Tactile feedback man-machine interface device
First Claim
25. A system, comprising:
- a plurality of vibrotactile devices each being configured to be uniquely associated with a user from a plurality of users, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices being responsive to a signal associated with a common computer simulated event, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices having;
an actuator having a shaft and an eccentric mass coupled to the shaft, the actuator being configured to rotate its eccentric mass about the shaft in response to the signal to produce a vibration; and
a processor coupled to the actuator, the processor being configured to produce the signal.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A man-machine interface which provides tactile feedback to various sensing body parts is disclosed. The device employs one or more vibrotactile units, where each unit comprises a mass and a mass-moving actuator. As the mass is accelerated by the mass-moving actuator, the entire vibrotactile unit vibrates. Thus, the vibrotactile unit transmits a vibratory stimulus to the sensing body part to which it is affixed. The vibrotactile unit may be used in conjunction with a spatial placement sensing device which measures the spatial placement of a measured body part. A computing device uses the spatial placement of the measured body part to determine the desired vibratory stimulus to be provided by the vibrotactile unit. In this manner, the computing device may control the level of vibratory feedback perceived by the corresponding sensing body part in response to the motion of the measured body part. The sensing body part and the measured body part may be separate or the same body part.
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Citations
30 Claims
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25. A system, comprising:
a plurality of vibrotactile devices each being configured to be uniquely associated with a user from a plurality of users, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices being responsive to a signal associated with a common computer simulated event, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices having;
an actuator having a shaft and an eccentric mass coupled to the shaft, the actuator being configured to rotate its eccentric mass about the shaft in response to the signal to produce a vibration; and
a processor coupled to the actuator, the processor being configured to produce the signal.
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26. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of vibrotactile devices each being configured to be uniquely associated with a user from a plurality of users, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices being responsive to a signal associated with a common computer simulated event, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices having;
an actuator having a shaft and an eccentric mass coupled to the shaft, the actuator being configured to rotate its eccentric mass about the shaft in response to the signal to produce a vibration;
a processor coupled to each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices, the processor being configured, for each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices, to produce the signal for that vibrotactile device.
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27. A system, comprising:
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a plurality of vibrotactile devices each being configured to be uniquely associated with a user from a plurality of users, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices being responsive to a first signal associated with a common computer simulated event, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices having;
an actuator having a shaft and an eccentric mass coupled to the shaft, the actuator being configured to rotate its eccentric mass about the shaft in response to the first signal to produce a vibration; and
a first processor coupled to the actuator, the first processor being configured to produce the first signal based on a second signal; and
a second processor configured to be in communication with the first processor of each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices, the second processor being configured to provide, for each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices, the second signal.
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28. A method, comprising:
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providing a plurality of vibrotactile devices each being configured to be uniquely associated with a user from a plurality of users, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices being responsive to a signal associated with a common computer simulated event; and
for each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices;
providing an actuator having a shaft and an eccentric mass coupled to the shaft, the actuator being configured to move its eccentric mass about the shaft in response to the signal to produce a vibration; and
providing a processor coupled to the actuator, the processor being configured to produce the signal.
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29. A method, comprising:
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providing a plurality of vibrotactile devices each being configured to be uniquely associated with a user from a plurality of users, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices being responsive to a signal associated with a common computer simulated event, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices having;
an actuator having a shaft and an eccentric mass coupled to the shaft, the actuator being configured to rotate its eccentric mass about the shaft in response to the signal to produce a vibration; and
providing a processor coupled to each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices, the processor being configured, for each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices, to produce the signal for that vibrotactile device.
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30. A method, comprising:
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providing a plurality of vibrotactile devices each being configured to be uniquely associated with a user from a plurality of users, each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices being responsive to a first signal associated with a common computer simulated event;
for each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices;
providing an actuator having a shaft and an eccentric mass coupled to the shaft, the actuator being configured to rotate its eccentric mass about the shaft in response to the first signal to produce a vibration; and
providing a first processor coupled to the actuator, the first processor being configured to produce the first signal based on a second signal; and
providing a second processor configured to be in communication with the first processor of each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices, the second processor being configured to provide, for each vibrotactile device from the plurality of vibrotactile devices, the second signal.
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Specification