Systems and Methods for Pressure-Based Haptic Effects

Abstract

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a sensor configured to detect a user interaction with a touch surface and transmit a sensor signal including data associated with a pressure of the user interaction. The illustrative system also includes a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to: receive the sensor signal; determine, based on the sensor signal, a pressure level; determine a user interface level based at least in part on the pressure level; perform a function associated with the user interface level and the user interaction; determine a haptic effect based at least in part on the user interface level and the user interaction; generate a haptic signal based at least in part on the haptic effect; and transmit the haptic signal. The illustrative system further includes a haptic output device in configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 an automotive device that includes a capacitive sensor configured to detect a capacitance between a vehicle occupant and the automotive device and generate a sensor signal based on the capacitance, wherein the automotive device does not include a touch-screen display;   a haptic output device coupled to the automotive device, wherein the haptic output device is configured to receive a haptic signal and output a haptic effect to the automotive device;   a processor communicatively coupled to the automotive device; and   a memory comprising program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
 receive the sensor signal; 
 determine the haptic effect based on the sensor signal; and 
 transmit the haptic signal to the haptic output device based on the sensor signal to cause the haptic output device to output the haptic effect. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the automotive device is a push button. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the automotive device is a joystick. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the automotive device is a gear shifter. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor coupled to the processor and configured to generate pressure information indicating a pressure of a contact with the automotive device, wherein the memory further comprises program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
 receive the pressure information from the pressure sensor; and   determine the haptic effect based on the sensor signal from the capacitive sensor and the pressure information from the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pressure sensor is coupled to the automotive device and separate from the capacitive sensor, and wherein the sensor signal indicates a location of the contact on the automotive device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a touch screen that is separate from the automotive device and configured to detect a touch and transmit touch information to the processor, and wherein the memory further comprises program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
 receive the touch information from the touch screen; and   determine the haptic effect based on the sensor signal from the capacitive sensor and the touch information from the touch screen.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor positioned to detect a pressure of a contact with the automotive device, wherein the memory further comprises program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
 receive a first sensor signal from the pressure sensor, the first sensor signal indicating a first pressure of a first contact with the automotive device;   determine that the first pressure of the first contact is below a pressure threshold;   output a first haptic effect using the haptic output device in response to determining that the first pressure of the first contact is below the pressure threshold;   receive a second sensor signal from the pressure sensor, the second sensor signal indicating a second pressure of a second contact with the automotive device;   determine that the second pressure of the second contact is above the pressure threshold; and   output a second haptic effect using the haptic output device in response to determining that the second pressure of the second contact is above the pressure threshold.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the memory further comprises program code that is executable by the processor to cause the processor to:
 cause a first function to be executed in response to determining that the first pressure of the first contact is below the pressure threshold; and   cause a second function to be executed in response to determining that the second pressure of the second contact is above the pressure threshold, the first function being different from the second function.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the capacitive sensor is configured to detect a proximity of the vehicle occupant to the automotive device. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a processor, a sensor signal from a capacitive sensor coupled to an automotive device of a vehicle, wherein the sensor signal is generated based on a capacitance between a vehicle occupant and the automotive device detected by the capacitive sensor, and wherein the automotive device does not include a touch-screen display;   determining, by the processor, a haptic effect based on the sensor signal; and   causing, by the processor, a haptic output device to output the haptic effect to the automotive device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the automotive device is a push button, joystick, or gear shifter. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processor, pressure information from a pressure sensor coupled to the automotive device, wherein the pressure information indicates a pressure of a contact with the automotive device; and   determining, by the processor, the haptic effect based on the sensor signal from the capacitive sensor and the pressure information from the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pressure sensor is coupled to the automotive device and separate from the capacitive sensor, and wherein the sensor signal indicates a location of the contact on the automotive device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving touch information from a touch screen that is separate from the automotive device; and   determine the haptic effect based on the sensor signal from the capacitive sensor and the touch information from the touch screen.   
     
     
         16 . A gear shifter, comprising:
 a capacitive sensor configured to detect a capacitance corresponding to a contact with the gear shifter and transmit a sensor signal based on the capacitance to a processor; and   a haptic output device configured to receive a haptic signal from the processor and output a haptic effect to the gear shifter.   
     
     
         17 . The gear shifter of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the haptic signal based on the sensor signal from the capacitive sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The gear shifter of  claim 17 , further comprising a pressure sensor configured to generate pressure information indicating a pressure of the contact, wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive the pressure information from the pressure sensor; and   generate the haptic signal based on the sensor signal from the capacitive sensor and the pressure information from the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         19 . The gear shifter of  claim 18 , wherein the pressure sensor is separate from the capacitive sensor, and wherein the sensor signal indicates a location of the contact on the gear shifter. 
     
     
         20 . The gear shifter of  claim 18 , wherein the capacitive sensor and the pressure sensor are part of a touch-sensitive surface disposed on the gear shifter. 
     
     
         21 . The gear shifter of  claim 16 , wherein the gear shifter for selecting a transmission gear of a vehicle.