96 results about "Haptic display" patented technology

The invention facilitates browsing of an indexed collection of electronic content by displaying information identifying a current location within the collection of electronic content using a non-visual display (e.g., audio display and / or haptic display). The information identifying the current location can be displayed with variable resolution and the content of the display of the information identifying the current location can be dependent on the resolution. The invention can be used to browse any type of electronic content, including, for example, audio content, visual content, text content or some combination of such content. The invention can be used to browse electronic content that is indexed in any way, such as, for example, electronic content that is indexed (partly or entirely) alphabetically, numerically or by date.

Conductivity of a photoconductive layer 420 changes in accordance with a display pattern made of black and white, which is displayed on a display device 200 of a touch panel apparatus with tactile display function 10. With this change of the conductivity, viscosity of an electrorheological fluid layer 430 changes in accordance with this display pattern. This change of the viscosity is presented to an operator, as tactile information corresponding to the display pattern displayed as the visual information.

A system that produces a haptic effect and generates a drive signal that includes at least two haptic effect signals each having a priority level. The haptic effect is a combination of the haptic effect signals and priority levels. The haptic effect may optionally be a combination of the two haptic effect signals if the priority levels are the same, otherwise only the haptic effect signal with the highest priority is used. The frequency of haptic notifications may also be used to generate a drive signal using foreground and background haptic effect channels depending on whether the frequency ratio exceeds a foreground haptic effect threshold.

Provided is an active driving type visual and tactile display device, in which a flat panel display device for visually displaying an image and a haptic part for generating a tactile sense using an electrostatic force are integrated to generate textures according to an electrostatic force based on an image signal. As a result, visual and tactile senses may be simultaneously recognized. Since the display device enables a user to simultaneously see an image through a visual sense and perceive various textures through a tactile sense, the performance of a device is significantly improved. Therefore, various textures according to an image signal can be precisely realized by the generation of an electrostatic force per unit cell.

A tactile array is integrated with a large scale force-feedback device. Under software control, the large scale force-feedback device provides large scale shape information while the tactile display provides fine structures and surface texture. In a virtual reality environment, the concept of a "tactile map" is employed. A tactile map provides surface details and is rendered by the tactile array. Tactile maps may be based on actual object surface properties, or they may be arbitrarily generated based on the application. In operation, the effect of colliding with a object is produced and the point of contact is noted. The corresponding location on the tactile map is identified, and the surface features are rendered on the tactile array. Moving the point of contact changes the corresponding portion of the tactile map being rendered.

A tactile display layer is provided on a back side of a flexible visual display layer of a display to facilitate selective tactile pushing against different portions of the flexible visual display layer. In one embodiment, the display further includes a sensor circuit to sense user touching of activated ones of tactile pistons of the tactile display layer. In one embodiment, the display further includes a transparent touch sensitive layer disposed on a viewing side of the flexible visual display layer, with its effective touch sensitive area limited to a perimeter area surrounding the effective area of the tactile display layer.

Conductivity of a photoconductive layer changes in accordance with a display pattern made of black and white, which is displayed on a display device of a touch panel apparatus with tactile display function. With this change of the conductivity, viscosity of an electrorheological fluid layer changes in accordance with this display pattern. This change of the viscosity is presented to an operator, as tactile information corresponding to the display pattern displayed as the visual information.

A haptic display includes at least one haptic device that can give tactile feedback instead of visible feedback. Each of the haptic devices converts a signal from a signal producing unit into force or tactile pattern. The haptic device does not require a large mass, so that it can be provided on almost any portion or part within the body of a mobile apparatus. For example, the haptic device can be embedded under a touch panel display that constitutes both input and output device. By providing the haptic devices under respective menu / function button areas displayed on the touch panel display, it is possible to stimulate the specific button in response to the user-input-operation, thereby directly providing the tactile feedback to the user's finger touching the corresponding button.

