Tactile sense presentation device, seat system, and tactile sense presentation method

Abstract

To provide a tactile sense presentation device, a seat system, and a tactile sense presentation method capable of mitigating sound generated by vibration of an object to which a vibration device is attached.SOLUTION: A tactile sense presentation device presents a tactile sense to a user of an object, and includes a plurality of vibration devices attached to the object, and a control unit capable of presenting a tactile sense to the user by performing drive control at least one of the plurality of vibration devices. Sound is generated from a surface of the object by driving at least one of the plurality of vibration devices. The control unit performs the drive control so that vibrations of a pair of vibration devices among the plurality of vibration devices are in opposite phases.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a tactile presentation device, a sheet system, and a tactile presentation method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been an information presentation device that includes a plurality of tactile stimuli provided on a seat so that the tactile stimuli provided can be sensed by the driver, a detection means for detecting the movement direction of a moving object present in the vicinity of the vehicle, and a presentation means for presenting information indicating the detected movement direction of the moving object by providing tactile stimuli to at least two of the plurality of tactile stimuli that correspond to the movement direction detected by the detection means in an order according to the detected movement direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-031946 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, conventional information presentation devices do not take measures against sounds generated from a sheet (target object) due to vibrations of a tactile stimulator.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tactile presentation device, a seat system, and a tactile presentation method that are capable of reducing the sound generated by vibration of an object to which a vibration device is attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A tactile presentation device of an embodiment of the present disclosure is a tactile presentation device that presents tactile sensations to a user of an object, and includes a plurality of vibration devices attached to the object, and a control unit that is capable of presenting tactile sensations to the user by driving and controlling at least one of the plurality of vibration devices to generate vibrations, wherein sound is generated from the surface of the object by driving at least one of the plurality of vibration devices, and the control unit drives and controls the vibrations of a pair of vibration devices among the plurality of vibration devices so that they are in opposite phase to each other.

[0007] A seat system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a seat system comprising a seat and a tactile presentation device for presenting tactile sensations to a user of the seat, the tactile presentation device comprising a plurality of vibration devices attached to the seat and a control unit capable of presenting tactile sensations to the user by driving and controlling at least one of the plurality of vibration devices to generate vibrations, wherein sound is generated from the surface of the seat by driving at least one of the plurality of vibration devices, and the control unit drives and controls the vibrations of a pair of vibration devices among the plurality of vibration devices so that they are in opposite phase to each other.

[0008] A tactile presentation method of an embodiment of the present disclosure is a tactile presentation method for presenting a tactile sensation to a user of an object, which is capable of presenting a tactile sensation to the user by driving and controlling at least one of a plurality of vibration devices attached to the object to generate vibrations, and includes a step of driving and controlling so that sound is generated from the surface of the object by driving at least one of the plurality of vibration devices, and so that the vibrations of a pair of vibration devices among the plurality of vibration devices are in opposite phase to each other. Effect of the Invention

[0009] It is possible to provide a tactile presentation device, a seat system, and a tactile presentation method that are capable of reducing the sound generated by vibration of an object to which a vibration device is attached. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle interior of a vehicle 10. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a tactile presentation device 100. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cross section taken along the line AA of a sheet 11 in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 1) of a sound pressure distribution. [Figure 4B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 1) of a sound pressure distribution. [Figure 4C] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 1) of a sound pressure distribution. [Figure 4D] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 1) of a sound pressure distribution. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation model used to obtain simulation results (part 2) of sound pressure distribution. [Figure 6A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 2). [Figure 6B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 2). [Figure 6C] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 2). [Figure 6D] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 2). [Figure 7A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 3). [Figure 7B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 3). [Figure 7C] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 3). [Figure 7D] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation result (part 3). [Figure 8A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing frequency characteristics of sound pressure at the position of microphone 20A in the simulation results of Part 3. [Figure 8B]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing frequency characteristics of sound pressure at the position of microphone 20B in the simulation results of Part 3. [Figure 9A] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining a method of selecting a pair of actuators 110 and a drive pattern. [Figure 9B] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining a method of selecting a pair of actuators 110 and a drive pattern. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of classification of events according to importance and urgency. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vibration pattern. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vibration pattern. [Figure 11C] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vibration pattern. [Figure 11D] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vibration pattern. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by a control unit 121. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments to which the tactile presentation device, sheet system, and tactile presentation method of the present disclosure are applied will be described.

[0012] <Embodiment> 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the interior of a vehicle 10. A seat 11 is arranged in the interior of the vehicle 10. The seat 11 has a backrest portion (seat back) 11A, a seat portion (seat cushion) 11B, a headrest 11C, and a seat fabric 11D. The backrest portion 11A, the seat portion 11B, and the headrest 11C are covered with the seat fabric 11D.

[0013] In this embodiment, an example of an object (hereinafter, simply referred to as "object") to which the tactile presentation device 100 described later is attached is a seat 11, and an example will be described in which the seat 11 is a driver's seat. For this reason, in the following, the user of the seat 11 is the driver. However, the seat 11 may be a seat provided in the vehicle 10, and may be, for example, a passenger seat or a rear seat. The seat 11 may also be provided in something other than the vehicle 10. In addition, an example of the object is not limited to the seat 11, and may be anything that is used in contact with at least a part of the user's body and that transmits vibrations of the object generated by the tactile presentation device 100 to at least a part of the body. For example, the object may be a wearable device (for example, a wristband type, a belt type, a wearing suit type, etc.), a device that supports a person with a hearing impairment or a visual impairment, or a device such as a power assist suit for work support. In the following, an example will be described in which the target object is the sheet 11, but the matters explained about the sheet 11, such as the explanation about the sound generated from the sheet 11, also apply to the case in which the target object is something other than the sheet 11.

[0014] A seat system 200 of this embodiment is installed in a vehicle 10. The seat system 200 includes a seat 11 and a tactile presentation device 100. The tactile presentation device 100 includes an actuator 110 and a control device 120. The actuator 110 is an example of a vibration device. In Fig. 1, the actuator 110 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0015] The tactile presentation device 100 is a device that presents a tactile sensation to a user seated on the seat 11 by driving and vibrating an actuator 110 provided in the seat 11. For example, the tactile sensation is presented to the user to inform the user of information related to the vehicle 10. In order to more reliably present a tactile sensation to the user, the acceleration of the vibration of the actuator 110 may be increased. However, when the acceleration of the vibration of the actuator 110 is increased, sound is more likely to be generated from the seat 11. The tactile presentation device 100 can perform drive control so that the vibrations of the pair of actuators 110 are in opposite phases to each other so that the sounds generated by the vibrations are cancelled out. This drive control causes the sounds generated by the vibrations of the seat 11 caused by the pair of actuators 110 to cancel each other out, so that the overall sound generated by the vibrations of the seat 11 is reduced.

