Portable tactile perception system for in-venue use

Abstract

The systems, methods, and devices can generate vibrations related to audio associated with an event hosted at a venue. The systems, methods, and devices can generate vibrations at one or more frequencies over one or more time intervals to provide a physical sensation to an audience in the venue as they watch the event. The physical sensation can provide a new immersive experience to the audience as they watch the event. The systems, methods, and devices can be mechanically coupled to seats in the venue. The vibrations generated by the systems, methods, and devices can propagate through the seats onto the audience, providing a new immersive experience to the audience as they watch the event. The systems, methods, and devices can be attached to the seats at the start of the event and then detached from the seats at the completion of the event.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 988,474, filed November 16, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Title III of the ADA covers public accommodations and commercial facilities. Under this title, "[n]o individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation." Under the ADA, public accommodations include "a motion picture house, theater, concert hall, stadium, or other place of exhibition or entertainment" and "an auditorium, convention center, lecture hall, or other place of public gathering." The ADA requires that new public accommodations be accessible to people with disabilities, their families, and friends so that they may enjoy equal access to entertainment, recreation, and leisure.

[0003] To be ADA-compliant, public accommodation facilities are required to have wheelchair-accessible seating, with at least 1 percent of seats being wheelchair-accessible. Wheelchair seating should provide sight lines comparable to those provided to other spectators. These wheelchair seating areas should be open, level spaces with smooth, stable, non-slip surfaces to accommodate people who use wheelchairs. These wheelchair seating areas should be an integral part of the seating plan so that people who use wheelchairs are not isolated from other spectators or their friends or family. Additionally, companion seating should be provided adjacent to wheelchair seating areas to accommodate friends or companions of people who use wheelchairs. Wheelchair seating should be provided in all areas, including grandstands and specialty areas. Additionally, whenever more than 300 seats are provided, wheelchair seating should be provided in two or more locations to provide admission and viewing options comparable to those for the general public. Wheelchair seating locations should be on accessible routes that provide access from parking and transportation areas and connect to all public areas, including shops, restaurants, restrooms, public telephones, and exits. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] (Overview)

[0005] The systems, methods, and devices disclosed herein can generate vibrations related to (e.g., synchronized with) audio associated with an event being hosted at a venue. These systems, methods, and devices can generate vibrations at one or more frequencies over one or more time intervals to provide physical sensations to audience members in the venue as they watch the event. These physical sensations can provide a new immersive experience to audience members as they watch the event. These systems, methods, and devices can be mechanically coupled to, e.g., attached to, seats in the venue. The vibrations generated by these systems, methods, and devices can propagate through the seats to the audience, providing a new immersive experience to the audience as they watch the event. These systems, methods, and devices can be attached to the seats at the start of the event and then detached or removed from the seats at the completion of the event. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain its principles and to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the same.

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a pictorial representation of an exemplary venue according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0008] [Figure 2] 2A-2C illustrate pictorial representations of exemplary portable haptic sensing devices according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0009] [Figure 3A] 3A and 3B illustrate pictorial representations of an exemplary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant portable haptic sensory device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B]3A and 3B illustrate pictorial representations of an exemplary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant portable haptic sensory device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates a pictorial representation of an example haptic sensory device that may be implemented within an example portable haptic sensory device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] [Figure 5-1] 5A-5F illustrate pictorial representations of example mechanical coupling assemblies that may be implemented within example portable haptic sensing devices according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5-2] 5A-5F illustrate pictorial representations of example mechanical coupling assemblies that may be implemented within example portable haptic sensing devices according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5-3] 5A-5F illustrate pictorial representations of example mechanical coupling assemblies that may be implemented within example portable haptic sensing devices according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5-4] 5A-5F illustrate pictorial representations of example mechanical coupling assemblies that may be implemented within example portable haptic sensing devices according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 graphically illustrates a first example operation of an example portable haptic sensory device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] [Figure 7A] 7A and 7B graphically illustrate a second example operation of an example portable haptic sensory device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] 7A and 7B graphically illustrate a second example operation of an example portable haptic sensory device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 graphically illustrates a simplified block diagram of a computer system that may be utilized to implement electronic devices within an exemplary venue according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] In the accompanying drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the leftmost digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the disclosure. These, of course, are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a first feature over a second feature in the following description may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed so that they are in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which an additional feature may be formed between the first and second features such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Additionally, the present disclosure may repeat reference numbers and / or letters in the examples. This repetition does not, in itself, dictate a relationship between the discussed embodiments and / or configurations.

[0017] (Example venue)

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a pictorial representation of an exemplary venue according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, venue 100 represents a location for hosting an event. For example, venue 100 can represent a music venue, e.g., a music theater, music club, and / or concert hall, a sports venue, e.g., a game arena, convention center, and / or stadium, and / or any other suitable venue as would be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The event can represent a music event, a theatrical event, a sporting event, a movie, and / or any other suitable event as would be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0019] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 , the venue 100 includes one or more seating sections 102.1-102.d for seating spectators to view an event. In some embodiments, the seating sections 102.1-102.d represent different seating sections at different heights for viewing an event. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the seating section 102.1 represents a lower seating section for viewing an event, and the seating section 102.d represents an upper seating section above the seating section 102.1 for viewing an event. The seating sections 102.1-102.d include rows of seats 104.1-104.e for seating spectators to view an event. In some embodiments, the rows of seats 104.1-104.e represent different rows of seats at different heights for viewing an event. As shown in Figure 1, seat row 104.1 represents a lower row of seats for viewing an event, and seat row 104.e represents an upper row of seats above seat row 104.1 for viewing an event. As shown in Figure 1, seat rows 104.1-104.e include seats 106.1-106.f for seating spectators to view an event.

