Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to electronic equipment that supplies ultrasonic haptic soundwaves. The ultrasonic sound waves may be directed towards a user to provide haptic output. The haptic output devices may be used in a system that includes one or more electronic devices such as a head-mounted display, an iMac, iPhone and iPad.  Ultrasonic haptic output may be used to simulate contact with a virtual object, to simulate rain, to simulate wind, and/or to simulate other sensations in a mixed reality or virtual reality environment.

In Apple’s patent background they note that devices such as wearable devices sometimes incorporate haptic output components. Haptic output components may supply a user with haptic output while the user is interacting with software such as gaming software.

It can be challenging to design a haptic output device. If care is not taken, haptic output may not provide a desired sensation for a user, haptic output may not be applied to an appropriate location on the body of a user, or a haptic output device may be overly bulky or difficult to use.

Apple’s invention/granted patent covers a system that may include haptic output devices such as ultrasonic haptic output components that generate ultrasonic sound waves. The ultrasonic sound waves may be directed towards a user to provide haptic output. The haptic output devices may be used in a system that includes one or more electronic devices such as a device with a display (e.g., a head-mounted display, a desktop computer display, a tablet computer display, a laptop computer display, a cellular telephone display, etc.).

Control circuitry may supply control signals to the haptic output devices based on sensor data indicating where the user is located and/or based on what is being displayed for a user on the display. Ultrasonic haptic output may be directed towards a user's hands, individual fingers, face, feet, legs, or other body part.

Ultrasonic haptic output may be used to simulate contact with a virtual object, to simulate rain, to simulate wind, and/or to simulate other sensations in a mixed reality or virtual reality environment.

The ultrasonic haptic output components may be stand-alone devices or may be mounted in a head-mounted display, a gaming base station, a handheld controller, a finger-mounted device, or other electronic equipment.

Ultrasonic haptic output components may be arranged in an array on a haptic output device. The ultrasonic haptic output components may include piezoelectric components, electroactive polymer components, electromagnetic actuators, and other haptic output components.

Ultrasonic haptic output components may be mounted to movable support structures. The movable support structures may move linearly along an axis and/or may rotate about a pivot point.

Ultrasonic haptic output devices may be removably mounted to an electronic device. The electronic device may have a recess that receives the ultrasonic haptic output device. The ultrasonic haptic output device may operate while located in the recess and/or may be removed from the recess and set on a surface for providing haptic output to a desired location on the user's body.

Apple’s patent FIG. 1 below is a schematic diagram of an illustrative system; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing how an ultrasonic haptic output device may provide haptic output that travels a given distance to reach the user in accordance with an embodiment.

Apple’s patent FIG. 3 above is a perspective view of an illustrative head-mounted device having ultrasonic haptic output components that provide haptic output to a user's face.

Apple’s patent FIG. 4 above is a perspective view of an illustrative head-mounted device having ultrasonic haptic output components that provide haptic output to a user's hand to simulate contact with a virtual object. 

Apple’s patent FIG. 5 below is a perspective view of an illustrative controller and finger devices having ultrasonic haptic output components; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a gaming station having an array of ultrasonic haptic output components.

Apple’s patent FIG. 7 below is a perspective view of illustrative electronic devices having ultrasonic haptic output components that provide haptic output to different parts of a user's body; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative ultrasonic haptic output device.

Apple’s patent FIG. 9 below is a perspective view of illustrative ultrasonic haptic output components mounted to a movable support structure so that haptic output can be provided in different directions; FIG. 10 is a side view of an illustrative head-mounted device with ultrasonic haptic output components that operate through a display.

Apple’s patent FIG. 11 above is a front view of an illustrative head-mounted device with ultrasonic haptic output components at discrete locations around a periphery of a display; FIG. 12 is a front view of an illustrative head-mounted device with ultrasonic haptic output components that surround a periphery of a display.

Apple’s patent FIG. 13 above is a perspective view of an illustrative head-mounted device with an ultrasonic haptic output device that can be detached from the head-mounted device.

Apple’s patent FIG. 14 above is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device having a retractable portion with ultrasonic haptic output components.

Apple’s patent FIG. 15 above is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device having an ultrasonic haptic output device mounted behind openings in the electronic device.

Apple notes that haptic output #28 presented in the patent figures above, may be provided in response to a user input and/or may be provided in response to content being watched on a display (e.g., a head-mounted display, desktop computer display, tablet computer display, laptop computer display, cellular telephone display, etc.).

The user input that triggers haptic output #28 may be a movement of the user's body (e.g., fingers, hands, eyes, head, etc.) that is detected using one or more sensors in devices (e.g., sensors such as a visible light camera, an infrared light camera, a three-dimensional image sensor, a dot projector or other structured light illuminator, etc.).

The displayed content that triggers haptic output may be two-dimensional displayed content, may be three-dimensional displayed content, may be displayed content associated with a virtual reality, mixed reality, and/or augmented reality environment, and/or may be displayed content that is not associated with any virtual reality, mixed reality, or augmented reality environment.

For more details, review Apple's granted patent 11,347,312.

Posted by Jack Purcher on May 31, 2022 at 06:27 AM in 2. Granted Patents, HMDs, Smartglasses +, Sensors, Chips & Haptics | Permalink | Comments (0)

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