Video games and virtual reality systems have become even more popular due to the marketing toward, and resulting participation from, casual gamers. In a typical implementation, a computer system displays a visual environment to a user on a display device. Users can interact with the displayed environment by inputting commands or data from the interface device. The computer updates the environment in response to the user's manipulation of a moved manipulandum such as a joystick handle and provides visual feedback to the user using the display screen.
Conventional video game devices or controllers use visual and auditory cues to provide feedback to a user. In some interface devices, kinesthetic feedback (such as active and resistive haptic feedback) and/or tactile feedback (such as vibration, texture, and heat) is also provided to the user, more generally known collectively as “haptic feedback” or “haptic effects.” Haptic feedback can provide cues that enhance and simplify the user interface. For example, vibration effects, or vibrotactile haptic effects, may be useful in providing cues to users of electronic devices to alert the user to specific events, or provide realistic feedback to create greater sensory immersion within a simulated or virtual environment. Conventional haptic feedback systems for gaming and other devices generally include an actuator for generating the haptic feedback attached to the housing of the controller/peripheral. More particularly, motors or other actuators of the interface device are housed within the controller and are connected to the controlling computer system. The computer system receives sensor signals from the interface device and sends appropriate haptic feedback control signals to the actuators. The actuators then provide haptic feedback to the controller. The computer system can thus convey physical sensations to the user in conjunction with other visual and auditory feedback.
One problem occurring in commercially-available implementations of haptic feedback devices is that the devices are very bulky because such devices employ large motors and require large power supplies to operate. These features make it difficult to integrate compelling haptic feedback into a smaller interface device such as a handheld gamepad, joystick, remote control, or other device. Yet, these controllers are preferred input devices for many types of systems, especially home video game consoles, and are also preferred by many consumers. Embodiments hereof relate to integrating haptic feedback into a smaller interface device such as a handheld peripheral for a gaming system.
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