Tactile based performance enhancement system

• US 9,734,678 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Speadtech Limited
• Original Assignee: Speadtech Limited
• Inventors: Hill, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US15/143,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20160321881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence

Abstract

A system is disclosed for communicating tactile messages to a user, such as a racecar driver, yacht crewmember, or other athlete. The system can include a tactile vest having tactile activators for conveying tactile messages to the user, including real time messages for helping the user assess and improve physical performance. The messages may be generated based on various types of sensor data, including, for example, data collected by vehicle sensors of a racecar or yacht.

Claims

1. A system for improving racecar driver performance, the system comprising:

a tactile stimulation device capable of communicating tactile signals to a driver; and

a controller that controls the tactile stimulation device to communicate performance-related information to the driver during movement of a racecar, the controller configured to receive vehicle information, including vehicle information collected by vehicle sensors of the racecar, and configured to use the vehicle information to select a tactile message to communicate to the driver via the tactile stimulation device, the tactile message including a stimulation pattern that notifies the driver of an optimum timing for performing a driver action corresponding to controlling the racecar.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the driver action is at least one of a braking action, a vehicle acceleration action, a gear shift action, or a steering action.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimum timing is based at least partly on a weight of the racecar distributed on a particular wheel of the racecar.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimum timing is based at least partly on an optimum tire slip relative to a surface of travel of a tire of the racecar on a racetrack.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the optimum tire slip is based at least partly on spin of the tire relative to the surface of travel on the racetrack.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the stimulation pattern notifies the driver of a transitional input ramp associated with steering the racecar to achieve the optimum timing.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate the optimum timing based at least partly on the vehicle information collected by the vehicle sensors;

compare the optimum timing to an actual time of the driver action; and

determine whether to output the stimulation pattern based on a result of the comparison.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the optimum timing at least by comparing a vehicle location to a predetermined location on a racetrack.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimum timing corresponds to a maximum of at least one of acceleration, deceleration, or cornering of the racecar.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the maximum of at least one of acceleration, deceleration, or cornering for the racecar is based at least partly on a reference location on a racetrack.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface for selecting a type of tactile messages conveyed to the driver.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adaptively modify a selection of tactile messages conveyed to the driver based on performance data collected by the controller.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to prioritize messages for tactile delivery to the driver based at least partly on message type.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an other tactile stimulation device capable of communicating tactile signals to a person, wherein an other controller associated with the other tactile stimulation device is configured to select a tactile message to convey to the person, the tactile message including the stimulation pattern that notifies the person of the optimum timing for performing the driver action corresponding to controlling the racecar.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimum timing for performing the driver action is based at least partly on at least one of a position or a change in position of a nearby racecar, and wherein the controller is further configured to receive information related to the nearby racecar based at least partly on data received from the vehicle sensors, the vehicle sensors configured to detect the position and the change in position of the nearby racecar during movement of the racecar, based at least partly on data received from a Global Positioning System (GPS) configured to track the position and the change in position of the nearby racecar, or based at least partly on both data from the vehicle sensors and the data from the GPS.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a vest, a belt, a headband, an armband, a wristband, a forearm band, a thigh band, a steering wheel, a steering wheel paddle, a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, or a driver seat comprises the tactile stimulation device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the tactile stimulation device comprises at least one of a vest, a belt, a headband, an armband, a wristband, a forearm band, a thigh band, a steering wheel, a steering wheel paddle, a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, or a driver seat.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a tactile apparatus having at least a portion in physical contact with the driver, the tactile apparatus comprising a plurality of tactile stimulation devices capable of communicating tactile signals to the driver, the plurality of tactile stimulation devices including the tactile stimulation device.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tactile stimulation devices that include the tactile stimulation device, the plurality of tactile stimulation devices capable of communicating the stimulation pattern to the driver.

20. A system for improving racecar driver performance, the system comprising:

a tactile stimulation device capable of communicating tactile signals to a driver; and

a controller that controls the tactile stimulation device to communicate performance-related information to the driver during movement of a racecar, the controller configured to receive vehicle information, including vehicle information collected by vehicle sensors of the racecar, and configured to use the vehicle information to select a tactile message to communicate to the driver via the tactile stimulation device, the tactile message including a stimulation pattern that notifies the driver of an optimum wheel slip of a wheel of the racecar for performing a driver action corresponding to controlling the racecar, wherein the optimum wheel slip is relative to a surface of travel for the racecar.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the optimum wheel slip is based at least partly on a weight of the racecar distributed on a particular wheel of the racecar.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the optimum wheel slip is based at least partly on spin of a tire of the wheel relative to the surface of travel.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the stimulation pattern notifies the driver of a transitional input ramp associated with steering the racecar to achieve the optimum wheel slip.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the optimum wheel slip corresponds to a maximum of at least one of acceleration, deceleration, or cornering of the racecar.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect an actual wheel slip of the wheel of the racecar relative to the surface of travel for the racecar;

determine the optimum wheel slip of the wheel based at least partly on collected sensor data;

compare the actual wheel slip to the optimum wheel slip; and

determine whether to communicate to the driver the tactile message based at least partly on a result of the comparison of the actual wheel slip to the optimum wheel slip.

26. The system of claim 20, further comprising an other tactile stimulation device capable of communicating tactile signals to a person, wherein an other controller associated with the other tactile stimulation device is configured to convey to the person the tactile message including the stimulation pattern that notifies the person of the optimum wheel slip for performing the driver action corresponding to controlling the racecar.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the tactile stimulation device comprises at least one of a vest, a belt, a headband, an armband, a wristband, a forearm band, a thigh band, a steering wheel, a steering wheel paddle, a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, or a driver seat.

28. The system of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of tactile stimulation devices that include the tactile stimulation device, the plurality of tactile stimulation devices capable of communicating the stimulation pattern to the driver.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein the optimum wheel slip is based at least partly on rotation of the wheel being slower relative to a speed of travel over the surface of travel of the racecar.

30. The system of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the optimum wheel slip to maximize grip of a tire of the wheel on the surface of travel.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an optimum steering angle based at least partly on the optimum wheel slip to maximize grip of a tire of the wheel on the surface of travel.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the optimum wheel slip based at least partly on spin of the wheel relative to other wheels of the racecar.

33. A system for improving racecar driver performance, the system comprising:

a tactile stimulation device capable of communicating tactile signals to a driver; and

a controller that controls the tactile stimulation device to communicate performance-related information to the driver during movement of a racecar, the controller configured to receive vehicle information, and configured to use the vehicle information to communicate to the driver a tactile message that notifies the driver of an optimum timing for performing a driver action corresponding to controlling the racecar.