Haptic Signal Reception Control for Low-Bandwidth Audio Playback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing haptic sensation signals generated from acoustic signals face challenges with limited communication bands and the need for new communication schemes, and inappropriate acoustic signals can lead to uncomfortable user experiences.

Innovation Solution

A reception apparatus and transmission apparatus that generate and transmit haptic sensation signals based on reproduction enabled/disabled information, allowing precise control of haptic sensation presentation intervals, and include analysis processing to determine appropriate haptic stimulus timing based on acoustic and video data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If haptic sensation signals are generated and transmitted wirelessly along with acoustic signals, then haptic sensation presentation can be provided to the user, but communication band is limited and a new communication scheme must be established

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehaptic sensation presentation capabilityVSAvoidcommunication data amount

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential information needed for haptic sensation control from the full acoustic signal. Instead of transmitting the complete haptic sensation signal, it transmits only reproduction enabled/disabled information (flags) that indicate whether haptic reproduction should be active for each acoustic frame, significantly reducing data transmission requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the acoustic signal into frames and associates reproduction control information with each frame. This allows independent control of haptic sensation presentation for different time segments, enabling precise control while using efficient flag-based transmission rather than continuous signal transmission

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If haptic sensation signals are generated from all acoustic signals, then comprehensive haptic feedback is provided, but inappropriate acoustic signals (background music, spoken lines) cause uncomfortable user experiences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehaptic sensation coverageVSAvoiduser discomfort from inappropriate haptic stimuli

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary analysis of acoustic signals to determine their suitability for haptic reproduction before actual haptic presentation. Reproduction enabled/disabled information is generated in advance based on acoustic signal characteristics, allowing the system to pre-identify which segments should trigger haptic feedback and which should be excluded

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from acoustic signal analysis to dynamically control haptic reproduction. By continuously monitoring acoustic frame characteristics and adjusting reproduction flags accordingly, the system adapts haptic output to match appropriate acoustic content while suppressing inappropriate haptic responses

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If reproduction enabled/disabled information is provided for each acoustic frame data, then precise control of haptic sensation intervals is achieved, but data transmission requires efficient encoding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehaptic control timing precisionVSAvoidcontrol data amount

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter representation from continuous haptic signal values to discrete reproduction enabled/disabled flags. This parameter transformation allows precise temporal control of haptic reproduction while dramatically reducing data requirements, as single-bit flags suffice to control entire frames of haptic output

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12576334B2Reception apparatus, transmission apparatus, and information processing method

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

A reception apparatus includes a reception processing section configured to receive data including an acoustic signal and reproduction enabled/disabled information for a haptic sensation signal, and a haptic sensation signal generation section configured to generate the haptic sensation signal on the basis of the acoustic signal received by the reception processing section. The haptic sensation signal generation section generates the haptic sensation signal in a case where the reproduction enabled/disabled information indicates that reproduction is enabled, but does not generate the haptic sensation signal in a case where the reproduction enabled/disabled information indicates that reproduction is disabled.