A circuit arrangement for simulating the generation of a stable virtual taste

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of circuit and device for simulating stable virtual taste, including master module, electric stimulation module, temperature control module, power supply module, button module, wireless communication module and display module.The design of bidirectional constant current source in electric stimulation module can generate stable current of certain size and frequency, and through taste output part, virtual taste is generated by stimulating human tongue under the cooperation of temperature control module.Power supply module is used for power supply management of the whole device, and supports wired and wireless charging modes.Button module is used for directly switching taste mode, and remote control and monitoring of virtual taste can also be realized by connecting mobile phone end through wireless communication module.The whole circuit structure is simple, stable and reliable, convenient to use, and low in cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of virtual technology, and in particular to a circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste. Background Technology

[0002] In existing technologies, some users want to obtain a taste experience without consuming high-sugar and high-salt foods, while also having a need to eliminate or alter bitterness. Therefore, it is necessary to use relevant devices to achieve taste simulation, and how to balance the taste experience through technical means has become a research direction.

[0003] There are five basic tastes: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. The various tastes we usually experience are the result of a mixture of these five tastes. Research has shown that by using induction technology, and by adjusting the magnitude, temperature, and frequency of the current, and combining the current and temperature with the senses of the tongue, users can "taste a hundred flavors without physical objects."

[0004] Research on simulating food taste with high precision using bioelectric signals is currently in an experimental stage of continuous improvement and adjustment. The designed devices may provide unstable current or have too simplistic charging methods. If the current provided is unstable, it can lead to distorted taste experiences, abnormal intensity, and even physiological reactions such as discomfort in the mouth and tongue, and nausea, thus reducing the user experience of related products. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a circuit device for simulating and generating a stable virtual taste.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: a circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste, including a main control module and its connected electrical stimulation module, temperature control module, power supply module, button module, wireless communication module, and display module.

[0007] The electrical stimulation module adopts a bidirectional constant current source design, which can realize a stable current output with adjustable frequency. It is connected to the main control module through an analog switch, and is also connected to the power supply module and the flavor output section. The power supply module features filtering and voltage regulation, and offers both wireless and wired charging options. The button module has a debouncing design to prevent transient voltage changes. The wireless communication module enables the reporting of data to the mobile app and the sending of instructions from the app to the hardware system, thereby enabling the app to remotely control the hardware system. The temperature control module has a temperature control function, which can keep the temperature within a certain range to ensure stable hot and cold stimulation of the tongue, and, in conjunction with the current magnitude, simulate the generation of taste.

[0008] Preferably, the electrical stimulation module generates bioelectrical signals that come into direct contact with the human body; it employs a bidirectional constant current source scheme, which mainly consists of analog switches and operational amplifiers, wherein: A first operational amplifier U1 is provided, whose non-inverting input terminal is connected to the input voltage V+ via resistor R14, and whose inverting input terminal is connected to the input voltage V- via resistor R13; there is a feedback path, which is connected to the output terminal and the inverting input terminal of the first operational amplifier U1 by feedback resistor R12; A second operational amplifier U2 is provided, and resistor R15 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the first operational amplifier U1 and the inverting input terminal of the second operational amplifier U2. Together with feedback resistor R12, this enhances the circuit's immunity to fluctuations in input voltage V+ and V-. Preferably, the power supply module includes three parts: battery voltage detection, charging management, and voltage conversion. The voltage detection circuit is responsible for detecting the battery voltage value; the charging management circuit manages the charging and discharging of the built-in lithium battery, supporting both wired and wireless charging methods; and the voltage conversion circuit is responsible for performing the corresponding boost or regulation operations.

[0009] Preferably, the button module is used to directly switch between different flavors, and the main body consists of a switch and a capacitor, with a capacitor connected in parallel to the button.

[0010] Preferably, the voltage detection circuit has an operational amplifier and a feedback stabilization module; The operational amplifier and feedback stabilization module includes an operational amplifier whose non-inverting input is connected to the output node of the voltage divider module, and whose inverting input is connected to the output terminal ADC1 of the operational amplifier U4 through resistor R34.

