Chat interface with haptic feedback functionality

Abstract

A chat interface allowing a user to exchange haptic chat messages with other users in a chat session over a computer network. A chat interface can be displayed by a local computer and receives input data from a user of the local computer, such as text characters or speech input. The input data provides an outgoing chat message that can include sent force information. The outgoing chat message is sent to a remote computer that is connected to the local host computer via a computer network. The remote computer can display a chat interface and output a haptic sensation to a user of the remote computer based at least in part on the force information in the outgoing chat message. An incoming message from the remote computer can also be received at the chat interface, which may also include received force information. The incoming chat message is displayed on a display device to the user of the local computer. A haptic sensation can be output to the user of the local computer using a haptic device coupled to the local computer, where the haptic sensation is based at least in part on the received force information received from the remote computer.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 receiving a connection from a remote client device; 
 receiving a selection of at least one haptic effect from the remote client a first device; 
 transmitting the at least one haptic effect to the remote client first device; 
 receiving a message from a second device; and 
 transmitting the message to the remote client first device, the message including a parameter configured to cause the remote client first device to output the at least one haptic effect. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the remote client first device comprises a wireless device and an actuator. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one haptic effect comprises a haptic effect and a sound. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the at least one haptic effect on the local client second device. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message comprises text information. 
     
     
       6. A system, comprising:
 a first device in communication with a network and comprising an actuator, the first device configured to:
 receive a selection from a second device of at least one haptic effect; 
 transmit the at least one haptic effect from the first device to the second device based at least in part on the selection,;  
 receive a message from a third device,; and 
 transmit the message to the second device, the message including a parameter configured to cause the second device to output the at least one haptic effect. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the remote client second device comprises a wireless device. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one haptic effect comprises a haptic effect and a sound. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the remote client second device is further configured to store the copy of the at least one haptic effect. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the message comprises text information. 
     
     
       11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code, the program code comprising:
 program code for connecting to a first device from a local client device; 
 program code for selecting, at a local device, at least one haptic effect from the stored on a first device; 
 program code for receiving, at the local device, the at least one haptic effect from the first device; 
 program code for receiving, at the local device, a message from a remote device; and 
 program code for outputting the at least one haptic effect to the local client device based at least in part on the message. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one haptic effect comprises a haptic effect and a sound. 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , further comprising program code for storing the at least one haptic effect on the local client device. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the local client device comprises a wireless device. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one haptic effect comprises a haptic effect and a sound. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the message comprises text information. 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
 program code for receiving a text message from a remote device, the text message comprising data;   program code for identifying a haptic effect based on the data;   program code for displaying the text message; and   program code for outputting the haptic effect.   
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein the data comprises force information, and wherein the program code for identifying the haptic effect comprises program code for generating a haptic effect based on the force information. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the data comprises an emoticon. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the data comprises an emoticon. 
     
     
       21. A device comprising:
 an input device;   a network interface;   a processor in communication with the network interface and the input device, the processor configured to:
 receive a text message from a remote device, the text message comprising data; 
 identify a haptic effect based on the data; 
 display the text message; and 
 output the haptic effect. 
   
     
     
       22. The device of claim 21 wherein the data comprises force information, and wherein the processor is configured to identify the haptic effect based on the force information. 
     
     
       23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code, the program code comprising:
 program code for receiving an input from a user, the input comprising a text message, the text message comprising force information; and   program code for transmitting the text message to a remote wireless device, the force information configured to cause the remote wireless device to output a haptic effect.   
     
     
       24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the program code for transmitting the text message comprises program code for transmitting the text message over a wireless network. 
     
     
       25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the program code for transmitting the text message comprises program code for transmitting the text message over a telephone network. 
     
     
       26. A device comprising:
 an input device;   a network interface;   a processor in communication with the network interface and the input device, the processor configured to:
 receive an input from a user, the input comprising a text message, the text message comprising data; and 
 transmit the text message to a remote device, the data configured to cause the remote device to output a haptic effect. 
   
     
     
       27. The device of claim 26, wherein the device further comprises a microphone and wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a spoken message from the microphone,   determine force information associated with the spoken message; and   transmit the spoken message and the force information to the remote device using the network interface.   
     
     
       28. The device of claim 26, wherein the network interface is a wireless network interface. 
     
     
       29. The device of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to associate force information with the text message, and transmit the force information. 
     
     
       30. The device of claim 29, the processor further configured to determine the force information based on a selection of a haptic effect by a user. 
     
     
       31. The device of claim 29, the processor further configured to determine the haptic effect based on voice recognition of the spoken message. 
     
