Immersion Corporation

Sian W Tan

Louis B Rosenberg

Dean C Chang

Jeffrey R Mallett

Evan F Wies

Scott B Brave

Louis B Rosenburg

Jeffrey Mallett

Force feedback is provided to a user of a client computer receiving information such as a web page over a network such as the World Wide Web from a server machine. The client machine has a force feedback interface device through which the user experiences physical force feedback. The web page may include force feedback information to provide authored force effects. Force feedback is correlated to web page objects by a force feedback program running on the client and based on input information from the interface device, the web page objects, and the force feedback information. Generic force effects can also be provided, which are applied uniformly at the client machine to all web page objects of a particular type as defined by user preferences at the client machine. A web page authoring interface is also described that includes the ability to add force sensations to a web page. The user may assign force effects to web page objects and immediately feel how the web page will feel to an end user. A web page is output by the interface, including force information to provide the force effects at a client. The authoring tool can include or access a force design interface for creating or modifying force effects.

Defining force sensations associated with graphical images

Method and apparatus for providing peer-to-peer force feedback over a computer network. A network force feedback system includes a network, a first computer coupled to the network, and a second computer coupled to the network. The first and second computers each include a visual display and a force feedback interface device. Each computer provides a force feedback signal to its force feedback device based on information received from the other, remote computer and in some cases also based on input from the local force feedback device. Positional information of each force feedback device and/or feel sensation information can be transmitted between the computers over the network. A graphical environment can be displayed to enhance the interaction between users. The present invention therefore permits two computer users to interact using force feedback provided over a network on a peer-to-peer basis.

Networked applications including haptic feedback

A method for providing force feedback over a network supporting TCP/IP protocols by: (a) sending from a client computer over a network supporting TCP/IP protocols, a connection request to a web server connected to the network that is hosting a desired URL; (b) receiving and processing an HTML file at the client computer that was sent from the web server in response to the connection request, wherein the processing includes parsing an embedded force object reference having associated parameters and building a force object therefrom; (c) developing a force feedback signal with the force object; and (d) providing force feedback to a human/computer interface device coupled to the client computer in response to the force feedback signal. A networked force feedback system of the present invention includes a network, a first computer coupled to the network, and a second computer coupled to the network, where the second computer includes a visual display and a human/computer interface device capable of providing a second computer input and providing force feedback in response to a force feedback signal provided by the second computer. The second computer develops an image on the visual display that is associated with stored feedback information, such that the second computer produces the force feedback signal in response to at least one of information derived from the first computer and of the second computer input.

Force feedback enabled over a computer network

Force feedback provided in web pages

Implementing force feedback over the World Wide Web and other computer

Force feedback is provided to a user of a client computer receiving information such as a web page over a network such as the World Wide Web from a server machine. The client machine has a force feedback interface device through which the user experiences physical force feedback. Force feedback is correlated to web page objects by a force feedback program running on the client and based on input information from the interface device, web page objects, and the force feedback information. Generic force effects can be provided, which are applied uniformly at the client machine to all web page objects of a particular type as defined by user preferences at the client machine.

Force feedback implementation in web pages

Force feedback provided over a computer network

Method and apparatus for providing force feedback over a computer network

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Sian W Tan