[0011] Preferably, the power management circuit, in wired mode, charges the lithium battery via USB, and in wireless mode, it is connected in parallel with the battery. It consists of transmitting and receiving modules, and this circuit incorporates three stabilization units: Power supply filtering and stabilization unit: A resistor R3 is provided on the power input line, and a large capacitor C1 and a small capacitor C2 are connected in parallel at the power input node; Output stabilization unit: A capacitor C3 is connected in the output line of the charging module; Feedback regulation and stabilization unit: The circuit includes a resistor R2.

[0012] Preferably, the voltage conversion circuit involves four types of stabilization unit designs: a filter capacitor stabilization unit, a feedback regulation stabilization unit, an energy storage inductor and capacitor stabilization unit, and a diode protection stabilization unit.

[0013] The filter capacitor stabilization unit includes: capacitors C12, C11, C5, and C4 connected in parallel at the input and output terminals of the circuit; and three sets of capacitors of different sizes connected in parallel, namely C13 and C14, C8 and C9, and C6 and C7. The two sets of capacitors C6 and C7, and C8 and C9, are respectively connected to the input and output terminals of the first chip U3. It utilizes the characteristic that large capacitors pass low frequencies and small capacitors pass high frequencies to effectively filter out low-frequency and high-frequency noise in the voltage and achieve stable positive and negative power supply voltage output.

[0014] The feedback regulation and stabilization unit includes: two voltage-group circuits, one consisting of resistors R8 and R9, and the other consisting of resistors R6 and R7. The two voltage-group circuits together form a feedback network, which is connected to the FB pins of the second chip U2 and the third chip U4, respectively. This allows for the continuous transmission of stable feedback signals to the chips, thereby precisely regulating the chips' output voltage and ensuring that the output voltage remains stable within the set range.

[0015] The energy storage inductor and capacitor stabilization unit includes LC filter structures composed of inductor L1 and capacitor C4, and inductor L2 and capacitor C10, respectively. By leveraging the characteristics of inductors to suppress current surges and capacitors to store and release electrical energy, these structures can further smooth the output voltage, significantly reduce ripple interference, and effectively improve the stability of the circuit output.

[0016] The diode protection stabilization unit includes a configuration of multiple diodes (D1 - D4) to prevent voltage backflow and provide signal indication, ensuring unidirectional current flow in the circuit and enhancing circuit stability.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1) All multi-module circuits have been designed for stability, making the output current more stable and accurate, thereby improving the user experience of virtual taste.

[0018] 2) Supports both wired and wireless charging methods to meet users' application needs in different scenarios.

[0019] 3) It has a user-friendly human-computer interaction function. It can be controlled directly by buttons, or connected to a mini-program or APP for control, to adjust the flavor and detect and record usage data. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste according to the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 shows the circuit diagram of the bidirectional constant current source.

[0022] Figure 3 shows the circuit diagram of the voltage detection circuit.

[0023] Figure 4 shows the circuit diagram of the power management circuit.

[0024] Figure 5 shows the circuit diagram of the voltage conversion circuit. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0026] The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0027] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments. Example

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste according to the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste according to the present invention includes a main control module, an electrical stimulation module, a temperature control module, a power supply module, a button module, a wireless communication module, and a display module.

[0029] The electrical stimulation module adopts a bidirectional constant current source design, which can achieve constant current output. It is connected to the main control module through an analog switch, and is also connected to the power supply module and the flavor output section. The power supply module features filtering and voltage regulation, and offers both wireless and wired charging options. The button module has a debouncing design to prevent transient voltage changes. The wireless communication module enables the reporting of data to the mobile app and the sending of instructions from the app to the hardware system, thereby enabling the app to remotely control the hardware system and monitor data. The temperature control module has a temperature control function, which can keep the temperature within a certain range to ensure stable hot and cold stimulation of the tongue, and, in conjunction with the current magnitude, simulate the generation of taste.

