Vibration modality switching system for providing navigation guidance

• US 9,202,353 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sisbot, Emrah Akin, Cosgun, Akansel, Nakano, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Shirley
• Application Number:
  US14/012,283
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 701/412
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/061 with electronic detecting or guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 1/00 Measuring angles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/457 by analysing connectivity, e.g. edge linking, connected component analysis or slices
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

The disclosure includes a system and method for switching vibration modalities based on conditions to provide navigation guidance. The system includes a tactile belt and a computing device. The computing device includes a modality module for receiving path data describing a path planned for a user associated with a tactile belt and location data describing a location of the user associated with the tactile belt, determining condition data based on the path data and the location data and determining a vibration modality based on the condition data. The condition data describes a direction change. The vibration modality describes a pattern for vibration and indicates a vibration signal. The system applies the vibration signal indicated by the vibration modality to the tactile belt to instruct the user associated with the tactile belt to follow the path.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving path data describing a path planned for a user associated with a tactile belt and location data describing a location of the user associated with the tactile belt;

determining, based on the path data and the location data, condition data describing a direction change value and a period of time that has lapsed since a last direction change occurred;

determining a vibration modality based on the direction change value and the period of time that has lapsed since the last direction change occurred, the vibration modality describing a pattern for vibration and indicating a vibration signal; and

applying the vibration signal indicated by the vibration modality to the tactile belt to instruct the user associated with the tactile belt to follow the path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibration modality includes at least one of a periodic direction update modality, a large direction update modality, a large rotation update modality, a reinforcement modality and a stop modality.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibration signal includes at least one of a periodic impulse vibration signal, a constant vibration signal, a rotation vibration signal, a directional wave vibration signal and a stop vibration signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition data further describes if the direction change value is larger than a certain amount.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition data also includes rotation data that indicates if a user rotation is needed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition data also includes destination data that indicates if a destination is within a certain distance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibration modality is a reinforcement modality determined based on the direction change value being less than a certain amount and the period of time that has lapsed since the last direction change satisfying a certain time period.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reinforcement modality instructs the user associated with the tactile belt to keep following an existing direction.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein applying the vibration signal includes applying a directional wave vibration signal associated with the reinforcement modality, the directional wave vibration signal including synchronized vibration commands causing different motors of the tactile belt to vibrate synchronously in a directional wave pattern.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors, the processors being configured to;

receive path data describing a path planned for a user associated with a tactile belt and location data describing a location of the user associated with the tactile belt;

determine, based on the path data and the location data, condition data describing a direction change value and a period of time that has lapsed since a last direction change occurred;

determine a vibration modality based on the direction change value and the period of time that has lapsed since the last direction change occurred, the vibration modality describing a pattern for vibration and indicating a vibration signal; and

apply the vibration signal indicated by the vibration modality to the tactile belt to instruct the user associated with the tactile belt to follow the path.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the vibration modality includes at least one of a periodic direction update modality, a large direction update modality, a large rotation update modality, a reinforcement modality and a stop modality.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the vibration signal includes at least one of a periodic impulse vibration signal, a constant vibration signal, a rotation vibration signal, a directional wave vibration signal and a stop vibration signal.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the condition data further describes if the direction change value is larger than a certain amount.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the condition data also includes rotation data that indicates if a user rotation is needed.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the condition data also includes destination data that indicates if a destination is within a certain distance.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the vibration modality is a reinforcement modality determined based on the direction change value being less than a certain amount and the period of time that has lapsed since the last direction change satisfying a certain time period.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the reinforcement modality instructs the user associated with the tactile belt to keep following an existing direction.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein applying the vibration signal includes applying a directional wave vibration signal associated with the reinforcement modality, the directional wave vibration signal including synchronized vibration commands causing different motors of the tactile belt to vibrate synchronously in a directional wave pattern.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive path data describing a path planned for a user associated with a tactile belt and location data describing a location of the user associated with the tactile belt;

determine, based on the path data and the location data, condition data describing a direction change value and a period of time that has lapsed since a last direction change occurred;

determine a vibration modality based on the direction change value and the period of time that has lapsed since the last direction change occurred, the vibration modality describing a pattern for vibration and indicating a vibration signal; and

apply the vibration signal indicated by the vibration modality to the tactile belt to instruct the user associated with the tactile belt to follow the path.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the vibration modality includes at least one of a periodic direction update modality, a large direction update modality, a large rotation update modality, a reinforcement modality and a stop modality.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the vibration signal includes at least one of a periodic impulse vibration signal, a constant vibration signal, a rotation vibration signal, a directional wave vibration signal and a stop vibration signal.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the condition data further describes if the direction change value is larger than a certain amount.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the condition data also includes rotation data that indicates if a user rotation is needed.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the condition data also includes destination data that indicates if a destination is within a certain distance.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the vibration modality is a reinforcement modality determined based on the direction change value being less than a certain amount and the period of time that has lapsed since the last direction change satisfying a certain time period.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the reinforcement modality instructs the user associated with the tactile belt to keep following an existing direction.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein applying the vibration signal includes applying a directional wave vibration signal associated with the reinforcement modality, the directional wave vibration signal including synchronized vibration commands causing different motors of the tactile belt to vibrate synchronously in a directional wave pattern.