[0016] As an example, four actuators 110 are built into each of the backrest 11A and the seat 11B. All the actuators 110 are covered with the seat fabric 11D. Also, as an example, the control device 120 is disposed on the back side of the dashboard. The following description will be given with reference to FIG. 2 in addition to FIG. 1.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tactile presentation device 100. Fig. 2 shows an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 12 in addition to the tactile presentation device 100. The ECU 12 is, as an example, an ECU that controls a navigation system of the vehicle 10. Note that, although a form in which the ECU 12 is an ECU that controls the navigation system will be described here, the ECU 12 may be an ECU other than the ECU that controls the navigation system. Furthermore, the control device 120 may be included in the ECU 12.

[0018] The actuator 110 is connected to a control device 120 via a communication cable 110A, and the control device 120 is connected to the ECU 12 via a communication cable 12A. The drive control of the actuator 110 is performed by the control device 120.

[0019] The communication cables 110A and 12A are, for example, communication cables conforming to the standard of CAN (Controller Area Network) or the like. Note that the communication between the actuator 110 and the ECU 12 and the control device 120 is not limited to wired communication via the communication cables 110A and 12A, and a part or all of the communication may be wireless communication.

[0020] The control device 120 has a control unit 121 and a memory 122. The control device 120 is realized by a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an input / output interface, an internal bus, and the like. The control unit 121 represents the functions of a program executed by the control device 120 as functional blocks. The memory 122 functionally represents the memory of the control device 120.

[0021] When the control unit 121 is notified of an event by the ECU 12, it reads out a vibration pattern corresponding to the type of event from the memory 122 and outputs a drive signal of the read vibration pattern to the actuator 110. As a result, the actuator 110 is driven with a vibration pattern corresponding to the type of the occurring event. The memory 122 stores programs, data, etc. that the control unit 121 uses to execute the tactile presentation method in the tactile presentation device 100. The memory 122 stores data (see FIG. 10 described later) that indicates a vibration pattern corresponding to the type of event.

[0022] <Configuration and Operation of Actuator 110> In the following, explanation will be made with reference to Fig. 3 in addition to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cross section of the seat 11 in Fig. 1 taken along the line AA. Fig. 3 shows the buttocks 1 of a user seated on the seat 11B, and also shows the frame 11F of the seat 11 below the seat 11B. There is a gap G between the seat surface of the seat 11B and the buttocks 1. The gap G exists on both the left and right sides of the buttocks 1.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 1, four actuators 110 are provided in each of the backrest 11A and the seat 11B in a 2 x 2 matrix arrangement. As shown in Fig. 3, the actuator 110 provided in the seat 11B is disposed on a cushion member 11B2 inside a through-hole 11B1 that passes through the seat 11B in the up-down direction. In other words, the actuator 110 is embedded in the seat 11B. A portion of the actuator 110 that is close to the user (the upper end of the actuator 110 provided in the seat 11B shown in Fig. 3) is covered with the seat fabric 11D.

[0024] 3 is close to the seat surface of the seat 11B, even if the pair of actuators 110 are driven to vibrate in opposite phases, the vibrations of each of the pair of actuators 110 are transmitted to the user's buttocks 1. The tactile presentation device 100 controls the drive so that the vibrations of the pair of actuators 110 are in opposite phases to each other so that the sound generated from the seat 11 by the vibration of the actuators 110 is reduced, but is still capable of presenting a tactile sensation to the user seated on the seat 11.

[0025] Even if the pair of actuators 110 are driven and controlled so that their vibrations are in phase with each other, the vibrations of each of the pair of actuators 110 are transmitted to the user's buttocks 1, so that a tactile sensation can be presented to the user sitting on the seat 11. Also, although the actuator 110 of the seat portion 11B has been described here, the same is true for the actuator 110 of the backrest portion 11A.

[0026] The actuator 110 is driven by a drive signal output from a control device 120 (see FIG. 2) to generate vibrations. Driving the actuator 110 causes a sheet 11, which serves as an object, to vibrate.

[0027] 2, the actuator 110 may have a vibrating body 111 and a housing 112. The vibrating body 111 is covered by the housing 112. When a drive signal is supplied to the actuator 110, the actuator 110 vibrates the vibrating body 111 based on the input drive signal. When the vibrating body 111 vibrates, the housing 112 also vibrates. The vibration of the actuator 110 is transmitted to the sheet 11.

[0028] The actuator 110 is driven by a drive signal to vibrate the vibrating body 111 relative to the housing 112. The actuator 110 may be any actuator that reduces the overall sound generated from the sheet 11 by controlling the drive of the pair of actuators 110 so that the vibrations of the actuators 110 are in opposite phase to each other. The actuator 110 may be, for example, a voice coil motor (VCM), a linear actuator (which may be either a resonant type or a non-resonant type), a piezoelectric actuator having a piezoelectric element as a vibrating body, or the like. The housing 112 may be any housing that covers the vibrating body 111, and one example is a box-shaped case made of resin. The actuator 110 is fixed to the sheet 11 by attaching the housing 112 to the sheet 11.

[0029] Here, the sound generated from the seat 11 due to the vibration of the actuator 110 will be described. When the actuator 110 vibrates, the seat fabric 11D covering the part of the actuator 110 close to the user (the upper end of the actuator 110 shown in FIG. 3) also vibrates. In this case, the surface of the seat 11 functions as a diaphragm of a speaker and can vibrate the surrounding air to generate sound. The frequency of the sound generated from the seat 11 matches the frequency of the drive signal input from the control unit 121 to the actuator 110. The sound generated from the seat 11 can become louder when a natural vibration occurs in the seat 11. In this way, the sound generated from the seat 11 is sound generated in conjunction with the vibration of the actuator 110.

