Haptic Communications Skin-Attached Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wearable devices lack effective haptic communication methods that can efficiently transmit and receive tactile messages without visual or auditory distractions, limiting their use in various scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A haptic communications system that attaches a device to the user's skin, converting electronic messages into touch impulses using Braille or Morse code, allowing for message storage, replay, and confirmation, with optional smartphone control and cloud service relay, utilizing a biocompatible adhesive patch or sticker with integrated keyboard capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wearable devices use visual or auditory signals for communication, then information transmission is clear and recognizable, but it causes distractions in environments where visual or audio signals are not suitable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual and auditory signal systems with a haptic mechanical system that uses tactile impulses delivered through a positional matrix of actuators against the user's skin. This substitution allows message transmission without the distracting effects of visual or audio signals while maintaining communication reliability through distinct tactile patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a haptic intermediary device that converts electronic messages into tactile impulses. This intermediary translates digital communication into physical touch sensations, enabling message delivery in environments where direct visual or audio communication would be distracting or inappropriate.
2Productivity
If haptic devices use complex coding systems for message transmission, then communication efficiency increases, but device complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adapts existing well-known coding systems (Braille and Morse code) for haptic transmission. By copying these established visual/tactile coding frameworks into the haptic domain, the system achieves communication efficiency without requiring users to learn entirely new complex protocols, thereby reducing operational difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the haptic device compatible with multiple coding systems (Braille, Morse code, and custom haptic codes). This universality allows the device to handle different communication efficiency requirements while maintaining a consistent user interface, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices.
3Ease of operation
If haptic messages are transmitted using Braille or Morse code, then character recognition is user-friendly and accessible, but the system is limited to short messages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments longer messages into multiple sequential haptic transmissions. Each message is divided into character or word units that are delivered as separate tactile impulses over time. This segmentation allows the use of simple recognition codes like Braille while accommodating longer message content through time-based delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses periodic haptic impulses to transmit message characters sequentially. By delivering tactile signals in regular time intervals corresponding to code units (Braille dots, Morse elements), the system maintains ease of character recognition while extending message capacity through repeated periodic transmissions over time.
Data Source
AI summary
Providing haptic communications includes attaching to skin of a user a haptic device that produces touch impulses, electronically transmitting a message to the haptic device, converting the message to touch impulses, and providing the touch impulses to the user. Messages may be converted to touch impulses using coding from the Braille system or Morse code. Messages may be converted to touch impulses using Braille coding where the touch impulses are provided by a positional matrix that is part of the device. Messages may be converted to touch impulses using Morse coding where a Morse code dot is provided by a brief touch and where a Morse code dash is provided by a longer touch. The haptic device may be a patch or a sticker attached to the user with a biocompatible adhesive. The haptic device may notify the user of receipt of a new message using special touch symbols.