Method, device, and system for providing sensory information and sense

• US 9,483,116 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Moon-joo, Koh, Jun-ho, Lee, Yang-un
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/319,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20140359437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 345156-158, 345/419, 463/37, 715/757, 715/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

Provided is a method, a device, and a system, in which a sensor of a sense-providing device senses a motion of the sense-providing device, without using a plurality of cameras, to detect an object and provide sensory information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a plurality of objects in an image to a user via a display operatively coupled with an electronic device;

identifying an object from the plurality of objects in the image based at least in part on information related to the user, wherein the information related to the user comprises viewing direction information corresponding to a viewing direction of the user; and

assigning, using one or more processors, first sensory information to the object when the object is a first object, and second sensory information to the object when the object is a second object, the first sensory information corresponding to a first physical effect and the second sensory information corresponding to a second physical effect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first physical effect comprises at least one of pressure, temperature, vibration, air, motion, liquid, smell, or light, and

wherein the second physical effect comprises at least one of pressure, temperature, vibration, air, motion, liquid, smell, or light.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the first sensory information and the second sensory information comprises:

transmitting, by the electronic device, corresponding sensory information of the first sensory information and the second sensory information to another electronic device that is separate from the electronic device,

wherein the first physical effect or the second physical effect corresponds to the transmitted sensory information to be provided to the user via the another electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to the user further comprises gesture information corresponding to a gesture of the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the gesture information is received from another electronic device wearable by the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first object corresponds to a first position of the another electronic device relative to the image, and

wherein the second object corresponds to a second position of the another electronic device relative to the image.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a display configured to display a plurality of objects in an image to a user;

an object detector configured to identify an object from the plurality of objects in the image based at least in part on information related to the user, wherein the information related to the user comprises viewing direction information corresponding to a viewing direction of the user; and

a sensory information provider configured to assign first sensory information to the object if the object is a first object, and second sensory information to the object if the object is a second object, the first sensory information corresponding to a first physical effect and the second sensory information corresponding to a second physical effect.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first physical effect comprises at least one of pressure, temperature, vibration, air, motion, liquid, smell, or light, and

wherein the second physical effect comprises at least one other of pressure, temperature, vibration, air, motion, liquid, smell, or light.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sensory information provider is further configured to:

transmit the sensory information to an electronic device, which is separate from the apparatus and provides the first physical effect or the second physical effect to the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the information related to the user further comprises motion information corresponding to a motion of the user, and

wherein the motion information is received from an electronic device worn by the user.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electronic device comprises a glove.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the object detector is further configured to:

receive, as at least part of the information related to the user, position information corresponding to a position at which the electronic device starts to move in relation with the image, and motion information corresponding to a motion of the electronic device from the position.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first object corresponds to a first viewing direction of the user relative to the image, and

wherein the second object corresponds to a second viewing direction of the user relative to the image.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a motion information generator configured to obtain gesture information corresponding to a gesture of the apparatus relative to a plurality of objects in an image displayed to a user via an electronic device that is separate from the apparatus and is configured to obtain viewing direction information corresponding to a viewing direction of the user, wherein the gesture information and the viewing direction information identify an object from the plurality of objects in the image; and

a sense output device configured to provide the user with a first physical effect if the object is a first object, and a second physical effect if the object is a second object.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit the gesture information to the electronic device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from the electronic device, sensory information representing at least one of the first physical effect and the second physical effect.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first object corresponds to a first position of the apparatus, and

wherein the second object corresponds to a second position of the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first physical effect comprises at least one of pressure, temperature, vibration, air, motion, liquid, smell, or light, and

wherein the second physical effect comprises at least one other of pressure, temperature, vibration, air, motion, liquid, smell, or light.