Method and apparatus for informing a user of the position of an information source relative to the user position

• US 8,198,989 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Astrium GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Astrium GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Trautenberg, Hans L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl
• Application Number:
  US12/506,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20100013611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/407.1, 340/3.1, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

In a process for informing a user regarding the position of an information source relative to the user'"'"'s position, the position of an information source is first determined relative to the user. Thereafter, a tactile or electrical stimulus is generated, for directly affecting the user in a location that corresponds to the determined position of the information source. In one embodiment of the invention, tactile or electrical actuators are disposed at locations within a garment, such as a pilot'"'"'s uniform at locations which correspond to possible locations of the information source.

Claims

1. A process for informing a user concerning the position of an information source relative to the user'"'"'s own position, said process comprising:

determining the position of an information source relative to the user'"'"'s position;

determining a location on a body of the user corresponding to the determined position of the information source;

selecting one or more actuators from a plurality of actuators in different positions on the user'"'"'s body using the determined location on the user'"'"'s body; and

generating using the selected one or more actuators, one of tactile and electrical stimuli for direct application to the user in the location on the user'"'"'s body corresponding to the determined position of the information source.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein generating tactile or electrical stimuli comprises:

generating control signals for the selected one or more actuators for directly affecting the user; and

transmitting the generated control signals to the selected one or more actuators.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of actuators include at least one of tactile and electrical actuators.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein generating tactile or electrical stimuli for directly affecting the user further comprises adjusting the intensity of the stimuli as a function of parameters of the information source.

5. The process according to claim 4, wherein a parameter of the information source is one of a distance to the information source from the user, a degree of danger to the user caused by the information source, speed of the information source, and a movement direction of the information source.

6. A system for informing a user concerning the position of an information source relative to the user position, said system comprising:

a device for determining the position of an information source with respect to the user position;

a transmitter which generates tactile or electrical stimuli for directly affecting the user; and

a tactile or electric stimulator arrangement comprising a plurality of actuators, wherein the transmitter is configured to generate tactile or electrical stimuli using selected ones of the plurality of actuators for stimulating the user in a location on the user'"'"'s body corresponding to the determined position of the information source.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the actuators include tactile and/or electrical actuators.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the devices for generating tactile and/or electrical stimuli for directly affecting the user are also constructed such that they can adjust the intensity of the stimuli as function of parameters of the information source.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein a parameter of the information source comprises one of a distance of the information source from the user, a degree of danger to the user caused by the information source, a speed of the information source, and a movement direction of the information source.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of actuators are integrated in a pilot'"'"'s uniform.