A system that produces a haptic effect and generates a drive signal that includes at least two haptic effect signals each having a priority level. The haptic effect is a combination of the haptic effect signals and priority levels. The haptic effect may optionally be a combination of the two haptic effect signals if the priority levels are the same, otherwise only the haptic effect signal with the highest priority is used. The frequency of haptic notifications may also be used to generate a drive signal using foreground and background haptic effect channels depending on whether the frequency ratio exceeds a foreground haptic effect threshold.

Touch interface devices having systems and methods for producing multi-point haptics utilizing simultaneous sensing and actuation are disclosed. In a first configuration, two layers of electrodes are used, including a top layer for haptics near a touch surface of an insulating substrate and a bottom layer for sensing at the bottom surface of the insulating substrate, with the two electrode sets have substantially the same pattern as one another. In a second configuration, a single array of electrodes is used near a touch surface of an insulating substrate and serves as both surface haptic devices and sensing devices.

A haptic display includes at least one haptic device that can give tactile feedback instead of visible feedback. Each of the haptic devices converts a signal from a signal producing unit into force or tactile pattern. The haptic device does not require a large mass, so that it can be provided on almost any portion or part within the body of a mobile apparatus. For example, the haptic device can be embedded under a touch panel display that constitutes both input and output device. By providing the haptic devices under respective menu / function button areas displayed on the touch panel display, it is possible to stimulate the specific button in response to the user-input-operation, thereby directly providing the tactile feedback to the user's finger touching the corresponding button.

One embodiment a vision substitution system for communicating audio and tactile representations of features within visual representations includes selecting (1) activity-related parameters; obtaining (2) images or other visual representations according to the activity-related parameters; acquiring (3) features including shapes and corners related to the visual representations according to the activity-related parameters; and outputting (4) effects related to the features on audio and / or tactile displays according to the activity-related parameters. The corners of shapes and other lineal features are emphasized via special audio and tactile effects while apparently-moving effects trace out perimeters and / or shapes. Coded impulse effects communicate categorical visual information. Special speech and braille codes can communicate encoded categorical properties and the arrangements of properties.

A pushbutton user interface enables a user to preview the effect of activating a pushbutton of the interface before the pushbutton is activated. The pushbutton user interface can be implemented so that an input (preview input) to the pushbutton that does not produce an activation of the pushbutton is sensed and, in response to the sensed input, a preview is displayed that indicates the effect of activating the pushbutton. The preview input can be sensed using, for example, a force-sensitive resistor, potentiometer or strain gauge. The preview display can include, for example, a visual display, an audio display, a haptic display, or a combination of two or three such displays. The pushbutton user interface can be implemented so that the preview input and an activation input (i.e., an input that produces an activation of the pushbutton) are sensed as a result of an input to the pushbutton along the same axis or along different (e.g., orthogonal) axes.

A force / tactile display that presents force / tactile sensation that occurs in response to physical interaction with each of a plurality of objects present in a virtual environment includes an action point defined on the mechanical structure, the action point presenting the force / tactile sensation, an applied force control means for controlling the force exerted on the action point, and an action point control means for controlling the position of the action point.

The present invention relates to a device, system and apparatus for a visual and tactile display and in particular, to a tactile and visual display device system capable of displaying both alphanumeric and Braille characters in a manner suitable for individuals that are visually impaired, blind or having normal range vision.

A tactile display has a contact surface that has multiple addressable pixels. Each pixel has a vibration element that is energizable to vibrate at a selected frequency and amplitude. The vibration of selected pixels of the tactile display provides tactile feedback to a user's finger touching the contact surface.

A haptic interface device, said device comprising a substrate, a first conducting layer deposited on the substrate, with the first conducting layer being patterned to provide a first axis of individually-addressable conductive electrodes, a first insulating layer deposited on the first conducting layer, with the insulating layer having a uniform thickness, a second conducting layer deposited on the first insulating layer, with the second conducting layer being patterned to provide a second axis of individually-addressable conductive electrodes, and a dielectric layer deposited on the second conducting layer, with the dielectric layer having a uniform thickness and hardness and being scratch resistant.

