Interactive fish tank system, and interaction providing method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11096381-B2
Application number	US-201916383987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2019
Priority date	Jul 6, 2018
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

An interactive fish tank system includes a nozzle array provided in a water tank, wherein a plurality of bubble nozzles from which bubbles are emitted are arranged in the nozzle array; a computing device configured to receive user action information inputted from at least one user action input device, generate bubble conversion information by which characteristics of the user action information are expressed as bubbles generated from at least one of the plurality of bubble nozzles, and generate a control signal for supplying air to emit bubbles corresponding to the bubble conversion information; and an air injection device connected to the plurality of bubble nozzles through hoses, wherein the air injection device supplies air to at least one of the plurality of bubble nozzles based on the control signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interactive fish tank system comprising:
a nozzle array provided in a water tank, wherein a plurality of bubble nozzles are arranged in the nozzle array;
a computing device configured to receive user action information inputted from at least one user action input device, generate bubble conversion information by which characteristics of the user action information are expressed as bubbles generated from at least one of the plurality of bubble nozzles, and generate a control signal for supplying air to allow the at least one of the plurality of bubble nozzles to emit the bubbles corresponding to the bubble conversion information; and
an air injection device connected to the plurality of bubble nozzles through a plurality of hoses respectively, wherein the air injection device supplies the air to the at least one of the plurality of bubble nozzles based on the control signal,
wherein each of the plurality of bubble nozzles comprises:
a body; and
a tube having a predetermined length and passing through an inside of the body, wherein the air introduced into a corresponding hose among the plurality of hoses escapes through the tube, and
wherein the body comprises:
an insertion portion that is inserted into a hole of the nozzle array;
a wing attached to the nozzle array by a bolt while the insertion portion is inserted into a hole of the nozzle array; and
a chamber wall having a predetermined height and forming a space filled with the air introduced from the corresponding hose before the air is introduced into the tube.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the nozzle array is provided at a bottom of the water tank to form a bottom surface of the water tank.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the air injection device includes
a plurality of air pumps that are respectively connected to the plurality of bubble nozzles.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the user action input device includes
at least one of a microphone and a user gesture recognition device, and
the user action information includes at least one of voice inputted by the microphone and gesture information inputted from the user gesture recognition device.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein
the user gesture recognition device includes
at least one sensor attached to a wall of the water tank, wherein the at least one sensor recognizes user gestures including a touch at the wall.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the bubble conversion information includes
at least one of a bubble position at which the bubbles are emitted, a bubble size, a bubble duration, and a bubble speed.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein
the bubble position corresponds to
at least one bubble nozzle that is the at least one of the plurality of bubble nozzles, wherein the at least one bubble nozzle is disposed around an input point of the user action information, or at least one bubble nozzle from which the bubbles are emitted if the user action information is inputted.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein
at least one of the bubble size, the bubble duration, and the bubble speed is converted to express at least one of characteristics such as intensity, input time, input speed, and an amount of user action information.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the computing device generates
the control signal for determining a bubble position at which the bubbles are emitted based on an input position of the user action information, or checking a bubble position at which the bubbles are emitted if the user action information is inputted and operating the air injection device to supply the air to the at least one of the plurality of bubble nozzles that corresponds to the bubble position.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein a height of the insertion portion is equal to a height of the nozzle array.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein a bubble response of the bubbles emitted from each of the plurality of bubble nozzles is controlled based on a length of the tube comprised in each of the plurality of bubble nozzles.

Assignees

• Korea Advanced Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Lee Woohun
• Ko Donghyeon

Classifications

• G05D7/00

  Control of flow (level control G05D9/00; control of flow ratio G05D11/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/01

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01K63/006 Primary

  Accessories for aquaria or terraria · CPC title

• A01K63/042

  Introducing gases into the water, e.g. aerators, air pumps · CPC title

• G05G11/00

  Manually-actuated control mechanisms provided with two or more controlling members co-operating with one single controlled member · CPC title