Method and apparatus for computer input using the skin as sensory feedback

• US 20030001874A1
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stenzel, Gerhard, Kriechbaum, Werner, Pfeifer, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US10/142,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20030001874A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/701
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 4/00 Methods or devices enabling patients or disabled persons to operate an apparatus or a device not forming part of the body operating or control means for prostheses A61F2/48, A61F2/68
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

The present invention relates to method and system for entering information for processing by a computing device. In order to improve the manual entering of information specially in so-called “non-desktop” environments or for visually impaired users as for example blind persons or car drivers while driving a car it is proposed to use a part of the human skin (11) as a feedback organ when entering information. Therefore, an information entering device (10) is provided having a pressure-sensing area (12) for decoding exerted pressure patterns and transform them into an information input signal, and a contact area (16) able to be coupled between said pressure-sensing area (12) and a respective part of the human skin (11) or clothes covering it. The exerted pressure patterns are conducted to the skin (11) whereby a respective sensory feedback is provided to the person.

Claims

1. A method for entering information for processing by a computing device, characterized by the step of:

a.) exerting a pressure pattern onto a pressure-sensitive area of an entry device (10), arrangeable to be brought into pressure contact with a part of the human skin (11), and

b.) using the human feeling caused by the exerted pressure pattern for a feedback while entering information into said device (10).

2. An information entry device (10) for entering information for processing by a computing device, having a pressure-sensing area (12) able to decode exerted pressure patterns and transform them into an information input signal, and a contact (16) area able to be coupled between said pressure sensing area and a respective part of the human skin or clothes covering the skin, in which the entry device (10) is arranged to conduct the exerted pressure patterns from the pressure sensing area (12) to the skin (11) such that a feedback feeling is sensible for a person exerting the pressure pattern.

3. The information entry device (10) according to the preceding claim in which the pressure sensing area (12) comprises a net (18) of current-conducting elements which resolves the location of exerted pressure by X-Y perpendicular cross point resolution, and the contact area (16) being arranged as a flexible, pressure conducting foil.

4. The information entry device (10) according to claim 2 in which the sensing area (12) is divided into a plurality of separate pressure sensitive portions, each portion encoding a predetermined information or data, when pressed.

5. The information entry device (10) according to claim 2 further comprising pressure conducting elements (20, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32) within the outer layers (14, 16) of the device (10), and in particular between sensing area (12) and skin contact area (16), and/or between protection layer (14) and pressure sensing area (12).

6. The information entry device (10) according to the preceding claim in which the pressure conducting elements (20, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32) have a smooth surface.

7. Clothes having an information entry device (10) according to one of the claims 2-4 incorporated in the tissue thereof.