Sound Data Generation for Motion Sickness Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for reducing motion sickness, such as PTL 1 and PTL 2, either require user action or have short usability due to human body influence and high introduction costs, and are not effective in matching the degree of sickness reduction without burdening the user.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus that acquires head position information and stimulus data to generate sound effects that reduce sickness by calculating the variation of the user's head position and stimulus intensity, generating sound data to match the user's sickness feeling, and adjusting sound features to minimize sickness through auditory stimuli.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If message video is used to allow occupants to grasp vehicle motion, then sickness reduction is achieved, but user burden increases due to required user actions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesickness reductionVSAvoiduser burden

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically detects head position using sensors and generates appropriate sound effects without requiring user actions. The apparatus self-adjusts the sound parameters based on detected head movement, eliminating the need for users to perform actions to eliminate sickness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces visual message video with auditory sound effects that automatically respond to head position. This substitution eliminates the need for users to view and interpret visual information, reducing user burden while maintaining sickness reduction effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If electric current is applied to cancel ship shaking, then oscillation feeling is suppressed, but usable time is limited due to human body influence

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoscillation feeling suppressionVSAvoidusable time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces electric current stimulation with sound effects that generate movement feelings through auditory perception. This substitution removes the human body influence constraints associated with electrical stimulation, allowing continuous use without time limitations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If electric stimulating apparatus is used to generate acceleration feeling, then oscillation feeling is suppressed, but introduction cost becomes high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoscillation feeling suppressionVSAvoidintroduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive electric stimulating apparatus with a sound generation system using ordinary speakers or headphones. This substitution dramatically reduces introduction costs while achieving the same oscillation suppression effect through auditory stimulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses ordinary audio output devices (speakers, headphones) that are already present in most vehicles, making the sickness reduction system universally applicable without requiring specialized expensive equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Object-affected harmful factors

If head position detection and sound generation is implemented, then sickness reduction is achieved without user burden, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesickness reductionVSAvoidapparatus complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses sound effects as an intermediary to translate head position information into sickness reduction. The sound effects mediate between the detection system and the user's sensory system, achieving sickness reduction through a simple and elegant intermediate mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10814095B2Apparatus, sound data generation method, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium

Publication Date: 2020.10.27 HITACHI LTD

AI summary

An apparatus includes a first acquisition unit acquiring head position information indicating a user's head movement, a second acquisition unit acquiring stimulus information relating to a stimulus input to visual and vestibular sense. A generation unit that generates sound data of sound effect generating movement of a body which reduces sickness based on the head position information and the stimulus information, and calculates a variation amount of the user's head position based on the head position information, calculates an estimation amount for a magnitude of the stimulus input to at least any one of visual and vestibular sense based on the stimulus information, calculates sickness feeling intensity based on the variation amount and the estimation amount, calculates a reduction amount for calculating a feature amount of the sound data based on the sickness feeling intensity, and calculates a feature amount of the sound data based on the reduction amount.