Methods and apparatus for vibrotactile communication

• US 20040207542A1
• Filed: 04/15/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Ishii, Hiroshi, Schmandt, Christopher, Chang, Angela, Gouldstone, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,098,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A device for enhancing interpersonal communication over distance through use of touch. A vibrotactile (touch-and-vibration) interface is used to improve existing remote communication by allowing tactile cues to augment the audio-visual information in real-time. The pressure exerted by each finger of the transmitter produces patterns of vibration against the corresponding finger of the receiver. A hand-held device using the interface allows a user to transmit and receive patterns of vibration to and from a remote user and signify tactile gestures, or expressive uses of touch.

Claims

1. The method for communicating between a human sender and a human receiver comprising, in combination, the steps of:

at the human sender'"'"'s location, employing an actuator manipulated by said human sender for generating a communications signal having characteristics chosen by said human sender,

transmitting said communications signal from said sender'"'"'s location to the human receiver'"'"'s location, and

at said human receiver'"'"'s location, employing a transducer for translating said communications signal into a corresponding vibratory stimulation perceivable to said human receiver.

2. The method for communicating between a human sender and a human receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator comprises at least one input device operated by said sender for sending a communications signal consisting of a sequence of signaling events and wherein said transducer converts said communications signal into a corresponding time sequence of vibratory stimuli.

3. The method for communicating between a human sender and a human receiver as set forth in claim 2 wherein, at the sender'"'"'s location, a transducer is employed to translate said communications signal into a corresponding vibratory stimulation perceivable to the sender.

4. The method for communicating between a human sender and a human receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator comprises at least two spaced-apart sensors operated by said sender and wherein said transducer converts said communications signal into corresponding spaced-apart vibratory stimuli.

5. The method for communicating between a human sender and a human receiver as set forth in claim 4 wherein, at the sender'"'"'s location, a transducer is employed to translate said communications signal into a corresponding spaced-apart vibratory stimulation perceivable to the sender.

6. The method for communicating between a human sender and a human receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator is operated by one or more of the sender'"'"'s fingers and wherein said transducer applies corresponding vibratory stimulation to the receiver'"'"'s fingers.

7. The method for communicating between a human sender and a human receiver as set forth in claim 6 wherein said communications signal indicates the operation of said sensor by two or more of the sender'"'"'s fingers and wherein said transducer applies vibratory stimuli to the corresponding two or more of the receiver'"'"'s fingers.

8. The method for communicating between a human sender and a human receiver as set forth in claim 7 wherein, at the sender'"'"'s location, a transducer is employed to translate said communications signal into a corresponding vibratory stimulation at the corresponding two or more of the sender'"'"'s fingers.

9. The method for communicating between a human sender and a human receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein, at the sender'"'"'s location, a transducer is employed to translate said communications signal into a corresponding vibratory stimulation perceivable to the sender.

10. A tactile communications system comprising, in combination,

an actuator responsive to manipulation by a human sender at a sending location for generating an output signal indicative of the nature of said manipulation,

a transmission channel for conveying said signal from said sending location to a remote location, and

a vibration source at said remote location for receiving said signal via said transmission channel and producing vibrations perceptible to a human receiver which are indicative of the nature of said manipulation by said human sender.

11. A tactile communications system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said actuator comprises at least one pressure sensor for producing said signal in response to pressure applied by said human sender.

12. A tactile communications system as set forth in claim 11 wherein the intensity of said vibrations produced by said vibration source at said remote location is related to the magnitude of said pressure applied by said human sender.

13. A tactile communications system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said output signal is indicative of manipulation by said human sender at a first set of different positions and wherein said vibration source produces vibrations which are perceptible by said human receiver at a second set of different positions at said remote location which correspond to said first set of different positions.

14. A tactile communications system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said tactile communications system further includes a vibration source at said sending location for producing feedback vibrations perceptible to said human sender which are indicative of the nature of said manipulation by said human sender.

15. A tactile communications system comprising at least two communications devices interconnected by a bidirectional, asynchronous transmission channel, each of said devices comprising, in combination,

an actuator responsive to the activity of a first human user for transmitting a time-varying signal via said channel that is indicative of the nature of said activity, and

a stimulator responsive to time-varying signals received via said channel for generating vibrations perceptible to a second human user which are indicative of said activity of said first human user.