[0030] In this embodiment, the pattern detection module's electrical stimulation module generates bioelectrical signals that come into direct contact with the human body. It employs a bidirectional constant current source scheme, which mainly consists of analog switches and operational amplifiers, wherein: A first operational amplifier U1 is provided, whose non-inverting input terminal is connected to the input voltage V+ via resistor R14, and whose inverting input terminal is connected to the input voltage V- via resistor R13; there is a feedback path, in which feedback resistor R12 is connected between the output terminal and the inverting input terminal of the first operational amplifier U1 to stabilize the output level of the first operational amplifier U1; A second operational amplifier U2 is provided. Resistor R15 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the first operational amplifier U1 and the inverting input terminal of the second operational amplifier U2. Together with feedback resistor R12, it enhances the circuit's immunity to fluctuations in input voltages V+ and V-. The operational amplifier is a low offset voltage operational amplifier, so that under ideal conditions, the voltage difference between the two input terminals of the operational amplifier is close to zero.

[0031] The recommended analog switch is the RS2323XUTQK10, which features low power consumption, a small package size, and low on-resistance, reducing signal transmission losses and improving signal integrity. It also boasts high bandwidth and fast switching speed.

[0032] Preferably, the power supply module includes three parts: battery voltage detection, charging management, and voltage conversion; the voltage detection circuit is responsible for detecting the battery voltage value; the charging management circuit is used to manage the charging and discharging of the built-in lithium battery and supports both wired and wireless charging methods; the voltage conversion circuit is responsible for performing the corresponding boost or stabilization operations.

[0033] Preferably, the button module is used to directly switch between different flavors. The main body consists of a switch and a capacitor. By connecting a capacitor in parallel with the button, the voltage across the capacitor can change smoothly due to the characteristic that the voltage across the button cannot change abruptly, thereby eliminating the jitter of the button signal and better ensuring stability.

[0034] Preferably, the main control module has a built-in ADC module; it is mainly responsible for sending instructions to various modules in the system, receiving feedback data from various modules, processing it, and thus controlling the overall operation of the system.

[0035] Preferably, the voltage detection circuit has an operational amplifier and a feedback stabilization module.

[0036] The operational amplifier and feedback stabilization module includes an operational amplifier whose non-inverting input is connected to the output node of the voltage divider module, and whose inverting input is connected to the output terminal ADC1 of the operational amplifier U4 through resistor R34. This feedback connection forms a negative feedback loop to stabilize the output of the operational amplifier and ensure that the signal output to ADC1 is stable. The overall stability of the circuit is enhanced through the above negative feedback mechanism.

[0037] The recommended operational amplifier is the LMV321, which is low in cost, has a high slew rate, good noise immunity, and a small package size, which helps to meet the requirement of small product size. Furthermore, it is specifically designed for operating voltages (2.7V to 5V), and its performance specifications meet or exceed those of the LM358 and LM324 devices, maximizing efficiency.

[0038] Preferably, the power management circuit is wired to charge the lithium battery via USB and wirelessly connected in parallel with it. It consists of a transmitting and receiving module and has three stabilization units: a power filtering stabilization unit, an output stabilization unit, and a feedback regulation stabilization unit.

[0039] The power supply filtering and stabilization unit includes a resistor R3 on the power input line, and a large capacitor C1 and a small capacitor C2 connected in parallel at the power input node. Through the combination of the resistor and capacitor, the input power supply is filtered to suppress power supply noise, stabilize the input power supply voltage, and ensure the stable operation of the charging module.

[0040] The output stabilization unit: In the output line of the charging module, a capacitor C3 is connected. This capacitor smooths the output voltage, reduces output voltage fluctuations, ensures the voltage output to the lithium battery is stable, and thus improves the stability of the charging process.

[0041] The aforementioned feedback regulation and stabilization unit includes a resistor R2 in the circuit. This resistor participates in the charging status indication and possible feedback regulation mechanism. By adjusting the charging status-related signals, it maintains the stable operation of the charging module under different operating conditions.

[0042] Meanwhile, the recommended battery management chip in the circuit is the TP4056, which provides a 4.2V pre-charge voltage with an accuracy of ±1%. Based on a special internal MOSFET architecture and reverse charging protection circuit, it eliminates the need for external sense resistors and isolation diodes. Furthermore, when the ambient temperature is too high or in high-power applications, thermal feedback can adjust the charging current to reduce the chip temperature and stabilize it. It also features automatic recharge functionality, eliminating the need for periodic charging cycle starts and ensuring the battery is maintained at near-full charge.

[0043] Preferably, the voltage conversion circuit involves four types of stabilization unit designs: a filter capacitor stabilization unit, a feedback regulation stabilization unit, an energy storage inductor and capacitor stabilization unit, and a diode protection stabilization unit.

