Tactile Digital Coin Timepiece With Haptic Feedback

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Individuals, both sighted and visually impaired, face challenges in reading time on smooth surfaces or touch screens without visual assistance, as existing technologies do not effectively provide tactile feedback for time representation.

Innovation Solution

A digital coin timepiece with a tactilely readable display surface that generates haptic feedback through vibrations, allowing users to determine the time or elapsed time by touch, using a combination of vibrations and LED lighting to indicate minutes and hours, and optionally including sensors for pressure and friction detection to activate the tactile presentation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If a smooth surface or touch screen is used for time display, then the device appearance is simplified and modern, but the ability to read time by touch is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface smoothnessVSAvoidtactile readability

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies mechanical vibration to the display surface through actuators that generate specific vibration patterns. When a user touches the screen, the system vibrates the contacted area with patterns corresponding to time information (e.g., number of vibrations indicating hours, vibration duration indicating minutes), enabling tactile time reading while maintaining a smooth surface appearance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #18Mechanical vibration

2Ease of operation

If tactile feedback mechanisms are added to provide touch-readable time, then time readability by touch is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetactile readabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the display surface structure with the vibration generation function by integrating actuators directly into the touch screen layers. This combination eliminates separate tactile feedback mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining tactile readability capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The touch screen serves multiple functions: visual display, touch input detection, and tactile time feedback. By making the display surface multi-functional, the patent avoids adding dedicated tactile feedback components, thereby controlling device complexity while improving tactile readability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If haptic feedback is provided continuously to indicate time, then time information is always accessible by touch, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetactile accessibilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic vibration patterns rather than continuous vibration to convey time information. The system vibrates the display surface in specific patterns (e.g., 3 vibrations for 3 o'clock, 45-second duration for 45 minutes) only when triggered by user touch, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous haptic feedback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system activates haptic feedback only when needed - specifically when a user touches the screen. The touch itself triggers the vibration response, eliminating the need for continuous power consumption. The display surface serves itself by converting touch input into informative tactile feedback on demand.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 users to read time or elapsed time without viewing the device, providing a convenient and accessible method for both sighted and visually impaired individuals, with energy-efficient operation and customizable tactile representations.

Implementation Method 1

Devices can now record the force, speed, acceleration, vibrations, and motions of a user in connection with a real object and those attributes can then be used to simulate or recreate the tactile sensation of touching that object through electromechanical or electromagnetic actuators

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic actuation: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

Disney's TeslaTouch uses electrovibrations such that 'when a finger is placed on the surface of the touch panel, a periodic motion of the electrical charges is induced in the tip of the finger. This results in a periodic attraction force between the finger and the panel modifying the friction between the sliding finger and the panel and thus producing a sensation of tactile texture.'

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrovibrations: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS20240345543A1Digital coin timepiece for tactilely determining elapsed time

Publication Date: 2024.10.17 WELLEN ALEXANDER

AI summary

A digital coin timepiece that generates a tactile presentation which indicates elapsed time including a body member that includes a tactilely readable display surface that provides haptic feedback comprising first vibrations in a first location on the display surface when the tactilely readable display surface is touched by a user, with the first vibrations providing haptic feedback representing an actual minute or elapsed minutes so that the user can determine the actual or approximate time without having to view the display surface.