[0020] (Exemplary Portable Haptic Perception Device)

[0021] 2A-2C illustrate pictorial representations of an exemplary portable haptic sensory device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Generally, haptic sensory technology refers to technology that can generate forces, vibrations, or motions to provide physical sensations to audience members as they view an event within a venue, such as, for example, venue 100 as described above in FIG. 1. Haptic sensory feedback, or simply haptic sensation, refers to a type of haptic sensory technology that generates controlled vibrations at one or more frequencies over one or more time intervals to provide physical sensations to audience members as they view an event, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, a portable haptic sensory device 200 can generate vibrations 202 at one or more frequencies over one or more time intervals to provide physical sensations to audience members as they view an event. In some embodiments, these physical sensations can provide new immersive experiences to audience members as they view an event. As described in more detail below, an event can include a series of images, often referred to as images or video, and audio associated with the images or video. In some embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can generate vibrations 202 related to, e.g., synchronized with, the audio associated with the images or video. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can generate vibrations 202 to synchronize with the lowest notes of the audio (often referred to as bass), for example, between about 16 Hz and about 256 Hz. For example, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can generate vibrations 202 between 4 Hertz (Hz) and 125 Hz to simulate the audio roar of thunder when an audience is watching a thunderstorm in a venue.

[0022] As illustrated in FIG. 2B , the portable haptic sensory device 200 can include a haptic sensory device 204, a mechanical mounting assembly 206, and a mechanical coupling assembly 208. While the portable haptic sensory device 200 is illustrated in FIG. 2B as including multiple separate components, those skilled in the art will recognize that one or more of these components can be combined without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, the mechanical mounting assembly 206 and the mechanical coupling assembly 208 can be combined into a single mechanical assembly, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The haptic sensory device 204 generates vibrations 202 at one or more frequencies for one or more time intervals to provide physical sensations to audience members as they view the event. In some embodiments, the haptic sensory device 204 can include a haptic transducer, an eccentric rotating mass vibration (ERMV) motor, a linear resonant actuator (LRA), and / or a piezoelectric haptic sensor, to name a few.

[0023] The mechanical mounting assembly 206 can be mechanically coupled to the haptic device 204, and the mechanical coupling assembly 208 can be mechanically coupled to the mechanical mounting assembly 206. In some embodiments, the haptic device 204 can be mechanically connected to the mechanical mounting assembly 206; and / or the mechanical mounting assembly 206 can be mechanically connected to the mechanical coupling assembly 208 using one or more mechanical fasteners, such as nuts, screws, bolts, rivets, pins, and / or lugs, to name a few. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2B , vibrations 202 generated by the portable haptic device 200 can propagate through the mechanical mounting assembly 206 and / or the mechanical coupling assembly 208. In some embodiments, the mechanical mounting assembly 206 and / or the mechanical coupling assembly 208 can vibrate at one or more frequencies for one or more time intervals as the vibrations 202 propagate through the mechanical mounting assembly 206 and / or the mechanical coupling assembly 208. In some embodiments, mechanical mounting assembly 206 and / or mechanical coupling assembly 208 can be constructed using one or more metallic elements, such as copper, aluminum, one or more metal compounds, one or more metal mixtures, or alloys, such as steel, to name a few, and / or any other suitable metallic material, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. In some embodiments, mechanical mounting assembly 206 and / or mechanical coupling assembly 208 can be constructed using one or more synthetic or semi-synthetic organic compounds or materials, such as plastic and / or fiberglass, to name a few, one or more organic materials, such as carbon fiber, to name a few, and / or any other suitable non-metallic material, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0024] 2C , the portable haptic perception system 212 can include a portable haptic perception device 200 that is mechanically coupled (e.g., attached) to a seat 210. Generally, the seat 210 can represent a permanent seat within a venue, such as a seat within a telescoping platform, a fixed seat, or a suite, to name a few, or a temporary seat within a venue, such as a portable stadium seat, a folding portable seat, a portable theater / auditorium seat, a folding portable stool, or a wheelchair, to name a few. In some embodiments, the seat 210 can represent one or more exemplary embodiments of seats 106.1-106.f within seat rows 104.1-104.e within one or more seating sections 102.1-102.d, as described above in FIG. 1 . 2A , the vibrations 202 generated by the portable haptic sensory device 200 can propagate through the seats 210 and onto the audience members seated in the seats 210, providing a physical sensation to the audience members as they watch an event. From the above example, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can generate vibrations 202 between 4 Hz and 125 Hz to simulate the audio roar of thunder. In this example, the 4 Hz to 125 Hz vibrations 202 propagate through the seats 210 and onto the audience members seated in the seats 210, providing the audience members with a physical sensation of roaring thunder as they watch a thunderstorm in the venue.

[0025] In some embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be permanently attached to the seat 210 to form the portable haptic sensory system 212. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 and the seat 210 can form a mechanical joint (also referred to as a slip fit or a push fit) together that allows the portable haptic sensory device 200 to slide onto the seat 210 and form the portable haptic sensory system 212. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be attached to the seat using one or more mechanical fasteners, such as nuts, screws, bolts, rivets, pins, and / or lugs, to name a few, and can then be detached or removed from the seat 210 by removing the one or more mechanical fasteners. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be attached to the seat 210, for example, by sliding onto the seat 210 at the start of an event and then attaching the portable haptic sensory device 200 to the seat 210 using one or more mechanical fasteners. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be removed from the seat 210, for example, by removing one or more mechanical fasteners upon completion of the event and then sliding the portable haptic sensory device 200 off the seat 210.

[0026] In some embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be temporarily attached to the seat 210 to form a portable haptic sensory system 212. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 and the seat 210 can form a mechanical joint (also referred to as a slip fit or a push fit) together that allows the portable haptic sensory device 200 to slide onto the seat 210 and form the portable haptic sensory system 212. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 is held to the seat 210 by friction once the portable haptic sensory device 200 is attached to the seat 210. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be characterized as sliding closely, sliding, fine-running, close-running, medium-running, loose-running, and / or loose-running onto the seat 210. In some embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be attached to the seat and then detached or removed from the seat 210 without incurring any permanent damage to the seat 210. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be attached to the seat 210, for example, by sliding it onto the seat 210 at the start of the event. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be removed from the seat 210 without incurring any permanent damage to the seat 210, for example, by sliding it off the seat 210 at the completion of the event. In some embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 200 can be temporarily secured to the seat 210 using, for example, one or more mechanical fasteners, such as hook-and-loop fasteners and / or tie straps, to name a few.

