Multichannel Vibrotactile Encoding With Psychohaptic Clustering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for encoding vibrotactile signals are inefficient in managing multiple channels, leading to excessive data volume and loss of relevant perceptual information, while requiring efficient and reliable transmission for applications like virtual and augmented reality.

Innovation Solution

A device and method that utilize discrete wavelet transform, psychohaptic modeling, and clustering to efficiently encode and decode multichannel vibrotactile signals, prioritizing relevant perceptual information and minimizing data loss through differential encoding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If traditional encoding methods are used for multichannel vibrotactile signals, then the encoding process is simple, but the data volume is excessive and perceptual information is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata volumeVSAvoidperceptual information

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments multichannel vibrotactile signals into multiple frequency bands using wavelet transform, allowing different encoding strategies to be applied to different frequency components. This segmentation enables efficient compression while preserving perceptually important information in each frequency band.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies psychoacoustic models to identify and preserve locally important perceptual information in each frequency band and channel, while compressing or discarding less important components. This local quality approach ensures that perceptually critical data is maintained while reducing overall data volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Quantity of substance

If psychoacoustic modeling is applied to reduce data, then data compression is achieved, but the method only works for single-channel signals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata volumeVSAvoidchannel compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extends psychoacoustic modeling to multichannel signals by implementing a universal encoding framework that processes multiple channels simultaneously. The system identifies inter-channel correlations and applies differential encoding, making the psychoacoustic approach versatile for both single-channel and multichannel applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges multiple channels into clusters based on their perceptual similarity and correlation. By grouping channels that convey redundant or complementary information, the system achieves efficient compression while maintaining the ability to reconstruct multichannel output, thus enhancing adaptability across different channel configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If all channels are encoded independently, then encoding simplicity is maintained, but compression efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompression efficiencyVSAvoidencoding complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple channels into clusters based on perceptual similarity and temporal correlation. By treating clustered channels as a group rather than independent entities, the system achieves higher compression efficiency through joint encoding while managing complexity through systematic clustering algorithms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary channel clustering and correlation analysis before the main encoding process. This preliminary action organizes channels into groups that can be efficiently encoded together, improving compression efficiency while reducing the complexity of the subsequent encoding stages through pre-processed channel groupings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12494114B2Encoding device and encoding method for multichannel encoding of vibrotactile signals and decoding and decoding method

Publication Date: 2025.12.09 TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT MUNCHEN

AI summary

Encoding device for encoding vibrotactile multichannel signals, includes an encoder input module configured to receive a multichannel signal; a transform module adapted to execute a discrete wavelet transform of each channel of the multichannel signal and to generate a respective frequency range representation of each channel; a psychohaptic model unit designed to allocate to each channel, based on the respective frequency range representation, a mathematical representation of human perception of the channel; a clustering module configured to group, based on the allocated mathematical representation and a similarity measure of the channels, the wavelet-transformed channels of each multichannel signal into clusters, wherein each cluster is allocated a reference channel; a reference encoding module designed to quantize and compress wavelet coefficients of the reference channels which result from the performed discrete wavelet transform of the reference channels; a differential encoding module configured to encode the channels within a cluster, which are not a reference channel, in relation to the reference channel or at least one other channel of the cluster; and an encoder output module which outputs the clustered, compressed channels of each multichannel signal as a bit stream.