Tactile feedback method and system, computer program and storage medium that stores the computer program

• US 8,665,076 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okimoto, Yoshiyuki, Motomura, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US13/162,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20110254671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 345/156, 345/173, 178/18.01, 341/21, 341/20, 341/27, 414/5
• 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

Abstract

A tactile feedback system includes: a removing section for removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, included in both a first contact-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object and a second contact-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object, from the first contact-generated waveform; a superposing section for superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, included in both the first finger-pulp-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when a person'"'"'s finger pulp contacts with the one object and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object, on the first contact-generated waveform from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed; and a simulating section for displaying a vibration stimulation based on the first contact-generated waveform on which the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform has been superposed.

Claims

1. A tactile feedback system comprising:

a removing section for removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second contact-generated waveforms, from the first contact-generated waveform, wherein the first contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object, and the second contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object;

a superposing section for superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms, on the first contact-generated waveform, from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed, wherein the first finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a person'"'"'s finger pulp contacts with the one object, and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object; and

a simulating section for displaying a vibration stimulation based on the first contact-generated waveform on which the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform has been superposed.

2. The tactile feedback system of claim 1, wherein the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform is determined by object'"'"'s physical quantity measured and by a type of contact movement between the contact device and the object, and

wherein the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform is also determined by the physical quantity measured and the contact movement.

3. The tactile feedback system of claim 1, wherein the contact movement is defined by a relative velocity of the contact device with respect to the object.

4. The tactile feedback system of claim 1, wherein the contact movement is defined by a load of the contact device that is pressed against the object.

5. The tactile feedback system of claim 1, wherein the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform is determined by a power peak that is included in the waveform representing the frictional vibration produced between the contact device and the object.

6. The tactile feedback system of claim 1, wherein the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform is determined by a power peak that is included in the waveform representing the frictional vibration produced between the finger pulp and the object.

7. The tactile feedback system of claim 1, wherein the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform is determined by the number of frictional vibration waveforms that have power peaks falling within a predetermined range in multiple waveforms representing frictional vibrations produced by tracing a plurality of objects with the contact device.

8. The tactile feedback system of claim 1, wherein the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform is determined by the number of frictional vibration waveforms that have power peaks falling within a predetermined range in multiple waveforms representing frictional vibrations produced by tracing a plurality of objects with the finger pulp.

9. The tactile feedback system of claim 1, wherein the first and second contact-generated waveforms are represented by a power spectrum showing a frequency-power relation, and

wherein the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform is a waveform component that is included in both of the power spectra of the first and second contact-generated waveforms.

10. The tactile feedback system of claim 1, wherein the first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms are represented by a power spectrum showing a frequency-power relation, and

wherein the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform is a waveform component that is included in both of the power spectra of the first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms.

11. A tactile feedback method comprising the steps of:

removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second contact-generated waveforms, from the first contact-generated waveform, wherein the first contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object, and the second contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object;

superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms, on the first contact-generated waveform, from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed, wherein the first finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a person'"'"'s finger pulp contacts with the one object, and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object; and

displaying a vibration stimulation based on the first contact-generated waveform on which the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform has been superposed.

12. A computer program stored on a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, and to be executed by a computer,

wherein the computer program is defined to make the computer perform the steps of:

removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second contact-generated waveforms, from the first contact-generated waveform, wherein the first contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object, and the second contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object;

superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms, on the first contact-generated waveform, from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed, wherein the first finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a person'"'"'s finger pulp contacts with the one object, and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object; and

displaying a vibration stimulation based on the first contact-generated waveform on which the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform has been superposed.

13. A tactile feedback system comprising:

a removing section for removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second contact-generated waveforms, from the first contact-generated waveform, wherein the first contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object, and the second contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object; and

a superposing section for superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms, on the first contact-generated waveform, from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed, wherein the first finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a person'"'"'s finger pulp contacts with the one object, and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object.