System and method for controlling audio output associated with haptic effects

Abstract

An apparatus, a processor-readable medium, and a method are provided that are configured to cause a haptic effect and an audio effect to be output substantially concurrently. The haptic effect has a frequency and the audio effect has a frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect. At least one of the frequency of the haptic effect and the frequency of the audio effect is varied while maintaining substantially constant an average energy of the haptic effect. Varying the frequency of the audio effect can cause a perceived frequency of the haptic effect to change.

1 . A processor-readable medium comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to: 
 send a signal configured to cause a haptic effect and an audio effect to be output substantially concurrently, the haptic effect having a frequency and the audio effect having a frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect, the signal being further configured to vary at least one of the frequency of the haptic effect and the frequency of the audio effect while maintaining substantially constant an average energy of the haptic effect.    
   
   
       2 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the signal is further configured to cause the frequency of the audio effect to vary while causing the frequency of the haptic effect to remain substantially constant.  
   
   
       3 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the signal includes a plurality of pulses, the signal being configured to cause a frequency of the plurality of pulses to vary while causing a magnitude of the plurality of pulses to vary inversely.  
   
   
       4 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 1 , the frequency of the haptic effect being a first frequency of the haptic effect, wherein the audio effect is configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a second frequency different from the first frequency of the haptic effect.  
   
   
       5 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 1 , the frequency of the haptic effect being a first frequency of the haptic effect, wherein the audio effect is configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a second frequency different from the first frequency of the haptic effect, the second frequency being higher than the first frequency.  
   
   
       6 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the audio effect is higher than the frequency of the haptic effect.  
   
   
       7 . The processor-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect has a frequency from a frequency range from a plurality of frequency ranges, each frequency range from the plurality of frequency ranges being uniquely associated with a control scheme.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a controller configured to output a control signal, the control signal being configured to cause a haptic effect and an audio effect to be output substantially concurrently, the haptic effect having a frequency and the audio effect having a frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect, the control signal being further configured to vary at least one of the frequency of the haptic effect and the frequency of the audio effect while maintaining substantially constant an average energy of the haptic effect; and    an interface component coupled to the controller and configured to be coupled to a component external to the controller, the interface component configured to provide a haptic instruction to the component based at least partially on the control signal.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the control signal is further configured to cause the frequency of the audio effect to vary while causing the frequency of the haptic effect to remain substantially constant.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the control signal includes a plurality of pulses, the controller being configured to cause a frequency of the plurality of pulses to vary while causing a magnitude of the plurality of pulses to vary inversely.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the audio effect is configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a perceived frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the audio effect is configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a perceived frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect, the perceived frequency being higher than the frequency of the haptic effect.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the control signal is configured to cause a plurality of haptic effects including the haptic effect, each of the plurality of haptic effects having a frequency within at least two frequency ranges from a plurality of frequency ranges, the control signal being configured to cause the haptic effect to be output having a frequency in an intermediate frequency range from the plurality of frequency ranges, the intermediate frequency range being between the at least two frequency ranges.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a haptic device coupled to the controller, the haptic device being configured to receive the control signal and to output the haptic effect and the audio effect.    
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a haptic device coupled to the controller, the haptic device including an actuator, the haptic device being configured to receive the control signal and to output the haptic effect and the audio effect via the actuator.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a haptic device coupled to the controller, the haptic device including a actuator and an audio output device substantially collocated with the actuator and to receive the control signal, the haptic device being configured to output the haptic effect via the actuator, the haptic device being configured to output the audio effect via the audio output device.    
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of controllers including the controller, each controller from the plurality of controllers being associated with a frequency range from a plurality of frequency ranges, each controller from the plurality of controllers being configured to output an associated control signal, the associated control signal output by each controller from the plurality of controllers being configured to cause a haptic effect to be output having a frequency within the frequency range associated with that controller, at least one controller from the plurality of controllers being configured to output the control signal configured to cause the haptic effect and the audio effect to be output substantially concurrently.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a resonant vibrotactile haptic device coupled to the controller, the resonant vibrotactile haptic device being configured to output the haptic effect having a frequency within a pre-determined operational frequency range, the pre-determined operational frequency range having a frequency associated with a resonant mode of the resonant vibrotactile haptic device.    
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the control signal includes a plurality of pulses, the control signal being configured to cause the haptic effect to be output at a desired output frequency, each pulse from the plurality of pulses having a width associated with the desired output frequency.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of controllers including the controller, each controller from the plurality of controllers being configured to output a control signal from a plurality of control signals, each control signal from the plurality of control signals being uniquely associated with a frequency range from a plurality of frequency ranges and being configured to cause a haptic effect to be output, a first control signal from the plurality of control signals being output by a first controller, the first control signal being configured to cause the haptic effect to be output substantially concurrently with the audio effect, the audio effect being configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a perceived frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect.    
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of controllers including the controller, each controller from the plurality of controllers being configured to output a control signal from a plurality of control signals, each control signal from the plurality of control signals being uniquely associated with a frequency range from a plurality of frequency ranges and being configured to cause a haptic effect to be output, a first control signal from the plurality of control signals being output by a first controller, the first control signal being configured to cause the haptic effect to be output substantially concurrently with the audio effect, the audio effect being configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a perceived frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect; and    a haptic device coupled to the plurality of controllers, the haptic device being configured to output a plurality of haptic effects associated with the plurality of control signals, the plurality of haptic effects including the haptic effect.    
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of controllers including the controller, each controller from the plurality of controllers being configured to output a control signal from a plurality of control signals, each control signal from the plurality of control signals being uniquely associated with a frequency range from a plurality of frequency ranges and being configured to cause a haptic effect to be output, a first control signal from the plurality of control signals being output by a first controller, the first control signal being configured to cause the haptic effect to be output substantially concurrently with the audio effect, the audio effect being configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a perceived frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect; and    a plurality of haptic devices, each haptic device from the plurality of haptic devices being uniquely associated with a controller from the plurality of controllers, each haptic device from the plurality of haptic devices being configured to output the haptic effect caused by the control signal output by the associated controller.    
   
