Tactile Notification Control for Audio Content Disruption

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In electronic device systems with audio output and vibration functions, notifications often disrupt the user's experience of audio content, such as music, by either being too intrusive or going unnoticed due to the auditory stimulus overpowering the tactile vibration.

Innovation Solution

An information processing device and method that control tactile stimuli, like vibration, in response to or in conjunction with audio content, to improve perception and minimize disruption, by adjusting vibration timing, intensity, and frequency in relation to the audio output, ensuring notifications are noticed without hindering the audio experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If alarm sound is output to notify users of notification information during audio content playback, then notification delivery is improved, but audio content quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification deliveryVSAvoidaudio content quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the acoustic notification system (alarm sound from speaker) with a tactile notification system (vibration from vibrator). This substitution allows notification delivery to be achieved through a different sensory modality that does not interfere with audio content playback, thereby resolving the contradiction between notification delivery and audio quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions notification delivery from the auditory dimension to the tactile dimension. By outputting vibration instead of sound, the notification operates in a different sensory dimension that does not compete with audio content, thus maintaining audio quality while ensuring notification delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of information

If vibration is output to notify users of notification information during audio content playback, then notification delivery is improved, but user perception of vibration deteriorates due to auditory stimulus

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenotification deliveryVSAvoidvibration perception

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs periodic vibration patterns with specific frequencies and intervals that are optimized for human perception. By using rhythmic and patterned vibration rather than continuous or random vibration, the notification becomes more detectable and distinguishable from background noise, thereby improving user perception while maintaining notification delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent dynamically adjusts vibration characteristics such as frequency, intensity, and duration based on the audio content being played. By adapting the vibration parameters in real-time to match or contrast with the audio waveform, the notification becomes more perceivable without causing excessive disruption to the audio experience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11561618B2Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Publication Date: 2023.01.24 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

There is provided an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can suppress hindrance to viewing/listening to content. A control unit controls output of a tactile stimulus in a case where notification information is received during output of content including sound. Further, the control unit performs a process of controlling the tactile stimulus in response to the content or a process of controlling the content in response to the tactile stimulus. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a mobile device such as a smartphone and the like capable of reproducing content including sound.