Patent ID: 8621348

Claim:
An electronic handheld device comprising: a haptic actuating device configured to actuate haptic effects upon a user; memory configured to store software that enables the user to create the haptic effects; a processor configured to execute the software stored in memory; and an accelerometer coupled to the processor; wherein the haptic actuating device is further configured to play a created haptic effect when an event associated with the electronic handheld device occurs; wherein the created haptic effect generates a signal that, when applied to the haptic actuating device, generates a vibrotactile effect on the handheld device; wherein the haptic effect is created at least in part by detecting a tapping motion on the handheld device from the user by the accelerometer and translating the tapping motion to parameters of the created haptic effect, the parameters corresponding to a magnitude of the tapping motion; and wherein the haptic effects are defined by haptic track files stored in memory and each haptic track file stores a haptic track comprising magnitude parameters with respect to time.