Vibration presentation apparatus and method for using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10758939-B2
Application number	US-201615755637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2016
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A wearable vibration presentation apparatus includes a weight saving and simplified electric-mechanical vibration converter that has a mechanism that is quite different. The vibration presentation apparatus includes a transmitting member and a control unit, wherein a side portion of the transmitting member abuts a portion of a vibration presentation object or is wound to the vibration presentation object. Vibration is transmitted to the vibration presentation object via the transmitting member by applying predetermined tension to the transmitting member and varying the predetermined tension based on a driving signal on a basis of a vibration presentation signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vibration presentation apparatus comprising a transmitting member and a control unit,
wherein a side portion of said transmitting member is abutted to a portion of a vibration presentation object or is wound to said vibration presentation object,
said transmitting member comprises a first holder connected to one end of said transmitting member and a second holder connected to the other end of said transmitting member,
a first driving mechanism that applies said tension to said transmitting member is provided with said first holder,
said first driving mechanism comprises a first bobbin and a first electric motor connected to said first bobbin,
one end of said transmitting member is connected to said first bobbin,
by driving said first electric motor and winding or rewinding one end of said transmitting member on said first bobbin, one end of said transmitting member is towed and said predetermined tension is generated to said transmitting member,
a driving signal on a basis of a vibration presentation signal is inputted into said first driving mechanism,
by driving said first driving mechanism, said predetermined tension is varied based on said driving signal on a basis of said vibration presentation signal, and
vibration is transmitted to said vibration presentation object via said transmitting member.

2. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein said first driving mechanism further includes another driving mechanism that is different from said first bobbin and said first electric motor connected to said first bobbin,
said another driving mechanism generates said predetermined tension, and
said first bobbin and said first electric motor connected to said first bobbin vary said predetermined tension based on said driving signal on a basis of said vibration presentation signal.

3. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein said first driving mechanism further includes another driving mechanism that is different from said first bobbin and said first electric motor connected to said first bobbin,
said first bobbin and said first electric motor connected to said first bobbin generate said predetermined tension, and
said another driving mechanism varies said predetermined tension based on said driving signal on a basis of said vibration presentation signal.

4. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein said another driving mechanism comprises a driving component such as a motor, a flat spiral spring, a voice coil, a speaker, a spring, a coil spring, a piezoelectric material and an electrically conductive polymer actuator or a combination thereof, and a motive power transmitting component such as a bobbin, a pulley, a gear and a worm gear or a combination thereof.

5. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a second driving mechanism that applies said tension to said transmitting member is provided with said second holder,
said driving signal on a basis of said vibration presentation signal is inputted into said first driving mechanism and said second driving mechanism,
by cooperatively driving said first driving mechanism and said second driving mechanism, said predetermined tension is applied to said transmitting member, and
said vibration is transmitted to said vibration presentation object via said transmitting member by varying said predetermined tension based on said driving signal.

6. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein said second driving mechanism includes at least two sub-driving mechanisms.

7. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein one of said at least two sub-driving mechanisms generates said predetermined tension to said transmitting member and the others of said at least two sub-driving mechanisms vary said predetermined tension based on said driving signal.

8. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein said second driving mechanism comprises a driving component such as a motor, a flat spiral spring, a voice coil, a speaker, a spring, a coil spring, a piezoelectric material and an electrically conductive polymer actuator or a combination thereof, and a motive power transmitting component such as a bobbin, a pulley, a gear and a worm gear or a combination thereof.

9. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein said second driving mechanism comprises a flat spiral spring, a voice coil and a bobbin,
said flat spiral spring is supported by said voice coil and said bobbin is connected to a shaft of said flat spiral spring,
said transmitting member is connected to said bobbin and is wound or rewound on said bobbin,
said flat spiral spring winds or rewinds said transmitting member via said bobbin, said transmitting member is towed and said predetermined tension is generated to said transmitting member, and
said driving signal on a basis of said vibration presentation signal is inputted into said voice coil.

10. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein said second driving mechanism comprises a second bobbin and a second electric motor connected to said second bobbin,
the other end of said transmitting member is connected to said second bobbin,
said driving signal on a basis of said vibration presentation signal is inputted into said first electric motor and said second electric motor,
by cooperatively driving said first electric motor and said second electric motor and winding or rewinding one end and the other end of said transmitting member on said first bobbin and said second bobbin respectively, said transmitting member is towed by means of said predetermined tension, and
said vibration is transmitted to said vibration presentation object via said transmitting member by varying said predetermined tension based on said driving signal.

11. The vibration presentation apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein one of said at least two sub-driving mechanisms comprises a second bobbin and a second electric motor connected to said second bobbin,
the other end of said transmitting member is connected to said second bobbin,
said driving signal on a basis of said vibration presentation signal is inputted into said first electric motor and said second electric motor,
by cooperatively driving said first electric motor and said second electric motor and winding or rewinding one end and the other end of said transmitting member on said first bobbin and said second bobbin respectively, said transmitting member is towed by means of said predetermined tension, and
said vibration is transmitted to said vibration presentation object via said transmitting member by varying said predetermined tension based on said driving signal.

12. A vibration presentation apparatus comprising a transmitting member and a control unit,
wherein a side portion of said transmitting member is abutted to a portion of a vibration presentation object or is wound to said vibration presentation object,
said transmitting member comprises a first holder connected to one end of said transmitting member and a second holder connected to the other end of said transmitting member,
a first driving mechanism that applies said tension to said transmitting member is provided with said first holder,
said first driving mechanism comprises a flat spiral spring, a voice coil and a bobbin,
said flat spiral spring is supported by said voice coil and said bobbin is connected to a shaft of said flat spiral spring,
said transmitting member is connected to said bobbin and is wound or rewound on said bobbin,
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Assignees

• Tokyo Inst Tech

Inventors

• Hasegawa Shoichi
• Yamazaki Yusuke

Classifications

• H04R1/00

  Details of transducers, {loudspeakers or microphones} · CPC title

• G08B6/00

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• B06B1/04 Primary

  operating with electromagnetism (dynamo-electric motors with vibrating magnet, armature or coil system H02K33/00) · CPC title

• B06B1/16 Primary

  operating with systems involving rotary unbalanced masses · CPC title