[0027] (Exemplary ADA-Compliant Portable Haptic Sensory Device)

[0028] Referring back to FIG. 1 above, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that venue 100 be accessible to people with disabilities, their family members, their companions, and / or friends so that they may enjoy equal access to the event. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, venue 100 may include one or more wheelchair-accessible seating locations that should be ADA-compliant. Generally, one or more wheelchair-accessible seating locations may be located on one or more accessible routes within venue 100, which provide access from parking and transportation areas and / or provide access to public areas within venue 100, such as concessions, restaurants, restrooms, public telephones, and / or exits, to name a few. In some embodiments, one or more wheelchair-accessible seating locations may be positioned within venue 100 to have line-of-sight comparable to that provided to other spectators. In these embodiments, for example, if spectators may be expected to stand during an event, one or more wheelchair-accessible seating locations may provide line-of-sight over the standing spectators, over the shoulders of those standing in the row directly in front, and over the heads of those standing in the two rows in front. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the number of wheelchair-accessible seating locations among the one or more wheelchair-accessible seating locations may be at least 1 percent of the available seats to be ADA compliant. In some embodiments, for example, when venue 100 includes more than 300 available seats, one or more wheelchair-accessible seating locations may be For example, the wheelchair-accessible seating locations can be distributed among different locations within the venue, such as within different seating sections of sections 102.1-102.d. In some embodiments, one or more wheelchair-accessible seating locations can be distributed among different locations to provide admission and viewing options comparable to those for the general public. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a person with a disability can view an event from a wheelchair located within one of these wheelchair-accessible seating locations. As described in more detail below, a portable haptic sensory device 200 can be mechanically coupled, e.g., attached, to the wheelchair to provide a physical sensation to the person with a disability as they view the event.

[0029] 3A and 3B illustrate pictorial representations of an exemplary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant portable haptic sensory device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As described above, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that venues, such as venue 100 described above in FIG. 1 , be accessible to people with disabilities, their family members, their companions, and / or friends so that they may enjoy equal access to the event. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B , the venue may include one or more wheelchair-accessible seating locations that are ADA-compliant. As described in further detail below, a person with a disability may view the event from a wheelchair 304 located in one of these wheelchair-accessible seating locations. In some embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 302 may be mechanically coupled to, e.g., attached to, the wheelchair 304 in a manner substantially similar to that described above in FIGS. 2A-2C . In some embodiments, the vibrations generated by the portable haptic sensory device 302 can propagate through the wheelchair 304 to the person with a disability, providing a physical sensation to the person with a disability as they view an event. In these embodiments, this physical sensation can provide the person with a disability with a new immersive experience similar to other members of the audience who are seated in a venue as described above in Figures 2A-2C, which should be ADA compliant, as they view an event. The portable haptic sensory device 302 and wheelchair 304 can represent exemplary embodiments of the portable haptic sensory device 200 and seat 210, respectively, as described above in Figures 2A-2C.

[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 3A , the portable haptic sensory device 302 can be mechanically coupled, e.g., attached, to a wheelchair 304 to form a portable haptic sensory device system 306, in a manner substantially similar to the portable haptic sensory device 100 as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C . In some embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 302 can be temporarily attached to the wheelchair 304 to form the portable haptic sensory device system 306. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 302 can be attached to the wheelchair 304 at the start of the event. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 302 can be attached to the wheelchair 304 without incurring any permanent damage to the wheelchair 304. This beneficially allows a person with a disability to use their personal wheelchair and watch the event from one of these wheelchair-accessible seating locations without incurring any permanent damage to their personal wheelchair. In some embodiments, vibrations generated by the portable haptic sensory device 302 can propagate through the portable haptic sensory device 302 to the person with a disability seated in the wheelchair 304, providing a physical sensation to the person with a disability as they watch the event. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 3B , the portable haptic sensory device system 306 can be mechanically decoupled, e.g., removed. In some embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 302 can be mechanically decoupled, e.g., removed, from the portable haptic sensory device 304, as illustrated in FIG. 3B . In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 302 can be removed from the wheelchair 304 upon completion of the event. In these embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device 302 can be removed from the wheelchair 304 without incurring any permanent damage to the wheelchair 304.

[0031] Exemplary Haptic Devices That May Be Implemented in Exemplary Portable Haptic Devices

[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates a pictorial representation of an exemplary haptic sensory device that may be implemented within an exemplary portable haptic sensory device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the haptic sensory device 400 generates vibrations, such as vibration 102 as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C, to provide physical sensations to audience members as they view an event in a manner substantially similar to that described above in FIGS. 2A-2C. In some embodiments, the haptic sensory device 400 may be implemented using a haptic transducer, also referred to as a bass shaker. The haptic transducer represents a type of linear resonant actuator (LRA) that vibrates about one or more major axes, such as the X-axis, Y-axis, and / or Z-axis of a Cartesian coordinate system, to generate vibrations, to name a few. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the haptic sensory device 400 includes a mechanical housing 402 and a movable plate 404. The haptic sensory device 400 may represent an exemplary embodiment of the haptic sensory device 204 as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C.

[0033] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 , the haptic sensory device 400 includes one or more pistons driven by one or more voice coils within a mechanical housing 402. The one or more voice coils exert a force on one or more pistons coupled to a movable plate 404, causing the movable plate 404 to vibrate, e.g., move back and forth, along one or more major axes, generating vibrations. As described above, an event can include a series of images, often referred to as images or video, and audio associated with the images or video. In some embodiments, the haptic sensory device 400 can generate vibrations related to (e.g., synchronized with) audio associated with the images or video. In these embodiments, the audio can often be within the lowest notes of audio (referred to as bass), for example, from about 16 Hz to about 256 Hz. In some embodiments, the audio can cause these voice coils to vibrate, e.g., move back and forth, along one or more major axes. In these embodiments, this vibration of the one or more voice coils can cause the movable plate 404 to similarly vibrate, e.g., move back and forth, along one or more major axes, generating vibrations.