[0030] <Sound pressure distribution simulation results (part 1)> 4A to 4D are diagrams showing an example of a simulation result (part 1) of the sound pressure distribution of the sound generated from the sheet 11 when the actuator 110 is driven and controlled. FIG. 4A shows a simulation result when the frequency of the drive signal input to the actuator 110 is set to 50 Hz. When the frequency of the drive signal is 50 Hz, the frequency of the sound generated from the sheet 11 is also 50 Hz, and the speed of sound under the condition of 1 atmospheric pressure and 20°C is about 343.24 m / sec, so the wavelength of the sound wave is about 6.8 m. FIG. 4B shows a simulation result when the frequency of the drive signal is set to 100 Hz. As above, when the frequency of the drive signal is 100 Hz, the wavelength of the sound wave is about 3.4 m. FIG. 4C shows a simulation result when the frequency of the drive signal is set to 200 Hz. As above, when the frequency of the drive signal is 200 Hz, the wavelength of the sound wave is about 1.7 m. FIG. 4D shows a simulation result when the frequency of the drive signal is set to 400 Hz. As above, when the frequency of the drive signal is 400 Hz, the wavelength of the sound wave is approximately 0.8 m.

[0031] The vibration frequencies that are easily detected by the sensory organs of the human skin are between about 50 Hz and about 500 Hz. For this reason, the frequencies of the drive signal were set to 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz, and 400 Hz. Note that the output strength of the drive signal for 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz, and 400 Hz is the same.

[0032] The top rows of Figures 4A to 4D show sound pressure distributions when a pair of actuators 110 are driven by drive signals of the same phase. The middle rows of Figures 4A to 4D show sound pressure distributions when a pair of actuators 110 are driven by drive signals of opposite phases. The bottom rows of Figures 4A to 4D show, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing sound pressure (Pa), the time change characteristics of sound pressure at the position of a microphone 20, described below, when the drive signals driving the pair of actuators 110 are switched from the same phase to opposite phases. Note that the sound pressure distributions in the top and middle rows of Figures 4A to 4D are distributions at the timing when the amplitude of the sound pressure is maximum.

[0033] In addition, in the sound pressure distributions in the top and middle rows of Figs. 4A to 4D, the simulation model of the seat 11B and buttocks 1 shown in Fig. 3 and the position of the microphone 20 where the sound pressure was measured are indicated by white circles. The position of the microphone 20 is 1 m above the center of the seat 11B in a plan view, and is assumed to be the position of the ears of a user sitting on the seat 11. The width of the seat 11B is 0.5 m, and the distance between the pair of actuators 110 (see Fig. 3) is 0.2 m. The width of the seat 11B is the lateral direction in the top and middle rows of Figs. 4A to 4B, and is the width direction of the vehicle 10. In addition, in the simulation, the sound speed was set to 343.24 m / sec, which is the sound speed at 1 atmospheric pressure and 20°C.

[0034] In addition, in the sound pressure distributions in the top and middle rows of Figures 4A to 4D, the range of sound pressure from low to high is shown in stages with gray shading (gradation) between white and black. The low sound pressure range is the range where the sound pressure has a negative value, and the high sound pressure range is the range where the sound pressure has a positive value. The sound pressure range that includes 0 Pa, which is the median sound pressure, is the range where the absolute value of sound pressure is the smallest (hereinafter referred to as the minimum sound pressure range).

[0035] FIG. 4A shows the result of driving a pair of actuators 110 with a drive signal of the same phase from 0 seconds to about 0.05 seconds, and driving a pair of actuators 110 with a drive signal of the opposite phase from about 0.05 seconds to about 0.1 seconds. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the drive signal is 50 Hz and in phase, a sound pressure fluctuating with an amplitude of about 0.15 Pa is obtained, and it was confirmed that when it is switched to the opposite phase, the sound pressure is gradually canceled and attenuated to about 0 Pa. As shown in the middle figure, most of the area around the microphone 20 is in the sound pressure minimum range or the sound pressure level range next to the sound pressure minimum range (one step above or one step below), and it was found that the sound was reduced. It was also confirmed that sound waves of opposite phases are distributed on both sides of the buttocks 1.

[0036] FIG. 4B shows the result of driving a pair of actuators 110 with a drive signal of the same phase from 0 seconds to about 0.025 seconds, and driving a pair of actuators 110 with a drive signal of the opposite phase from about 0.025 seconds to about 0.05 seconds. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the drive signal is 100 Hz and in phase, a sound pressure fluctuating with an amplitude of about 0.17 Pa is obtained, and when it is switched to the opposite phase, it was confirmed that the sound pressure is gradually canceled and attenuated to about 0 Pa. As shown in the middle figure, most of the area around the microphone 20 is in the sound pressure minimum range or the sound pressure level range next to the sound pressure minimum range (one step above or one step below), and it was found that the sound was reduced. It was also confirmed that sound waves of opposite phases are distributed on both sides of the buttocks 1. Compared to the case of 50 Hz shown in FIG. 4A, the range of sound pressure levels at or next to the minimum sound pressure range (one step above or one step below) is slightly smaller, and the amplitude of the sound pressure at the position of microphone 20 after switching to the opposite phase is slightly larger, confirming that the degree of sound cancellation is reduced.

[0037] FIG. 4C shows the result of driving a pair of actuators 110 with a drive signal of the same phase from 0 seconds to about 0.0125 seconds, and driving a pair of actuators 110 with a drive signal of the opposite phase from about 0.0125 seconds to 0.025 seconds. As shown in FIG. 4C, when the drive signal is 200 Hz and in phase, a sound pressure fluctuating with an amplitude of about 0.3 Pa is obtained, and when it is switched to the opposite phase, it was confirmed that the sound pressure is gradually canceled and attenuated to about 0.02 Pa. As shown in the middle figure, most of the area around the microphone 20 is in the sound pressure minimum range or the sound pressure level range next to the sound pressure minimum range (one step above or one step below), and it was found that the sound was reduced. It was also confirmed that sound waves of opposite phases are distributed on both sides of the buttocks 1. Compared to the 100Hz case shown in Fig. 4B, the range of sound pressure levels at or adjacent to the minimum sound pressure range (one step above or below) is smaller, and there is a distribution of areas with greater absolute sound pressure values ​​than the minimum sound pressure range or the range of sound pressure levels adjacent to the minimum sound pressure range. Also, compared to the 100Hz case shown in Fig. 4B, the amplitude after switching to the opposite phase is slightly larger, and it was confirmed that the degree of sound cancellation is reduced.

