Artificial sensibility

• US 6,589,287 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Handevelop AB
• Original Assignee: Handevelop AB
• Inventors: Lundborg, Göran
• Primary Examiner(s): Willse, David H.
• Application Number:
  US09/975,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 623/24, 623/63-65, 414/5, 731/72
• US Class Current: 623/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/50 Prostheses not implantable in the body closure means for urethra or rectum or for artificial body openings therefor A61F2/0004
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/583 Hands; Wrist joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5061 the sense of touch
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6827 Feedback system for providing user sensation, e.g. by force, contact or position
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/689 Alarm means, e.g. acoustic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/705 Electromagnetic data transfer

Abstract

The artificial sensibility device has a left sensor applied to a left finger, a middle sensor applied to a middle finger and a right sensor applied to a right finger of a hand. The sensors are connected to an amplifier unit that is connected to a headphone unit with a left speaker and a right speaker. The left finger is moved against a surface to activate the left sensor to send a first activation signal to the amplifier unit that sends a first sound signal only to the left speaker but nothing to the right speaker so the user knows the left finger is moved. The right finger is moved against the surface so that the right sensor sends a second sound signal only to the right speaker but nothing to the left speaker.

Claims

1. A method of using an artificial sensibility device, comprising:

providing a device comprising a left sensor applied to a left finger, a middle sensor applied to a middle finger and a right sensor applied to a right finger of a hand, the sensors being connected to an amplifier unit, the amplifier unit being connected to a headphone unit having a left speaker and a right speaker;

moving the left finger against a surface to activate the left sensor, the left sensor sending a first activation signal to the amplifier unit;

the amplifier unit sending all of a first sound signal to the left speaker and no sound signal to the right speaker;

moving the right finger against the surface to activate the right sensor, the right sensor sending all of a second sound signal to the right speaker and no sound signal to the left speaker; and

moving the middle finger against the surface to activate the middle sensor, the middle sensor sending a first half of a total amount of a third sound signal to the left speaker and a second half of the total amount of the third sound signal to the right speaker so that a user hears the same amount from both the left and right speakers of the headphone unit when the middle finger is moved.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises providing the first sound signal with a first frequency, the second sound signal with a second frequency and the third sound signal with a third frequency so that the first frequency is higher than the second frequency, that is higher than the third frequency.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises providing the left, middle and right sensors with microphones to register vibrational sound created when the left, middle and right fingers move against the surface.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises providing the left sensor with a temperature gauge that sends an alarm signal when the left sensor is exposed to a temperature that is below a first freezing temperature, exposing the left finger to a second temperature, the second temperature being below the first freezing temperature, the left sensor sending an alarm signal to the amplifier unit, the amplifier unit sending an alarm sound signal to the left speaker to alert the user of the freezing condition of the left finger.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises providing the left sensor with a temperature gauge that sends an alarm signal when the left sensor is exposed to a temperature that is above a first burning temperature, exposing the left finger to a second temperature, the second temperature being above the first burning temperature, the left sensor sending an alarm signal to the amplifier unit, the amplifier unit sending an alarm sound signal to the left speaker to alert the user of the burning condition of the left finger.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises sending a wireless signal to a bone of a cranium of the user.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the left sensor sending a wireless activation signal directly to the amplifier unit of the left speaker.