[0034] Exemplary Mechanical Coupling Assemblies That May Be Implemented in Exemplary Portable Haptic Devices

[0035] 5A-5F illustrate pictorial representations of exemplary mechanical coupling assemblies that may be implemented within exemplary portable haptic sensing devices according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The discussion of FIGS. 5A-5F below is intended to describe exemplary mechanical coupling assemblies that may be implemented within exemplary portable haptic sensing devices as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C and / or 3A and 3B. However, the various exemplary mechanical coupling assemblies described in further detail below in FIGS. 5A-5F are not intended to be limiting, and other mechanical coupling assemblies that would be apparent to one skilled in the art are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. These exemplary mechanical coupling assemblies described in further detail below in FIGS. 5A-5F can be mechanically coupled to, e.g., attached to, a seat such as seat 210 as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C and / or wheelchair 304 as described above in FIGS. 3A and 3B. These mechanical coupling assemblies, described in further detail below in Figures 5A-5F, can propagate vibrations generated by a haptic sensing device, such as tactile device 204 as described above in Figures 2A-2C and / or haptic sensing device 400 as described above in Figure 4, to the seat in a manner substantially similar to that described above in Figures 2A-2C and / or 3A and 3B. In some embodiments, these mechanical coupling assemblies, described in further detail below in Figures 5A-5F, can be constructed using one or more metallic elements, e.g., copper, aluminum, one or more metal compounds, one or more metal mixtures, or alloys, such as steel, to name just a few, and / or any other suitable metallic material, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.5A-5F may be constructed using one or more synthetic or semi-synthetic organic compounds or materials, such as plastic and / or fiberglass, to name a few, one or more organic materials, such as carbon fiber, to name one, and / or any other suitable non-metallic materials, without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. These mechanical coupling assemblies, described in more detail below in FIGURES 5A-5F, may represent exemplary embodiments of mechanical coupling assemblies 208, as described above in FIGURES 2A-2C.

[0036] FIG. 5A graphically illustrates a first mechanical coupling assembly 500 that may be mechanically coupled (e.g., attached) to a seat. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the first mechanical coupling assembly 500 may be characterized as being a "U" shape or "U"-like shape that mounts onto the seat with an interference fit, for example, as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C. In some embodiments, a sheet of material may be deformed, bent, or folded into the "U" shape or "U"-like shape to form the first mechanical coupling assembly 500. For example, a sheet of material may be pressed or stamped into the "U" shape or "U"-like shape to form the first mechanical coupling assembly 500. Alternatively, or in addition, the first mechanical coupling assembly 500 may be formed through injection molding. In some embodiments, a mold for the "U" shape or "U"-like shape of the first mechanical coupling assembly 500 may be produced. In these embodiments, material can be injected into a mold under pressure and the material solidifies, creating the first mechanically coupled assembly 500 .

[0037] FIG. 5B graphically illustrates a second mechanical coupling assembly 510 that may be mechanically coupled (e.g., attached) to a seat. The second mechanical coupling assembly 510 is substantially similar to the first mechanical coupling assembly 500 as described above in FIG. 5A. However, the second mechanical coupling assembly 510 includes one or more openings, i.e., holes 514 as illustrated in FIG. 5B. Generally, the one or more holes 514 represent one or more geometric regions within the second mechanical coupling assembly 510 where no material is present, for example, to reduce the weight of the second mechanical coupling assembly 510 compared to the first mechanical coupling assembly 500. In some embodiments, the one or more holes 514 may include a regular curve, such as a circle or an ellipse, an irregular curve, a regular polygon, such as an equilateral triangle or square, an irregular polygon, such as a rectangle and / or a parallelogram, and / or any other suitable closed geometric region, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, one or more holes 514 can extend along a series of rows of holes and / or a series of rows of holes to form an array of holes in the second mechanical coupling assembly 510.

[0038] 5C graphically illustrates a third mechanical coupling assembly 520 that may be mechanically coupled (e.g., attached) to a seat. The third mechanical coupling assembly 520 is substantially similar to the first mechanical coupling assembly 500 as described above in FIG. 5A. However, the third mechanical coupling assembly 520 may be characterized as being "J" shaped or "J"-like in shape that mounts onto the seat with an interference fit, for example, as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C.

[0039] 5D graphically illustrates a fourth mechanical coupling assembly 530 that may be mechanically coupled (e.g., attached) to a seat. The fourth mechanical coupling assembly 530 is substantially similar to the first mechanical coupling assembly 500 as described above in FIG. 5A. However, the fourth mechanical coupling assembly 530 may be characterized as being a hook or hook-like shape that mounts onto the seat via an interference fit, for example, as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C.

[0040] 5E graphically illustrates a fifth mechanical coupling assembly 540 that may be mechanically coupled (e.g., attached) to a seat. As illustrated in FIG. 5E, the fifth mechanical coupling assembly 540 includes a securing member 542 for temporarily securing the fifth mechanical coupling assembly 540 to the seat. In some embodiments, the securing member 542 may be effectively wrapped around the seat, as illustrated in FIG. 5E, to temporarily secure the fifth mechanical coupling assembly 540 to the seat. The securing member 542 may be implemented using one or more mechanical fasteners, such as hook-and-loop fasteners and / or tie straps, to name a few examples.

[0041] 5F graphically illustrates a sixth mechanical coupling assembly 550 that may be mechanically coupled (e.g., attached) to the seat. As illustrated in FIG. 5F, the sixth mechanical coupling assembly 550 includes a first mechanical coupling assembly 552 and a second mechanical coupling assembly 554. In some embodiments, the first mechanical coupling assembly 552 can be mechanically coupled to the second mechanical coupling assembly 554 to form the sixth mechanical coupling assembly 550. In some embodiments, the first mechanical coupling assembly 552 and the second mechanical coupling assembly 554 can be configured and arranged to form various interlocking connectors, such as annular click connectors, cantilever click connectors, and torsional click connectors, to name a few, that are connected to one another by pressing the first mechanical coupling assembly 552 and the second mechanical coupling assembly 554 together.

