Device and method for defining a haptic effect

Abstract

Systems, methods, and associated software are described herein for enabling a regular user of an end user device, such as a cellular telephone, to customize parameters associated with haptic effects applied to the user by the end user device. In one implementation, among several, a method described herein includes enabling a user of an end user device to access software adapted to design or modify haptic effects of the end user device. The method further includes enabling the user to open a haptic track file and enter or modify parameters associated with the haptic effects of the opened haptic track file.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An electronic device comprising:
 a resonant haptic actuating device;   a touch screen configured to sense pressing inputs at a surface of the touch screen;   a memory storing software that enables the pressing inputs to define a haptic effect as a set of beats; and   a processor configured, when executing the software stored in memory,
 to detect the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen for defining the set of beats of the haptic effect, 
 to determine an amount of pressure that is received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen, 
 to translate the pressing inputs into vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect, wherein the vibratory characteristics include a duration and a magnitude of the haptic effect, wherein the magnitude of the haptic effect is based on the amount of pressure that is received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen, 
   to cause the resonant haptic actuating device to play the set of beats of the haptic effect when an event associated with the haptic effect occurs, and   wherein the haptic effect is a vibrotactile haptic effect on the electronic device.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic handheld device of  claim 2 , wherein the vibrotactile haptic effect is generated on the electronic device while a virtual reality environment is being simulated by the electronic handheld device. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , further comprising an accelerometer configured to detect tapping motions at the electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to display the duration and the magnitude of the haptic effect via the touch screen. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect further comprise a frequency of the haptic effect. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the electronic device is a mobile handset or a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive user input that specifies an attack time for indicating how quickly the haptic effect reaches the magnitude, or that specifies a fade time for indicating how quickly the haptic effect fades from the magnitude, and is configured to translate the user input to the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to vary the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect on a parameter indicative of user sensitivity. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 9 , wherein the parameter indicative of user sensitivity is a temperature of an environment in which a user of the electronic device is located. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to vary the duration or a frequency of the haptic effect based on the temperature. 
     
     
         12 . A method of defining haptic effects on a mobile device comprising a touch screen configured to display a graphical user interface (GUI) for representing at least one vibratory characteristic of the haptic effects, the method comprising:
 detecting pressing inputs at a surface of the touch screen, the pressing inputs defining a haptic effect as a set of beats;   determining an amount of pressure received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen;   translating the pressing inputs to vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect, wherein the vibratory characteristics include a magnitude of the haptic effect and a duration of the haptic effect, wherein the magnitude of the haptic effect is based on the amount of pressure received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen;   displaying the duration of the haptic effect via the GUI on the touch screen;   storing the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect as a haptic file on the mobile device; and   transmitting the haptic file to another device that is a virtual reality force feedback device configured to play the haptic file to generate the haptic effect, wherein the haptic effect is a vibrotactile haptic effect.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising detecting, by an accelerometer of the mobile device, tapping motions at the mobile device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising displaying the magnitude of the haptic effect via the GUI on the touch screen. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the vibratory characteristics of the defined haptic effect further comprise a frequency of the haptic effect. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising associating the haptic effect with an event that triggers the haptic effect. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving, via the GUI, user input that specifies an attack time for indicating how quickly the haptic effect reaches the magnitude, or that specifies a fade time for indicating how quickly the haptic effect fades from the magnitude; and translating the user input to the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to define a haptic effect, the instructions being configured to cause the processor to define the haptic effect by:
 detecting, at a mobile device that includes the processor, pressing inputs at a surface of a touch screen of the mobile device, wherein the pressing inputs define a set of beats;   determining an amount of pressure received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen;   translating the pressing inputs to the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect, wherein the vibratory characteristics include a duration and a magnitude of the haptic effect, wherein the magnitude of the haptic effect is based on the amount of pressure that is received from the pressing inputs at the surface of the touch screen;   storing the vibratory characteristics of the haptic effect as a haptic file on the mobile device; and   transmitting the haptic file to another device that is a virtual reality force feedback device configured to play the haptic file to generate the haptic effect, wherein the haptic effect is a vibrotactile haptic effect.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processor to detect tapping motions at the mobile device through an accelerometer of the mobile device. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to display the duration and the magnitude of the haptic effect via the GUI on the touch screen.