   
       23 . A method, comprising: 
 outputting a haptic effect at least partially based on a control instruction; and    outputting an audio effect substantially concurrently with a haptic effect at least partially based on the control instruction, the haptic effect having a frequency, the audio effect having a frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect, the audio effect and the haptic effect being output by a common device;    varying the frequency of at least one of the frequency of the haptic effect and the frequency of the audio effect while maintaining substantially constant an average energy of the haptic effect.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the frequency of the audio effect is varied while the frequency of the haptic effect is maintained substantially constant.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein outputting the haptic effect includes: 
 varying a frequency of pulses configured to cause the haptic effect to be output while inversely varying a magnitude of the pulses configured to output the haptic effect.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the audio effect is configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a perceived frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the audio effect is configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a perceived frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect, the perceived frequency of the haptic effect being higher than the frequency of the haptic effect.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 outputting a plurality of haptic effects, the plurality of haptic effects including the haptic effect, each haptic effect from the plurality of haptic effects having a different corresponding frequency, each corresponding frequency being within a frequency range from a plurality of frequency ranges.    
   
   
       29 . A method, comprising: 
 receiving an output instruction; and    outputting a control signal based on the received output instruction, the control signal being configured to cause a haptic effect and an audio effect to be output substantially concurrently, the haptic effect having a frequency and the audio effect having a frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect, the control signal being configured to vary at least one of the frequency of the haptic effect and the frequency of the audio effect while maintaining substantially constant an average energy of the haptic effect.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the control signal is configured to cause the frequency of the audio effect to vary while causing the frequency of the haptic effect to remain substantially constant.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the control signal includes a plurality of pulses, configured to cause a frequency of the plurality of pulses to vary while causing a magnitude of the plurality of pulses to vary inversely.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the control signal is configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a perceived frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the control signal is configured to cause a user to perceive the haptic effect as having a perceived frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect, the perceived frequency of the haptic effect being higher than the frequency of the haptic effect.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising: 
 outputting a plurality of control signals including the control signal, the plurality of control signals being at least partially based on the received output instruction, each control signal from the plurality of control signals being uniquely associated with a frequency range from a plurality of frequency ranges, at least one control signal from the plurality of control signals being configured to cause the haptic effect.    
   
   
       35 . The method of  29 , wherein the control signal is configured to output the haptic effect and the audio effect via an actuator of a haptic device.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  29 , wherein the control signal is configured to output the haptic effect via an actuator of a haptic device, the control signal being configured to cause the audio effect to be output by an audio output device of the haptic device, the audio output device being substantially collocated with the actuator.  
   
   
       37 . A method, comprising: 
 receiving an output instruction; and    outputting a control signal based on the received output instruction, the control signal being configured to cause a haptic effect and an audio effect to be output substantially concurrently via an actuator of a haptic device, the haptic effect having a frequency and the audio effect having a frequency different from the frequency of the haptic effect, the audio effect being configured to change a perceived frequency of the haptic effect.