33 results about "Vibrotactile stimulus" patented technology

A system is configured to provide haptic stimulation to a user. In one embodiment, the haptic stimulation is provided to the user in conjunction with the performance of one or more control gestures through which the user controls, for example, a game, a real world component or piece of equipment, and / or other entity. In one embodiment, the haptic stimulation is provided to the user in conjunction with control of virtual equipment by the user.

A manual control system for a vehicle includes a touch sensitive input element actuatable in response to proximity of a user's appendage. A tactile feedback generator produces a perceptible tactile stimulus. An audible feedback generator produces a perceptible audible stimulus. A sound level characterizer generates a sound characterization signal indicative of a sound-related parameter of the vehicle. A controller generates a feedback event in response to an actuation of the input element. The controller includes the perceptible tactile stimulus and the perceptible audible stimulus in the feedback event according to the sound characterization signal.

The present invention relates to a method for conveying an emotion to a person being exposed to multimedia information, such as a media clip, by way of tactile stimulation using a plurality of actuators arranged in a close vicinity of the person's body, the method comprising the step of providing tactile stimulation information for controlling the plurality of actuators, wherein the plurality of actuators are adapted to stimulate multiple body sites in a body region, the tactile stimulation information comprises a sequence of tactile stimulation patterns, wherein each tactile stimulation pattern controls the plurality of actuators in time and space to enable the tactile stimulation of the body region, and the tactile stimulation information is synchronized with the media clip. An advantage with the present invention is thus that emotions can be induced, or strengthened, at the right time (e.g. synchronized with a specific situation in the media clip).

The systems and methods described herein relate to, among other things, a transducer capable of producing acoustic and tactile stimulation. The transducer includes a rigid mass element disposed on the diaphragm of a speaker. The mass element may optionally be removable and may have a mass selected such that the resonant frequency of the transducer falls within the range of frequencies present in an input electrical audio signal. The systems and methods advantageously benefits from both the fidelity and audio performance of a full-range speaker while simultaneously producing high-fidelity, adjustable and palpable haptic vibrations.

This disclosure relates to a vibrotactile mobile device which induces a tactile sense at various positions in an interface method of operating the mobile device so that a user may intuitively interact with the mobile device while seeing a program execution status, and to a method of driving the vibrotactile mobile device. The method of driving the vibrotactile mobile device includes: providing a user interface for inputting a command signal on a screen operated in accordance with a program; calculating a target vibration position and a direction and a speed of a vibration flow with time so as to recognize a trajectory of the command signal displayed on the screen and supply a vibration stimulus corresponding to the trajectory of the command signal; and driving the vibration module by controlling a supply of power to be applied to vibration modules based on the calculated result.

There is provided a tactile alarm system for use in environments having a plurality of audio and / or visual alarms each in communication with a detector measuring a predetermined physical property. The system includes one or more tactile alarms each connected to a different person and each configured to provide tactile stimulation to the person when one or more predetermined physical property falls outside a predetermined range.

Systems, methods and devices for capturing environmental image data and providing tactile feedback about the visual environment to a user. One or more image sensing devices are mounted on various appendages of a user and are used to sense the environment. The image data is sent to a computer vision system where it is processed in order to identify specific objects within the environment. When the computer vision system makes such an identification it may send a signal to a haptic stimulator mounted on a user's appendage or may be used to control an object in the environment.

An interactive entertainment apparatus and system and a method of interacting with water to provide audio, visual, olfactory, gustatory and / or tactile effects are provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus and system comprise one or more imagery multilevel channel communications input and / or multilevel channel communications output device(s), one or more sound multilevel channel communications input and / or multilevel channel communications output device(s); one or more camera and / or motion multilevel channel communications input and / or multilevel channel communications input device(s); one or more nozzle assemblies for spraying and / or emitting liquid and / or vapour and / or gas that can produce lively and entertaining liquid and / or vapour and / or gas screen and / or middle drop(s) / screen(s)and / or other arena-like and / or skyscreen-like arrangement(s) located at or near the centre(s) or focal zone(s) of the theatrical arrangement(s) for the entertainment apparatus and system, on to which liquid and / or vapour and / or gas screen and / or contour arrangement(s) can be projected and / or augmented by harmonized and / or sychronized light and / or laser source for entertaining lighting and / or laser shows; one or more sound generating and / or broadcasting device(s); one or more light and / or laser source(s); one or more tactile stimulus multilevel channel communications input and / or multilevel channel communications output device(s) and / or one or more heating and / or cooling device(s) adapted to provide a tactile sensation of three-dimensional movement(s), motion(s) and / or tilting and / or temperature alteration(s) or variation(s); one or more olfactory stimulus multilevel channel communications input and / or multilevel channel communications output device(s); one or more gustatory stimulus multilevel channel communications input and / or multilevel channel communications output device(s), according to the occurrence of one or more events (random, reconfigurable and / or pre-set) and / or the multilevel channel communications input from one or more user-interface device(s), when activated automatically or on the demand(s), option(s) and / or desire(s) of the user(s); one or more device(s) modulator and / or controller which modulates and / or controls one or more of the above devices and / or one or more parameters of the features of the invention; and one or more interactive microprocessing, computing and / or data-transmission system(s) and / or device(s) to capture, animate, digitize, vary, modify and co-ordinate light emissions, sound or musical note and / or tune broadcasting, tactile stimulus multilevel channel communications input and / or multilevel channel communications output, olfactory stimulus multilevel channel communications input and / or multilevel channel communications output, gustatory stimulus multilevel channel communications input and / or multilevel channel communications output, and / or dancing water trajectories with random, reconfigurable and / or pre-set motions and / or sound multilevel channel communications inputs and / or multilevel channel communications output, produced and / or caused by and / or through interaction of human, animal and / or objects, into control multilevel channel communications inputs, data and / or signals delivered automatically or on the demand(s), option(s) and / or desire(s) of the user(s) to one or more device controllers for controlling the trajectory(ies) of liquid and / or vapour and / or gas emitted from the nozzle assembly(ies), the sound generating and / or broadcasting, the mood, soft or hard lighting changes and / or laser renditions to produce life-like, integrated, artistic and featured entertaining performances automatically or on the demand(s), option(s) and / or desire(s) of the user(s).

