Tactile transmission device and user interface system including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10990177-B2
Application number	US-201816199708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Dec 4, 2017
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

Provided is a tactile transmission device, which includes a base unit forming one surface of the tactile transmission device, a tip-tilt elastic member stacked on the base unit and configured to transmit a tactile feel to a finger of a user in a first direction oriented upward from a bottom surface of the finger and a second direction intersecting the first direction at a predetermined angle, and a cover disposed at an upper side of the tip-tilt elastic member to form another surface of the tactile transmission device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tactile transmission device, comprising:
a base unit forming one surface of the tactile transmission device;
a tip-tilt elastic member stacked on the base unit and configured to transmit a tactile feel to a finger of a user in a first direction oriented upward from a bottom surface of the finger and a second direction intersecting the first direction at a predetermined angle; and
a cover disposed at an upper side of the tip-tilt elastic member to form another surface of the tactile transmission device,
wherein the tip-tilt elastic member includes:
a load support unit provided at a center portion of the tip-tilt elastic member and configured to support a load of the finger; and
a pressing unit provided at an edge portion of the tip-tilt elastic member and configured to press in the first direction,
wherein a first wire-type actuator is installed at the pressing unit, and when being elastically deformed, the first wire-type actuator presses the pressing unit to elastically deform the tip-tilt elastic member so that the tactile feel is transmitted to the finger in the first and second directions, and
wherein guide pillars extending upward from the base unit to the cover are formed at four corners of the base unit, and the guide pillars have first guide grooves formed in a longitudinal direction to accommodate the first wire-type actuator.

2. The tactile transmission device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a surface elastic member stacked on the tip-tilt elastic member and configured to transmit the tactile feel in a third direction along which a shearing stress is transmitted to the finger.

3. The tactile transmission device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a contact portion disposed at an upper side of the surface elastic member to contact the finger of the user and transmit the tactile feel to the user.

4. The tactile transmission device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cover has a coupling hole formed so that an end portion of the first wire-type actuator is fixedly coupled therein, and
wherein the cover has a second guide groove formed at an upper surface thereof to respectively communicate with the first guide groove and the coupling hole along an edge of the cover so that the first wire-type actuator is accommodated therein.

5. A user interface system for moving an avatar to correspond to a motion of a finger, comprising:
the tactile transmission device defined in claim 1 ;
a computer connected to the tactile transmission device in a wired or wireless manner and configured to associate the avatar with the motion of the finger; and
a control processor configured to control the tactile transmission device to contact the finger of the user and transmit a tactile feel when a predetermined contact occurs at the avatar.

6. A tactile transmission device, comprising:
a base unit forming one surface of the tactile transmission device;
a tip-tilt elastic member stacked on the base unit and configured to transmit a tactile feel to a finger of a user in a first direction oriented upward from a bottom surface of the finger and a second direction intersecting the first direction at a predetermined angle;
a cover disposed at an upper side of the tip-tilt elastic member to form another surface of the tactile transmission device; and
a surface elastic member stacked on the tip-tilt elastic member and configured to transmit the tactile feel in a third direction along which a shearing stress is transmitted to the finger,
wherein the tip-tilt elastic member includes:
a load support unit provided at a center portion of the tip-tilt elastic member and configured to support a load of the finger; and
a pressing unit provided at an edge portion of the tip-tilt elastic member and configured to press in the first direction,
wherein a first wire-type actuator is installed at the pressing unit, and when being elastically deformed, the first wire-type actuator presses the pressing unit to elastically deform the tip-tilt elastic member so that the tactile feel is transmitted to the finger in the first and second directions, and
wherein the surface elastic member includes:
a fixed portion provided at a side surface of the surface elastic member and fixed to the tip-tilt elastic member;
a movable portion configured to be movable in the third direction relative to the fixed portion; and
a laterally elastic portion disposed between the fixed portion and the movable portion and elastically deformed to allow the movable portion to move in the third direction relative to the fixed portion.

7. The tactile transmission device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the surface elastic member further includes a second wire-type actuator installed between the fixed portion and the movable portion and elastically deformed to change a relative position of the movable portion with respect to the fixed portion, so that the tactile feel is transmitted to the finger in the third direction.

8. The tactile transmission device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the laterally elastic portion is provided in plural and is made of an elastic body disposed between a point contacting the fixed portion and a point contacting the movable portion.

9. The tactile transmission device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the laterally elastic portion has a point-symmetric shape based on one point at a center of the movable portion.

10. A tactile transmission device, comprising:
a base unit forming one surface of the tactile transmission device;
a tip-tilt elastic member stacked on the base unit and configured to transmit a tactile feel to a finger of a user in a first direction oriented upward from a bottom surface of the finger and a second direction intersecting the first direction at a predetermined angle; and
a cover disposed at an upper side of the tip-tilt elastic member to form another surface of the tactile transmission device,
wherein the tip-tilt elastic member includes:
a load support unit provided at a center portion of the tip-tilt elastic member and configured to support a load of the finger; and
a pressing unit provided at an edge portion of the tip-tilt elastic member and configured to press in the first direction,
wherein a first wire-type actuator is installed at the pressing unit, and when being elastically deformed, the first wire-type actuator presses the pressing unit to elastically deform the tip-tilt elastic member so that the tactile feel is transmitted to the finger in the first and second directions, and
wherein the tip-tilt elastic member further includes an elastic unit provided between the load support unit and the pressing unit to be elastically deformable, the elastic unit being configured to transmit the tactile feel to the finger in the first and second directions in a state where the pressing unit receives an upward force.

11. The tactile transmission device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the load support unit includes a support protrusion protruding downward,
wherein the pressing unit includes a pressing protrusion protruding downward and having a curved lower end, and
wherein the base unit includes a pressing accommodation portion for accommodating and supporting the support protrusion and an inclined support portion having an inclined surface that contacts the pressing protrusion.

12. The tactile transmission device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the pressing unit is respectively provided at four sides of the tip-tilt elastic member so that a force is transmittable to the pressing units at four sides in the first direction, and when the force is transmitted to at least one of the pressing units at four sides,

Assignees

• Korea Inst Sci & Tech
• Center Human Centered Interaction Coexistence

Inventors

• Hwang Donghyun
• Kim Keehoon
• Lim Byeongkyu
• You Bum-Jae

Classifications

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G06F2203/0331

  Finger worn pointing device · CPC title

• G06F3/014

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