[0038] FIG. 4D shows the result of driving a pair of actuators 110 with a drive signal of the same phase from 0 seconds to about 0.00625 seconds, and driving a pair of actuators 110 with a drive signal of the opposite phase from about 0.00625 seconds to about 0.012 seconds. As shown in FIG. 4D, when the drive signal is 400 Hz and in phase, a sound pressure fluctuating with an amplitude of about 0.8 Pa is obtained, and it was confirmed that when it is switched to the opposite phase, the sound pressure is gradually canceled and the sound pressure becomes smaller. As shown in the middle figure, most of the area around the microphone 20 is in the sound pressure minimum range or the sound pressure level range next to the sound pressure minimum range (one step above or one step below), and it was found that the sound was reduced. It was also confirmed that sound waves of opposite phases are distributed on both sides of the buttocks 1. Compared to the 200Hz case shown in Fig. 4C, the range of sound pressure levels at or next to the minimum sound pressure range (one step above or below) is smaller, and areas with large absolute sound pressure values ​​are distributed throughout. Also, compared to the 200Hz case shown in Fig. 4C, the amplitude after switching to the opposite phase is larger, and it was confirmed that the degree of sound cancellation is further reduced.

[0039] Since sound waves become more directional as their frequency increases, in the case of 400 Hz, it is thought that the sound waves radiated diagonally upward from the gap G (see Figure 3) between the seat 11B and the buttocks 1 resulted in a large anti-phase sound wave distribution on both sides of the buttocks 1.

[0040] As described above, it was found that when the frequency of the drive signal is 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz, or 400 Hz, changing the phase of the drive signal for driving the pair of actuators 110 from the same phase to the opposite phase can cancel out the sound waves. This is also true for frequencies between the frequencies verified in the above simulation, that is, from more than 50 Hz to less than 100 Hz, from more than 100 Hz to less than 200 Hz, and from more than 200 Hz to less than 400 Hz. When the frequency of the drive signal is 50 Hz to 400 Hz, changing the phase of the drive signal for driving the pair of actuators 110 from the same phase to the opposite phase can cancel out the sound waves.

[0041] It was also found that when the frequency of the drive signal is 200 Hz or less, the effect of canceling sound waves is greater than when the frequency is higher than 200 Hz. It was also confirmed that when the vibration sound is output without being canceled, driving a pair of actuators 110 in phase produces sound pressure twice as high as when driving a single actuator 110.

[0042] Moreover, it is preferable that the pair of actuators 110 are of the same model. This is because the sound output characteristics are approximately the same. Moreover, the simulation results of Fig. 4A to Fig. 4D were obtained by driving a pair of actuators 110 arranged on the left and right sides of the seat portion 11B of the seat 11. Since the structure of the seat 11 is symmetrical, a good cancellation effect was obtained by simply making the phases of the drive signals driving the pair of actuators 110 opposite to each other. For example, when driving a pair of actuators 110 arranged in front of and behind the seat portion 11B of the seat 11 or when driving a pair of actuators 110 arranged above and below the backrest portion 11A, if a good cancellation effect cannot be obtained by simply making the phases opposite to each other, the output of the drive signals may be adjusted.

[0043] <Sound pressure distribution simulation results (part 2)> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a simulation model used to obtain the simulation result (part 2) of the sound pressure distribution. Fig. 5 shows the simulation model of the seat 11B and buttocks 1 shown in Fig. 3, and the positions of the two microphones 20A and 20B that measured the sound pressure with white circles. The position of the microphone 20A is 1 m above the center of the seat 11B in a plan view, which is assumed to be the position of the ears of a user sitting in the seat 11. The microphone 20B is located 1 m away from the microphone 20A in the width direction of the seat 11, which is assumed to be the position of the ears of a person sitting in the passenger seat.

[0044] The width of the seat 11B is 0.5 m, and the distance between the pair of actuators 110 (see FIG. 3) is 0.2 m. The height of the seat surface of the seat 11B is 0.06 m. The space in which the simulation was performed is 1.2 m high from the bottom surface of the seat 11B, and the width direction is a space ranging from 0.5 m to the left and 1.5 m to the right from the center of the seat 11B, as shown in FIG. 5. This space is surrounded by walls on both the left and right sides and a ceiling, with walls at a position 0.5 m to the left and 1.5 m to the right from the center of the seat 11B, and a ceiling at a position 1.2 m high from the bottom surface of the seat 11B. The simulation model shown in FIG. 5 shows the arrangement of the vehicle 10 when viewed from the front to the rear, and the driver's seat is located on the right side of the vehicle 10. In the simulation, the speed of sound was set to 343.24 m / s, which is the speed of sound at 1 atmospheric pressure and 20°C.

[0045] In such a simulation model, the frequencies of the drive signals driving the pair of actuators 110 (see FIG. 3) were set to 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz, and 400 Hz, and simulations were performed in phase and inverse phase, resulting in the sound pressure distributions shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D.

[0046] 6A to 6D are diagrams showing an example of a simulation result (part 2). In FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D, the sound pressure distribution of the sound generated from the sheet 11 when a pair of actuators 110 are driven by drive signals of the same phase is shown on the left, and the sound pressure distribution of the sound generated from the sheet 11 when a pair of actuators 110 are driven by drive signals of opposite phases is shown on the right. In FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D, the range from low to high sound pressure is shown in stages with gray shading (gradation) between white and black. The sound pressure distribution shown in FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D is the distribution at the timing when the amplitude of the sound pressure is maximum.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6A, in the case of a 50 Hz drive signal in phase, the sound pressure distribution showed a decrease with distance from the seat 11B. Because there is a wall on the left side of the seat 11B, the sound pressure is higher on the left side than on the right side of the seat 11B. The absolute value of the sound pressure at the position of the microphone 20B, which is at the position of the passenger's ear, was small. Also, in the case of the opposite phase, the sound pressure at the position of the microphone 20B was in the range of sound pressure levels next to the minimum sound pressure range (one step higher or one step lower), and although the absolute value of the sound pressure on the driver's seat side was slightly higher than that on the passenger's seat side, it was confirmed that a sufficient cancellation effect was obtained.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 6B, in the case of a 100Hz drive signal in phase, the sound pressure distribution decreased with increasing distance from the seat 11B, but the range of high sound pressure was wider than in the case of 50Hz. The absolute value of the sound pressure at the position of microphone 20B, which is at the position of the passenger's ear, was small. In addition, in the case of opposite phase, the positions of microphones 20A and 20B were within the sound pressure level range next to the minimum sound pressure range (one step above or below), confirming that a sufficient cancellation effect was obtained.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 6C, in the case of a 200Hz drive signal in phase, the sound pressure distribution decreased with increasing distance from the seat 11B, but the range of sound pressure was more varied than in the case of 100Hz. The absolute value of the sound pressure also increased at the position of the microphone 20B, which is located at the passenger's ear. In the case of the opposite phase, the absolute value of the sound pressure at the positions of the microphones 20A and 20B was slightly higher than the minimum sound pressure range, but it was confirmed that a sufficient cancellation effect was obtained.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 6D, in the case of the same phase with a 400 Hz driving signal, a distribution was observed in which the sound pressure changed from the seat 11B upward. This is thought to be because the higher the frequency, the stronger the directivity, and therefore the more sound waves propagated upward. In addition, a wider range of sound pressure was distributed than in the case of 200 Hz. Also, the absolute value of the sound pressure became larger at the position of the microphone 20B, which is at the position of the passenger's ear. In the case of the opposite phase, it was confirmed that the sound pressure was canceled out at the position of the microphone 20A, but since the directivity of the sound waves was strong at 400 Hz, it was confirmed that the sound waves were propagated from the gap G (see FIG. 3) between the seat 11B and the buttocks 1 toward the microphone 20B. Since the gap G changes significantly depending on the seating posture of the user of the seat 11, it was found that the sound pressure level on the passenger's side can change depending on the size and direction of the gap G.

