Information presentation device, and method for controlling information presentation device

• US 9,463,740 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishigami, Tomohide, Arai, Toshiya
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US14/117,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/981 Warning systems, e.g. the seat or seat parts vibrates to warn the passenger when facing a danger
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

An information presentation device includes: an obtainment unit which obtains position information indicating a position of a nearby object with respect to a user; a stimulation presentation unit which contacts the user through a contact surface and provides stimulation in a stimulation region within the contact surface; and a stimulation control unit which (i) determines a reference position, which is a position within the contact surface, corresponding to the position information and (ii) performs control for causing the stimulation presentation unit to provide the user with stimulation while changing the stimulation region with reference to the reference position.

Claims

1. An information presentation device which provides a user with stimulation corresponding to a feature of a nearby object around the user, the information presentation device comprising:

an obtainment unit configured to obtain information indicating the feature of the nearby object;

a stimulation presentation unit which contacts the user through a contact surface and is configured to provide the user with the stimulation in a stimulation region within the contact surface; and

a stimulation control unit configured to (i) determine, based on the information indicating the feature of the nearby object, a reference position, which is a position within the contact surface, indicating a positional relationship between the user and the nearby object, and (ii) perform control for causing the stimulation presentation unit to provide the stimulation while changing the stimulation region with reference to the reference position irrelevant to a direction of the nearby object,

wherein the changing of the stimulation region increases stimulation to be provided to the user by changing a position to which stimulation is provided,

the stimulation control unit is configured to perform the control for causing the stimulation presentation unit to provide the stimulation while changing the stimulation region with reference to the reference position irrelevant to a direction and a position of the nearby object, and

the stimulation region is changed without providing an indication that alerts the user to the direction and the position of the nearby object.

2. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the information indicating the feature of the nearby object is information indicating a position of the nearby object or information indicating a relative position between the user and the nearby object.

3. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the stimulation control unit is configured to perform control for causing the stimulation presentation unit to provide the stimulation while moving a position of the stimulation region around the reference position.

4. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the stimulation control unit is configured to perform control for causing the stimulation presentation unit to provide stimulation while increasing or decreasing an area of the stimulation region around the reference position.

5. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the stimulation presentation unit (i) includes a plurality of projectable stimulation units which are provided on the contact surface and each of which is capable of projecting from the contact surface, and (ii) is configured to provide the user with the stimulation by the projection of the projectable stimulation units in the stimulation region.

6. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the stimulation presentation unit includes a plurality of rotatable stimulation units which are provided on the contact surface and each of which rotates on the contact surface, and

the stimulation control unit is configured to identify the rotatable stimulation unit which corresponds to the reference position and perform control for causing the rotatable stimulation unit to rotate.

7. The information presentation device according to claim 1, further comprising

a contact surface detection unit configured to detect the contact surface.

8. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the stimulation control unit is configured to (i) calculate a degree of danger based on the information indicating the feature of the nearby object and (ii) cause the stimulation presentation unit to provide stimulation while changing the stimulation region based on the degree of danger.

9. The information presentation device according to claim 2,

wherein the stimulation control unit is configured to perform control for causing the stimulation presentation unit to provide stimulation while changing the stimulation region more quickly when the distance between a position of the user and a position of the nearby object is shorter.

10. The information presentation device according to claim 2,

wherein the stimulation control unit is configured to perform control for causing the stimulation presentation unit to provide stimulation while changing the stimulation region more quickly when a position of the nearby object changes to a greater degree.

11. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the stimulation control unit is further configured to cause a change in stimulus strength based on the information indicating the feature of the nearby object.

13. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the positional relationship indicated by the reference position includes a distance between the user and the nearby object.

14. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the contact surface corresponds to a predetermined range around the user and the nearby object when viewed from above, and

the reference position with respect to entirety of the contact surface corresponds to a position of the nearby object with respect to entirety of the predetermined range.

15. The information presentation device according to claim 1,

wherein the obtainment unit is configured to obtain information indicating a position of the nearby object, information indicating the position of the nearby object including information indicating a distance between the user and the nearby object, and

the stimulation control unit is configured to:

determine a reference position, which is a position within the contact surface, indicating a positional relationship between the user and the nearby object based on the information indicating the position of the nearby object, the reference position changing according to the distance between the user and the nearby object; and

perform control for causing the stimulation presentation unit to provide the stimulation while changing the stimulation region irrelevant to a direction of the nearby object with reference to the reference position.

12. A method for controlling an information presentation device which contacts a user through a contact surface and provides, in a stimulation region within the contact surface, stimulation corresponding to a feature of a nearby object around the user, the method comprising:

obtaining information indicating the feature of the nearby object;

determining, based on the information indicating the feature of the nearby object, a reference position, which is a position within the contact surface, indicating a positional relationship between the user and the nearby object; and

providing the user with stimulation while changing the stimulation region with reference to the reference position irrelevant to a direction of the nearby object,

wherein the changing of the stimulation region increases stimulation to be provided to the user by changing a position to which stimulation is provided,

the providing the user with stimulation provides the stimulation while changing the stimulation region with reference to the reference position irrelevant to a direction and a position of the nearby object, and

the stimulation region is changed without providing an indication that alerts the user to the direction and the position of the nearby object.