TACTILE INPUT INTERACTION

• US 20110065354A1
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vibrant Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Andrew, Conte, Thomas M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,398,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 446/297
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/001 simulating physiological processes, e.g. heartbeat, breathing or fever with fluid ingestion or emission A63H3/24
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/004 Artificial life, i.e. computing arrangements simulating life

Abstract

Interactive devices for detecting, characterizing, and acting upon tactile inputs are disclosed. An example embodiment may include a doll configured to produce audible outputs, visible outputs, and/or movement based at least in part upon its characterization of a tactile input. For example, the doll may characterize a tactile input as a slap, a tickle, a rub, a pinch, etc., and the doll may cry, smile, giggle, or move based upon its characterization of the tactile input.

Claims

1. An apparatus adapted to dynamically interact with a user in response to a physical contact, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a physical contact with at least a portion of the article and produce a signal based at least in part on the physical contact;

a logic device configured to characterize the physical contact based at least in part upon the signal;

an output device configured to produce an output based at least in part upon the characterization of the physical contact.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a surface configured to detect a variation in capacitance;

and wherein the surface comprises a grid of conductors arranged substantially orthogonally.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the surface is provided proximate a surface of a doll;

and wherein the grid comprises a plurality of substantially longitudinal stripes and a plurality of substantially circumferential bands.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the logic device is operative to interpolate a location of the physical contact between conductors on the grid based at least in part upon capacitance variation in adjacent conductors in the grid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an array comprising a plurality of force sensors.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein one or more of the plurality of force sensors comprises a force-sensing resistor.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein one or more of the plurality of force sensors comprises a microelectromechanical force sensor comprising a capacitor and a spring.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one or more accelerometers.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensor comprises one or more force sensors;

and wherein the accelerometer and the force sensor provide individual signals to the logic device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal includes information pertaining to one or more of a magnitude of a force associated with the physical contact, a direction of motion associated with the physical contact, a velocity of motion associated with the physical contact, or an area of force application associated with the physical contact.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic device is operable to characterize the physical contact as a slap;

and wherein the slap is associated with a force greater than a predetermined threshold applied for a short duration with limited movement.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic device is operable to characterize the physical contact as a stroke;

and wherein the stroke is associated with a force applied in a fixed direction between two limits or positions.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic device is operable to characterize the physical contact as a tickle;

and wherein the tickle is associated with a back and forth motion restricted to a limited area with a relatively low force level.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic device is operable to characterize the physical contact as a scratch;

and wherein the scratch is associated with a back and forth motion restricted to the limited area with a relatively high force level.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic device is operable to characterize the physical contact as a hug;

and wherein the hug is associated with pressure application over a relatively large region.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic device is operable to characterize the physical contact as a pinch;

and wherein the pinch is associated with a localized pressure in two substantially adjacent locations.

17. A method for an interactive device to dynamically interact with a user in response to a tactile input, the method for the interactive device comprising:

detecting a tactile input using a sensor;

producing a signal based at least in part upon the tactile input;

characterizing the tactile input as one or more of a plurality of predetermined characterizations; and

producing an output chosen from a plurality of potential outputs based at least in part upon the characterization of the tactile input.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein producing the signal comprises periodically scanning the sensor.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein producing the signal comprises continuously monitoring the sensor.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein characterizing the tactile input comprises filtering the signal to reduce noise.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises one or more force sensors and one or more accelerometers.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting the tactile input comprises detecting acceleration of a steering wheel using the accelerometer;

wherein characterizing the tactile input comprises differentiating gradual turning of the steering wheel from rapid turning of the steering wheel; and

wherein detecting the tactile input further comprises detecting a force applied to a horn button operatively coupled to the force sensor.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the sensor gathers data pertaining to an area over which the tactile input is applied to the interactive device;

and wherein the output is based at least is part upon the area over which the tactile input is applied to the interactive device.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the output comprises one or more of a sound, a visual indication, or a movement.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting the tactile input includes sensing one or more of a magnitude of a force associated with the tactile input, a direction of motion associated with the tactile input, a velocity of motion associated with the tactile input, or an area of force application associated with the tactile input.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the tactile input comprises one or more of a slap associated with a force greater than a predetermined threshold applied for a short duration with limited movement, a stroke associated with a force applied in a fixed direction between two limits or positions, a tickle associated with a back and forth motion restricted to a limited area with a relatively low force level, a scratch associated with a back and forth motion restricted to the limited area with a relatively high force level, a hug associated with pressure application over a relatively large region, or a pinch associated with a localized pressure in two substantially adjacent locations.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the predetermined characterizations comprise one or more of the slap, the stroke, the tickle, the scratch, the hug, or the pinch.

28. An interactive toy configured to dynamically interact with a user in response to a physical contact, the interactive toy comprising:

a tactile input sensor configured to generate a signal based at least in part on a physical contact with the interactive toy;

a logic device configured to identify one or more characterizations of the physical contact based at least in part upon the signal, wherein the logic device selects the one or more characterizations of the physical contact from among a plurality of predetermined characterizations; and

an output device configured to produce one or more outputs based at least in part upon the one or more characterizations of the physical contact, the output device being operative to produce a plurality of outputs associated with the plurality of predetermined characterizations.

29. The interactive toy of claim 28, wherein the signal includes data representing one or more of a magnitude of a force associated with the physical contact, a direction of motion associated with the physical contact, a velocity of motion associated with the physical contact, or an area of force application associated with the physical contact.

30. The interactive toy of claim 28, wherein the plurality of predetermined characterizations comprises one or more of a slap associated with a force greater than a predetermined threshold applied for a short duration with limited movement, a stroke associated with a force applied in a fixed direction between two limits or positions, a tickle associated with a back and forth motion restricted to a limited area with a relatively low force level, a scratch associated with a back and forth motion restricted to the limited area with a relatively high force level, a hug associated with pressure application over a relatively large region, or a pinch associated with a localized pressure in two substantially adjacent locations.

31. The interactive toy of claim 28, wherein the interactive toy is a doll;

and wherein the plurality of outputs comprises one or more of a cry, a smile, a giggle, a frown, or a laugh.

32. A storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by one or more processing units in a device, operatively enable the device to:

receive a first signal associated with a tactile input detected using a sensor;

characterize the tactile input as one or more of a plurality of predetermined characterizations based at least in part upon the first signal;

select an output chosen from a plurality of potential outputs based at least in part upon the characterization of the tactile input; and

transmit, to an output device, a second signal associated with the output.

33. The storage medium of claim 32, wherein the first signal comprises data pertaining to one or more of a magnitude of a force associated with the tactile input, a direction of motion associated with the tactile input, a velocity of motion associated with the tactile input, or an area of force application associated with the tactile input;

and wherein the machine-readable instructions operatively enable the device to characterize the tactile input as one or more of the plurality of predetermined characterizations based at least in part upon the data.

34. The storage medium of claim 33, wherein the plurality of predetermined characterizations comprises one or more of a slap associated with a force greater than a predetermined threshold applied for a short duration with limited movement, a stroke associated with a force applied in a fixed direction between two limits or positions, a tickle associated with a back and forth motion restricted to a limited area with a relatively low force level, a scratch associated with a back and forth motion restricted to the limited area with a relatively high force level, a hug associated with pressure application over a relatively large region, or a pinch associated with a localized pressure in two substantially adjacent locations.