[0044] The filter capacitor stabilization unit includes: capacitors C12, C11, C5, and C4 connected in parallel at the input and output terminals of the circuit; and three sets of capacitors of different sizes connected in parallel, namely C13 and C14, C8 and C9, and C6 and C7. The two sets of capacitors C6 and C7, and C8 and C9, are respectively connected to the input and output terminals of the first chip U3. It utilizes the characteristic that large capacitors pass low frequencies and small capacitors pass high frequencies to effectively filter out low-frequency and high-frequency noise in the voltage and achieve stable positive and negative power supply voltage output.

[0045] The feedback regulation and stabilization unit includes: two voltage-group circuits, one consisting of resistors R8 and R9, and the other consisting of resistors R6 and R7. The two voltage-group circuits together form a feedback network, which is connected to the FB pins of the second chip U2 and the third chip U4, respectively. This allows for the continuous transmission of stable feedback signals to the chips, thereby precisely regulating the chips' output voltage and ensuring that the output voltage remains stable within the set range.

[0046] The energy storage inductor and capacitor stabilization unit includes LC filter structures composed of inductor L1 and capacitor C4, and inductor L2 and capacitor C10, respectively. Leveraging the characteristics of inductors suppressing current surges and capacitors storing and releasing energy, these structures can further smooth the output voltage, significantly reduce ripple interference, and effectively improve the stability of the circuit output.

[0047] The diode protection stabilization unit includes a configuration of multiple diodes (D1 - D4) to prevent voltage backflow and provide signal indication, ensuring unidirectional current flow in the circuit and enhancing circuit stability.

[0048] The second chip U2 can be a TPS61040, which has a very small footprint, making it ideal for meeting the requirement of small product size. It also boasts advantages such as low power consumption, high efficiency, long lifespan, and low cost.

[0049] The third chip U4 can be the MT3608, which is low-power, highly efficient, resistant to aging, and has a long service life. It has strong anti-interference capabilities, is less affected by temperature changes, and has high reliability. Furthermore, its design is simple, occupies a small area, facilitates layout, and reduces production costs.

[0050] The recommended diodes for D1-D4 are SS34, which are surface-mount Schottky diodes. They are small in size, highly stable, and particularly suitable for low-current electronically tunable diodes (ECDs) such as those used in model ECDs. They also offer advantages such as low power consumption, high efficiency, high current handling capability, fast switching characteristics, and high surge current withstand capability.

[0051] The first chip U3 can be the AMS1117, which offers high cost-effectiveness and a small size. It also boasts low power consumption and high efficiency, can operate over a wide frequency range, and maintains stable performance in high-temperature environments. In particular, this device excels in weak signal processing, providing stable and reliable performance in low-power and low-noise scenarios.

[0052] Preferably, the temperature control module is used to stimulate the tongue with hot and cold temperatures. It has a temperature control function and can maintain the temperature within a certain range. It is divided into a temperature detection module and a heating and cooling module.

[0053] The temperature detection module comprises three parts: Voltage divider stabilization section: A voltage divider circuit is constructed using resistors to divide the power supply voltage, providing a stable reference voltage for the operational amplifier and ensuring the stability of signal processing.

[0054] Signal conditioning and stabilization section: The first operational amplifier performs preliminary conditioning on the voltage-divided signal, and the second operational amplifier further amplifies and processes the temperature-related signal. This two-stage operational amplifier structure ensures the stability and accuracy of the temperature detection signal through precise signal conditioning.

[0055] Grounding stability section: Multiple grounding points are set up to effectively reduce power supply noise and interference, providing a stable working environment for the operational amplifier and the entire temperature control and detection circuit.

[0056] The recommended operational amplifier is the TLV333, which features high precision, low power consumption, small package size, built-in EMI filtering, a wide operating voltage range, and rail-to-rail capability.

[0057] The heating and cooling module heats or cools the output section according to instructions.

