Smart Ring Haptic Signaling for Distraction-Free Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machine-human interfaces often distract users by occupying one of the five senses, are unsuitable for high-distraction environments, and are inadequate for individuals with disabilities or anatomical limitations, particularly in detecting hand movements and providing haptic stimulation at the wrist.
Innovation Solution
A smart ring that includes haptic stimulators to provide tactile communication via temporal vibration patterns, touch and motion sensors for input, and network interfaces for data transmission, allowing users to receive information through haptic sensations without relying on sight or hearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If visual or auditory interfaces are used for machine-human communication, then information can be transmitted effectively, but user attention is occupied and distracted from real-world surroundings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the five senses by dedicatedly assigning haptic feedback to the tactile sense, separating it from visual and auditory channels. This allows information transmission without occupying the user's visual or auditory attention, enabling simultaneous awareness of both digital notifications and real-world surroundings.
Solution Approach 2:
The smart ring acts as an intermediary device that converts visual/auditory information into tactile sensations. Instead of directly presenting information through traditional displays or audio, the ring mediates the information delivery through haptic stimulators that encode data into tactile patterns on the user's finger.
2Measurement precision
If wrist-worn devices are used for detecting hand movements, then position data can be obtained, but finger movement detection is not possible due to anatomical limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing sensors directly on the finger rather than at the wrist. The capacitive touch sensor and motion sensor are positioned at the finger tip, enabling precise detection of finger-specific movements, gestures, and contact events that wrist-worn devices cannot detect.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the user wear a wrist device and interpret hand movements indirectly, the patent inverts the approach by placing the sensing interface directly on the finger. This allows the device to passively detect finger movements and gestures as they occur naturally, without requiring active interpretation by the user.
3Ease of manufacture
If haptic stimulators are placed on the wrist for anatomical reasons, then device placement is simplified, but nerve access for effective haptic communication is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing haptic stimulators directly on the finger where nerve endings are densely concentrated. This location provides superior neural connectivity for haptic communication compared to the wrist area, enabling more effective and nuanced tactile feedback to reach the user's perception.
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
Enables effective communication and interaction in various environments by translating sensory data into haptic stimuli, facilitating communication and input without visual or auditory distraction, suitable for individuals with disabilities and in high-distraction scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
at least one haptic stimulator configured to receive a drive signal and communicate data to the user via a haptic stimulation of the finger
Implementation Method 2
a touch sensor coupled to the ring body, wherein the touch sensor is configured to receive a touch input from the user
Implementation Method 3
a motion sensor coupled to the ring body, wherein the motion sensor is configured to provide position data representative of a position of the smart ring in a Cartesian coordinate system
Data Source
AI summary
In an example, a method includes receiving a data input. The method also includes mapping the data input to a temporal vibration pattern from among multiple temporal vibration patterns. The method also includes controlling a haptic stimulator to provide haptic stimulation according to the temporal vibration pattern.