TACTILE PRESENTATION APPARATUS, TACTILE CELL, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING TACTILE PRESENTATION APPARATUS

• US 20120161948A1
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: KIM, Young Ho
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays

Abstract

Disclosed is a tactile presentation apparatus including a plurality of tactile cells. Each of the plurality of tactile cells includes a supporter for shielding magnetic force, a tactile feeder moving up according to the magnetic force in the supporter, and an electromagnet generating magnetic force depending on depth information of a pixel. The tactile presentation apparatus includes a permanent magnet, a vibration device that vibrates according to texture information, and a pressure sensor measuring pressure applied to the tactile feeder.

Claims

1. A tactile presentation apparatus, comprising

a plurality of tactile cells,

wherein the number of the plurality of tactile cells is equal to the number of pixels of a depth image, and

each of the plurality of tactile cells implements depth information and texture information of the depth image and measures applied pressure information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

a controller providing a magnetic force control voltage depending on the depth information of the depth image to the plurality of tactile cells,

wherein each of the plurality of tactile cells includes

a textile reactor generating magnetic force of an electromagnet according to the magnetic force control voltage, and

a tactile feeder that moves up or down according to the magnetic force.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the tactile feeder includes a permanent magnet on the bottom thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the tactile feeder includes a pressure sensor measuring applied pressure.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

each of the plurality of tactile cells

further includes a supporter shielding the magnetic force, guiding movement of the tactile feeder, and surrounding the tactile feeder and the tactile reactor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein

the controller provides a vibration control voltage according to the texture information of the depth image to the plurality of tactile cells, and

each of the plurality of tactile cells

further includes an ultrasound vibration device that vibrates according to the vibration control voltage.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the supporter includes an interface line that provides the vibration control voltage corresponding to the texture information to the ultrasound vibration device through a touch point with the tactile feeder, and receives a pressure measurement signal from the pressure sensor to feed back the received pressure measurement signal to a picture system.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein

the controller includes a memory including a magnetic force control voltage table and a vibration control voltage table,

the controller verifies a compensation voltage value corresponding to the depth information of the depth image in the magnetic force control voltage table to provide the magnetic force control voltage to the plurality of tactile cells, and

the controller verifies a compensation voltage value corresponding to the texture information of the depth image in the vibration control voltage table to provide the vibration control voltage to the plurality of tactile cells.

9. A tactile cell, comprising:

a supporter for shielding magnetic force;

a tactile feeder moving up according to the magnetic force in the supporter; and

a tactile reactor generating magnetic force depending on depth information of a pixel to provide the generated magnetic force to the tactile feeder.

10. The tactile cell of claim 9, wherein

the tactile feeder includes a pressure sensor measuring applied pressure.

11. The tactile cell of claim 10, wherein

the tactile feeder further includes an ultrasound vibration device that vibrates according to a vibration control voltage corresponding to texture information.

12. The tactile cell of claim 11, wherein

the supporter includes an interface line that provides the vibration control voltage to the ultrasound vibration device and provides a pressure measurement signal from the pressure sensor to a picture system.

13. The tactile cell of claim 10, wherein:

the tactile feeder includes a permanent magnet in the lower part thereof.

14. A method for controlling a tactile presentation apparatus, comprising:

receiving information on the position and depth of a pixel of a picture;

generating a magnetic force control voltage according to the depth; and

providing current to an electromagnet of a tactile cell corresponding to the position through the magnetic force control voltage,

wherein the tactile cell includes a tactile feeder that moves up or down by magnetic force generated by the electromagnet.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

the generating of the magnetic force control voltage includes verifying a compensation voltage value corresponding to the depth in a magnetic force control voltage table, and

generating a magnetic force control voltage corresponding to the verified voltage value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein

the tactile feeder includes a pressure sensor measuring applied pressure, and

the tactile presentation method further includes

providing a pressure measurement signal from the pressure sensor to a picture system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein

the tactile feeder further includes a vibration device, and

the tactile presentation method further includes:

receiving information on texture of the pixel;

generating a vibration control voltage corresponding to the texture; and

providing the vibration control voltage to the vibration device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein

the generating of the vibration control voltage includes

verifying a compensation voltage value corresponding to the texture in a vibration control voltage table, and

generating the vibration control voltage corresponding to the verified voltage value.