Patents by Inventor Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez

Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9841818
    Abstract: A haptic peripheral includes a housing with a frame having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced apart windows, a plurality of deformable membranes positioned within the plurality of circumferentially-spaced apart windows, and a haptic output device disposed within the housing and coupled to the plurality of deformable membranes. The haptic output device includes a motor, a converter, and a plurality of radially-extending pins. Each radially-extending pin has a first end attached to the converter and a second opposing end attached to a deformable membrane. The motor is configured to receive a control signal from a processor and is configured to rotate relative to the housing in response to the control signal. The converter converts rotary motion of the motor to linear motion to move the plurality of radially-extending pins to thereby radially extend the deformable membranes relative to the housing and provide a haptic effect to a user of the haptic peripheral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Mansoor Alghooneh, Juan Manuel Cruz Hernandez, Robert Lacroix
  • Publication number: 20170352356
    Abstract: Embodiments that generate multiple haptic effects receive a first haptic effect signal having a first priority and corresponding to a first haptic effect, and receive a second haptic effect signal having a second priority and corresponding to a second haptic effect. When the first priority is less than the second priority, embodiments generate an interaction parameter using the second haptic effect signal. When the second priority is less than the first priority, embodiments generate the interaction parameter using the first haptic effect signal. Embodiments then apply a drive signal to a haptic output device according to the interaction parameter, where the drive signal causes the first haptic effect and the second haptic effect to be generated by the haptic output device concurrently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Robert LACROIX, Satvir Singh BHATIA, David BIRNBAUM, Christopher J. ULLRICH, Amaya Becvar WEDDLE, Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ
  • Patent number: 9836150
    Abstract: Systems and methods for feedforward and feedback with haptic effects are disclosed. One such system may include a sensor configured to detect an interaction with a touch surface and transmit a sensor signal associated with the interaction; a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to: determine an operation available on a device, the operation associated with a first user interaction; determine a simulated texture associated with the operation; output a haptic signal associated with the simulated texture; determine whether to perform the operation based on a second user interaction; and a haptic output device in communication with the processor and coupled to the touch surface, the haptic output device configured to receive a haptic signal and simulate a texture on the touch surface based in part on the haptic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Vincent Levesque, Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez
  • Patent number: 9827904
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes a sensor configured to sense information associated with the vehicle's surroundings, environment and/or condition and output a sensor signal based on the sensed information, a processor configured to receive the sensor signal, determine haptic feedback for the system to display based on the sensor signal, and output a haptic control signal, and a haptic output device configured to receive the haptic control signal from the processor and generate the haptic feedback to a driver of the vehicle based on the haptic control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Ali Modarres, Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez, Danny A. Grant, Neil Olien
  • Publication number: 20170336871
    Abstract: A system generates a haptic effect that simulates a mechanical button. The system receives a signal that indicates that a user has contacted a user interface of the system. The system includes an impact actuator. In response to the signal, a moving element of the impact actuator contacts the user interface, which generates the haptic effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ, Danny A. GRANT
  • Patent number: 9823833
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for an electronic interactive device having a haptic enabled flexible touch sensitive surface are disclosed. In one embodiment, the electronic interactive device includes a flexible touch sensitive surface, a flexible screen (or display), and an actuator. The flexible touch sensitive surface is deposited over the flexible screen and is capable of receiving an input, such as, for example, from a user. The flexible screen displays an image via a displaying window. The actuator is coupled to the flexible screen and provides haptic feedback in response to the input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Danny A. Grant, Juan Manuel Cruz Hernandez, Christophe Ramstein
  • Patent number: 9818271
    Abstract: A system generates a haptic signal. The system receives an audio signal, pre-processes the audio signal by modifying the audio signal to create a modified audio signal, and maps the modified audio signal to a haptic signal. The system then sends the haptic signal to an actuator to generate one or more haptic effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: IMMERSION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez, Christopher J. Ullrich
  • Publication number: 20170322631
    Abstract: A touch-enabled device can simulate one or more features in a touch area. Features may include, but are not limited to, changes in texture and/or simulation of boundaries, obstacles, or other discontinuities in the touch surface that can be perceived through use of an object in contact with the surface. Systems include a sensor configured to detect a touch in a touch area when an object contacts a touch surface, an actuator, and one or more processors. The processor can determine a position of the touch using the sensor and select a haptic effect to generate based at least in part on the position, the haptic effect selected to simulate the presence of a feature at or near the determined position. Some features are simulated by varying the coefficient of friction of the touch surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez, Danny A. Grant
  • Publication number: 20170315770
    Abstract: A notification manager is provided that manages notifications for a user. The notification manager detects a notification event and determines a context of the notification event. The notification manager determines a target device for the notification event based on the determined context and one or more available displays. The notification manager then generates a notification on one or more of the one or more available displays to direct the user's attention to the target device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Vincent LEVESQUE, Danny GRANT, Jean-Francois BLANCHARD-DIONNE, Amaya Becvar WEDDLE, Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ
  • Publication number: 20170300118