     
       32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code, the program code comprising:
 program code for receiving an input from a user, the input comprising speech;   program code for determining force information associated with the speech; and   program code for transmitting the speech and the force information to a remote device, the force information configured to cause the remote device to output a haptic effect.   
     
     
       33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein determining the force information is based on a selection of a haptic effect by a user. 
     
     
       34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein determining the force information is based on voice recognition of the speech. 
     
     
       35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
 program code for receiving a message from a user device, the message comprising data;   program code for identifying a haptic effect based on the data;   program code for displaying the message; and   program code for outputting the haptic effect.   
     
     
       36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the data comprises haptic information, and wherein the program code for identifying the haptic effect comprises program code for generating the haptic effect based on the haptic information. 
     
     
       37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the data comprises at least one or more of an emoticon, an animated graphic, an animated image, a static graphic, a static image, or media data. 
     
     
       38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the program code for program code for identifying the haptic effect comprises program code for generating a haptic effect based on the haptic information in coordination with the display of the at least one or more of the emoticon, the animated graphic, the animated image, the static graphic, the static image, or media data. 
     
     
       39. A device comprising:
 an recipient device including a display;   a network interface;   a processor in communication with the network interface and the recipient device, the processor configured to:
 receive a message from a sender device, the message comprising data; 
 identify a haptic effect based on the data; 
 display the message; and 
 output the haptic effect. 
   
     
     
       40. The device of claim 39 wherein the recipient device further comprises a haptic attribute designation option for the recipient device. 
     
     
       41. The device of claim 39 wherein the data comprises haptic information, and wherein the processor is configured to identify the haptic effect based on the haptic information. 
     
     
       42. The device of claim 39, wherein the data comprises at least one or more of an emoticon, an animated graphic, an animated image, a static graphic, a static image, or media data. 
     
     
       43. The device of claim 42, wherein the data comprises haptic information, and wherein the processor is configured to coordinate the output the haptic effect based on the haptic information with the display on the recipient device of the at least one or more of the emoticon, the animated graphic, the animated image, the static graphic, the static image, or media data. 
     
     
       44. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code, the program code comprising:
 program code for receiving an input from a user, the input comprising a message, the message comprising haptic information; and   program code for transmitting the message to a recipient wireless device, the haptic information configured to cause the recipient wireless device to output a haptic effect.   
     
     
       45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the program code for transmitting the message comprises program code for transmitting the message over a wireless network. 
     
     
       46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 44, wherein the program code for transmitting the message comprises program code for transmitting the message over a telephone network. 
     
     
       47. A device comprising:
 an input device;   a network interface;   a processor in communication with the network interface and the input device, the processor configured to:
 receive an input from a user, the input comprising a message, the message comprising data; and 
   transmit the message to a recipient device, the data configured to cause the recipient device to output a haptic effect.   
     
     
       48. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
 program code for receiving a message from a remote device, the message comprising at least one or more of an emoticon, an animated graphic, an animated image, a static graphic, a static image, or media data;   program code for identifying a haptic effect based on the at least one or more of the emoticon, the animated graphic, the animated image, the static graphic, the static image, or media data;   program code for displaying the message; and   program code for outputting the haptic effect coordinated with the displaying of the at least one or more of the emoticon, the animated graphic, the animated image, the static graphic, the static image, or media data.   
     
     
       49. A device comprising:
 an input device;   a network interface;   a processor in communication with the network interface and the input device, the processor configured to:
 receive a message from a sender device, the message comprising at least one or more of an emoticon, an animated graphic, an animated image, a static graphic, a static image, or media data; 
 identify a haptic effect based on the at least one or more of the emoticon, the animated graphic, the animated image, the static graphic, the static image, or media data; 
 display the message; and 
 output the haptic effect. 
   
     
     
       50. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code, the program code comprising:
 program code for receiving an input from a user, the input comprising a message, the message comprising haptic information and at least one or more of an emoticon, an animated graphic, an animated image, a static graphic, a static image, or media data; and   program code for transmitting the message to a recipient wireless device, the haptic information configured to cause the recipient wireless device to output a haptic effect coordinated with the display of the at least one or more of the emoticon, the animated graphic, the animated image, the static graphic, the static image, or media data.   
     
     
       51. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the program code for transmitting the message comprises program code for transmitting the message over a wireless network. 
     
     
       52. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the program code for transmitting the message comprises program code for transmitting the message over a telephone network. 
     
     
       53. A device comprising:
 an input device;   a network interface;   a processor in communication with the network interface and the input device, the processor configured to:
 receive an input from a user, the input comprising a message, the message comprising at least one or more of an emoticon, an animated graphic, an animated image, a static graphic, a static image, or media data; and 
 transmit the message to a recipient wireless device, the data configured to cause the recipient wireless device to output a haptic effect.