Systems and methods for providing customizable haptic playback

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a computing device that comprises a memory and a processor in communication with the memory. The processor can generate content that can be provided to a user. The processor can obtain data indicating various haptic tracks associated with various content elements in the content. The processor can determine a selection of a haptic track of the various haptic tracks associated with a particular content element of the various content elements. The processor can determine a characteristic of the haptic track and then transmit a haptic signal associated with the haptic track to a haptic output device, which can receive the haptic signal and output the haptic track.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the processor being configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to:   identify metadata from received content, the metadata being associated with a plurality of content elements suitable for being provided to a user;   determine a selected content element from the plurality of content elements, the selected content element being associated with at least one haptic track and at least one metadata tag of the metadata;   identify the at least one haptic track associated with the selected content element based on the at least one metadata tag;   determine a haptic effect based on the at least one haptic track; and   transmit one or more haptic signals to a haptic output device, the one or more haptic signals configured to cause the haptic output device to output the haptic effect when the selected content element is played.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor determines the selected content element on a basis of being a content element for which an associated haptic track is to be provided to a user. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor determines the selected content element on a basis of one of a user selection via a graphical user interface (“GUI”), a user's eye gaze, or an inference from a user input in a simulated reality (“SR”) environment. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selected content element is one of a character, an object or an event in a movie or SR environment. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selected content element is a selected track of video information from a 360-degree movie. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to periodically determine a new selected content element from the plurality of content elements in response to changing conditions associated with the plurality of content elements. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one haptic track associated with the selected content element corresponds to a viewpoint of the user. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to modify a characteristic of the haptic effect, the characteristic being selected from at least one of frequency or intensity of the haptic effect. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to modify the characteristic of the haptic effect based on a user interaction with the selected content element. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to modify the characteristic of the haptic effect based on a context of a scene in a movie or SR environment having the selected content element. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 identifying metadata from received content, the metadata being associated with a plurality of content elements suitable for being provided to a user;   determining a selected content element from the plurality of content elements, the selected content element being associated with at least one haptic track and at least one metadata tag of the metadata;   identifying the at least one haptic track associated with the selected content element based on the at least one metadata tag;   determining a haptic effect based on the at least one haptic track; and   transmitting one or more haptic signals to a haptic output device, the one or more haptic signals configured to cause the haptic output device to output the haptic effect when the selected content element is played.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the selected content element comprises determining a content element for which an associated haptic track is to be provided to a user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the selected content element is performed based on one of a user selection via a graphical user interface (“GUI”), a user's eye gaze, or an inference from a user input in an SR environment. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the selected content element comprises determining one of a character, an object or an event in a movie or SR environment. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the selected content element comprises selecting a track of video information from multiple tracks of video information from a 360-degree movie. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising periodically determining a new selected content element from the plurality of content elements in response to changing conditions associated with the plurality of content elements. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one haptic track associated with the selected content element corresponds to a viewpoint of the user. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising modifying a characteristic of the haptic effect, the characteristic being selected from at least one of frequency or intensity of the haptic effect. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein modifying the characteristic of the haptic effect is performed based on a user interaction with the selected content element. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein modifying the characteristic of the haptic effect is performed based on a context of a scene in a movie or SR environment having the selected content element.