Personal digital assistant with multiple active elements for guiding user to moving target

• US 9,179,262 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ooka, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US14/598,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/457
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3438 Rendez-vous, i.e. searching a destination where several users can meet, and the routes to this destination for these users; Ride sharing, i.e. searching a route such that at least two users can share a vehicle for at least part of the route
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3652 Guidance using non-audiovisual output, e.g. tactile, haptic or electric stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

An information processing apparatus that detects a first location of the information processing apparatus; receives information representing a target location from a target information processing apparatus; detects a target direction from the first location toward the target location; detects an orientation of a casing of the information processing apparatus; calculates an angular difference between the target direction and the orientation of the casing; determines a perceptual strength of each of a plurality of active elements disposed in different locations on or within the casing based on the angular difference; and controls each of the plurality of active elements based on the perceptual strengths.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a plurality of active elements disposed in different locations on or within the casing, each of the plurality of active elements being configured to provide a sensory output to a user; and

circuitry configured to

detect a first location of the information processing apparatus;

receive information representing a target location from a target information processing apparatus;

detect a target direction from the first location toward the target location;

detect an orientation of the casing;

calculate an angular difference between the target direction and the orientation of the casing;

determine an output strength of each of the plurality of active elements based on the angular difference; and

control each of the plurality of active elements based on the output strengths to provide the sensory output to the user.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to continuously update the first location of the information processing apparatus by detecting the position of the information processing apparatus at first predetermined time intervals.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the circuitry is configured to continuously update the target direction based on the continuously updated first location of the information processing apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein

the circuitry is configured to continuously update the orientation of the casing by detecting the orientation of the casing at second predetermined time intervals.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the circuitry is configured to continuously update the angular difference between the target direction and the orientation of the casing based on the continuously updated orientation of the casing.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein

the circuitry is configured to continuously determine the output strength of each of the plurality of active elements based on the updated angular difference, and to control each of the plurality of active elements based on the output strengths.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to transmit the first location of the information processing apparatus to the target information processing apparatus.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the circuitry is configured to transmit the continuously updated the first location of the information processing apparatus to the target information processing apparatus.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the circuitry is configured to calculate a distance from the first information processing apparatus to the target information processing apparatus based on the first location information and the target location.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a display, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the display to display a numeric value representing the calculated distance.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a display, wherein

the circuitry is configured to control the display to display a graphic indicator representing the target direction.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the graphic indicator is an arrow pointing in the target direction.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein

the circuitry is configured to calculate a distance from the first information processing apparatus to the target information processing apparatus based on the first location information and the target location, and to control a length of the arrow displayed on the display based on the calculated distance.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of active elements are at least one of vibration elements, heating elements, contraction elements, and electrical stimulation elements.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of active elements include at least three active elements disposed in different locations on or within the casing.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the plurality of active elements are vibration elements, and the circuitry is configured to control the plurality of active elements to be active only when the calculated distance is greater than a predetermined threshold.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein

the plurality of active elements are vibration elements, and the circuitry is configured to control the plurality of active elements by changing a vibration frequency of each of the plurality of active elements based on the calculated distance.

18. An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting a first location of the information processing apparatus;

receiving information representing a target location from a target information processing apparatus;

detecting a target direction from the first location toward the target location;

detecting an orientation of a casing of the information processing apparatus;

calculating an angular difference between the target direction and the orientation of the casing;

determining an output strength of each of a plurality of active elements disposed in different locations on or within the casing based on the angular difference, said each of the plurality of active elements being configured to provide a sensory output to a user; and

controlling each of the plurality of active elements based on the output strengths to provide the sensory output to the user.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by an information processing apparatus, cause the information processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

detecting a first location of the information processing apparatus;

receiving information representing a target location from a target information processing apparatus;

detecting a target direction from the first location toward the target location;

detecting an orientation of a casing of the information processing apparatus;

calculating an angular difference between the target direction and the orientation of the casing;

determining an output strength of each of a plurality of active elements disposed in different locations on or within the casing based on the angular difference, said each of the plurality of active elements being configured to provide a sensory output to a user; and

controlling each of the plurality of active elements based on the output strengths to provide the sensory output to the user.