FIELD

This relates generally to electronic equipment, and, more particularly, to electronic equipment that supplies haptic output.

BACKGROUND

Devices such as wearable devices sometimes incorporate haptic output components. Haptic output components may supply a user with haptic output while the user is interacting with software such as gaming software.

It can be challenging to design a haptic output device. If care is not taken, haptic output may too weak or may not provide a desired sensation for a user, haptic output may not be applied to an appropriate location on the body of a user, or a haptic output device may be overly bulky or difficult to use.

SUMMARY

A system may have one or more electronic devices for gathering input and providing output to a user. In configurations with multiple devices, the devices may communicate wirelessly. One device may be used as a controller for another device. In a single-device system, user input and output may be handled by the same device.

To gather user input, devices may include user input sensors such as force sensors, touch sensors, motion sensors, and other input devices. The user input that is gathered may be used to manipulate objects in a virtual world or to interact with other content being provided to a user.

To provide a user with output, devices may have visual output devices, audio output components, and haptic output components. For example, a head-mounted device may have a display for presenting virtual reality or mixed reality content to a user.

Haptic output components may be used to apply an apparent force in a given direction relative to a device housing surface such as a housing sidewall surface or other device surface. Control circuitry in a device may direct a haptic output component to produce the apparent applied force perpendicular to the surface or tangential to the housing surface. The apparent applied force may be provided as feedback while the control circuitry is directing a display in the device or in an external device to provide a user with visual content based on the user input. By adjusting the direction of the apparent applied force, a user may be provided with sensations such as increased or decreased weight, increased or decreased lateral force, friction (resistance to finger movement in a particular direction), slippage (finger movement assistance), rendered boundary effects, and/or other directional haptic effects.