[0042] Exemplary Operation of an Exemplary Portable Haptic Perception Device

[0043] Figure 6 realistically illustrates a first example operation of an example portable haptic sensory device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. In the example embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, a portable haptic sensory system 600 may include a portable haptic sensory device 602 that may be mechanically coupled to (e.g., attached to) a seat 604 in a manner substantially similar to that described above in Figures 2A-2C. As illustrated in Figure 6, a portable electronic device 606 may control the operation of the portable haptic sensory device 602, which will be described in further detail below. The portable haptic sensory device 602 and the seat 604 may represent example embodiments of the portable haptic sensory device 200 and the seat 210, respectively, as described above in Figures 2A-2C, and / or the portable haptic sensory device 302 and the wheelchair 304, respectively, as described above in Figures 3A and 3B.

[0044] As described above, the portable electronic device 606 can control the operation of the portable haptic device 602. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device 606 can include a consumer electronics device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a feature phone, a tablet computer, a wearable computing device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a pager, a wireless handset, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a heads-up display (HUD) device, an embedded system, a microcontroller, a control module, a networked or “smart” appliance, a machine-to-machine communication (MTC) device, a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or the like. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device 606 can include an application program, or app for short, that, when executed by the portable electronic device 606, can control the operation of the portable haptic device 602. In these embodiments, a user of the portable haptic system 600, for example, an audience member as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C , can use the portable electronic device 606 to interact with a software application to control the operation of the portable haptic device 602, which will be described in more detail below.

[0045] 6, the portable electronic device 606 can store a unique identifier for the portable haptic device 602 being used by a user. In some embodiments, the unique identifier can include an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the portable haptic device 602, a Media Access Controller (MAC) address of the portable haptic device 602, a model name of the portable haptic device 602, a serial number of the portable haptic device 602, a manufacturer name of the portable haptic device 602, a user's username and / or password, and / or any other suitable unique identifier as would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device 606 can include or reference a unique identifier to communicate with the portable haptic device 602 and enable these communications to be distinguished from other communications from other portable electronic devices to other portable haptic devices.

[0046] In some embodiments, a user can interact with the portable electronic device 606 to activate, i.e., turn on, and / or deactivate, i.e., turn off, the portable haptic device 602. In some embodiments, a user can interact with the portable electronic device 606 to configure the portable haptic device 602. In these embodiments, the portable electronic device 606 can be used to set boundaries, e.g., in terms of scale, for vibrations generated by the portable haptic device 602. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device 606 can display events in real time or near real time, instructions related to the operation of the portable haptic device 602, and / or information related to the events, e.g., close captions. In these embodiments, the portable electronic device 606 can display advertisements and / or other information related to the venue, e.g., a map of the venue highlighting concessions, restaurants, restrooms, pay phones, and / or exits.

[0047] 7A and 7B graphically illustrate a second exemplary operation of an exemplary portable haptic sensory device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As described above, seats within a venue, such as one or more of seats 106.1-106.f in venue 100, to take one example, can be mechanically coupled (e.g., attached) to a portable haptic sensory device, such as portable haptic sensory device 200 as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C, portable haptic sensory device 302 as described above in FIGS. 3A and 3B, and / or portable haptic sensory device 602 as described above in FIG. 6. The portable haptic sensory device can generate vibrations at one or more frequencies over one or more time intervals to provide physical sensations to an audience member as they view an event within the venue, in a manner substantially similar to that described above in FIGS. 2A-2C. Also, as described above, an event often includes a series of images, referred to as images or video, and audio associated with the images or video. The following discussion of Figure 7A is intended to describe an example event system 700 that can generate vibrations related to (e.g., synchronized with) audio associated with an image or video in a manner substantially similar to that described above in Figures 2A-2C. In the example embodiment illustrated in Figure 7A, the example event system 700 can include an event server 702, a video system 704, an audio system 706, an audio crossover system 708, and a portable haptic device system 710. The portable haptic device system 710 can include one or more of the portable haptic system 212 as described above in Figures 2A-2C, the portable haptic device system 306 as described above in Figures 3A and 3B, and / or the portable haptic system 600 as described above in Figure 6.

[0048] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7A , event server 702 represents one or more computer systems that facilitate the operation of a venue, the exemplary embodiment of which is described in further detail below. In some embodiments, event server 702 can be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, firmware, software, routines, instructions, and / or applications may be described herein as performing certain actions. However, it should be understood that such description is for convenience only, and that these actions result from a computing device, processor, controller, or other device executing the firmware, software, routines, instructions, and / or applications. As illustrated in FIG. 7A , event server 702 can distribute a series of images, also referred to as images or video, and / or audio associated with the images or video to video system 704 and / or audio system 706 for presentation to an audience in the venue. From the above example, event server 702 can distribute video and / or audio associated with a thunderstorm to video system 704 and / or audio system 706 for presentation to an audience in the venue.

[0049] 7A , video system 704 can present images or videos received from event server 702 to an audience in the venue. From the above example, video system 704 can present video associated with a thunderstorm received from event server 702 to an audience in the venue. In some embodiments, video system 704 can include one or more visual displays for presenting images or videos that would be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure (such as one or more flat panel devices, such as one or more liquid crystal displays (LCDs), one or more light emitting diode (LED) displays, one or more organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, and / or one or more quantum dot (QD) displays, one or more projection devices, and / or any other suitable electrical, mechanical, and / or electromechanical devices, to name a few).