[0051] <Sound pressure distribution simulation results (Part 3)> 7A to 7D are diagrams showing an example of a simulation result (part 3). In Fig. 7A to 7D, the sound pressure distribution when a pair of actuators 110 are driven by drive signals of the same phase is shown on the left, and the sound pressure distribution when a pair of actuators 110 are driven by drive signals of opposite phases is shown on the right. The sound pressure distributions shown in Fig. 7A to 7D are distributions at the timing when the amplitude of the sound pressure is maximum.

[0052] The simulation in Part 3 differs from the simulation in Part 2 in that the output of the drive signal was set so that the sound pressure level around microphone 20A when in phase was approximately the same level regardless of whether the drive signal frequency was 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz, or 400 Hz.

[0053] 7A to 7D, which show the simulation results for Part 3, show the distribution of sound pressure normalized to 70 dB at the position of microphone 20A in the case of in-phase. The range of sound pressure from 20 dB to 70 dB is shown in stages with gray shading (gradation) between white and black, from low to high sound pressure.

[0054] 7A to 7D, the sound pressure distribution in the case of the in-phase is the highest at the position of microphone 20A at 400 Hz. This is thought to be because the higher the frequency, the stronger the directivity becomes, and therefore the number of sound waves propagating upward increases.

[0055] Furthermore, when comparing the sound pressure distributions in the case of the opposite phase in FIGS. 7A to 7D, the sound pressure at the position of microphone 20B was the lowest at 50 Hz and the highest at 400 Hz.

[0056] Fig. 8A is a diagram showing frequency characteristics of sound pressure at the position of microphone 20A in the simulation results of Part 3. Fig. 8B is a diagram showing frequency characteristics of sound pressure at the position of microphone 20B in the simulation results of Part 3. In Figs. 8A and 8B, the sound pressure obtained by the in-phase drive signal is standardized to 70 dB, and the frequency characteristics of the sound pressure obtained by the opposite-phase drive signal are shown.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 8A, at the position of microphone 20A, which corresponds to the position of the driver's ear, the sound pressure obtained by the opposite phase drive signal was about 50 dB when the frequency of the drive signal was changed in increments of 50 Hz in the range of 50 Hz to 500 Hz. Therefore, it was confirmed that the sound pressure at the position of the driver's ear was reduced over the entire range from 50 Hz to 500 Hz.

[0058] Also, as shown in FIG. 8B, in the microphone 20B corresponding to the position of the passenger's ear, when the frequency of the drive signal is increased by 50 Hz from 50 Hz to 500 Hz, the sound pressure obtained by the opposite phase drive signal increases as the frequency increases. The reduction effect of the sound pressure by the opposite phase drive signal was observed in the range of 50 Hz to 400 Hz, and at 450 Hz, it was about 70 dB, which is almost the same as the same phase, and at 500 Hz, it was about 72 dB. In addition, when it is 200 Hz or less, a significant reduction effect of 10 dB or more was obtained. It was confirmed that the sound pressure at the position of the passenger's ear is reduced at 50 Hz to 400 Hz, but the reduction effect weakens as the frequency increases.

[0059] <How to Select and Drive a Pair of Actuators 110> 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining a method of selecting and a drive pattern of a pair of actuators 110. Seat 11 is a driver's seat and is located on the right side of vehicle 10. Therefore, a passenger seat (not shown) is located to the right of the seat shown in Fig. 9A and 9B (left side in vehicle 10).

[0060] As shown in Fig. 9A, when selecting a pair (two) of actuators 110 from the four actuators 110 of the seat 11B, a pair of actuators 110 located on the passenger seat side may be selected and driven with drive signals of opposite phases to each other to vibrate in opposite phases. In Fig. 9A, the triple solid arcs and triple dashed arcs shown for the pair of actuators 110 located on the passenger seat side indicate that they vibrate in opposite phases to each other and output sound waves of opposite phases.

[0061] By using such a driving method, the sound generated on the surface of the seat 11 can be cancelled on the passenger seat side, making it difficult for the passenger to hear the sound. When selecting a pair (two) of actuators 110 from the four actuators 110 of the backrest 11A, the pair of actuators 110 located on the passenger seat side may be selected and driven with drive signals of opposite phases. In this case as well, the same effect can be obtained.

[0062] 9B shows an X-axis and a Y-axis on the seat 11B. The X-axis and the Y-axis are two axes that intersect at right angles in a plane parallel to the seating surface of the seat 11B. The X-direction in which the X-axis extends is an example of a first direction, and the Y-direction in which the Y-axis extends is an example of a second direction that intersects with the first direction. The four actuators 110 on the seat 11B are arranged in a 2×2 matrix along each of the X-direction and the Y-direction.

[0063] When driving the four actuators 110 of the seat portion 11B, the actuators 110 adjacent to each other in the X direction and the Y direction may be controlled to vibrate in opposite phases. In Fig. 9B, the triple arcs of solid lines and the triple arcs of dashed lines indicate that the actuators vibrate in opposite phases to each other and output sound waves in opposite phases. The actuators 110 adjacent to each other in the X direction and the Y direction are a pair of actuators 110 whose vibrations are in opposite phases to each other.

[0064] In this way, by driving the actuators 110 adjacent to each other in both the X direction and the Y direction so that their vibrations are in opposite phase to each other, the effect of canceling noise around the seat 11 is significantly improved.

