# US 8,540,571 B2 · System and method for providing haptic stimulus based on position > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,540,571 B2 - Document ID: US8540571B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/751,780 - Filed: 2010-03-31 - Published: 2011-10-06 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2010-03-31 - Assignees: Immersion Corporation - Applicants: Danny A. Grant; Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez - Inventors: Danny A. Grant; Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540571B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/285: Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback - A63F 13/428: involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - A63F 13/211: using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes - A63F 2300/1037: being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback - A63F 2300/105: using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Haptic stimulus associated with other sensory content is generated for conveyance to one or more users with the other sensory content. This may enhance the experience provided to the one or more users by the content. The sensory content may include video content, video game content, audio content, and/or other content. The haptic stimulus may be varied based on position information. Such position information may include information related to the position of the one or more users, the position of a controller (e.g., a game controller), the position of an actuator delivering the haptic stimulus, and/or other position information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system configured to provide haptic stimulus to one or more users, the system comprising: a user interface device including an electronic display having a display surface from which three-dimensional views of visual content are conveyed to the one or more users at discrete, predefined viewing angles, the visual content comprising an event; a first actuator configured to generate haptic stimulus associated with the visual content being conveyed to a first user by the display surface; and one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising: a stimulus module configured to determine haptic stimulus to be generated for the first user that is associated with the visual content being conveyed to the first user by the display surface based on a first viewing angle of the first user with respect to the display surface, the haptic stimulus selected from a set of haptic stimulus for the event corresponding to individual discrete, predetermined viewing angles that are different from each other; and an actuator control module configured to control the first actuator to generate the haptic stimulus determined by the stimulus module for the first user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a second actuator configured to generate haptic stimulus associated with the visual content being conveyed to a second user by the display surface, wherein the stimulus module is further configured to determine haptic stimulus to be generated for the second user that is associated with the visual content being conveyed to the second user by the display surface based on a second viewing angle of the second user with respect to the display surface, and wherein the actuator control module is further configured to control the second actuator to generate the haptic stimulus determined by the stimulus module for the second user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the stimulus module is configured such that responsive to the first viewing angle being different from the second viewing angle, the haptic stimulus associated with the event for the first user is different than the haptic stimulus associated with the event for the second user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the differences in haptic stimulus associated with the event for the individual discrete, predetermined viewing angles reflect a directivity and orientation of a visual effect associated with the event in the three-dimensional views being conveyed at the discrete, predetermined viewing angles. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a sensor configured to generate output signals conveying information related to the position of the first user with respect to the display surface; and wherein the computer program modules further comprise: a position module configured to determine a viewing angle of the first user with respect to the display surface based on the output signals generated by the sensor, and wherein the stimulus module is configured such that the haptic stimulus associated with the event for the first user is determined based on the determination of viewing angle made by the position module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor is configured such that the output signals convey information related to the position of a handheld controller associated with the first user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the actuator is carried by the handheld controller. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the sensor is configured such that the output signals convey an image that includes the first user, and the position module is configured to determine the viewing angle of the first user with respect to the display surface based on analysis of the image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the stimulus module is configured such that the haptic stimulus varies as a function of viewing angle with respect to the display surface without regard for distance from the display surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the content conveyed to the one or more users through the user interface device includes scenes of a videogame. ### Claim 11 A method of providing haptic stimulus to a user, the method comprising: conveying three-dimensional views of visual content to a first user at a display surface of an electronic display included in a user interface device, the visual content including a visual depiction of an event and the three-dimensional views are viewable at discrete, predetermined viewing angles; determining haptic stimulus associated with the event to be generated for the first user such that the haptic stimulus is determined based on a first viewing angle of the first user with respect to the display surface by selecting from a set of separate haptic stimulus associated with the event corresponding to individual discrete, predetermined viewing angles that are different from each other; and generating the haptic stimulus for the first user in coordination with display of the visual depiction of the event. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising determining haptic stimulus associated with the event to be generated for a second user such that the haptic stimulus is determined based on a second viewing angle of the second user with respect to the display surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein responsive to the first viewing angle being different than the second viewing angle, the haptic stimulus associated with the event for the first user is different from the haptic stimulus associated with the event for the second user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the differences in haptic stimulus associated with the event for the individual discrete, predetermined viewing angles reflect a directivity and orientation of a visual effect associated with the event in the three-dimensional views being conveyed at the discrete, predetermined viewing angles. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining the first viewing angle of the first user with respect to the display surface, and wherein the determination of haptic stimulus associated with the event to be generated for the first user is based on the determination of the first viewing angle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein determining the viewing angle of the first user comprises determining information related to the position of a handheld controller associated with the first user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the haptic stimulus is generated by the handheld controller. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein determining the first viewing angle of the user comprises capturing an image that includes the first user, and analyzing the captured image to determine the first viewing angle with respect to the display surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the determined haptic stimulus varies as a function of the first viewing angle with respect to the display surface without regard for distance of the first user from the display surface. ### Claim 20 A system configured to provide haptic stimulus to one or more users, the system comprising: a user interface device including an electronic display having a display surface from which views of visual content are conveyed to the one or more users, the visual content comprising an event; a first actuator configured to generate haptic stimulus associated with the visual content being conveyed to a first user by the display surface; a second actuator configured to generate haptic stimulus associated with the visual content being conveyed to a second user by the display surface; and one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising: a stimulus module configured to determine haptic stimulus to be generated for the first user that is associated with the visual content being conveyed to the first user by the display surface based on a first viewing angle of the first user with respect to the display surface, and determine haptic stimulus to be generated for the second user that is associated with the visual content being conveyed to the second user by the display surface based on a second viewing angle of the second user with respect to the display surface, wherein responsive to the first viewing angle being different from the second viewing angle, the haptic stimulus associated with the event for the first user is different than the haptic stimulus associated with the event for the second user; and an actuator control module configured to control the first actuator to generate the haptic stimulus determined by the stimulus module for the first user and to control the second actuator to generate the haptic stimulus determined by the stimulus module for the second user. ### Claim 21 A method of providing haptic stimulus to a user, the method comprising: conveying visual content to a first user at a display surface of an electronic display included in a user interface device, the visual content including a visual depiction of an event; determining haptic stimulus associated with the event to be generated for the first user such that the haptic stimulus is determined based on a first viewing angle of the first user with respect to the display surface; determining haptic stimulus associated with the event to be generated for a second user such that the haptic stimulus is determined based on a second viewing angle of the second user with respect to the display surface; and generating the haptic stimulus for the first user in coordination with display of the visual depiction of the event, wherein responsive to the first viewing angle being different than the second viewing angle, the haptic stimulus associated with the event for the first user is different from the haptic stimulus associated with the event for the second user.