the haptic effect element includes a position sensor for sensing the motion of the user.
35. 35. The system according to claim 34, where the position sensor includes an absolute position sensor and/or a relative position sensor.
36. 36. The system according to claim 34, where the absolute position sensor includes an array of photodiodes and photo detectors around the outside of the display.
37. 37. The system according to claim 35, wherein the relative position sensor includes an optical sensor.
38. 38. The system according to claim 35, wherein the relative position sensor includes encoders.
39. 39. The system according to claim 35, wherein the relative position sensor includes potentiometers.
40. 40. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display is selected from the group consisting of liquid crystal displays, cathode ray tube displays, plasma displays, projection displays or light emitting diode displays.
41. 41. The system according to claim 1, wherein the haptic effect element includes a braking system selected from the group consisting of push rod braying mechanisms, disc braying mechanisms, locking pin braying mechanisms, eddy current braying mechanisms and other mechanical braying mechanisms.
42. 42. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display is wrapped by the overlay.
43. 43. The system according to claim 42, wherein the haptic effect element includes a frame for housing the display, an moving element which moves relative to the frame and an actuator for actuating the element, the frame and the display being wrapped by the overlay.
44. 44. The system according to claim 43, wherein the moving element is selected from the group consisting of one or more magnets, one or more electromagnets, and a combination of one or more magnets and one or more electromagnets.
45. 45. A device for providing haptic effects to a user, whereby a user contacts an image of an object on a display incorporating, a transparent overlay for translating the motion of the user's finger to the image and providing haptic effects to the user, the user contacting the image through the overlay, and a haptic effect element for generating the haptic effect on the overlay in response to the motion of the user.
46. 46. A method of applying a force in the x and y axis to a user's finger, via a transparent overlay which provides the view of a display to the user, the method comprising the steps of:
    sensing the motion of the user relative to an object displayed on the display to generate information on the motion; and simulating haptic effects based on the information; and providing, to the user, the force corresponding to the haptic effect, through the transparent overlay.
47. 47. A method of claim 46, wherein the step of providing the force includes the step of passively providing the force to the user.
48. 48. A method of claim 46, wherein the step of providing the force includes the step of actively providing the force to the user.