Haptic sensations as a function of eye gaze

Abstract

Systems, electronic devices, and methods provide haptic sensations as a function of eye gaze. A system may include a detector configured to determine a direction of an eye gaze of a user of the system, a processor configured to generate signal representative of a haptic effect based on the direction of the eye gaze, and a haptic output device configured to receive the signal from the processor and output the haptic effect to the user. A method for providing a haptic effect to a user of a system may include determining a direction of an eye gaze of the user of the system, generating a haptic effect based on the direction of the eye gaze, and outputting the haptic effect to the user.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A system comprising:
 a first display device;   a second display device;   a processor communicatively coupled to the first display device and the second display device and configured to:
 determine a user eye gaze direction relative to both the first display device and the second display device based on a sensor signal received from a sensor; 
 determine a first haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is associated with the first display device; 
 determine a second haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is associated with the second display device; and 
 generate a haptic signal, wherein the haptic signal is associated with the first haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is directed at the first display device, and wherein the haptic signal is associated with the second haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is directed at the second display device; and 
   a haptic output device communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive the haptic signal and output a haptic effect.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera configured to capture an image and an image processor configured to determine the user eye gaze direction based on the image. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the sensor is operable for sensing movements of muscles near an eye of the user, and the processor is configured to determine the user eye gaze direction based on the movements of muscles near the eye of the user. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the first display device and the second display device are components of a wearable device. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the wearable device comprises an augmented reality headset. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the sensor, the first display device, and the second display device are part of a first device and the processor and the haptic output device are part of a second device that is separate from the first device. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , further comprising a communication port configured to establish a wired or wireless communication channel between the first device and the second device. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate an augmented reality space on at least one of the first display device or the second display device, and use the user eye gaze direction to determine when the user is looking at an object in the augmented reality space. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the first display device or the second display device includes a touch screen configured to receive input from the user. 
     
     
         34 . A method for providing a haptic effect to a user of a system, the method comprising:
 determining a user eye gaze direction relative to both a first display device and a second display device based on a sensor signal received from a sensor;   determining a first haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is associated with the first display device;   determining a second haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is associated with the second display device; and   generating a haptic signal, wherein the haptic signal is associated with the first haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is directed at the first display device, and wherein the haptic signal is associated with the second haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is directed at the second display device; and   outputting the haptic signal to a haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output a haptic effect.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera configured to capture an image and an image processor configured to determine the user eye gaze direction based on the image. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the sensor is operable for sensing movements of muscles near an eye of the user, and further comprising determining the user eye gaze direction based on the movements of muscles near the eye of the user. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the first display device and the second display device are components of a wearable device. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the wearable device comprises an augmented reality headset. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising generating an augmented reality space on at least one of the first display device or the second display device, and using the user eye gaze direction to determine when the user is looking at an object in the augmented reality space. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein at least one of the first display device or the second display device includes a touch screen configured to receive input from the user. 
     
     
         41 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code, which, when executed by a processor, is configured to cause the processor to:
 determine a user eye gaze direction relative to both a first display device and a second display device based on a sensor signal received from a sensor;   determine a first haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is associated with the first display device;   determine a second haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is associated with the second display device; and   generate a haptic signal, wherein the haptic signal is associated with the first haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is directed at the first display device, and wherein the haptic signal is associated with the second haptic effect when the user eye gaze direction is directed at the second display device; and   output the haptic signal to a haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output a haptic effect.   
     
     
         42 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera configured to capture an image and an image processor configured to determine the user eye gaze direction based on the image. 
     
     
         43 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein the sensor is operable for sensing movements of muscles near an eye of the user, and further comprising determining the user eye gaze direction based on the movements of muscles near the eye of the user. 
     
     
         44 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 41 , wherein the first display device and the second display device are components of a wearable device.