Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding haptic information in multi-media files

Abstract

A method for encoding haptic information inside a multi-media file having content includes changing a portion of the content in the multi-media file, and adding the haptic information to the changed portion of the content, the haptic information corresponding to a haptic signal for generating a haptic effect upon playback of the multi-media file. A method for decoding haptic information from inside a multi-media file having content includes locating the haptic information inside the multi-media file, and generating a haptic signal based on the located haptic information during playback of the content of the multi-media file. A method includes receiving a multi-media signal comprising an audio signal and a haptic signal with a receiver of a haptic device, and outputting a haptic effect with a haptic output device of the haptic device based on the haptic signal in the multi-media signal.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method for encoding haptic information inside an audio file comprising an audio stream, the method comprising:
 encoding a haptic trigger mark at an encoding frequency, the haptic trigger mark corresponding to a haptic signal representing a haptic effect stored in an electronic storage library;   adding the haptic trigger mark to the audio stream at a location to cause generation of the haptic effect at a time corresponding to the location upon playback of the audio stream.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the encoding frequency is an inaudible high frequency. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the audio stream has a sampling frequency and the encoding frequency is a Nyquist frequency of the sampling frequency. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the haptic trigger mark has a duration of less than one millisecond. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the encoding frequency includes more than one frequency. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the audio stream has a sampling frequency and the encoding frequency is a function of the sampling frequency. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising removing a portion of the audio stream at the encoding frequency. 
     
     
         39 . A method for playback of haptic information inside an audio file comprising an audio stream, the method comprising:
 filtering the audio stream with a bandpass filter at an encoding frequency of a haptic trigger mark to locate the haptic trigger mark;   retrieving, from an electronic storage library, a haptic signal representing a haptic effect and corresponding to the haptic trigger mark;   generating the haptic effect during playback of the audio file at a time corresponding to the location of the haptic trigger mark in the audio stream.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the encoding frequency is an inaudible high frequency. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the audio stream has a sampling frequency and the encoding frequency is a Nyquist frequency of the sampling frequency. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the haptic trigger mark has a duration of less than one millisecond. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the encoding frequency includes more than one frequency. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the audio stream has a sampling frequency and the encoding frequency is a function of the sampling frequency. 
     
     
         45 . A haptic output system comprising:
 an audio output device configured to output an audio stream from an audio file;   a haptic output device configured to output a haptic effect based on a haptic signal;   a processor configured to access the audio file,   filter the audio stream with a bandpass filter at an encoding frequency of a haptic trigger mark to locate the haptic trigger mark;   retrieve, from an electronic storage library, the haptic signal representing the haptic effect and corresponding to the haptic trigger mark; and   output the haptic signal to the haptic output device to generate the haptic effect during playback of the audio file at a time corresponding to the location of the haptic trigger mark in the audio stream   
     
     
         46 . The haptic output system of  claim 45 , wherein the encoding frequency is an inaudible high frequency. 
     
     
         47 . The haptic output system of  claim 45 , wherein the audio stream has a sampling frequency and the encoding frequency is a Nyquist frequency of the sampling frequency. 
     
     
         48 . The haptic output system of  claim 45 , wherein the haptic trigger mark has a duration of less than one millisecond. 
     
     
         49 . The haptic output system of  claim 45 , wherein the encoding frequency includes more than one frequency. 
     
     
         50 . The haptic output system of  claim 45 , wherein the audio stream has a sampling frequency and the encoding frequency is a function of the sampling frequency. 
     
     
         51 . The haptic output system of  claim 45 , wherein the processor is further configured to remove a portion of the audio stream at the encoding frequency.