[0050] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7A, the audio system 706 can present audio received from the event server 702 to an audience in the venue. From the example above, the audio system 706 can present audio associated with a thunderstorm received from the event server 702 to an audience in the venue. Generally, the audio system 706 can include one or more auditory speakers, such as one or more super tweeters, one or more tweeters, one or more mid-range speakers, one or more woofers, one or more subwoofers, and / or one or more full-range speakers, to name a few. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7A, the audio system 706 can include one or more super tweeters / tweeters 712, one or more mid-range speakers 714, and one or more woofer / subwoofers 716, to name a few. The one or more super tweeters / tweeters 712 deliver audio within a first audio frequency range of approximately 2 kilohertz (kHz) to approximately 20 kHz. One or more midrange speakers 714 deliver audio in a second audio frequency range of about 250 Hertz (Hz) to about 2 kHz, and one or more woofer / subwoofers 716 deliver audio in a third audio frequency range of about 20 Hz to about 250 Hz.

[0051] The audio crossover system 708 separates, or demixes, audio from the event server 702 into a first audio frequency range, a second audio frequency range, and a third audio frequency range. In some embodiments, the audio crossover system 708 can include multiple filters for demixing the audio into a first audio frequency range, a second audio frequency range, and a third audio frequency range. From the above example, audio associated with a thunderstorm can include audio associated with rainfall between approximately 13 kHz and approximately 25 kHz and audio associated with thunder between approximately 4 Hz and approximately 125 Hz. In this example, the audio crossover system 708 can demix the audio associated with rainfall into the first audio frequency range and the audio associated with thunder into the third audio frequency range. In some embodiments, the audio crossover system 708 can be integrated within the event server 702. As shown in FIG. 7A, the audio crossover system 708 distributes audio in a first audio frequency range to one or more super tweeters / tweeters 712, distributes audio in a second audio frequency range to one or more mid-range speakers 714, and distributes audio in a third audio frequency range to one or more woofers / subwoofers 716 and the portable haptic device system 710.

[0052] 7A, the portable haptic device system 710 can generate vibrations associated with (e.g., synchronized with) audio in a third audio frequency range in a manner substantially similar to that described above in FIGS. 2A-2C. In these embodiments, the portable haptic device system 710 can generate vibrations synchronized with the lowest notes of the audio in the third audio frequency range (often referred to as bass notes, in one example, from about 16 Hz to about 256 Hz). From the above example, the portable haptic device system 710 can generate vibrations from about 4 Hertz (Hz) to about 125 Hz to simulate the audio roar of thunder when an audience is watching a thunderstorm in a venue.

[0053] As illustrated in Figure 7B, the portable haptic sensory device system 710 can include portable haptic sensory device systems 720.1-720.i communicatively coupled to a portable haptic sensory device system controller 722. In some embodiments, the portable haptic sensory device systems 720.1-720.i can include portable haptic sensory devices 726.1-726.i attached to seats 724.1-724.i in a manner substantially similar to that described above in Figures 2A-2C and / or 3A and 3B. Portable haptic sensory devices 726.1-726.i and seats 724.1-724.i may represent exemplary embodiments of portable haptic sensory device 200 and seat 210, respectively, as described above in FIGS. 2A-2C, portable haptic sensory device 302 and wheelchair 304, respectively, as described above in FIGS. 3A and 3B, and / or portable haptic sensory device 602 and seat 604, respectively, as described above in FIG. 6. In some embodiments, portable haptic sensory device systems 720.1-720.i may generate vibrations related to (e.g., synchronized with) audio received from audio crossover system 708 in a manner substantially similar to that described above in FIGS. 2A-2C. In these embodiments, portable haptic sensory device systems 720.1-720.i may generate vibrations synchronized with the lowest notes of the audio, often referred to as bass notes, from about 16 Hz to about 256 Hz, as an example. From the above example, the portable haptic device systems 720.1-720.i can generate vibrations between 4 Hertz (Hz) and 125 Hz to simulate the audio roar of thunder when an audience is viewing a thunderstorm within the venue. Further, the portable haptic device systems 720.1-720.i can be mechanically and / or electrically coupled to wired communication cables 728.1-728.i for communicatively coupling the portable haptic device systems 720.1-720.i and the portable haptic device system controller 722.In some embodiments, the wired communications cables 728.1-728.i may include one or more copper cables, such as one or more coaxial cables, one or more ribbon cables, one or more shielded cables, and / or one or more twin-ax cables, to name a few. Alternatively, or in addition, the wired communications cables 728.1-728.i may include one or more fiber optic cables.

[0054] The portable haptic device system controller 722 provides the audio received from the audio crossover system 708 to the portable haptic device system 710. In some embodiments, the portable haptic device system controller 722 provides audio in a third audio frequency range associated with images or video. From the above example, the portable haptic device system controller 722 can provide audio to the portable haptic device system 710 associated with the audio rumble of thunder received from the portable haptic device system 710. In these embodiments, the portable haptic device system controller 722 can provide the lowest notes of the audio associated with the images or video, often referred to as bass, from about 16 Hz to about 256 Hz, as an example. From the above example, the portable haptic device system controller 722 can provide audio to the portable haptic device system 710 associated with the audio of thunder from 4 Hertz (Hz) to 125 Hz to simulate the audio rumble of thunder when an audience member is watching a thunderstorm in a venue. Alternatively, or in addition, the portable haptic device system controller 722 may provide the power necessary to operate the portable haptic device system 710 .