A user can selectively engage some part or all of the haptic display of a haptic interface device to produce an enhanced interaction with an environment with which the user interacts using the haptic interface device. Further, the haptic interface device can be implemented so that the part of the haptic display that is engaged can be engaged to varying degree. The degree of engagement with the haptic display (together with whether part or all of the haptic display is engaged) determines the manner in which the haptic display is experienced by the user. The selective engagement with the haptic display is enabled by adding a haptic clutch model to the underlying haptic model used to produce the haptic display, the haptic clutch model engaging some part or all of the haptic model in response to user input. The addition of a haptic clutch model to the haptic model used to produce a haptic display provides a richer user interaction than is provided by a haptic display produced by the haptic model alone.

A system that produces a haptic effect and generates a drive signal that includes at least two haptic effect signals each having a priority level. The haptic effect is a combination of the haptic effect signals and priority levels. The haptic effect may optionally be a combination of the two haptic effect signals if the priority levels are the same, otherwise only the haptic effect signal with the highest priority is used. The frequency of haptic notifications may also be used to generate a drive signal using foreground and background haptic effect channels depending on whether the frequency ratio exceeds a foreground haptic effect threshold.

In a tactile display apparatus which displays image information as differences in elevation created among tactile pins which are disposed crisscross in a matrix arrangement, a fewer number of solenoids are used which make the tactile pins project and retract, the number of components is accordingly reduced and the crisscross adjacent gaps between the tactile pins are narrow. Since the solenoids 4 which make the tactile pins 10 project and retract are disposed in a row vertically, one for every preset number of the tactile pins which are lined up in the vertical direction, to a movable unit 5 which is capable of freely moving in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction along which the tactile pins are disposed, and since the movable unit repeatedly moves along the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in turn, the solenoids make all tactile pins project and retract.

An electro-tactile display includes an electrode substrate provided with a plurality of stimulation electrodes, a conductive gel layer positioned between the stimulation electrodes and the skin of a wearer, a switching circuit section electrically connected to the stimulation electrodes, a stimulation pattern generating section electrically connected to the switching circuit, and means for alleviating a sensation experienced by the wearer as a result of the stimulation electrodes. In one aspect, the means for alleviating a sensation is configured from the conductive gel layer. The conductive gel layer has a resistance value equivalent to that of the horny layer of the skin. In another aspect, the means for alleviating a sensation is configured from the stimulation determination means and the threshold value adjustment means.

A wearable tactile display device is disclosed wherein vibrating stimulation pins are located close to each other by means of underlying vibratory actuation piezoelectric bending elements arranged in a cantilever configuration partially overlapping over each other. Optionally, the plane in which the tips of stimulation pins protrude may be a curved surface providing with the ability to comply with a curved human body part such as a finger. Vibratory stimulation can be achieved at close spatial resolution by advantageously reducing the space between adjacent stimulation pins through their ability to engage with different adjacent piezoelectric cantilever bending elements when they are placed at different planes and at additional closer spatial resolution when they are placed at an angle to each other. The programmable controller employed in order to program the pattern of stimulation pin vibrations can be used for generating different amplitudes and frequencies of vibration.

A dynamic and refreshable three-dimensional tactile display uses stimulus sensitive hydrogel blocks as pixels to create a touch surface with elevations from a two-dimensional optical image or from stored data. The movable three-dimensional tactiles are powerful in teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) materials to visually impaired and blind students.

