Grasp state judging system and method

• US 7,805,214 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Benesse Corporation (Benesse Holdings, Inc.), University of Tokyo
• Original Assignee: Benesse Corporation (Benesse Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuwano, Akira, Yoritaka, Mai, Hida, Nobutaka, Yamauchi, Yuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): DeCady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, SUNRAY
• Application Number:
  US11/575,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-263
• US Class Current: 700/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves

Abstract

A grasp state judging system capable of satisfactorily judging the grasp state in which an object to be grasped is held by grasping means. The grasp state judging system is characterized in comprising a plurality of RFID tags that are mounted on an object to be grasped and that transmit the corresponding position ID; a plurality of RFID antennas (14) that are mounted on a glove (10) and that receive the position IDs; a grabbing pattern storage unit (48) for storing a condition for the position IDs received by the RFID antennas (14) with respect to the grasp states in which the object to be grasped is held by the glove (10); and a grasp state judging unit (44) for judging the grasp state in which the object to be grasped is held by the grasping means on the basis of the position IDs received by the RFID antennas (14) and the conditions stored in the grabbing pattern storage unit (48).

Claims

1. A grasp state judging system, comprising:

a plurality of transmitting means mounted on one of an object to be grasped and grasping means for grasping the object, each of the plurality of transmitting means transmitting position identification information;

a plurality of receiving means mounted on the other of the object to be grasped and the grasping means, each of the plurality of receiving means receiving the position identification information;

condition storage means for storing a condition for the position identification information received by the receiving means with respect to each of grasp states in which the object to be grasped is held by the grasping means; and

judging means for judging the grasp state in which the object to be grasped is held by the grasping means, the judging done on the basis of the position identification information received by the plurality of receiving means and the conditions stored in the condition storage means.

2. The grasp state judging system according to claim 1, wherein the grasping means is a glove.

3. The grasp state judging system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure sensor configured to detect the magnitude or presence of pressure when the object to be grasped is held by the grasping means, wherein the pressure sensor is mounted on one of the object to be grasped and the grasping means; and

wherein the judging means judges the grasp state in which the object to be grasped is held by the grasping means, the judging done on the basis of the magnitude or presence of pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

4. The grasp state judging system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a vibration sensor configured to detect the magnitude or presence of vibrations when the object to be grasped is held by the grasping means is mounted on one of the object to be grasped and the grasping means, and

wherein the judging means is configured to judge the grasp state in which the object to be grasped is held by the grasping means on the basis of the magnitude or presence of vibrations detected by the vibration sensor.

5. The grasp state judging system according to claim 1, wherein:

the transmitting means is RFID tag; and

the receiving means is RFID antenna.

6. A grasp state judging method, comprising:

mounting, on one of an object to be grasped and grasping means for grasping the object, a plurality of transmitting means each for transmitting position identification information;

mounting, on the other of the object to be grasped and the grasping means, a plurality of receiving means each for receiving the position identification information;

storing, in condition storage means, a condition for the position identification information received by the receiving means with respect to each of grasp states in which the object to be grasped is held by the grasping means; and

judging the grasp state in which the object to be grasped is held by the grasping means on the basis of the position identification information received by the plurality of receiving means and the conditions stored in the condition storage means.