[0055] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7B , the portable haptic device system controller 722 can route audio and / or power within a third audio frequency range associated with images or video, as received from the audio crossover system 708, to the portable haptic device system 710. As illustrated in FIG. 7B , the portable haptic device system controller 722 can be mechanically and / or electrically coupled to the portable haptic device hubs 730.1-730.i via wired communication cables 732.1-732.i. In some embodiments, the wired communication cables 732.1-732.i can include one or more copper cables, such as one or more coaxial cables, one or more ribbon cables, one or more shielded cables, and / or one or more twin-ax cables, to name a few. Alternatively, or in addition, the wired communication cables 732.1-732.i can include one or more fiber optic cables. The portable haptic device hubs 730.1-730.i represent receptacles for mechanically and / or electrically coupling the portable haptic device systems 720.1-720.i and the portable haptic device system controller 722. In some embodiments, the portable haptic device hubs 730.1-730.i can be installed in or adjacent to one or more wheelchair-accessible seating locations within a venue such as that described above in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, wired communication cables 728.1-728.i can be coupled, e.g., connected, to the portable haptic device hubs 730.1-730.i to mechanically and / or electrically couple their corresponding portable haptic device systems 720.1-720.i to the portable haptic device system controller 722. In these embodiments, the wired communication cables 728.1-728.i can be connected to the portable haptic device hubs 730.1-730.i at the start of the event.In some embodiments, the wired communication cables 728.1-728.i can be decoupled, e.g., disconnected, from the portable haptic device hubs 730.1-730.i to mechanically and / or electrically decouple their corresponding portable haptic device systems 720.1-720.i from the portable haptic device system controller 722. In these embodiments, the wired communication cables 728.1-728.i can be disconnected from the portable haptic device hubs 730.1-730.i upon completion of the event.

[0056] Example Computer System That May Be Utilized to Implement Electronic Devices Within an Example Venue

[0057] 8 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a computer system that may be utilized to implement an electronic device within an exemplary venue according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The following discussion of FIG. 8 is intended to describe a computer system 800 that may be used to implement the portable haptic device system controller 722 as described above in FIG. 7B.

[0058] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, computer system 800 includes one or more processors 802. In some embodiments, one or more processors 802 can include (or be) any of a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit, or a digital signal processor, and their electronic processing equivalents, such as an application-specific integrated circuit ("ASIC") or a field-programmable gate array ("FPGA"). As used herein, the term "processor" refers to a tangible data and information processing device that physically transforms data and information using sequence transformations (also referred to as "operations"). Data and information can be physically represented by electrical, magnetic, optical, or acoustic signals that can be stored, accessed, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated by the processor. The term "processor" can refer to a single processor as well as a multi-core system or multi-processor array that includes a graphics processing unit, a digital signal processor, a digital processor, or a combination of these elements. A processor can be, for example, an electronic device comprising digital logic circuitry (e.g., binary logic) or analog (e.g., operational amplifiers). The processor may also operate to support the performance of related operations within a "cloud computing" environment or as "software as a service" (SaaS). For example, at least some of the operations may be performed by a group of processors available in a distributed or remote system, which are accessible via a communications network (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more software interfaces (e.g., application program interfaces (APIs)).In some embodiments, computer system 800 may include an operating system such as Microsoft Windows®, Sun Microsystems' Solaris®, Apple Computer's MacOs, Linux®, or UNIX®. In some embodiments, computer system 800 may also include a basic input / output system (BIOS) and processor firmware. The operating system, BIOS, and firmware are used by one or more processors 802 to control subsystems and interfaces coupled to the one or more processors 802. In some embodiments, one or more processors 802 may include Pentium® and Itanium processors manufactured by Intel, Opteron and Athlon processors manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices, and ARM processors manufactured by ARM Holdings.

[0059] 8, computer system 800 can include machine-readable media 804. In some embodiments, machine-readable media 804 can further include main random access memory (“RAM”) 806, read-only memory (“ROM”) 808, and / or file storage subsystem 810. RAM 730 can store instructions and data during program execution, while ROM 732 can store fixed instructions. File storage subsystem 810 provides persistent storage for program and data files and can include a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a CD-ROM drive, an optical drive, a flash memory, or a removable media cartridge, in addition to associated removable media.

[0060] The computer system 800 may further include user interface input devices 812 and user interface output devices 814. The user interface input devices 812 may include pointing devices such as an alphanumeric keyboard, keypad, mouse, trackball, touchpad, stylus, or graphics tablet, scanner, touchscreen integrated into a display, audio input devices such as a voice recognition system or microphone, eye gaze recognition, electroencephalogram pattern recognition, and other types of input devices, to name a few. The user interface input devices 812 may be connected to the computer system 800 by wire or wirelessly. Generally, the user interface input devices 812 are intended to include all possible types of devices and methods for inputting information into the computer system 800. The user interface input devices 812 typically allow a user to identify some type of user interface output device, e.g., objects, icons, text, etc., that appear on a display subsystem. The user interface output devices 820 may include a display subsystem, a printer, a fax machine, or a non-visual display such as an audio output device. The display subsystem may include a flat panel device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projection device, or some other device for producing a visible image, such as a virtual reality system. The display subsystem may also provide non-visual displays, such as via audio output or tactile output (e.g., vibration) devices. Generally, user interface output devices 820 are intended to include all possible types of devices and methods for outputting information from computer system 800.

[0061] Computer system 800 may further include a network interface 816 for providing an interface to outside networks, including an interface to a communications network 818, through which computer system 800 is coupled to corresponding interface devices in other computer systems or machines. Communications network 818 may comprise many interconnected computer systems, machines, and communication links. These communication links may be wired, optical, wireless, or any other device for communicating information. Communications network 818 may be any suitable computer network, for example, a wide area network such as the Internet and / or a local area network such as Ethernet. Communications network 818 may be wired and / or wireless, and the communications network may use encryption and decryption methods such as those available with virtual private networks. The communications network uses one or more communications interfaces that may receive data from and transmit data to other systems. Embodiments of the communication interface typically include an Ethernet card, a modem (e.g., telephone, satellite, cable, or ISDN), an (asynchronous) Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) unit, a Firewire interface, a USB interface, etc. One or more communication protocols may be used, such as HTTP, TCP / IP, RTP / RTSP, IPX, and / or UDP.

