Shear Tactile Display System for Communicating Direction and Other Tactile Cues

• US 20090036212A1
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Provancher, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A tactile display comprises a contact pad, operable to engage a target area of a user'"'"'s skin. A restraining system is operable to restrain a portion of the user'"'"'s skin distal from the target area of the skin. An actuation system is operably coupled to one of: i) the contact pad and the ii) restraining system. The actuation system is capable of moving the contact pad and the restraining system relative to one another to create a shear force across the target area of the user'"'"'s skin to thereby provide tactile information to the user.

Claims

1. A tactile display, comprising;

a contact pad, operable to engage a target area of a user'"'"'s skin;

a restraining system, operable to restrain a portion of the user'"'"'s skin distal from the target area of the skin;

an actuation system, operably coupled to one of;

i) the contact pad and the ii) restraining system;

the actuation system being capable of moving the contact pad and the restraining system relative to one another to apply a shear force across the target area of the user'"'"'s skin to thereby provide tactile information to the user.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the restraining system comprises a finger well.

3. The display claim 1, wherein the restraining system includes a strap coupleable to a portion of the user'"'"'s hand.

4. The display claim 1, wherein the restraining system includes a finger thimble.

5. The display of claim 1, wherein the contact pad is moved relative to the target area of the user'"'"'s skin.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein one or both of the restraining system and the contact pad are moveable relative to the other in at least three degrees of freedom.

7. The display of claim 5, wherein the contact pad and the restraining system are moveable relative to one another in a direction normal to, and away from, the target area of the user'"'"'s skin.

8. The display of claim 7, wherein the contact pad and the restraining system are moveable relative to one another in the normal direction at an ultrasonic rate to enable creation of a varying coefficient of friction between the contact pad and the target area of the user'"'"'s skin.

9. The display of claim 1, wherein the display is coupled to an external, operable apparatus, the external, operable apparatus being selected from the group consisting of:

a vehicle, an ambulatory assistance device;

a personal computing device or personal computing device accessory

10. A method of providing directional cues to a user, comprising:

restraining a portion of at least one of the user'"'"'s fingers

engaging with a contact pad a target area of skin of the user; and

moving the target area of skin and the contact pad relative one another to provide a shear force across the target area of skin of the user to provide a directional cue to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the directional cue relates to a subset of information available to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the subset of information is selected from the group consisting of:

a subportion of a computer monitor;

a subportion of an information display panel;

a subset of a data set; and

a subset of navigation options.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein restraining the portion of the user'"'"'s finger further comprises frictionally engaging the user'"'"'s finger within a finger well.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein moving the target area of skin and the contact pad relative one another comprises moving one of the target area of skin and the contact pad in at least three degrees of freedom.

15. A method of providing a user with directional cues while the user is operating an apparatus, comprising:

restraining a finger of the user with a restraining structure coupled to or formed in the apparatus, to thereby at least partially restrain some skin of the finger;

engaging a target area of skin of the finger with a contact pad; and

moving the contact pad and the target area of skin relative to one another to thereby provide directional cues to the user, the directional cues being related to a directional aspect of the apparatus.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is selected from the group consisting of:

a vehicle;

an ambulatory assistance apparatus;

a personal computing device; and

a personal computing device accessory.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is a vehicle, and wherein the restraining structure is coupled to or formed within a steering component of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the steering component of the vehicle comprises a steering wheel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the apparatus is a personal computing device, and wherein the restraining structure is associated with a data input of the personal computing device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein moving the contact pad and the target area of skin relative to one another comprises moving one of the contact pad and the target area of skin in at least three degrees of freedom.