Tactile sound device having active feedback system

• US 10,390,156 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SubPac, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SubPac, Inc.
• Inventors: Khwaja, Sarosh, Kimpel, James A., Alexiou, John, Chernecki, Todd, Williams, Peter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganmavo, Kuassi A
• Application Number:
  US15/588,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20170325039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/03 Transducers capable of generating both sound as well as tactile vibration, e.g. as used in cellular phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/023 in a chair, pillow

Abstract

A tactile sound device includes a transducer to convert an electrical signal into motion. One or membranes are coupled to the transducer and are adapted to transfer vibrations from the transducer to a user'"'"'s body. A first sensor monitors the vibrations of the transducer. One or more circuits generate the electrical signal based on a signal received from the first sensor that monitors the vibrations of the transducer.

Claims

1. A tactile sound device comprising:

a transducer to convert an electrical signal into motion;

a first membrane directly coupled to the transducer to receive vibrations from the transducer;

a second membrane configured to interface with a user'"'"'s body to transfer vibrations received from the first membrane to the user'"'"'s body;

a first sensor to monitor the vibrations of the transducer, the first sensor disposed within the second membrane;

a second sensor coupled to, or disposed within a same enclosure as, the transducer; and

one or more circuits to generate the electrical signal based on both a first signal received from the first sensor that monitors the vibrations of the transducer and a second signal received from the second sensor.

2. The tactile sound device of claim 1, wherein the one or more circuits comprise:

a digital signal processor (DSP) to receive an audio input signal, the first signal from the first sensor, and the second signal from the second sensor, the DSP processing the audio input signal to generate a modified signal based on the first signal from the first sensor and the second signal from the second sensor;

a digital to analog converter (DAC) to convert the modified signal into an analog signal; and

an amplifier to amplify the analog signal to generate the electrical signal for the transducer.

3. The tactile sound device of claim 1, wherein the one or more circuits adjusts an equalization of the electrical signal based on the first signal received from the first sensor.

4. The tactile sound device of claim 3, wherein the one or more circuits compares a desired frequency response with a frequency response of the vibrations as indicated by the first signal received from the first sensor, and adjusts the equalization of the electrical signal based on the comparison.

5. The tactile sound device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is an accelerometer.

6. The tactile sound device of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is a different type of sensor than the first sensor.

7. The tactile sound device of claim 6, wherein the second sensor is a temperature sensor.

8. The tactile sound device of claim 6, wherein the second sensor is a pressure sensor.

9. The tactile sound device of claim 6, wherein the second sensor is a proximity sensor.

10. The tactile sound device of claim 6, wherein the second sensor is a hall effect sensor.

11. The tactile sound device of claim 6, wherein the second sensor is an orientation sensor.

12. The tactile sound device of claim 6,

wherein the one or more circuits adjust an equalization of the electrical signal provided to the transducer based on the first signal received from the first sensor, and

wherein the one or more circuits adjust the electrical signal provided to the transducer based on the second signal received from the second sensor to prevent unsafe operating conditions.

13. The tactile sound device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third sensor,

wherein the third sensor is a microphone that monitors sound from a loudspeaker or headphones, and the one or more circuits generate the electrical signal for the transducer based on a third signal received from the microphone.

14. The tactile sound device of claim 13, wherein the one or more circuits adjust a phase of the electrical signal for the transducer further based on the third signal received from the microphone.

15. The tactile sound device of claim 1, wherein the one or more circuits perform low pass filtering on an input audio signal to identify low frequency components below a low pass cut-off frequency, the one or more circuits generating the electrical signal for the transducer to include the low frequency components.

16. The tactile sound device of claim 1, wherein the tactile sound device is a wearable device.

17. The tactile sound device of claim 1, wherein the tactile sound device is a seat.

18. A method of operation in a tactile sound device, comprising:

converting an electrical signal into motion with a transducer of the tactile sound device;

transferring vibrations from the transducer to a user'"'"'s body through;

a first membrane directly coupled to the transducer to receive vibrations from the transducer; and

a second membrane configured to interface with the user'"'"'s body to transfer vibrations recieved from the first membrane to the user'"'"'s body;

monitoring the vibrations of the transducer with a first sensor disposed within the second membrane; and

generating the electrical signal based on both a first signal received from the first sensor that monitors the vibrations of the transducer and a second signal received from a second sensor coupled to, or disposed within a same enclosure as, the transducer.