Temperature stimulus presentation device and temperature stimulus presentation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11900793-B2
Application number	US-201917786240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Dec 17, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A thermal stimulus presentation device 1 for presenting a thermal stimulus in the mouth includes a presentation unit 13 that presents the thermal stimulus in the mouth, a receiving unit 11 that receives notification information for notifying a user, and a control unit 12 that controls the thermal stimulus of the presentation unit 13, upon the notification information being received, the presentation unit 13 presenting the thermal stimulus in the mouth in accordance with the control of the control unit 11.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal stimulus presentation device comprising:
a presentation unit, implemented using one or more computing devices, configured to present a thermal stimulus within a mouth of a user;
a receiving unit including a circuit and configured to receive notification information that notified the user; and
a control unit, implemented using one or more computing devices, configured to, based on the notification information being received, control the thermal stimulus of the presentation unit,
wherein the presentation unit is configured to present the thermal stimulus within the mouth in accordance with the control of the control unit,
wherein the presentation unit includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements arranged along an axis, and
wherein controlling the thermal stimulus of the presentation unit comprises sequentially applying an electrical current to the plurality of thermoelectric elements along the axis, to thereby guide the user in a direction in which the electrical current is applied.

2. The thermal stimulus presentation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the presentation unit is mounted to a front side of teeth, a back side of teeth, or both the front side and back side of teeth.

3. The thermal stimulus presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of thermoelectric elements includes a ceramic substrate and a copper plate.

4. The thermal stimulus presentation device according to claim 3 , wherein presenting the thermal stimulus comprises adjusting a temperature of the copper plate based on the applied electrical current.

5. The thermal stimulus presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification information is received from an external device.

6. The thermal stimulus presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification information indicates the direction for guiding the user.

7. The thermal stimulus presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical current is applied for a predetermined duration.

8. A thermal stimulus presentation method that is performed by a thermal stimulus presentation device, the method comprising:
receiving notification information that notifies a user;
controlling a thermal stimulus to be presented in a mouth of the user, based on the notification information being received; and
presenting, through a plurality of thermoelectric elements arranged along an axis, the controlled thermal stimulus in the mouth,
wherein controlling the thermal stimulus comprises sequentially applying an electrical current to the plurality of thermoelectric elements along the axis, to thereby guide the user in a direction in which the electrical current is applied.

9. The thermal stimulus presentation method according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of thermoelectric elements includes a ceramic substrate and a copper plate.

10. The thermal stimulus presentation method according to claim 9 , wherein presenting the controlled thermal stimulus comprises adjusting a temperature of the copper plate based on the applied electrical current.

11. The thermal stimulus presentation method according to claim 8 , wherein the notification information is received from an external device.

12. The thermal stimulus presentation method according to claim 8 , wherein the notification information indicates the direction for guiding the user.

13. The thermal stimulus presentation method according to claim 8 , wherein the electrical current is applied for a predetermined duration.

Assignees

• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone

Inventors

• Niijima Arinobu
• Takeda Toki
• Mukouchi Takafumi
• Sato Takashi

Classifications

• G08B6/00 Primary

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

• G06F3/016 Primary

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