# How a Haptic Glove Makes You Feel Virtual Objects > This patent describes a haptic feedback glove that uses small vibrating pads and pressure points on the fingertips and palm to create realistic sensations of touch with virtual objects in computer simulations. - **Patent:** US 10809804 - **Original title:** Haptic feedback glove - **Owner:** HaptX - **Granted:** 2020 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 7 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, telecommunications, ai_ml, gaming ## What it does The patent describes a haptic feedback glove designed to make virtual objects feel real. It includes a "fingertip assembly" (Claim 1) that can apply pressure to different parts of a user's finger, like the palm side, the left side (radial), the right side (ulnar), and even the very tip (distal). These pressures come from small devices called "tactors" (Claim 1). The glove also has a flexible "palm" section with multiple "palm tactors" (Claim 1) that can be controlled separately. For example, if you reach out in a virtual world and touch a cube, the glove could apply pressure to your fingertips and palm, and specific tactors could vibrate to simulate the texture of the cube. The system can also track the hand's position in 3D space (Claim 2) and even connect to a "force-feedback exoskeleton" (Claim 7) to make you feel resistance. ## What it does NOT cover - Haptic gloves that only provide vibration feedback without applying pressure to multiple surfaces of the finger. - Gloves where the palm tactors cannot be controlled independently from each other. - Haptic systems that do not include both fingertip assemblies with multi-surface tactors and palm assemblies with independently actuatable tactors. - Gloves that only provide force feedback through an exoskeleton without integrated tactile feedback. - Systems that do not track the hand's position in three-dimensional space. ## The clever bit The patent's innovation lies in combining precise, multi-directional pressure feedback on individual fingertips with independently controllable tactile feedback across the palm. This allows for a much more nuanced and realistic sense of touch than simpler haptic devices. ## Real-world examples 1. HaptX Gloves (various models) 2. High-fidelity VR training simulators 3. Teleoperation systems for robotics 4. Virtual prototyping and design review tools ## Why it matters This technology is crucial for making virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences more immersive. By allowing users to "feel" virtual objects, it enhances training simulations, remote work, and entertainment. Companies like HaptX, the assignee, are developing these gloves for professional applications, such as robot teleoperation and industrial design review. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How a Haptic Glove Makes You Feel Virtual Objects cover? This patent describes a haptic feedback glove that uses small vibrating pads and pressure points on the fingertips and palm to create realistic sensations of touch with virtual objects in computer simulations. ### Who owns patent US 10809804? HaptX owns this patent, granted in 2020. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on December 28, 2038, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 10809804 cited by? This patent has been cited by 7 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This technology is crucial for making virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences more immersive. By allowing users to "feel" virtual objects, it enhances training simulations, remote work, and entertainment. Companies like HaptX, the assignee, are developing these gloves for professional applications, such as robot teleoperation and industrial design review. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Haptic gloves that only provide vibration feedback without applying pressure to multiple surfaces of the finger. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10809804/haptic-feedback-glove **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US10809804 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [Precisely Stopping Device Vibrations for Better Touch Feedback](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9652041/haptic-device-with-linear-resonant-actuator) — This patent describes a method for precisely stopping the tiny vibrations in a device, like a phone, by sending a special 'braking' signal to make touch feedback feel sharper and more controlled. - [How Devices Give Haptic Feedback While You Hover Your Finger](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8898564/siri-intelligent-automated-assistant) — This patent describes a system that triggers physical vibrations or sensations on a device when your finger hovers near the screen without actually touching it. - [How Apple Embeds Haptic Actuators Directly Into Device Layers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10013058/face-id) — A design for touchscreens that embeds vibration-producing actuators directly into a nonconductive material layer, paired with force sensors to detect how hard a user presses. - [How Laptops Create Localized Vibrations on Their Surfaces](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10942571/laptop-computing-device-with-discrete-haptic-regions) — Apple's patent describes a laptop design that delivers tiny, distinct vibrations to specific parts of its surface, like a trackpad or palm rest, without those vibrations being felt in the areas right next to them. - [How Amazon Tracks Warehouse Workers' Hands Using Radio Waves](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9881277/amazon-robotics-kiva-systems) — A system that uses radio frequency signals to track the exact 3D position of a warehouse worker's hand to ensure they pick or place items in the correct bins.