A system for enabling the hearing impaired comprises a plurality of servo actuators each associated with a particular segment of a predetermined frequency domain. The servo actuators drive tactile stimulators which engage the skin of the hearing impaired person in patterns that are unique to individual inputs thereby enabling the hearing impaired person to “hear” signals within the defined frequency domain. An electromechanical system for enabling the visually impaired comprises a two dimension array of servo actuators which respond to optical sensors and which actuate tactile stimulators thereby identifying objects in the path of the visually impaired person.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a tactile imaging system. The tactical imaging system includes: a receptive field tactile control unit; and a connecting module configured to connect the tactile imaging system with a host system. In addition, the receptive field tactile control unit includes: a monitoring module configured to monitor a property of a human skin; and a tactile stimulation providing module configured to provide a tactile stimulation.

An audio perception system is described, comprising a capture module configured to capture acoustic speech signal information; a feature extraction module configured to extract features that identify a candidate unvoiced portion in an acoustic signal; a classification module configured to identify if the acoustic signal is or contains an unvoiced portion based on the extracted features; and a control module configured to generate a control signal to a sensory stimulation actuator for generating an aero- tactile stimulation to be delivered to a listener, the control signal based at least in part on a signal representing the identified unvoiced portion. Related methods are also described.

A method is provided to deliver C tactile fiber stimulation to nervous tissue of a patient. The method comprises delivering a first tactile stimulation waveform to a first electrode combination within an array of electrodes located proximate to nervous tissue of interest. The method further provides sequentially delivering successive tactile stimulation waveforms to successive electrode combinations within the array of electrodes. The first and successive tactile stimulation waveforms include at least one series of pulses having a pulse amplitude and pulse frequency. Delaying delivery of the successive tactile stimulation waveforms by a firing delay, the pulse amplitude, pulse frequency and firing delay represent therapy parameters. The method manages at least one of the therapy parameters of the first and successive tactile stimulation waveforms to excite C tactile fibers of the nervous tissue of interest.

Haptic stimulus associated with other sensory content is generated for conveyance to one or more users with the other sensory content. This may enhance the experience provided to the one or more users by the content. The sensory content may include video content, video game content, audio content, and / or other content. The haptic stimulus may be varied based on position information. Such position information may include information related to the position of the one or more users, the position of a controller (e.g., a game controller), the position of an actuator delivering the haptic stimulus, and / or other position information.

A device and method for sensory training and assessment are provided. The device includes a plurality of haptic drivers connected to a processing circuitry, wherein the plurality of haptic drivers are configured be secured to a body of a user to create vibrotactile stimuli; a feedback interface configured to receive feedback from the user in response to the vibrotactile stimuli; and a memory configured to store therein a sensory training program, wherein the sensory training program includes instructions for the haptic drivers to create the vibrotactile stimuli based on a selected sensory training program.

A hearing prosthesis system includes a processor arranged to communicate a stimulation signal to a vibration stimulator of a first hearing prosthesis. The processor receives an indication of a measured input signal from a first transducer of a second hearing prosthesis. A processor calculates a feedback associated with the stimulation. The processor may also be further configured to adjust a gain table or an input to a feedback reduction algorithm in response to the calculated feedback. Additionally, the processor of the hearing prosthesis system may also be arranged to communicate a second stimulation signal to a vibration stimulator of the second hearing prosthesis. The processor receives an indication of a measured input signal from the first hearing prosthesis. Further, the processor calculates a second feedback associated with the second stimulation.

To provide the user with the relationship between the scrolling speed in scroll-displaying and an operation performed on an input surface, a tactile stimulus control apparatus includes an intensity determination unit and a tactile stimulus control unit. In a case where an operation performed by a manipulator on the input surface provided corresponding to a display unit is detected while an image is scroll-displayed by the display unit, the intensity determination unit determines the intensity of a tactile stimulus to be provided to the manipulator based on the scrolling speed at the timing of detection of the operation. The tactile stimulus control unit controls a tactile stimulus generating unit, which is configured to generate the tactile stimulus to be provided to the manipulator, to generate the tactile stimulus with the intensity determined by the intensity determination unit.