# US 2017/0291104 A1 · User Interface Device Provided With Surface Haptic Sensations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0291104 A1 - Document ID: US20170291104A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/629,471 - Filed: 2017-06-21 - Published: 2017-10-12 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15 - Assignees: Immersion Corporation - Applicants: Immersion Corporation - Inventors: Danny A. Grant; Vincent Levesque - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170291104A1 ## CPC - G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]} - A63F 13/214: for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads - A63F 13/28: responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light - G06F 1/1694: {the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer} - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A user interface device includes a housing, a user input element supported by the housing, and a haptic output device supported by the housing. The haptic output device is configured to generate a haptic effect at a surface of the user interface device. The surface is part of the housing and/or the user input element. A processor disposed within the housing. The processor is configured to receive an input command from the user input element, communicate the input command to a host computer, receive an output command from the host computer, and output a haptic signal based on the output command to the haptic output device to generate the haptic effect at the surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a user interface device comprising: a housing; a plurality of user input elements coupled to the housing; a haptic output device supported by the housing; and a first processor disposed within the housing; and a host computer separate from the user interface device and communicatively coupled to a display configured to display video content, the host computer comprising a second processor separate from the first processor and configured to output the video content to the display, wherein the video content indicates a user input element of the plurality of user input elements and wherein the first processor is configured to: receive an output command from the host computer via a communication channel, wherein the host computer generates the output command based on the user input element of the plurality of user input elements; and output a signal to the haptic output device to generate a haptic effect based on the output command, wherein the haptic output device is configured to output the haptic effect to the user input element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the host computer comprises a first communication port and the user interface device comprises a second communication port configured to establish the communication channel with the first communication port. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface device further comprises a touch sensitive surface and a touch sensor at the touch sensitive surface, the touch sensor configured to sense a position of contact with the touch sensitive surface by a user of the system and communicate the position to the first processor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system according to claim 3, wherein the first processor is further configured to modulate the signal to adjust the haptic effect to be generated by the haptic output device based on the position of contact. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The system according to claim 3, wherein the haptic output device is configured to generate the haptic effect at the touch sensitive surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface device is a gaming peripheral and the host computer is a gaming console. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor is configured to generate the signal for the haptic effect to be generated by the haptic output device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the second processor is configured to generate the signal for the haptic effect to be generated by the haptic output device. ### Claim 9 A method for generating a haptic effect to a user of a user interface device, the method comprising: outputting, by a first processor of a host computer, video content to a display configured to display the video content, wherein the video content indicates a user input element of a plurality of user input elements of a user interface device separate from the host computer; generating, by the host computer, an output command based on the user input element of the plurality of user input elements; transmitting, by the host computer, the output command to the user interface device via a communication channel; generating a signal for a haptic effect based on the output command, the haptic effect to be generated by a haptic output device of the user interface device; and outputting the haptic effect with the haptic output device, wherein the haptic output device is configured to output the haptic effect to the user input element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising: sensing, by a touch sensor of the user interface device, a position of contact with a touch sensitive surface of the user interface device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, further comprising: modulating, by a second processor of the user interface device, the signal based on the sensed position of contact. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the haptic effect is generated at the touch sensitive surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the host computer comprises a first communication port and the user interface device comprises a second communication port configured to establish the communication channel with the first communication port. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the user interface device is a gaming peripheral and the host computer is a gaming console. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the first processor is configured to generate the signal for the haptic effect to be generated by the haptic output device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein a second processor of the user interface device is configured to generate the signal for the haptic effect to be generated by the haptic output device. ### Claim 17 A user interface device comprising: a housing a plurality of user input elements coupled to the housing; a haptic output device supported by the housing; and a first processor disposed within the housing, the first processor configured to: receive, via a communication channel, an output command from a host computer separate from the user interface device, wherein the host computer is communicatively coupled to a display configured to display video content, the host computer comprising a second processor separate from the first processor and configured to output the video content to the display and the video content indicates a user input element of the plurality of user input elements and wherein the host computer generates the output command based on the user input element of the plurality of user input elements; and output a signal to the haptic output device to generate a haptic effect based on the output command, wherein the haptic output device is configured to output the haptic effect to the user input element. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The user interface device according to claim 17, wherein the user interface device further comprises a touch sensitive surface and a touch sensor at the touch sensitive surface, the touch sensor configured to sense a position of contact with the touch sensitive surface by a user of the user interface device and communicate the position to the first processor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The user interface device according to claim 18, wherein the first processor is further configured to modulate the signal to adjust the haptic effect to be generated by the haptic output device based on the position of contact. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The user interface device according to claim 17, wherein the user interface device is a gaming peripheral and the host computer is a gaming console.