The invention discloses an electrostatic force haptic display method and device applied to mobile terminals and belongs to the field of virtual reality. An electrostatic force haptic display algorithm of a convex geometrical model and an electrostatic force haptic display algorithm of a concave geometrical model are provided and applied to the electrostatic force haptic display device, and obvious convex or concave haptic sense can be caused. The electrostatic force haptic display device mainly comprises an electrostatic force haptic display interaction unit, an electrostatic force haptic display control unit, an infrared positioning unit and an ARM central processing unit. The electrostatic force haptic display device has the advantages of being easy to miniaturize and applicable to the mobile terminals such as smart phones, tablet computers and laptops; the electrostatic force haptic display method is low in computation complexity and particularly applicable to the mobile terminals such as tablet computers and mobile phones limited in computational capability, and good haptic experience can be obtained.

Disclosed is a locally vibrating haptic apparatus capable of vibrating a desired position of the haptic apparatus or adjusting a vibrating position by improving arrangement of vibrators and a frequency control method, the haptic apparatus including a panel and a vibrator transmitting vibration to the panel, wherein a vibration frequency outputted from the vibrator is adjusted in a domain less than a primary resonant frequency of the panel, thus controlling a vibrating position from a portion having the vibrator to a central portion of the panel, the haptic apparatus being advantageous in that the vibrating position of the panel may be precisely controlled by adjusting the frequency of the vibrator disposed on the edge of the haptic panel.

Touch interface devices having systems and methods for producing multi-point haptics utilizing simultaneous sensing and actuation, and electronic controllers for actuation thereof are disclosed. In a first configuration, two layers of electrodes are used, including a top layer for haptics near a touch surface of an insulating substrate and a deeper or bottom layer for sensing at a deeper layer or at the bottom surface of the insulating substrate, with the two electrode sets have substantially the same pattern as one another. In a second configuration, a single array of electrodes is used near a touch surface of an insulating substrate and serves as both surface haptic devices and sensing devices.

The invention is in use for providing device and method of graphics text information for crowd of visual disturbance. In the device, mouse, keyboard or pick-up head through series-parallel ports or USB port are connected to computer. Through mouse, keyboard or pick-up head, operator selects expectant graphics text. Through series-parallel ports or USB port, signal of graphics text output from computer is connected to a haptic stimulus device of jet flow. Through control cable, output signal of the haptic stimulus device of jet flow is connected to haptic display of jet flow. Finally, information of graphics text in haptic mode of jet flow acts on skin surface of operator. The operator obtains knowledge and haptic cognition about surrounding environment. Using confluent characters of pressure-temperature of jet flow stimulus, the invention can provide haptic display of heat sensation or information of color graphics text.

The invention discloses a wide friction-control haptic display device and a display method based on the same. The wide friction-control haptic display device comprises a haptic display module, a piezoelectric ceramic module for excitation signal generating, an electrode array module for excitation signal generating, an electromagnet array module for excitation signal generating, a finger position detection module, permanent magnets attached to the backs of fingers of an operator, and a central control module. The haptic display module comprises a haptic panel, a transparent electrode array module, a piezoelectric ceramic array module, an electromagnet array module, a display module and a shell. Three principles, namely air pressure membrane effect, electro-vibratory effect and electromagnetic force control, are combined, increase and decrease in the friction between the fingers of the operator and the haptic display module are adjusted in a bidirectional wide range, and high-performance haptic display is achieved. The wide friction-control haptic display device is capable of sensing in multiple modes and is of great practical value.

A tactile access and navigation system and method for a visually impaired user operating within a computerized data environment includes a bi-directional input-output system having one or more tactile displays and user-operable input controls; a data transformer for extracting display data from the computer and transforming that data into a form suitable for display by the one or more tactile displays; apparatus for arranging the display data into a predetermined structure of GUI elements for navigation by the bi-directional input-output system; and apparatus for providing display data to the one or more tactile displays in any of one or more viewing modes for displaying on the one or more tactile displays a tactile representation of graphical and textual data content; and one or more navigational modes for displaying on the one or more tactile displays a tactile representation of the orientation of the GUI elements within the structure.