An apparatus for natural torso and limbs tracking and feedback for electronic interaction with fall safety support. The apparatus comprises a body harness worn on the body of a user, a support structure designed to bear the weight of the user in the event of a stumble, trip, or fall, and a plurality of tethers attached at one end to the harness and at the other end to the support structure. One or more sensors are integrated into the system to measure aspects of the user's movement and used as input to control a computer system. In the event of stumble, trip, or fall, all of, or a portion of, the user's body weight is borne by the tethers as a safety mechanism to prevent injury. The system is designed to be used with virtual reality systems wherein the user's vision is blocked or obscured by a virtual reality visor.

A method and apparatus for generating haptic surface texture with a deformable surface layer are disclosed. The haptic device includes a flexible surface layer, a haptic substrate, and a deforming mechanism. The flexible surface layer is made of elastic materials and is capable of reconfiguring its surface characteristics. The haptic substrate, in one embodiment, provides a first pattern in response to a first activating signal. Alternatively, the haptic substrate is capable of providing a second pattern in accordance with a second activating signal. The deforming mechanism is configured to change the flexible surface from a first surface characteristic to a second surface characteristic in accordance with the first pattern.

Methods and systems for processing input by a computing device are presented. One method includes operations for receiving images of a control device that includes an object section, and for determining a location of the control device utilizing image analysis for each captured image. Additionally, the movement of the control device is tracked based on the determined locations, where the tracking of the movement includes receiving inertial sensor information obtained by sensors in the control device, and determining an orientation of the control device based on the sensor information. Additionally, the method includes an operation for translating the movement and orientation of the control device into input for a game executing in the computing device, where the input is translated into a motion and orientation of an object in the game based on the movement of the control device.

A holding structure for holding a vibration generator includes a first holding member that is in contact with the vibration generator, a second holding member that engages the first holding member, and an elastic member that is supported by the second holding member and urges the vibration generator toward the first holding member.

An interactive mixed reality system for one or more users, in which both real-world entities and virtual world entities are capable of being interacted with by one or more users, or by objects (47, 91) for use by users, and the system arranged to computationally maintain game state and the evolution of events in the real-world and the virtual world, and the system arranged to generate a response (such as visual or tactile/haptic, or by way of cause and effect) which is experienced or perceived by the one or more users.

A haptic feedback device including a dual coil linear solenoid is provided. The dual coil linear solenoid construction provides a sense of a pulling force in an opposite direction from a pushing force sensed in the player's hand. A dynamic current source for each coil is disposed to generate dynamic magnetic flux in each coil, whereby a dynamic bi-directional force is exerted on the plunger. A plunger position controller controls the position of the plunger, whereby the plunger position controller applies a dynamic bi-directional force on the plunger to move the plunger to a target position based on the current position of the plunger detected by a plunger position sensor. The haptic feedback device is incorporated into a game controller. Video or arcade games incorporating the feedback device are also disclosed.

A system for generating haptic effects receives haptic permissions settings and associates the haptic permissions settings with a range of permitted haptic parameters. The system receives haptic parameters and modifies/filters the haptic parameters based on the range of permitted haptic parameters. The system then generates a haptic signal based on the modified haptic parameters and outputs the haptic signal to a haptic output device to generate the haptic effects.

A modular peripheral device assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a handheld controller and an assembly base. The handheld controller includes a first haptic actuator configured to generate a haptic effect at the handheld controller. The assembly base includes an attachment component that is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the handheld controller, and a second haptic actuator configured to generate haptic a effect at the assembly base or at the handheld controller when it is attached to the attachment component. The assembly further includes a control unit configured to select, based on whether the handheld controller is attached to or detached from the assembly base, at least one of the first and second haptic actuators to generate a haptic effect.

A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch notice that inputs a position signal to a processor of the computer based on a location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphic environment based at least in part on the position signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate from the computer's display screen, or can be a touch screen. Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can include pulses vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.

A force feedback system provides components for use in a force feedback system including a host computer and a force feedback interface device. An architecture for a host computer allows multi-tasking application programs to interface with the force feedback device without conflicts, where a single active application may output forces. A background application also provides force effects to be output and allows a user to assign force effects to graphical objects in a graphical user interface. Force feedback effects and structures are further described, such as events and enclosures.