[0065] The four actuators 110 of the backrest 11A may also be driven so that the vibrations of adjacent actuators 110 in each of the first and second directions are in opposite phase to each other. In this case, the same effect can be obtained. Although the driving method of the four actuators 110 arranged in a 2×2 matrix has been described here, six actuators 110 arranged in a 2×3 or 3×2 matrix, nine actuators 110 arranged in a 3×3 matrix, or actuators 110 arranged in a matrix of even more numbers may also be driven so that the vibrations of adjacent actuators 110 in each of the first and second directions are in opposite phase to each other.

[0066] <How to use different vibration patterns depending on the event> Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of classification of events according to importance and urgency. Fig. 11A to Fig. 11D are diagrams showing an example of vibration patterns. In Fig. 11A to Fig. 11D, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the amplitude of the drive signal.

[0067] The tactile presentation device 100 can vibrate the seat 11 and generate sound from the surface of the seat 11 by driving any one of the actuators 110 to vibrate, or by driving a plurality of actuators 110 to vibrate with drive signals of the same phase. Such vibrations and sounds can notify (notify) the driver of information.

[0068] Furthermore, the tactile presentation device 100 can vibrate any two (a pair of) actuators 110 by driving them with drive signals of opposite phases, thereby vibrating the seat 11 and canceling out and reducing the overall sound generated from the surface of the seat 11. In this case, it is possible to notify (notify) the driver of information by vibration alone.

[0069] That is, the tactile presentation device 100 can select whether or not to make a sound when driving one or more actuators 110 to vibrate the seat 11. For example, the presence or absence of a sound may be set according to the importance and urgency of information to be notified (notified) to the driver. Here, an example of how to use the same phase and opposite phase vibration patterns will be described with reference to Fig. 10.

[0070] Fig. 10 is divided into four regions by the horizontal and vertical axes. The horizontal axis represents the degree of urgency, with the right half to the right of the vertical axis representing a high degree of urgency and the left half to the left of the vertical axis representing a low degree of urgency. The degree of urgency represents the degree to which the driver needs to be notified promptly. On the horizontal axis, the degree of urgency increases as one moves to the right and decreases as one moves to the left.

[0071] The vertical axis represents importance, with the upper half above the horizontal axis representing high importance and the lower half below the horizontal axis representing low importance. Importance represents the degree to which the information itself is important. The higher you go along the vertical axis, the higher the importance, and the lower you go along the vertical axis, the lower the importance. The point where the horizontal and vertical axes intersect is called the origin.

[0072] Also, the dashed line (diagonal dashed line) that extends diagonally from the upper left to the lower right through the origin is, as an example, a boundary that separates the presence and absence of sound. The area above the diagonal dashed line is an area that uses a drive method that drives with an in-phase drive signal to generate sound, and the area below the diagonal dashed line is an area that uses a drive method that drives with an opposite-phase drive signal to cancel out sound. The entire area of ​​high importance and high urgency in the upper right of Fig. 10, half of the area of ​​high importance and low urgency in the upper left, and half of the area of ​​low importance and high urgency in the lower right are areas that use a drive method that drives with an in-phase drive signal to generate sound, and the remaining areas are areas that use a drive method that drives with an opposite-phase drive signal to cancel out sound.

[0073] The area in the upper right of Fig. 10, which is of high importance and high urgency, includes, as examples, events related to safety functions of driving assistance, such as the driver not wearing a seat belt, collision mitigation braking, false start detection, pedestrian / approaching person detection, warning when entering a red light, driver drowsiness detection, blind spot information notification, and detection of accelerator pedal misapplication (acceleration suppression control).

[0074] The seat belt not fastened may include the passenger seat and the rear seat. The collision mitigation brake also includes the activation of brake control by the adaptive cruise control (ACC). The false start detection is an event that notifies the driver that the accelerator pedal is depressed and the vehicle 10 starts when there is an obstacle or person in front or behind. The pedestrian / nearby person detection is an event that notifies the driver of the presence of a pedestrian or a nearby person around the vehicle 10. The red light entry warning is an event that notifies the driver of a state when a red light is detected in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 and the vehicle is traveling without stopping. The driver's drowsiness detection is an event that notifies the driver of the state when an image of the driver is acquired by a camera and a state in which the driver's eyes are about to close is detected. The blind spot information notification is an event that notifies the driver of the existence of a blind spot when a blind spot for the driver is detected by an in-vehicle camera or the like. Accelerator pedal misapplication detection (acceleration suppression control) is an event that notifies the driver that the accelerator pedal has been depressed when there is an obstacle or person in front or behind the vehicle.

[0075] Also, the actuators 110 may be vibrated with different vibration patterns for each event. For example, in the case of erroneous start detection, vibration may be repeated at short periods to heighten the sense of urgency. For example, as shown in FIG. 11A, the seat 11 may be vibrated with a vibration pattern in which two drive signals for CH (channel) 1 and CH (channel) 2 are used to drive a pair of actuators 110 in phase for 50 ms (milliseconds) and then stop the actuators 110 for 50 ms. For events other than erroneous start detection, the vibration pattern may be designed according to the content of the event.

[0076] These events are events with a high degree of urgency among safety-related events, so when the ECU 12 notifies the occurrence of an event, the tactile presentation device 100 drives the actuator 110 with a drive signal of the same phase to generate vibration and sound. In other words, the driver is notified with sound.

[0077] Also, in the upper left of Fig. 10, as examples of events to support the driver, there are detection of switching from automatic driving to manual driving, notification of low fuel level, and notification of low tire pressure. Detection of switching from automatic driving to manual driving is an event that notifies the driver that the vehicle 10 has switched from automatic driving mode to manual driving (a mode that does not use the automatic driving function) when the vehicle 10 is equipped with an automatic driving function. Notification of low fuel level is an event that notifies the driver that the remaining fuel level has decreased to a predetermined value or lower. Notification of low tire pressure is an event that notifies the driver that the tire pressure has decreased to a predetermined value or lower.

[0078] When a switch from automatic driving to manual driving, which is of high importance, is detected, the driver is notified with a sound, whereas when a notification of low fuel level and low tire pressure, which are of relatively low importance, are detected, the driver is notified without a sound. Since there are sound alerts in the cabin of the vehicle 10 associated with the operation of various functions installed in the vehicle 10, such as voice guidance for the navigation system, sound is generated in association with the vibration of the actuator 110 only when the importance is relatively high, and therefore when the importance is relatively low, notification is given only by vibration without a sound.

