Patent ID: 6101530
Filing Date: 2000-08-08
Classification: A63F,G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A computer-readable medium including program instructions for implementing force feedback over a network, the program instructions performing acts comprising:causing a connection to be established between a server machine and a client machine over a network, said client machine including a visual display device and a force feedback device providing computer-controlled physical force feedback to a user of said force feedback device;receiving from said server machine over said network web page information, said web page information including screen display information representing a visual layout of a web page and force feedback information related to said visual layout of said web page;causing a display of said web page based upon said screen display information, said display provided on said visual display device of said client machine;receiving input information from said force feedback device for positioning a pointer image with respect to said visual layout of said web page; andcausing a force feedback signal to be output to said force feedback device, said force feedback signal based upon said input information and based upon said web page information received over said network, wherein said force feedback signal causes said force feedback device to output computer-controlled physical force feedback to said user correlated with said visual layout of said web page on said visual display device, said force feedback being based at least in upon said force-feedback signal.