Headset Audio Control for Adjustable Tactile Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional head-mounted displays in artificial reality systems often produce unwanted tactile sensations due to bone or cartilage conduction of audio content, which can be perceived as tactile stimulation, and there is a need to control and adjust the level of tactile content to enhance user experience.

Innovation Solution

An audio system with a transducer array and a controller that adjusts tactile content by actuating transducers in the array, using a sensor array to detect sounds and vibrations, and a perception model to calibrate and control tactile feedback, allowing for audio-only, tactile-only, or combined audio/tactile content presentation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If bone conduction or cartilage conduction is used to provide audio content, then audio content can be delivered to the user, but unwanted tactile sensations are produced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio content deliveryVSAvoidunwanted tactile sensations

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the audio signal into different frequency components and applies different processing to control tactile content. The controller separates the audio signal processing into tactile control module and audio output module, allowing independent control of tactile and audio components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes physical parameters of the transducer actuation, specifically adjusting the amplitude and frequency characteristics of the signal delivered to bone or cartilage. By modifying these parameters, the system can deliver audio content while staying below tactile perception thresholds for unwanted sensations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If tactile content is increased to enhance user experience, then navigation instructions and speech intelligibility improve, but unwanted tactile sensations increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeech intelligibilityVSAvoidunwanted tactile sensations

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from sensors to detect the user's tactile perception and adjusts the tactile content accordingly. The controller receives feedback about the user's perception and dynamically adjusts the signal parameters to maintain speech intelligibility while avoiding unwanted tactile sensations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the tactile content based on real-time conditions and user perception. The controller continuously monitors and modifies the signal characteristics, transitioning between different levels of tactile stimulation to optimize speech intelligibility without causing discomfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If the same transducer array is used for both audio and tactile content, then device complexity is reduced, but control precision over tactile content decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransducer array configurationVSAvoidtactile content control precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system makes the transducer array multi-functional by enabling it to deliver both audio content and controlled tactile content through the same physical components. The controller implements separate signal processing paths that allow the same transducers to serve dual purposes with independent control over tactile and audio output.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system effectively controls tactile content to improve user experience by providing navigation instructions, increasing speech intelligibility, and generating near-field effects, while minimizing unwanted tactile sensations.

Implementation Method 1

conventional head-mounted display may use bone conduction and/or cartilage conduction to provide audio content to the user

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBone conduction:

Implementation Method 2

conventional head-mounted display may use bone conduction and/or cartilage conduction to provide audio content to the user

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCartilage conduction:

Implementation Method 3

A transducer placed in a proximity of an outer ear can create (e.g., by exciting a certain tissue) acoustic pressure waves inside an ear-canal that can be perceived by a person as sound

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic pressure wave generation:

Implementation Method 4

the audio content may be perceived by the user (e.g., via mechanoreceptors embedded in tissues) as tactile stimulation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTissue vibration: Vibration

Implementation Method 5

the audio content may be perceived by the user (e.g., via mechanoreceptors embedded in tissues) as tactile stimulation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanoreceptor detection:

Data Source

PatentUS11561757B2Methods and system for adjusting level of tactile content when presenting audio content

Publication Date: 2023.01.24 META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

An audio system presented herein includes a transducer array, a sensor array, and a controller. The transducer array presents audio content to a user. The controller controls the transducer array to adjust a level of tactile content imparted to the user via actuation of at least one transducer in the transducer array while presenting the audio content to the user. The audio system can be part of a headset.