Patent ID: 6125385
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: A63F,G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A method for providing force feedback over a network comprising:establishing a connection between a server machine and a client machine over a network, said client machine including a visual display and an interface device providing computer-controlled physical force feedback to a user of said interface device;receiving web page information from said server machine over said network, said web page information including screen display information representing a visual layout of a web page and force feedback information related to providing a feel sensation correlated with said visual layout;displaying on said visual display of said client machine said web page based upon said screen display information;receiving input information from said human computer interface device for positioning a displayed cursor with respect to said visual layout of said web page; andproviding a force feedback signal that is based upon said input information and based upon said web page information received over said network wherein said force feedback information includes a call to a force feedback program running on said client machine that provides said force feedback signal, wherein said force feedback program running on said client machine is an ActiveX control, said ActiveX control being a force-only ActiveX control able to output force feedback signals for different force effects to said interface device, said force feedback signal being received by said interface device, wherein said interface device outputs computer-controlled physical force feedback to said user correlated with said visual layout of said web page on said visual display, said force feedback being based upon said force feedback signal.