[0062] 8, one or more processors 802, machine-readable media 804, user interface input devices 812, user interface output devices 814, and / or network interface 816 can be communicatively coupled to each other using a bus subsystem 820. Although bus subsystem 820 is shown diagrammatically as a single bus, alternative embodiments of the bus subsystem may use multiple buses. For example, a RAM-based main memory can communicate directly with a file storage system using a direct memory access (“DMA”) system. (Conclusion)

[0063] The detailed description has referred to the accompanying figures to illustrate exemplary embodiments consistent with this disclosure. References in this disclosure to "an exemplary embodiment" indicate that the described exemplary embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all exemplary embodiments necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same exemplary embodiment. Furthermore, any feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an exemplary embodiment may be included independently or in any combination with features, structures, or characteristics of other exemplary embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0064] The Detailed Description is not intended to be limiting. Rather, the scope of the present disclosure is defined solely by the following claims and their equivalents. It is understood that the Detailed Description section, and not the Abstract section, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Abstract section may describe one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure, but is not exhaustive, and thus is not intended to limit the present disclosure and the following claims and their equivalents in any way.

[0065] The exemplary embodiments described within this disclosure are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be limiting. Other exemplary embodiments are possible, and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments while remaining within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is described with the help of functional components that illustrate the implementation of defined functions and their relationships. The boundaries of these functional components are arbitrarily defined herein for convenience of description. Alternative boundaries may be defined so long as those defined functions and relationships are appropriately performed.

[0066] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware, firmware, a software application, or any combination thereof. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, which may be read and executed by one or more processors. A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computing network). For example, a machine-readable medium may include non-transitory machine-readable media, such as read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, and others. As another example, a machine-readable medium may include transitory machine-readable media, such as electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.). Furthermore, firmware, software applications, routines, instructions may be described herein as performing certain actions. However, it should be understood that such description is for convenience only, and that such actions actually result from a computing device, processor, controller, or other device executing the firmware, software application, routine, instructions, etc.

[0067] The detailed description of the exemplary embodiments has made fully apparent the general nature of the present disclosure such that others, by applying the knowledge of those skilled in the art, may readily modify and / or adapt such exemplary embodiments for various applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and without undue experimentation. Moreover, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and equivalents of the exemplary embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for purposes of description and not of limitation, as the terminology or terminology used herein would be interpreted by one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings herein.

Claims

1. 1. A portable haptic device for generating vibrations related to audio associated with an event hosted by a venue, said portable haptic device comprising: a haptic device configured to generate the vibrations in synchronization with the audio; Mechanically coupled assemblies and Equipped with The mechanical coupling assembly includes: Taking a seat in the venue at the start of the event; propagating the vibrations generated by the haptic device onto the audience members seated in the seats during the event; Separate from said seat upon completion of said event without incurring any permanent damage to said seat; A portable tactile perception device configured to:

2. The portable haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic device is configured to generate the vibrations at one or more frequencies for one or more time intervals.

3. The portable haptic sensing device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more frequencies comprise one or more frequencies between 4 Hertz (Hz) and about 256 Hz.

4. The mechanical coupling assembly includes: slides onto the seat back at the start of the event; slides off the back of the seat upon completion of the event without incurring any permanent damage to the seat. The portable haptic sensing device according to claim 1 , configured to:

5. The portable haptic device of claim 4 , wherein the portable haptic device is held to the seat by friction when the mechanical coupling assembly is slid onto the back of the seat.

6. The portable haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical coupling assembly is characterized as being "U" shaped and mounts above the seat.

7. the seating comprises a wheelchair that is installed within a wheelchair accessible seating area of ​​said venue; The portable haptic sensory device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical coupling assembly is configured to separate from the wheelchair without incurring any permanent damage to the wheelchair.

8. 1. A portable haptic system for generating vibrations related to audio associated with an event hosted by a venue, the portable haptic system comprising: a seat in the venue; Portable tactile perception device and Equipped with The portable haptic sensing device comprises: Taking up the seat at the start of the event; transmitting the vibrations onto audience members seated in the seats during the event; Separate from said seat upon completion of said event without incurring any permanent damage to said seat; A portable tactile perception system configured as follows.

9. The portable haptic system of claim 8 , wherein the portable haptic device is configured to generate the vibrations at one or more frequencies for one or more time intervals.

10. The portable haptic perception system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more frequencies comprise one or more frequencies between 4 Hertz (Hz) and about 256 Hz.

11. The portable haptic sensing device comprises: slides onto the seat back at the start of the event; slides off the back of the seat upon completion of the event without incurring any permanent damage to the seat. The portable haptic perception system according to claim 8, wherein the portable haptic perception system is configured to:

12. 12. The portable haptic system of claim 11, wherein the portable haptic device is held to the seat by friction when the portable haptic device is slid onto the back of the seat.

13. The portable haptic system of claim 8 , wherein the portable haptic device is characterized as being "U" shaped and mounted above the seat.

14. the seating comprises a wheelchair that is installed within a wheelchair accessible seating area of ​​the venue; The portable haptic system of claim 8 , wherein the portable haptic device is configured to be separated from the wheelchair without incurring any permanent damage to the wheelchair.

15. A venue, the venue comprising: Seats and Portable tactile perception device and Equipped with The portable haptic sensing device comprises: Taking up the seat at the start of the event; transmitting vibrations onto audience members seated in said seats during said event; Separate from said seat upon completion of said event without incurring any permanent damage to said seat; The venue is structured as follows:

16. 16. The venue of claim 15, wherein the portable haptic device is configured to generate the vibrations at one or more frequencies for one or more time intervals.

17. 17. The venue of claim 16, wherein the one or more frequencies comprise one or more frequencies between 4 Hertz (Hz) and about 256 Hz.

18. The portable haptic sensing device comprises: slides onto the seat back at the start of the event; slides off the back of the seat upon completion of the event without incurring any permanent damage to the seat.

16. The venue of claim 15, configured so that

19. 20. The venue of claim 18, wherein the portable haptic sensory device is held to the seat by friction when the portable haptic sensory device is slid onto the back of the seat.

20. the seating comprises a wheelchair that is installed within a wheelchair accessible seating area of ​​the venue; 16. The venue of claim 15, wherein the portable haptic sensory device is configured to be detached from the wheelchair without incurring any permanent damage to the wheelchair.

Images