Sony patents haptic feedback for virtual object interactions
Sony describes a method for creating touch sensations in virtual environments by tracking the distance between a user's virtual hand and an object. The system detects when the hand gets close enough to trigger a specific action, then sends different vibration signals to the controller for each stage of the interaction, such as approaching, touching, and holding.
In the filing’s own words
Provided an example information processing method including determining a plurality of states of an operation object in relation to a target object in a virtual space, the states including a first state in which the operation object takes a first action on the target object, a second state in which the operating object maintains the first action on the target object, the second state occurring after the first state, and a third state prior to the first state; determining distances between the operation object and the target object in the virtual space in the third state, the determined distances including a first distance and a second distance less than the first distance; transitioning from the third state to the first state responsive to determining the second distance; transitioning from the first to second state; and generating haptic sensation signals corresponding to each of the first, second, and third states.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An information processing method comprising: determining a plurality of states of an operation object in relation to a target object in a virtual space, the states including a first state in which the operation object takes a first action on the target object, a second state in which the operating object maintains the first action on the target object, the second state occurring after the first state, and a third state prior to the first state; determining distances between the operation object and the target object in the virtual space in the third state, the determined distances including a first distance and a second distance which is less than the first distance; transitioning from the third state to the first state in response to determining the second distance; transitioning from the first state to the second state; and generating haptic sensation signals corresponding to each of the first state, the second state, and the third state.
Facts
- Company
- Sony (Sony Group Corporation)
- Official title
- INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM
- Publication number
- US20260299690A1
- Application number
- 18996284
- Filed
- Jun 8, 2023
- Published
- Oct 1, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 24
Classified under
G06F 3/016 Physics & computingB25J 13/025 Operations & transportG06F 3/014 Physics & computingG06F 3/017 Physics & computingG06F 3/0346 Physics & computingMore from Sony in AR, VR & displays
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.