[0079] Also, the actuator 110 may be vibrated with a different vibration pattern for each event. For example, in the case of tire pressure reduction notification, four drive signals CH1 to CH4 shown in FIG. 11B can be used. For the four actuators 110 of the seat 11B (see FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B), the drive signals CH1 and CH2 in opposite phases are input to the two actuators 110 at the front and rear on the right side, and the drive signals CH3 and CH4 in opposite phases are input to the two actuators 110 at the front and rear on the left side. The drive signals CH1 and CH2 and the drive signals CH3 and CH4 are both drive signals that repeat on / off at 100 Hz, but the periods during which they repeat on / off are staggered. By using such four drive signals CH1 to CH4, the right and left sides of the seat 11B vibrate alternately at 100 Hz, so that it is possible to express the sensation that the seat 11B is swaying from side to side. For events other than tire pressure reduction notification, the vibration pattern may be designed according to the contents of the event.

[0080] Also, in the lower right of FIG. 10, as an example, there are a stop line notification, lane departure detection, legal speed limit exceeding notification, hands-off attention notification, and preceding vehicle departure notification as events related to the driving assistance function. The stop line notification, lane departure detection, and legal speed limit exceeding notification are notifications performed in conjunction with a navigation system, and are events that notify that there is a stop line ahead, that the lane (driving lane) has been deviated, and that the legal speed limit has been exceeded, respectively. The hands-off attention notification is an event that issues an attention notification when it is detected that both hands have been removed from the steering wheel in a case where the vehicle 10 is equipped with an automatic driving function. The preceding vehicle departure notification is an event that notifies that the preceding vehicle has started to move when the vehicle 10 and a vehicle (preceding vehicle) in front of the vehicle 10 are stopped and the preceding vehicle starts to move.

[0081] Of these, the stop line notification, lane departure detection, and legal speed limit exceeding notification are notified to the driver with sound because the degree of urgency is relatively high. The hands-off attention alert and preceding vehicle departure notification are notified to the driver without sound because the degree of urgency is relatively low. Since sounds are generated in association with the operation of various functions within the vehicle 10, sound is generated in association with the vibration of the actuator 110 only when the degree of urgency is relatively high. Therefore, when the degree of urgency is relatively low, notification is given only by vibration without sound.

[0082] Also, the actuator 110 may be vibrated with a different vibration pattern for each event. For example, in the case of a preceding vehicle departure notification, for a pair of actuators 110 among the four actuators 110 (see Figs. 9A and 9B) of the backrest 11A, as shown in Fig. 11C, the drive signals of CH1 and CH2 that repeat on / off at 100 Hz for two periods (a period from 0 seconds to about 0.25 seconds and a period from about 0.5 seconds to about 0.75 seconds) may be input in opposite phase. The drive signals of CH1 and CH2 are in opposite phase, but the period of repeating on / off is equal. Also, as shown in Fig. 11C, the amplitude gradually decreases during the period of repeating on / off.

[0083] By using such drive signals of CH1 and CH2, the driver feels as if he / she has been hit twice on the back by the vibration of the backrest 11A, and can recognize from the vibration alone that it is time to start moving after the preceding vehicle. For events other than the notification that the preceding vehicle is starting, the vibration pattern can be designed according to the content of the event.

[0084] Also, in the lower left of FIG. 10, as examples of events related to functions that provide information support to the driver, there are parking assistance notification, massage, email / telephone (phone) notification, and merging point attention alert. The parking assistance notification is an event that notifies the driver when an obstacle or the like is detected when parking the vehicle 10 in a parking space. The massage is an event that massages the driver using vibrations caused by driving the actuator 110. The email / telephone (phone) notification is an event that notifies the driver of the receipt of an email or an incoming phone call. The merging point attention alert is a notification that is performed in conjunction with a navigation system, and is an event that notifies the driver that there is a merging point where lanes merge ahead in the direction of travel.

[0085] These events are low in importance and urgency, so it is sufficient to drive a pair of actuators 110 with drive signals of opposite phases. Because sound alerts are generated in association with the operation of various functions inside the vehicle 10, when the importance and urgency of an event are low, a notification by vibration alone without sound is sufficient.

[0086] Also, the actuator 110 may be vibrated with a different vibration pattern for each event. For example, in the case of email / phone notification, four drive signals CH1 to CH4 shown in FIG. 11D can be used. For the four actuators 110 (see FIG. 9B) of the seat 11B, if the vibrations of adjacent actuators 110 in each of the X and Y directions among the four actuators 110 are driven and controlled to have opposite phases, as shown in FIG. 9B, the seat 11B can be vibrated to notify the driver of the receipt of an email or a phone call while reducing the generation of noise. For events other than email / phone notification, the vibration pattern can be designed according to the contents of the event.

[0087] The memory 122 of the control device 120 stores data associating the types of events included in the classification of events according to importance and urgency in FIG. 10 with vibration patterns corresponding to the types of events (see FIG. 11).

[0088] In FIG. 10, a driving method is described in which the events above the diagonal dashed line are driven by a drive signal of the same phase to generate sound and vibration, and the events below the diagonal dashed line are driven by a drive signal of the opposite phase to cancel out the sound and generate only vibration. However, the use of the drive signal of the same phase and the drive signal of the opposite phase is not limited to this. For example, the drive signal of the same phase may be set only for the events included in the upper right region of FIG. 10, and the drive signal of the opposite phase may be set for the events included in the upper left, lower right, and lower left regions. Also, for example, the drive signal of the same phase may be set only for the events included in the upper right, upper left, and lower right regions of FIG. 10, and the drive signal of the opposite phase may be set for the events included in the lower left region. Also, for example, for the events for which the drive signal of the opposite phase is set in the above description, when the drive time of the actuator 110 becomes a predetermined time or more, the drive signal may be switched to the drive signal of the same phase to drive the actuator 110. Conversely, for an event in which a drive signal of the same phase is set as described above, when the drive time of the actuator 110 reaches or exceeds a predetermined time, the drive signal may be switched to a drive signal of the opposite phase.

[0089] <Flowchart> 12 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the control unit 121. The tactile presentation method according to the embodiment is realized in the tactile presentation device 100 by the processing shown in FIG.

[0090] The control unit 121 determines whether or not an event has been notified from the ECU 12 (step S1). If the control unit 121 determines that an event has not been notified (S1: NO), the control unit 121 repeatedly executes the process of step S1 until an event is notified from the ECU 12.

[0091] When the control unit 121 determines in step S1 that an event has been notified (S1: YES), it reads out data of a vibration pattern corresponding to the type of event from the memory 122 (step S2).