    Abstract: A haptic effect enabled device for simulating a tactile sensation on a surface. In some cases, the haptic effect enabled device may be a user interface device, and the tactile sensation may be simulated on a surface of the user interface device. The interface device may include a haptic output device configured to generate a haptic effect, such as a periodic haptic effect, at the surface. The interface device may include a drive module configured to generate a periodic drive signal based on a touch input at the surface of the interface device and based on the tactile sensation to be simulated at the surface. The interface device may include a drive circuit operatively coupled to the drive module and the haptic output device and configured to apply the periodic drive signal to the haptic output device. In some cases, the surface may be separate from the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Vincent Levesque, Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez
  • Publication number: 20170301195
    Abstract: A haptic conversion system is provided that analyzes an audio signal, generates a plurality of haptic signals based on the analysis of the audio signal, and plays the generated plurality of haptic signals through a plurality of actuators to produce one or more haptic effects. The haptic conversion system maps the generated plurality of haptic signals to the plurality of actuators based on one or more audio characteristics of the audio signal. Each generated haptic signal includes one or more haptic parameters, and is played at its mapped actuator to generate the one or more haptic effects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Henry DA COSTA, Herve Thu TIMONE, Robert HEUBEL, Stephen RANK, Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ, Danny GRANT
  • Publication number: 20170293360
    Abstract: A haptic output device includes a touch surface, a sensor configured to sense an input at the touch surface, and a controller configured to read the sensor, identify a location of the input, switch from a read mode to a write mode, and write a voltage based on the location of the input to generate an electrostatic output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ, Danny A. GRANT
  • Patent number: 9786287
    Abstract: A system is provided that produces haptic effects. The system receives an audio signal that includes a low-frequency effects audio signal. The system further extracts the low-frequency effects audio signal from the audio signal. The system further converts the low-frequency effects audio signal into a haptic signal by shifting frequencies of the low-frequency effects audio signal to frequencies within a target frequency range of a haptic output device. The system further sends the haptic signal to the haptic output device, where the haptic signal causes the haptic output device to output one or more haptic effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Lacroix, Satvir Singh Bhatia, David Birnbaum, Christopher J. Ullrich, Amaya Becvar Weddle, Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez
  • Publication number: 20170287293
    Abstract: A method of generating event identifiers includes receiving sensor information from tracked entities. Based on the sensor information for tracked entities, an event can be determined. An event ID can be assigned to the event based on the type of event that was determined. The event ID can be sent to a haptically enabled device, the device outputting a haptic effect determined from the event ID.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Jamal SABOUNE, Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ, Liwen WU, Abdelwahab HAMAM
  • Publication number: 20170285750
    Abstract: A system is provided that converts an input, such as audio data, into one or more haptic effects. The system applies a granular synthesis algorithm to the input in order to generate a haptic signal. The system subsequently outputs the one or more haptic effects based on the generated haptic signal. The system can also shift a frequency of the input, and also filter the input, before the system applies the granular synthesis algorithm to the input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ, Ali MODARRES, Liwen WU, David BIRNBAUM
  • Publication number: 20170277263
    Abstract: A system of the present disclosure may include a haptic output device configured to output a haptic effect to a touch surface; a touch sensitive input device configured to detect a first user interaction and transmit a first sensor signal, the touch sensitive input device further configured to detect a second user interaction and transmit a second sensor signal, wherein at least part of the first user interaction occurs at the same time as the second user interaction; a processor in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to: receive the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal; determine a haptic effect based in part on the first user interaction and the second user interaction; transmit a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect to the haptic output device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Vincent Levesque, Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez
  • Publication number: 20170277262
    Abstract: An electronic device having a user interface device that has a flexible surface, a haptic output device operatively coupled to the flexible surface and configured to cause a deformation of the flexible surface, and a controller in signal communication with the haptic output device. The controller is configured to trigger the haptic output device to cause the deformation of the flexible surface based on a simulated physical behavior of a virtual element represented on the user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: David M. BIRNBAUM, Li JIANG, Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ, Ali MODARRES, Christophe RAMSTEIN, Danny A. GRANT
  • Publication number: 20170277264
    Abstract: A system includes a display configured to display a graphical simulation, a computer configured to run a software program designed to display the graphical simulation on the display, and a stylus constructed and arranged to be manipulated by a user of the system in at least two dimensions to affect the graphical simulation. The stylus includes an actuator configured to output a haptic effect to the user upon receiving a control signal from the computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Danny A. GRANT, Erin B. RAMSAY, Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ, David BIRNBAUM, Robert W. HEUBEL, Hendrik BARTEL, Christopher J. ULLRICH
  • Publication number: 20170270756
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating haptic effects associated with transitions in audio signals are disclosed. One disclosed system for outputting haptic effects includes a processor configured to: receive a signal; determine a haptic effect based in part on the signal; output a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect; an audio output device configured to receive the signal and output an audible effect; and a haptic output device in communication with the processor and coupled to the touch surface, the haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Juan Manuel Cruz-Hernandez, Jamal Saboune
  • Publication number: 20170269686
    Abstract: A haptic output device includes a substrate, an array of electrodes disposed on the substrate, and a layer of dielectric material disposed on the array of electrodes. The layer of dielectric material has an exposed outer surface comprising a micro-patterned texture configured to increase adhesion between the exposed outer surface and a contact surface in contact with the exposed outer surface. The haptic output device includes a controller configured to direct a voltage potential across the array of electrodes to generate an electrostatic adhesive force between the exposed outer surface and the contact surface as a haptic effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Vahid KHOSHKAVA, Juan Manuel CRUZ-HERNANDEZ