Information presenting device, tactile sense presenting method, and program

• US 9,024,889 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Poupyrev, Ivan, Maruyama, Shigeaki
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDIN, SHAHEDA A
• Application Number:
  US13/070,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 345/176, 345/178, 178 1801- 18, 178/9
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

An information presenting device of present invention includes a conductive layer to which an AC voltage is applied, an insulating layer for covering the conductive layer and presenting a tactile sense when a part of a body of a user set to a ground potential is in contact with the insulating layer.

Claims

1. An information presenting device comprising:

a conductive layer to which an AC voltage is applied;

an insulating layer covering the conductive layer, the insulating layer presenting a tactile sense when a part of a body of a user set to a ground potential is in contact with the insulating layer at a contact position; and

circuitry that computes a magnitude of the tactile sense according to a plurality of distances along the insulating layer, each of the distances being a distance between the contact position and a different one of a plurality of predetermined reference positions on a border of the insulating layer.

2. The information presenting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display arranged integrally with or separately from a stack structure including the conductive layer and the insulating layer, wherein

the display is configured to display information.

3. The information presenting device according to claim 2, wherein the stack structure including the conductive layer and the insulating layer is formed of a transparent material and is arranged to cover a display surface of the display.

4. The information presenting device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a battery configured to drive the display, wherein

a ground potential of the battery is connected to the body of the user.

5. The information presenting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position sensor configured to detect a position of the part of the body of the user on the insulating layer.

6. The information presenting device according to claim 5, wherein the position sensor is configured to detect the position of the part of the body of the user based on a variation of electrostatic capacitance generated in the conductive layer when the part of the body of the user is in contact with the insulating layer.

7. The information presenting device according to claim 5, wherein the position sensor is configured to detect the position of the part of the body of the user by optical detection.

8. The information presenting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

control circuitry that controls an amplitude or frequency of the AC voltage applied to the conductive layer.

9. The information presenting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position sensor configured to detect a position of the part of the body of the user on the insulating layer; and

control circuitry that controls an amplitude or frequency of the AC voltage applied to the conductive layer based on the position of the part of the body of the user.

10. The information presenting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure-sensitive sensor configured to detect a pressure force when the part of the body of the user is in contact with the insulating layer.

11. The information presenting device according to claim 1, wherein a stack structure including the conductive layer and the insulating layer is formed in a planar shape extending in a two-dimensional direction.

12. The information presenting device according to claim 1, wherein a stack structure including the conductive layer and the insulating layer is formed in a stripe shape or a line shape extending in a one-dimensional direction.

13. The information presenting device according to claim 1, wherein a stack structure including the conductive layer and the insulating layer is formed of a deformable material.

14. The information presenting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electrode to which the ground potential is applied, wherein

a potential of the user is set commonly with the ground potential of the electrode.

15. A tactile sense presenting method for use in an information presenting device having a conductive layer and an insulating layer which covers the conductive layer and is in contact with a part of a body of a user set to a ground potential, the method comprising:

applying an AC voltage to the conductive layer;

detecting a contact position of the part of the body of the user in contact with the insulating layer;

computing a magnitude of a tactile sense according to a plurality of distances along the insulating layer, each of the distances being a distance between the contact position and a different one of a plurality of predetermined reference positions on a border of the insulating layer; and

presenting the tactile sense by controlling an amplitude or frequency of the AC voltage applied to the conductive layer based on the computed magnitude.

16. A tactile sense presenting method for use in an information presenting device having a conductive layer, an insulating layer which covers the conductive layer and is in contact with a part of a body of a user set to a ground potential, and a display configured to display information, the display arranged integrally with or separately from a stack structure including the conductive layer and the insulating layer, the method comprising:

applying an AC voltage to the conductive layer;

detecting a contact position of the part of the body of the user in contact with the insulating layer;

computing a magnitude of a tactile sense according to a plurality of distances along the insulating layer, each of the distances being a distance between the contact position and a different one of a plurality of predetermined reference positions on a border of the insulating layer; and

presenting the tactile sense by controlling an amplitude or frequency of the AC voltage applied to the conductive layer based on the computed magnitude.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium in an information presenting device including a conductive layer and an insulating layer which covers the conductive layer and is in contact with a part of a body of a user set to a ground potential, having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by the information presenting device, cause the information presenting device to:

apply an AC voltage to the conductive layer;

detect a contact position of the part of the body of the user in contact with the insulating layer;

compute a magnitude of a tactile sense according to a plurality of distances along the insulating layer, each of the distances being a distance between the contact position and a different one of a plurality of predetermined reference positions on a border of the insulating layer; and

present the tactile sense by controlling an amplitude or frequency of the AC voltage applied to the conductive layer based on the computed magnitude.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium in an information presenting device including a conductive layer, an insulating layer which covers the conductive layer and is in contact with a part of a body of a user set to a ground potential, and a display configured to display information, the display arranged integrally with or separately from a stack structure including the conductive layer and the insulating layer, having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by the information presenting device, cause the information presenting device to:

apply an AC voltage to the conductive layer;

detect a contact position of the part of the body of the user in contact with the insulating layer;

compute a magnitude of a tactile sense according to a plurality of distances along the insulating layer, each of the distances being a distance between the contact position and a different one of a plurality of predetermined reference positions on a border of the insulating layer; and

present the tactile sense by controlling an amplitude or frequency of the AC voltage applied to the conductive layer based on the computed magnitude.