[0092] The control unit 121 generates a drive signal using the read vibration pattern data, and outputs the generated drive signal to the actuator 110 (step S3). As a result, a tactile sensation is presented to the driver sitting in the seat 11.

[0093] By the process of step S3, for example, the pair of actuators 110 may be driven by drive signals of opposite phases, the pair of actuators 110 may be driven by drive signals of the same phase, or any one of the actuators 110 may be driven by a drive signal, etc. In other words, the control unit 121 can switch between controlling the drive so that the vibrations of the pair of actuators 110 are in opposite phases or in the same phase, depending on the event that occurs.

[0094] The control unit 121 determines whether or not to end the series of processes (step S4), for example, when the ignition switch of the vehicle 10 is turned off.

[0095] When the control unit 121 determines not to end the series of processes (S4: NO), it returns the flow to step S1 in order to continue the process from step S1. On the other hand, when the control unit 121 determines to end the series of processes (S4: YES), it ends the series of processes (end).

[0096] <Effects> As described above, the control unit 121 controls the driving of a pair of actuators 110 among the multiple actuators 110 so that the vibrations of the pair of actuators 110 are in opposite phase to each other. Sounds generated from the surface of the sheet 11 due to the vibrations of the pair of actuators 110 cancel each other out and are reduced overall.

[0097] Therefore, it is possible to provide a tactile presentation device 100, a seat system 200, and a tactile presentation method that are capable of reducing sounds generated by vibrations of an object such as the seat 11 to which the actuator 110 is attached.

[0098] Furthermore, the control unit 121 drives and controls the actuators 110 at a drive frequency selected according to the event that has occurred, and the drive frequency is 50 Hz or more and 400 Hz or less. If the drive frequency is in the range of 50 Hz or more and 400 Hz or less, for example, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, when a pair of actuators 110 are driven with drive signals of opposite phases, sound can be effectively reduced in both the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. Therefore, sound caused by vibration of the seat 11 is difficult to be sensed by the driver and the passenger in the passenger's seat, and information can be notified (notified) to the driver by vibration.

[0099] Furthermore, the control unit 121 controls the driving so that the vibrations of the pair of actuators 110 are in opposite phase to each other and so that the vibrations cancel out sounds generated from the surface of an object such as the seat 11. Since the vibrations cancel out sounds generated from the surface of an object such as the seat 11 and reduce the overall sound level, it is possible to notify (notify) information to the driver by vibration alone.

[0100] The target object is seat 11 on which a user sits, and multiple actuators 110 are embedded in seat 11. Therefore, actuators 110 are not exposed on the surface of seat 11, and the design of seat 11 is maintained, while information can be notified (notified) to the driver by vibration.

[0101] Furthermore, the multiple actuators 110 are arranged in a matrix along a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction within the seat 11, and the control unit 121 controls the driving of the multiple actuators 110 so that the vibrations of adjacent actuators 110 in each of the first direction and the second direction are in opposite phase to each other. This results in a very high noise cancellation effect around the seat 11.

[0102] In addition, the control unit 121 can switch between driving and controlling the pair of actuators 110 so that the vibrations of the actuators 110 are in opposite phases to each other, or in the same phase, depending on the event that has occurred. If the actuators 110 are vibrated in opposite phases, the sounds generated by the seat 11 are cancelled out and reduced overall, so that information can be notified only by vibration. If the actuators 11 are vibrated in the same phase, the sounds generated by the seat 11 are not cancelled out, so that information can be notified by vibration and sound. Therefore, it is possible to switch between emitting and not emitting sound depending on the type of event that has occurred. In the cabin of the vehicle 10, there are voice guidance for navigation and sounds that are generated in association with the operation of various functions installed in the vehicle 10, so by being able to switch between emitting and not emitting sound, appropriate information can be transmitted depending on the event that has occurred.

[0103] The above describes exemplary embodiments of the tactile presentation device, sheet system, and tactile presentation method of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1 buttocks 10 Vehicles 11 Sheet (example of object) 11A Backrest 11B Seat area 100 Tactile presentation device 110 Actuator (an example of a vibration device) 120 Control device 121 Control Unit 122 Memory 200 Seat System

Claims

1. A tactile presentation device that presents a tactile sensation to a user of an object, comprising: A plurality of vibration devices attached to the object; a control unit capable of driving and controlling at least one of the plurality of vibration devices to generate vibration and present a tactile sensation to the user; Equipped with a sound is generated from a surface of the object by driving at least one of the plurality of vibration devices; The control unit controls the drive of a pair of vibration devices among the plurality of vibration devices so that the vibrations of the pair of vibration devices are in opposite phases to each other.

2. The control unit drives and controls the vibration devices at a drive frequency selected in response to an event that has occurred; The tactile presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive frequency is equal to or greater than 50 Hz and equal to or less than 400 Hz.

3. The tactile presentation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the drive so that vibrations of the pair of vibration devices are in opposite phases to each other and so that sounds generated from the surface of the object by the vibrations cancel each other out.

4. the object is a seat on which the user sits, The tactile presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vibration devices are embedded in the sheet.

5. the plurality of vibration devices are arranged in a matrix in the sheet along a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, The tactile presentation device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit drives and controls the vibrations of adjacent vibration devices among the plurality of vibration devices in each of the first direction and the second direction so that the vibrations have opposite phases.

6. The tactile presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is capable of switching between driving and controlling the vibrations of the pair of vibration devices so that they are in phase with each other or in phase with each other depending on an occurring event.

7. A seat, a tactile sensation providing device for providing a tactile sensation to a user of the seat; A seat system comprising: The tactile presentation device comprises: A plurality of vibration devices attached to the seat; a control unit capable of driving and controlling at least one of the plurality of vibration devices to generate vibration and present a tactile sensation to the user; Equipped with a sound is generated from a surface of the seat by driving at least one of the plurality of vibration devices; The control unit controls the drive of a pair of vibration devices among the plurality of vibration devices so that the vibrations of the pair of vibration devices are in opposite phases to each other.

8. A tactile sensation presentation method for presenting a tactile sensation to a user of an object, comprising: At least one of a plurality of vibration devices attached to the object is driven and controlled to generate vibrations, thereby being able to present a tactile sensation to the user, and sound is generated from a surface of the object by driving at least one of the plurality of vibration devices; A step of driving and controlling a pair of vibration devices among the plurality of vibration devices so that the vibrations of the pair of vibration devices have opposite phases to each other. A tactile presentation method comprising:

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