Claims

1. A circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste, characterized in that: It includes a main control module and connected electrical stimulation module, temperature control module, power supply module, button module, wireless communication module, and display module; among which: The electrical stimulation module adopts a bidirectional constant current source hardware circuit, which is electrically connected to the main control module through an analog switch, and is also connected to the power supply module and the flavor output terminal circuit respectively, and can output a constant current with adjustable frequency; the power supply module integrates a filtering and voltage stabilizing hardware circuit structure, and is equipped with a wired charging circuit and a wireless charging circuit. The button module has a parallel debouncing capacitor hardware structure to suppress instantaneous voltage fluctuations caused by the buttons. The wireless communication module hardware circuit is connected to the main control module to realize bidirectional data transmission between the hardware and the mobile app. The temperature control module is equipped with a constant temperature control hardware circuit, which works in conjunction with the electrical stimulation module to provide hot and cold electrical stimulation to the human tongue.

2. The circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bidirectional constant current hardware circuit of the electrical stimulation module includes a first operational amplifier U1, a second operational amplifier U2, and matching resistors. The first operational amplifier U1 has its non-inverting input terminal connected to the input voltage V+ via resistor R14, and its inverting input terminal connected to the input voltage V- via resistor R13. The feedback resistor R12 is connected across the output terminal and the inverting input terminal of U1 to form a feedback branch. Resistor R15 connects the non-inverting input of the first operational amplifier U1 to the inverting input of the second operational amplifier U2, and together with feedback resistor R12, improves the circuit's resistance to voltage fluctuations.

3. The circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply module consists of a battery voltage detection circuit, a charging management circuit, and a voltage conversion circuit; the battery voltage detection circuit integrates a voltage divider module and a negative feedback connection loop to collect the lithium battery output voltage. The charging management circuit integrates a power management circuit and is connected in parallel to a wired USB charging branch and a wireless charging transmitter and receiver branch, and is equipped with a multi-stage voltage regulation and stabilization unit. The voltage conversion circuit is responsible for performing the hardware conversion output of boost and voltage regulation.

4. The circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the button module consists of a button switch and a parallel capacitor. The button voltage jitter is eliminated by relying on the hardware characteristic that the capacitor voltage cannot change abruptly.

5. The circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste according to claim 3, characterized in that, The operational amplifier and feedback stabilization hardware module of the voltage detection circuit includes an operational amplifier; The non-inverting input of the operational amplifier is connected to the output node of the voltage divider module, and the inverting input is connected to the ADC1 output of the operational amplifier U4 via resistor R34, forming a negative feedback connection loop between the two.

6. The circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste according to claim 3, characterized in that, The power management circuit within the charging management circuit includes three stable hardware units: The power supply filtering and stabilization unit consists of an input line resistor R3, a parallel large capacitor C1, and a small capacitor C2; the output stabilization unit consists of a charging output line capacitor C3. The feedback regulation and stabilization unit includes a feedback resistor R2.

7. The circuit device for simulating and generating stable virtual taste according to claim 3, characterized in that, The voltage conversion circuit integrates four types of hardware structures: a filter capacitor stabilization unit, a feedback regulation stabilization unit, an energy storage inductor and capacitor stabilization unit, and a diode protection stabilization unit. The filter capacitor stabilization unit has capacitors C12, C11, C5, and C4 connected in parallel at the circuit input and output terminals. It also sets up three sets of parallel combinations of large and small capacitors, namely C13 and C14, C8 and C9, and C6 and C7. Capacitors C6, C7, C8, and C9 are respectively connected to the input and output terminals of the first chip (U3). The large and small capacitors are used to filter out high and low frequency voltage noise and stabilize the positive and negative power supply output. The feedback regulation and stabilization unit is equipped with two voltage-group hardware circuits. One group consists of resistors R8 and R9, and the other group consists of resistors R6 and R7. The two voltage-group circuits together form a feedback network, which is electrically connected to the FB pin of the second chip (U2) and the FB pin of the third chip (U4) respectively, and continuously transmits feedback electrical signals to the chips to stabilize the output voltage. The energy storage inductor and capacitor stabilization unit is equipped with two sets of LC filter hardware structures: inductor L1 paired with capacitor C4 and inductor L2 paired with capacitor C10, to smooth the circuit output voltage and reduce ripple. The diode protection and stabilization unit is equipped with multiple diodes D1-D4, which utilize the unidirectional conduction hardware characteristics of diodes to prevent voltage backflow and achieve circuit protection.

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