SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING DAMPED ELECTROMAGNETICALLY ACTUATED PLANAR MOTION FOR AUDIO-FREQUENCY VIBRATIONS

• US 20200037079A1
• Filed: 10/03/2019
• Published: 01/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taction Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taction Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Biggs, Silmon James
• Granted Patent: US 10,659,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/145 electric, e.g. for active noise reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0165 Damping, vibration related features
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/10 with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1207 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1604 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5002 Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5005 for controlling frequency distribution, modulation or interference of a driving signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/021 Scalp
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/022 Face
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/00 Measuring physical parameters of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/08 Other bio-electrical signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/10 Electroencephalographic signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/65 : Impedance, e.g. skin conductivity; capacitance, e.g. galvanic skin response [GSR]
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/00 : Percussion or vibration massage, e.g. using supersonic vibration; Suction-vibration massage; Massage with moving diaphragms apparatus for passive exercising A61H1/00; generating or transmitting mechanical vibrations in general B06B
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/004 : With mechanical drive, e.g. spring mechanism or vibrating unit being hit for starting vibration and then applied to the body of a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/02 : with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0218 : with alternating magnetic fields producing a translating or oscillating movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0236 : using sonic waves, e.g. using loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/00 : Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor A61N2/00 takes precedence; irradiation apparatus A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 : Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 : Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 : External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/045 : using vibrating magnet, armature or coil system
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/03 : using magnetic or electromagnetic means F16F9/53, F16F15/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/1011 : by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/1034 : of movement of a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/02 : using gas only or vacuum F16F9/006 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 : Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 : Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 : Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 : Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/03 : Transducers capable of generating both sound as well as tactile vibration, e.g. as used in cellular phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 : Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 : Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 : Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/066 : using the principle of inertia

Abstract

A vibration module for applying vibrational tractions to a wearer'"'"'s skin is presented. Use of the vibration module in headphones is illustrated for providing tactile sensations of low frequency for music, for massage, and for electrical recording and stimulation of the wearer. Damped, planar, electromagnetically-actuated vibration modules of the moving magnet type are presented in theory and reduced to practice, and shown to provide a substantially uniform frequency response over the range 40-200 Hz with a minimum of unwanted audio.

Claims

1. An apparatus for imparting motion to the skin of a user, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of coils capable of carrying electrical current;

a plurality of magnets arranged in operative proximity to the plurality of coils;

a moving portion comprising an inertial mass and the plurality of magnets;

a suspension comprising a plurality of flexures that guides the moving portion in a planar motion with respect to the housing and the plurality of conductive coils;

wherein movement of the moving portion is damped by a ferrofluid in physical contact with at least the moving portion; and

wherein the ferrofluid reduces at least a mechanical resonance within the frequency range of 40-200 Hz in response to electrical signals applied to the plurality of conductive coils.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing is generally cuboid in shape.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cuboid-shaped housing has a thickness less than one-third of the width, where the thickness and width are both orthogonal to the direction of motion of the moving portion, and the thickness is less than the width.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cuboid-shaped housing has a length dimension in the direction of motion of the moving portion, and a thickness dimension perpendicular to the length dimension, wherein the thickness dimension is less than one-third of the length dimension, and the thickness is less than the width.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises at least one magnetic flux guide comprising a ferromagnetic material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a plurality of magnetic flux guides, each comprising an upper magnetic flux guide and a lower magnetic flux guide.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said magnetic flux guide comprises a portion of said housing and is coupled to at least a coil.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each said magnetic flux guide is coupled to a plurality of coils.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of coils is an elongated oval with substantially flat sides.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the long axis of each of the plurality of flexures is substantially in the plane of the moving portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of said flexures is thinner along the motion axis of the moving portion than it is in directions orthogonal to the motion axis of the moving part.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of said flexures is more resistant to motion transverse to the plane of the moving portion than it is to linear motion in the plane of and along the motion axis of the moving portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus is capable of producing audio frequency vibrations in response to electrical signals applied to the plurality of coils.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of magnets is mounted so that it has a polarity that is the opposite of the polarity of the magnet or magnets adjacent to it.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said flexures are not integrally formed with said moving part or said housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said moving portion moves relative to said plurality of coils along a plane that is orthogonal to the thickness dimension of the housing, wherein said thickness dimension is smaller than the length dimension and the width dimension.

17. An apparatus for imparting motion to the skin of a user, the apparatus comprising:

a housing or frame;

a conductive coil capable of carrying electrical current;

a plurality of magnets arranged in operative proximity to the plurality of coils;

a moving portion comprising an inertial mass and the plurality of magnets;

a suspension comprising a plurality of flexures that guides the moving portion in a planar motion with respect to the housing and the plurality of conductive cons;

wherein movement of the moving portion is damped by a ferrofluid in physical contact with at least the moving portion; and

wherein the ferrofluid reduces at least a mechanical resonance within the frequency range of 40-200 Hz in response to electrical signals applied to the plurality of conductive coils.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the housing or frame has a thickness less than one-third of the width, where the thickness and width are both orthogonal to the direction of motion of the moving portion.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein each of said plurality of coils is an elongated oval with substantially flat sides.

20. An apparatus for generating damped electromagnetically actuated planar motion, the apparatus comprising at least one vibration module, said vibration module comprising:

a housing;

a coil capable of carrying electrical current;

a plurality of magnets arranged in operative proximity to the plurality of coils;

a moving portion comprising an inertial mass and the plurality of magnets;

a suspension comprising a plurality of flexures that guides the moving portion in a planar motion with respect to the housing and the plurality of conductive coils;

wherein movement of the moving portion is damped by a ferrofluid in physical contact with at least the moving portion; and

wherein the ferrofluid reduces the Q-Factor of the response of the apparatus over at least a portion of the frequency range of 40-200 Hz in response to signals applied to the plurality of conductive coils.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein:

the apparatus comprises a headphone set, said headphone set comprising a headphone bow with ear cups at opposite ends;

the at least one vibration module is coupled to at least one of the headphone bow or ear cups; and

the at least one vibration module guides motion of the moving portion in a plane substantially parallel to the surface of the user'"'"'s head contacted by at least one of said headphone bow and said ear cups.