Mobile apparatus

• US 8,838,170 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2009
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sugahara, Hiroto
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Justus, Ralph H
• Application Number:
  US12/606,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20100105432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 345/158, 345/173, 345/179, 345/180, 345/181, 345/182, 345/183, 382310-315, 382/187, 382/188, 382/189, 382/119, 382/186, 178/18.03, 178/19.01, 178/19.04, 178/19.05
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A mobile apparatus which is carriable by a user includes a force-sense generating mechanism which imparts, to the user, a force-sense in a predetermined direction to induce an input operation to the user; a motion sensor which detects a motion imparted by the user while the force-sense generating mechanism imparts the force-sense to the user or after the force-sense generating mechanism has imparted the force-sense to the user; and a controller which controls the force-sense generating mechanism, and which recognizes the input operation by the user, based on the motion detected by the motion sensor.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display comprising:

a display section which is configured to cover an eye of the user and which is configured to display an image;

two frame-rod sections which are extended in a predetermined direction from the display section and which are arranged to sandwich temples of the user;

two force-sense generating mechanisms each of which is arranged in the one of the two frame-rod sections to generate a force sense parallel to the predetermined direction, respectively;

a motion sensor which is configured to detect a motion imparted by the user while the two force-sense generating mechanisms impart the force-sense to the user or after the two force-sense generating mechanisms have imparted the force-sense to the user;

a receiver which is configured to receive information from a point which is near from a current position of the user; and

a controller which is configured to control the two force-sense generating mechanisms, and which is configured to recognize an input operation by the user, based on the motion detected by the motion sensor;

wherein the controller is configured to;

recognize a position of the point relative to the current position of the user, based on the information received by the receiver; and

control the force-sense generating mechanisms to generate the force-sense of turning toward the position of the point;

wherein, in a state that the motion sensor detects a translational motion imparted by the user, the translational motion which is the same as the force-sense generated by the two force-sense generating mechanisms, while the two force-sense generating mechanisms impart the force-sense to the user or after the two force-sense generating mechanisms have imparted the force-sense to the user, the controller is configured to recognize the motion as an operation of inputting YES; and

wherein, in a state that the motion sensor detects a translational motion imparted by the user, the translational motion which is different from the force-sense generated by the two force-sense generating mechanisms, while the two force-sense generating mechanisms impart the force-sense to the user or after the two force-sense generating mechanisms have imparted the force-sense to the user, the controller is configured to recognize the motion as an operation of inputting NO.

2. The head-mounted display according to claim 1;

wherein each of the two force-sense generating mechanisms includes a weight which is reciprocatable in the predetermined direction, and each of the two force-sense generating mechanisms generates in the weight a positive acceleration directed to one side of the predetermined direction and a negative acceleration directed to the other side of the predetermined direction by making the weight reciprocate to impart to the user a pseudo force-sense of a translational force in one side of or the other side of the predetermined direction.

3. The head-mounted display according to claim 1;

wherein the controller is configured to stop an operation of one of the two force-sense generating mechanisms under a condition that the motion sensor detects the motion within a predetermined time after starting an operation of imparting the force-sense by the one of the two force-sense generating mechanisms, and under a condition that the predetermined time is elapsed, without the motion sensor detecting the motion, after the one of the two force-sense generating mechanisms has started the operation.

4. The head-mounted display according to claim 1;

wherein the motion sensor detects a motion imparted to the casing by the user while at least one of the force-sense generating mechanisms carries out an operation of imparting the force-sense and during a period of time until a certain time has elapsed after the operation has stopped.

5. The head-mounted display according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor which detects whether or not the head-mounted display is worn by the user.

6. The head-mounted display according to claim 1;

wherein the two frame-rod sections are extended from the display toward one side of a predetermined direction;

wherein the two force-sense generating mechanisms include;

a first force-sense generating unit which is configured to generate a predetermined force directed to one side of the predetermined direction or an opposite force directed to the other side of the predetermined direction, and which is arranged at a right temple of the user in a state that the user wears the head-mounted display; and

a second force-sense generating unite which is configured to generate the predetermined force or the opposite force, and which is arranged at a left temple of the user in a state that the user wears the head-mounted display;

wherein, in a state that the controller recognize the position as right side of the user while the user wears the head-mounted display, the controller is configured to control the first-sense generating unit to generate the predetermined force and to control the second force-sense generating unit to generate the opposite force such that the two force-sense generating mechanisms generate the force-sense of turning toward right; and

where, in a state that the controller recognizes the position as left side of the user while the user wears the head-mounted display, the controller is configured to control the first-sense generating unit to generate the predetermined force and to control the second force-sense generating unit to generate the opposite force such that the two force-sense generating mechanisms generate the force-sense of turning toward left.

7. The head-mounted display according to claim 6;

wherein, in a state that the two force-sense generating mechanisms generate the force-sense of a turning toward right, and the motion sensor detects the translational motion toward as substantially the same as the turning toward right, the controller is configured to recognize the motion as an operation of inputting YES;

wherein, in a state that the two force-sense generating mechanisms generate the force-sense of the turning toward right, and the motion sensor detects the translational motion toward as substantially the same as the turning toward left, the controller is configured to recognize the motion as an operation of inputting NO;

wherein, in a state that the two force-sense generating mechanisms generate the force-sense of a turning toward left, and the motion sensor detects the translational motion toward as substantially the same as the turning toward left, the controller is configured to recognize the motion as an operation of inputting YES;

wherein, in a state that the two force-sense generating mechanisms generate the force-sense of the turning toward left, and the motion sensor detects the translational motion toward as substantially the same as the turning toward right, the controller is configured to recognize the motion as an operation of inputting NO.