Public network transmission of haptic effect signals

Abstract

An apparatus for receiving public broadcasts and haptic effects comprises a receiver having at least first and second communication channels, the first channel configured to receive a wireless transmission of a non-haptic signal, and the second channel configured to receive a wireless transmission of a haptic signal. A transducer is in electrical communication with the receiver, the transducer being configured to receive and present the public message broadcast through the first channel. A haptic effect actuator in electrical communication with the receiver, the haptic actuator responsive to the haptic signal to generate a haptic effect.

1 . An apparatus for receiving public broadcasts and haptic data comprising:
 a receiver having at least first and second communication channels, wherein the first channel is configured to receive a wireless transmission of a non-haptic signal that includes a message and the second channel is configured to receive a wireless transmission of a haptic signal;   a transducer in electrical communication with the receiver, wherein the transducer is configured to receive and present the message through the first channel; and   a haptic effect actuator in electrical communication with the receiver, wherein the haptic effect actuator is configured to be responsive to the haptic signal to generate a haptic effect.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is housed within or coupled to an available electronic device. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the available electronic device comprises a portable or handheld device, wherein said portable or handheld device comprises a toy, gaming console, handheld video game system, gamepad, game controller, desktop computer, portable multifunction device such as a cell phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), eReader, portable reading device, handheld reading device, laptop, tablet computer, digital music player, remote control, or medical instrument. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the available electronic device is embedded in another device. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the another device comprises a vehicle or wearable device. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the wearable device comprises a wrist watch, jewelry, arm band, or gloves. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive the haptic signal having a first frequency and the non-haptic signal having a second frequency. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive a carrier signal, the haptic signal and non-haptic signal being modulated on a carrier frequency. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive a carrier signal, the haptic signal and non-haptic signal being modulated onto the carrier signal and separated by time. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first channel and second channels are logical channels embodied in a multiplexed signal carried by the wireless transmission. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the receiver comprises:
 an antenna;   a demultiplexer in electrical communication between the antenna and the transducer and the haptic effect actuator;   memory storing an event detection module programmed to determine whether a haptic signal was received over the second channel and to generate a haptic control signal embodying haptic data upon the event detection module determining a haptic signal was received over the second channel; and   a programmable circuit in electrical communication with the memory, the demultiplexer, and the haptic effect actuator.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a drive circuit in electrical communication between the programmable circuit and the haptic effect actuator.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein a haptic effect module is programmed to generate a haptic control signal embodying the haptic data received over the second channel. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the memory further stores haptic effect data and a haptic event determination module programmed, the haptic event determination module being programmed to determine haptic effect data associated with one of:
 the haptic signal received over the second channel; and 
 the non-haptic signal received over the first channel. 
   
     
     
         15 . A system for transmitting haptic data on a communication network, the system comprising:
 a receiver housed within or coupled to an available electronic device and having at least first and second communication channels, wherein the first channel is configured to receive a wireless transmission of a non-haptic signal that includes a message and the second channel is configured to receive a wireless transmission of a haptic signal;   a transducer in electrical communication with the receiver, wherein the transducer is configured to receive and present the message through the first channel;   a haptic effect actuator in electrical communication with the receiver, wherein the haptic effect actuator is configured to be responsive to the haptic signal to generate a haptic effect;   a multiple-channel wireless transmitter; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the multiple-channel wireless transmitter, wherein the processor is configured to operate in response to an input trigger to select a message including text and haptic data including instructions that define a haptic effect,   wherein the multiple-channel wireless transmitter is configured to transmit the selected message over a first wireless channel of the multiple channels and is configured to transmit the haptic data over a second wireless channel of the multiple channels, the first and second wireless channels being channels, the haptic data being related to the message.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the multiple-channel wireless transmitter is configured to transmit the haptic data as a haptic signal having a first frequency and the non-haptic signal having a second frequency. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the multiple-channel wireless transmitter is configured to transmit a carrier signal, a haptic signal and non-haptic signal being modulated on a carrier frequency. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the multiple-channel wireless transmitter is configured to transmit a carrier signal, the haptic signal and non-haptic signal being modulated onto the carrier signal and separated by time. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the multiple channel wireless transmitter further comprises a multiplexor; and   the first channel and second channel are logical channels embodied in a multiplexed signal carried by the wireless transmitter.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 memory in data communication with the processor, the memory storing at least one message, at least one set of haptic effect data, and a haptic effect determination module, the haptic effect determination module programmed to determine a set of haptic data upon selection of a message for transmission over the first wireless channel, the set of haptic effect data being transmitted over the second wireless channel and the message being transmitted over the first wireless channel.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the memory stores two or more messages and two or more sets of haptic effect data. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 memory storing a haptic effect determination module, the haptic effect determination module programmed to retrieve a set of haptic effect data for transmission over the second wireless channel,   wherein a server remote from the system comprises a server memory for storing at least one set of haptic effect data.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the haptic effect determination module is further programmed to retrieve the set of haptic effect data associated with a message upon identification of the message for transmission over the first wireless channel.