Microsoft Patents Virtual Hugs and Handshakes

The field of haptics will undoubtedly soon play a huge role in our lives. Microsoft is aiming to accelerate that process, and they’ve just secured a key patent towards that end.

Here’s the patent summary:

“The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates replicating a telepresence session with a real world physical meeting. A telepresence session can be initiated within a communication framework that includes two or more virtually represented users that communicate therein. A trigger component can monitor the telepresence session in real time to identify a participant interaction with an object, wherein the object is at least one of a real world physical object or a virtually represented object within the telepresence session. A feedback component can implement a force feedback to at least one participant within the telepresence session based upon the identified participant interaction with the object, wherein the force feedback is employed via a device associated with at least one participant.”

Not only does the patent cover hugs and handshakes, it more broadly encompasses the following:

“Friction, haptic, tactile, electric feedback, electrical stimulation, three-dimensional feedback, vibration, shaking, physical resistance, temperature change, motion, noise, pressure, texture, a motion, a replication of touching, any combination thereof, and/or any other suitable feedback communicated via a device.”

The world continues to get smaller everyday.

USPTO via Geekwire

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