APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VIBRATION TRANSFER BETWEEN VIBRATION DEVICES

• US 20130207792A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: LIM, Soo Chul, PARK, Joon Ah
• Granted Patent: US 9,448,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for controlling a vibration transfer between vibration devices. The apparatus for controlling a vibration transfer may change vibration values of a plurality of vibration devices according to a movement of a virtual vibration body, thereby providing a user with a sense of touch of a movement of the virtual vibration body.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a vibration transfer, the apparatus comprising:

a vibration value determiner, using at least one processor, to determine vibration values of a plurality of vibration devices according to a direction of a movement of a virtual vibration body corresponding to a vibration source; and

a vibration device controller to control the plurality of vibration devices according to the determined vibration values, thereby providing a user with a sense of movement of the virtual vibration body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vibration value determiner determines vibration values of vibration devices corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and vibration values of vibration devices corresponding to a direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vibration value determiner increases a vibration magnitude among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and decreases a vibration magnitude among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vibration value determiner increases an amplitude of a frequency among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and decreases an amplitude of a frequency among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vibration value determiner increases a vibration acceleration among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and decreases a vibration acceleration among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vibration value determiner decreases a vibration timing interval among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and increases a vibration timing interval among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vibration value determiner determines, based on a velocity of movement of the virtual vibration body, variation velocities of a vibration value of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body and a vibration value of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

8. An apparatus for controlling a vibration transfer, the apparatus comprising:

a vibration value determiner, using at least one processor, to determine vibration values of vibration devices placed in a first area to be different from vibration values of vibration devices placed in a second area located opposite to the first area when a virtual vibration body is located between the vibration devices placed in the first area and the vibration devices placed in the second area; and

a vibration device controller to control vibration devices based on the determined vibration values.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a virtual vibration body controller to control the virtual vibration body to periodically move between the first area and the second area,

wherein the vibration value determiner determines, based on the control of the virtual vibration body, the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the first area and the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the second area.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the vibration value determiner determines a vibration magnitude and a vibration frequency among the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the first area to be the same as the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the second area, and determines a vibration timing among the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the first area to be different from the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the second area.

11. A method of controlling a vibration transfer, the method comprising:

determining, using at least one processor, vibration values of a plurality of vibration devices according to a direction of a movement of a virtual vibration body corresponding to a vibration source; and

controlling the plurality of vibration devices according to the determined vibration values, thereby providing a user with a sense of movement of the virtual vibration body.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining comprises determining vibration values of vibration devices corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and vibration values of vibration devices corresponding to a direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises increasing a vibration magnitude among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and decreasing a vibration magnitude among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises increasing an amplitude of a frequency among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and decreasing an amplitude of a frequency among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises increasing a vibration acceleration among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and decreasing a vibration acceleration among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises decreasing a vibration timing interval among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body, and increasing a vibration timing interval among vibration values of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining comprises determining, based on a velocity of movement of the virtual vibration body, variation velocities of a vibration value of a vibration device corresponding to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body and a vibration value of a vibration device corresponding to the direction opposite to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

21. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 11.

18. A method of controlling a vibration transfer, the method comprising:

determining, using at least one processor, vibration values of vibration devices placed in a first area to be different from vibration values of vibration devices placed in a second area located opposite to the first area when a virtual vibration body is located between the vibration devices placed in the first area and the vibration devices placed in the second area; and

controlling vibration devices based on the determined vibration values.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

controlling the virtual vibration body to periodically move between the first area and the second area,

the determining comprises determining, based on the control of the virtual vibration body, the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the first area and the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the second area.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining comprises determining a vibration magnitude and a vibration frequency among the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the first area to be the same as the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the second area, and determining a vibration timing among the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the first area to be different from the vibration values of the vibration devices placed in the second area.

22. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 18.

23. An apparatus for controlling a vibration transfer comprising:

a location identifier to identify location of a virtual vibration body, a direction of movement of the virtual vibration body, and locations of a plurality of vibration devices using at least one processor; and

a vibration device controller to control the plurality of vibration devices according to vibration values to provide a user with a sense of movement of the virtual vibration body.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a vibration value determiner to determine the vibration values of the plurality of vibration devices according to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

25. A method of controlling a vibration transfer, the method comprising:

identifying a location of the virtual vibration body, a direction of movement of the virtual vibration body, and locations of a plurality of vibration devices using at least one processor; and

controlling the plurality of vibration devices according to vibration values to provide a user with a sense of movement of the virtual vibration body.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising determining the vibration values of the plurality of vibration devices according to the direction of the movement of the virtual vibration body.

27. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions that control at least one processor to implement the method of claim 25.