Tactile Input Apparatus

• US 20110187637A1
• Filed: 01/29/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Scott Nichols
• Original Assignee: David Scott Nichols
• Inventors: Nichols, David Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/696,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187637A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals

Abstract

A tactile input apparatus comprising ring-shaped elements configured to conform to a user'"'"'s fingers, tactile capacitance sensors operably affixed to periphery of the ring-shaped elements, and a control unit, is provided. Each tactile capacitance sensor is positioned parallel to the underside of each finger and reads a change in capacitance on contacting the user'"'"'s thumb or palm. The control unit, in wired or wireless electronic communication with each tactile capacitance sensor and with the user'"'"'s computing device, continuously transmits capacitance readings multiple times per second to a software on the computing device. The software monitors and processes the capacitance readings from the control unit and controls output to the computing device. The software determines logic and then enacts single or multiple custom outputs. The positioning of the tactile capacitance sensors on the periphery of the ring-shaped elements prevents confinement of the user'"'"'s fingers and allows mobility of the user'"'"'s fingers.

Claims

1. A tactile input apparatus, comprising:

generally ring-shaped elements configured to conform to fingers of a user, wherein said generally ring-shaped elements are mounted on said fingers of said user;

tactile capacitance sensors operably affixed to periphery of said generally ring-shaped elements, wherein said tactile capacitance sensors are positioned adjacent and parallel to underside of said fingers, wherein each of said tactile capacitance sensors undergoes a change in capacitance on establishing contact with one of a finger, a thumb, and a palm of said user;

a control unit in electronic communication with each of said tactile capacitance sensors, wherein said control unit monitors each of said tactile capacitance sensors and continuously captures capacitance readings of each of said tactile capacitance sensors; and

said control unit in communication with a software provided on a computing device of said user for continuously transmitting said capacitance readings, wherein said software receives and translates said capacitance readings to one or more custom outputs on said computing device;

whereby said positioning of said tactile capacitance sensors on said periphery of said generally ring-shaped elements prevents confinement of said fingers and hand of said user and allows mobility of said fingers of said user.

2. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electronic communication between each of said tactile capacitance sensors and said control unit is one of a wired communication, a wireless communication, and a combination thereof.

3. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electronic communication between said control unit and said computing device is one of a wired communication, a wireless communication, and a combination thereof.

4. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control unit comprises a capacitance touch sensing chip and a microcontroller for monitoring each of said tactile capacitance sensors and capturing said capacitance readings of said tactile capacitance sensors, wherein said control unit utilizes said capacitance touch sensing chip and said microcontroller to detect and assign logic to said captured capacitance readings of each of said tactile capacitance sensors.

5. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control unit is mounted on said periphery of each of said generally ring-shaped elements and is in one of a wired communication and a wireless communication with said computing device.

6. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control unit is mounted external to each of said generally ring-shaped elements and is in one of a wireless communication and a wired communication with said computing device.

7. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency transceiver on each of said tactile capacitance sensors and said control unit for wirelessly communicating with said control unit and said computing device respectively.

8. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device mounted on each of said generally ring-shaped elements for powering said tactile capacitance sensors and said control unit.

9. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a wireless power source for transferring power to each of said tactile capacitance sensors on said periphery of said generally ring-shaped elements via a near field communication.

10. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, wherein said user provides input by contacting one of said thumb and said palm with one or more of said tactile capacitance sensors, wherein said contact invokes said change in capacitance of said tactile capacitance sensors.

11. The tactile input apparatus of claim 10, wherein said software emulates said input by mapping said tactile capacitance sensors positioned on said periphery of said generally ring-shaped elements to an action on said computing device.

12. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, wherein said software provides a graphical user interface for enabling said user to customize emulation of a plurality of output actions on said computing device.

13. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1 being configured to function as one of a standalone device and in conjunction with external devices.

14. The tactile input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising wires extending from each of said tactile capacitance sensors on said periphery of said generally ring-shaped elements to said control unit for communicating said capacitance readings to said control unit, wherein said extended wires are grouped and attached to a band wearable by said user.

15. A method for providing input to a computing device by a user, comprising:

providing a tactile input apparatus, comprising;

generally ring-shaped elements configured to conform to fingers of a user, wherein said generally ring-shaped elements are mounted on said fingers of said user;

tactile capacitance sensors operably affixed to periphery of said generally ring-shaped elements, wherein said tactile capacitance sensors are positioned adjacent and parallel to underside of said fingers;

a control unit in electronic communication with each of said tactile capacitance sensors positioned on said generally ring-shaped elements; and

said control unit in electronic communication with a software provided on said computing device of said user;

strategically positioning at least four of said generally ring-shaped elements onto four of said fingers of said user;

establishing contact between one of a finger, a thumb, and a palm of said user and one or more of said tactile capacitance sensors, wherein each of said tactile capacitance sensors undergoes a change in capacitance on contacting one of said finger, said thumb, and said palm of said user;

monitoring and capturing capacitance readings of each of said tactile capacitance sensors by said control unit;

continuously transmitting said captured capacitance readings to said software on said computing device of said user; and

processing said transmitted capacitance readings into one or more custom outputs on said computing device, by said software on said computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said electronic communication between each of said tactile capacitance sensors and said control unit is one of a wired communication, a wireless communication, and a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said electronic communication between said control unit and said computing device is one of a wired communication, a wireless communication, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said control unit utilizes a capacitance touch sensing chip and a microcontroller to detect and assign logic to said captured capacitance readings of each of said tactile capacitance sensors.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said software emulates output functionality by mapping said tactile capacitance sensors positioned on said periphery of said generally ring-shaped elements to said custom outputs on said computing device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising customizing emulation of a plurality of output actions on said computing device by said user using a graphical user interface provided by said software on said computing device.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising communicating said capacitance readings to said control unit by one of a wired communication and a wireless communication, wherein said wired communication is established using a plurality of wires extending from each of said tactile capacitance sensors to said control unit, and wherein said wireless communication is established using a radio frequency transceiver provided on each of said tactile capacitance sensors and said control unit.

22. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable storage medium, wherein said computer program product comprises:

a first computer parsable program code for monitoring tactile capacitance sensors positioned on generally ring-shaped elements of a tactile input apparatus, wherein said generally ring-shaped elements are mounted on fingers of a user, wherein each of said tactile capacitance sensors undergoes a change in capacitance on contacting one of a finger, a thumb, and a palm of said user;

a second computer parsable program code for receiving capacitance readings of each of the tactile capacitance sensors transmitted by said control unit, by a software provided on a computing device of said user; and

a third computer parsable program code for processing said capacitance readings into one or more custom outputs on said computing device.