Automatic Haptic Effect Adjustment System

Abstract

The present invention provides a system that includes a server coupled to a network. The server includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to transmit, to a device, at least one haptic parameter that defines a haptic signal used to generate a haptic effect, receive, from the device, a measurement of an affective state of a user of the device that experiences the haptic effect, adjust the haptic parameter based on the measurement of the affective state to generate at least one adjusted haptic parameter that defines a new haptic signal used to generate a new haptic effect, and transmit, to the device, the adjusted haptic parameter. The new haptic effect is different than the haptic effect.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a server, coupled to a network, including:
 a memory, and 
 a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to:
 transmit, to a device, at least one haptic parameter that defines a haptic signal used to generate a haptic effect, 
 receive, from the device, a measurement of an affective state of a user of the device that experiences the haptic effect, 
 adjust the haptic parameter based on the measurement of the affective state to generate at least one adjusted haptic parameter that defines a new haptic signal used to generate a new haptic effect, the new haptic effect being different than the haptic effect, and 
 transmit, to the device, the adjusted haptic parameter. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the device includes:
 an affective sensor configured to:
 measure the affective state of the user that experiences the haptic effect, and 
 transmit, to the server, the measurement of the affective state of the user; and 
   a haptic effect generator configured to:
 receive, from the server, the haptic parameter, 
 generate the haptic signal based on the haptic parameter, 
 send the haptic signal to an actuator to generate the haptic effect, 
 receive, from the server, the adjusted haptic parameter, 
 generate the new haptic signal based on the adjusted haptic parameter, and 
 send the new haptic signal to the actuator to generate the new haptic effect. 
   
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the haptic effect is a vibrotactile haptic effect, an electrostatic friction haptic effect, or a deformation haptic effect. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the haptic parameter is an amplitude haptic parameter, a frequency haptic parameter, a duration haptic parameter, an envelope haptic parameter, a density haptic parameter, a magnitude haptic parameter, a strength haptic parameter, or an actuator haptic parameter. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the measurement of the affective state of the user includes a valence value and an arousal value. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the valence value indicates a positive valence or a negative valence associated with the haptic effect, and the arousal value indicates a state of awareness of the haptic effect. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the haptic parameter to reduce a difference between the measurement of the affective state of the user and a pre-defined affective state. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the affective sensor is further configured to measure a new affective state of the user that experiences the new haptic effect, and transmit a measurement of the new affective state of the user to the server;   the processor is further configured to receive the measurement of the new affective state of the user; and   a difference between the measurement of the new affective state of the user and the pre-defined affective state is less than the difference between the measurement of the affective state of the user and the pre-defined affective state.   
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the device further comprises a context sensor configured to:
 measure a context of the user that experiences the haptic effect, and 
 transmit a measurement of the context of the user to the server; and 
   the processor is further configured to:
 adjust the haptic parameter based on the measurement of the context of the user and the measurement of the affective state of the user. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the measurement of the context of the user includes at least one of a physical property of the device, data that identifies a functionality of the device, data that identifies an interaction with the device, or a characteristic associated with an interaction with the device including a pressure, an acceleration, a sound or data created by the interaction with the device. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to randomly adjust the haptic parameter. 
     
     
         12 . A device, comprising:
 an affective sensor configured to measure an affective state of a user that experiences a haptic effect; and   a haptic effect generator, coupled to the affective sensor, configured to:
 generate a haptic signal based on a haptic parameter, 
 send the haptic signal to an actuator to generate the haptic effect, 
 adjust the haptic parameter based on a measurement of the affective state of the user to generate at least one adjusted haptic parameter, 
 generate a new haptic signal based on the adjusted haptic parameter, and 
 send the new haptic signal to the actuator to generate a new haptic effect, 
   the new haptic effect being different than the haptic effect.   
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the haptic effect is a vibrotactile haptic effect, an electrostatic friction haptic effect, or a deformation haptic effect. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the haptic parameter is an amplitude haptic parameter, a frequency haptic parameter, a duration haptic parameter, an envelope haptic parameter, a density haptic parameter, a magnitude haptic parameter, a strength haptic parameter, or an actuator haptic parameter. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 12 , wherein the measurement of the affective state of the user includes a valence value and an arousal value. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the valence value indicates a positive valence or a negative valence associated with the haptic effect, and the arousal value indicates a state of awareness of the haptic effect. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein the haptic effect generator is further configured to adjust the haptic parameter to reduce a difference between the measurement of the affective state of the user and a pre-defined affective state. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the affective sensor is further configured to measure a new affective state of the user that experiences the new haptic effect; and   a difference between the measurement of the new affective state of the user and the pre-defined affective state is less than the difference between the measurement of the affective state of the user and the pre-defined affective state.   
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a context sensor configured to measure a context of the user that experiences the haptic effect,   wherein the haptic effect generator is further configured to adjust the haptic parameter based on the measurement of the context of the user and the measurement of the affective state of the user.   
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein the measurement of the context of the user includes at least one of a physical property of the device, data that identifies a functionality of the device, data that identifies an interaction with the device, or a characteristic associated with an interaction with the device including a pressure, an acceleration, a sound or data created by the interaction with the device.