Methods, devices, and systems for creating localized haptic stimulations on a user

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684690-B2
Application number	US-201916241900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2019
Priority date	Jan 8, 2018
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A method of creating localized haptic stimulations on a user includes a wearable device including a plurality of transducers that can each generate one or more waves that propagate away from the wearable device through a medium. The method includes activating two or more transducers of the plurality of transducers, selecting values for characteristics of waves to be generated by the two or more transducers based at least in part on a known impedance of the medium. The method further includes generating, by the two or more transducers, waves that constructively interfere at a target location to create a haptic stimulation on a user of the wearable device, the waves having the selected values.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
at a wearable device comprising a plurality of transducers that can each generate one or more waves that propagate away from the wearable device through a medium:
selecting two or more transducers of the plurality of transducers;
selecting values for characteristics of waves to be generated by the two or more transducers based, at least in part, on a known impedance of the medium; and
activating the two or more transducers, producing waves having the selected values, including transmitting the waves into a wrist of a user in a first direction, wherein the waves propagate through the user's body away from the wrist in a second direction and constructively interfere at a target location to create a haptic stimulation on the user, and the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the two or more transducers comprises:
activating a first transducer of the two or more transducers at a first time; and
activating a second transducer of the two or more transducers at a second time after the first time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the two or more transducers comprises activating the two or more transducers simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the wearable device:
receiving an instruction from a host in communication with the wearable device,
wherein activating the two or more transducers is performed in response to receiving the instruction from the host.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the instruction received from the host identifies the target location.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the wearable device further comprises a communication radio in wireless communication with the host; and
the communication radio receives the instruction from the host.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wearable device further comprises a controller in communication with the plurality of transducers; and
the controller performs the activating and the selecting.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wearable device is a first wearable device;
the selected values are first selected values;
the plurality of transducers is a first plurality of transducers;
the haptic stimulation created by the waves generated by the two or more transducers is a first haptic stimulation; and
the method further comprises, at a second wearable device comprising a second plurality of transducers that can each generate one or more waves that propagate away from the second wearable device through the medium:
activating two or more transducers of the second plurality of transducers;
selecting second values for characteristics of waves generated by the two or more transducers of the second plurality of transducers based, at least in part, on the known impedance of the medium; and
generating, by the two or more transducers of the second plurality of transducers, waves that constructively interfere at a different target location to create a second haptic stimulation on the user, the waves having the second selected values.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the medium associated with the first wearable device is a first medium; and
the medium associated with the second wearable device is a second medium having a different known impedance from the known impedance of the first medium.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second selected values differ from the first selected values based on impedance differences between the first and second media.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target location is separated from the wearable device by a distance.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wearable device further comprises a band to be secured around a wrist of the user; and
each of the plurality of transducers is coupled to the band.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein transducers of the plurality of transducers are radially spaced along a perimeter of the band.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the two or more transducers are separated from one another by at least one other transducer.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the two or more transducers are adjacent to one another on the wearable device.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein transducers of the plurality of transducers are spaced equidistant from one another on the wearable device.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of transducers is a first plurality of transducers, and
the wearable device further comprises a second plurality of transducers.

18. A wearable device, comprising:
a plurality of transducers, each transducer being configured to generate one or more waves that propagate away from the wearable device through a medium;
one or more processors; and
memory storing one or more programs, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the wearable device to:
select two or more transducers of the plurality of transducers;
select values for characteristics of waves to be generated by the two or more transducers based, at least in part, on a known impedance of the medium; and
activate the two or more transducers, producing waves having the selected values, including transmitting the waves into a wrist of a user in a first direction, wherein the waves propagate through the user's body away from the wrist in a second direction and constructively interfere at a target location to create a haptic stimulation on the user, and the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more processors of a wearable device having a plurality of transducers, each transducer being configured to generate one or more waves that propagate away from the wearable device through a medium, the one or more programs including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the wearable device to:
select two or more transducers of the plurality of transducers;
select values for characteristics of waves to be generated by the two or more transducers based, at least in part, on a known impedance of the medium; and
activate the two or more transducers, producing waves having the selected values, including transmitting the waves into a wrist of a user in a first direction, wherein the waves propagate through the user's body away from the wrist in a second direction and that constructively interfere at a target location to create a haptic stimulation on the user, and the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

Assignees

• Facebook Tech Llc
• Univ California

Inventors

• Keller Sean Jason
• Trutna Tristan Thomas
• Benko Hrvoje
• King Raymond
• Stanley Andrew Arthur
• Di Luca Massimiliano
• Visell Yon
• Shao Yitian
• Dandu Bharat

Classifications

• G06F3/0426

  tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface (virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886) · CPC title

• G06F1/1673

  Arrangements for projecting a virtual keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title