System for applying tactile stimulation to the controller of unmanned vehicles

• US 8,299,905 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quentin King
• Original Assignee: Quentin King
• Inventors: King, Quentin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US12/421,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 340/7.6, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/539.17, 340/407.2, 701/2, 715/702, 715/701, 434/113, 434/114, 341/27, 414/5
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/005 by providing the operator with signals other than visual, e.g. acoustic, haptic
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

A system 1 for applying tactile stimulation to the controller of a remote vehicle. The system 1 includes one or more sensors 2 disposed on the remote vehicle and configured to measure a physical property of the remote vehicle and generate output data indicative thereof. A transmitter 3 is disposed in the remote vehicle and is in communication with the sensor(s) 2 to receive the output data where the transmitter 3 is configured to send the output data to the controller at a remote location. The system 1 further includes a tactile stimulator 4 configured to be placed in directly or indirectly in contact with a skin surface of the controller of the remote vehicle to whom an output of the tactile stimulation is to be provided. The tactile stimulator 4 is in communication with the output of the sensor 2 to deliver tactile stimulation corresponding to the magnitude of the sensed physical property.

Claims

1. A system for applying tactile stimulation to a controller of a remote vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensor disposed on the remote vehicle and configured to measure a physical property of the remote vehicle and generate output data indicative thereof;

a transmitter associated with the remote vehicle and in communication with the sensor to receive the output data, the transmitter configured to send the output data to the controller at a remote location; and

a tactile stimulator configured to be placed in direct or indirect contact with a skin or epidermal surface of the controller of the remote vehicle to whom an output of the tactile stimulation is to be provided, the tactile stimulator in communication with the output of the sensor to deliver tactile stimulation corresponding to a magnitude of the sensed physical property such that the tactile stimulator operates independently of a direct control mechanism disposed on the remote vehicle operated by the controller to operate the remote vehicle.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the output of the sensor is converted into data communicable to the controller of the remote vehicle after being interpreted and/or manipulated on the remote vehicle or at the remote location of the controller.

3. A system according to claim 1 including a receiver disposed on the remote vehicle to provide communication from the controller to the remote vehicle.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein the tactile stimulation applied to the remote vehicle controller is in the form of hot or cold sensations, electrical stimulation or vibration stimulation.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the tactile alarm is connected to a body part of the controller of the remote vehicle.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein the body part is selected from the group consisting of hand, finger, finger nail, wrist, forearm, arm, chest, pelvis, abdomen, torso front and back, scalp, ear, forehead, neck, shoulder, leg, calf, foot, and toe.

7. A system according to claim 5 wherein the body part is selected from the group consisting of epithelial epidermal, ectodermal, mucsoal, mesothelial, mesodermal, endodermal and endothelial tissue.

8. A system according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of sensors each configured to measure a different physical property of the remote vehicle and each generate output data indicative thereof.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein the measured physical property of the remote vehicle by the sensors include altitude, air speed, roll, pitch, yaw, wind speed, changes in altitude, changes in air speed, wind shear, experienced G forces, and direction or orientation or changes thereto.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein the remote vehicle is a manned or an unmanned remote aerial vehicle, a remote land vehicle, or a remote marine vehicle.

11. A system according to claim 1 including a plurality of tactile stimulators each configured to be placed in contact with the skin surface of the controller of the remote vehicle, each tactile stimulator configured to provide tactile stimulation to the controller of the remote vehicle in response to a corresponding sensed physical property of the remote vehicle.

12. A system according to claim 1 wherein tactile stimulation is applied to the controller of the remote vehicle in response to one or more of the sensed physical properties falling outside a predetermined range or changing at a rate that is outside a predetermined range.

13. A system according to claim 1 wherein the tactile stimulator is configured to provide tactile stimulation corresponding in intensity, magnitude, amplitude, frequency and/or spatial location with the magnitude of the measured physical property.

14. A system for applying tactile stimulation to a human controller of a remote vehicle, the system comprising:

a sensor disposed on the remote vehicle and configured to measure a physical property of the remote vehicle and generate output data indicative thereof;

a transmitter associated with the remote vehicle and in communication with the sensor to receive the output data, the transmitter configured to send the output data to the human controller at a remote location; and

a tactile stimulator configured to be placed in direct or indirect contact with a skin or epidermal surface of the human controller of the remote vehicle to whom an output of the tactile stimulation is to be provided, the tactile stimulator in communication with the output of the sensor to deliver tactile stimulation corresponding to a magnitude of the sensed physical property, wherein the tactile stimulator is characterized in that it delivers tactile stimulation to the skin of the human controller and characterized by the absence of control signals from the tactile stimulator to control the remote vehicle;

wherein the tactile stimulator is coupled directly to a body part of the human controller such that the human controller receives tactile stimulation from the transmitter independent of whether the human controller is actively engaged in controlling the remote vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the body part is selected from the group consisting of forearm, arm, chest, pelvis, abdomen, torso front and back, scalp, ear, forehead, neck, shoulder, leg, calf, foot, and toe.

16. The system according to claim 14 wherein tactile stimulator is coupled to both the chest and the back of the human controller.