Device for physical interaction between remotely located users

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299602-A1
Application number	US-201615092507-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 6, 2016
Priority date	Apr 7, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device for touch translation includes a body, a plurality of pins extending from the body, the pins including couplings to facilitate movement of a first portion relative to a second portion of the pins, the pins being controllable to control movement of the first portion relative to the second portion and to control force applied by the pins on an external object. Sensors cooperating with the pins detect forces externally applied to the pins and a communication subsystem is utilized to communicate over a network, with a remote electronic device. A controller is coupled to the pins, the sensors, and the communication subsystem to, based on detected forces externally applied to the pins, transmit a signal to the remote electronic device for the control of the remote electronic device, and to, based on signals received from the remote electronic device, actuate ones of the pins to control the movement of the first portion relative to the second portion and to control the force applied by the pins on the external object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device for touch translation, the electronic device comprising:
a body; a plurality of pins extending from the body, the pins including couplings to facilitate movement of a first portion of the pins relative to a second portion of the pins, the pins being controllable to control the movement of the first portion relative to the second portion and to control a force applied by the pins on an external object; sensors cooperating with the pins to detect forces externally applied to the pins; a communication subsystem for communication, over a network, with a remote electronic device; a controller coupled to the pins, the sensors, and the communication subsystem to:
based on detected forces externally applied to the pins, transmit a signal to the remote electronic device for the control of the remote electronic device;
based on signals received from the remote electronic device, actuate ones of the pins to control the movement of the first portion relative to the second portion and to control the force applied by the pins on the external object.

2 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , comprising actuators associated with the pins and coupled to the controller to control movement of the first portion of the pins relative to the second portion of the pins

3 . The electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the actuators comprise at least one of linear actuators, hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, or magnetic actuators.

4 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein in response to detecting an externally applied force on the pins, the electronic device is configured to transmit signals from the electronic device to the remote electronic device.

5 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the pins extend generally linearly away from the body.

6 . The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein the second portion of the pins is coupled to the body and the first portion is coupled to the second portion and slideable linearly relative thereto.

7 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein ends of the pins are covered by a flexible elastic membrane.

8 . The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the flexible elastic membrane includes a plurality of layers.

9 . The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein a first layer of the plurality of layers is coupled to ends of at least some of the plurality of pins and a second layer of the plurality of layers is coupled to the first layer.

10 . The electronic device according to claim 9 , wherein a third layer of the plurality of layers comprises a replaceable outer layer coupled to the second layer.

11 . The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the flexible elastic membrane includes a plurality of fluid-receiving pockets therein, for receiving fluid therein to inflate portions of the flexible elastic membrane.

12 . The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the flexible elastic membrane includes pores in communication with fluid conduits that extend through the pins to expel fluid through the pores.

13 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first portions of the pins are depressible toward the body and extendable away from the body.

14 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication subsystem is configured to communicate with a portable electronic device for sending signals to the remote electronic device via the portable electronic device and receiving signals from the remote electronic device via the portable electronic device.

15 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication subsystem is directly couplable to a network to send signals to the remote electronic device and to receive signals from the remote electronic device.

16 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the pins are controlled to apply the force to the external object to simulate the force applied to pins of the remote electronic device.

17 . The electronic device according to claim 16 , wherein the pins are controlled to apply forces to the external object that are less than a threshold force.

18 . The electronic device according to claim 17 , wherein the pins are controlled such that forces that are greater than the threshold force are not applied by the pins to the external object.

19 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal is transmitted to the remote device in response to detecting the force externally applied to the pins, and the signal is transmitted to simulate the force at the remote electronic device.

20 . The electronic device according to claim 18 , wherein in response to detecting that the force externally applied to the pins exceeds a threshold force, signals are not transmitted to the remote device.

21 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the pins comprise a third portion coupled to the body, and wherein the second portion of the pins is coupled to and moveable relative the third portion and the first portion is coupled to and movable relative to the second portion.

22 . The electronic device according to claim 21 , wherein the couplings utilized to couple first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the pins facilitate movement of the ends of the pins in more than one axis.

23 . The electronic device according to claim 21 , wherein the third portion of the pins is moveable relative to the body.

24 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the pins are slidable relative to the body.

25 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein movement of the pins is controllable to emit audio by movement of a plurality of the pins.

26 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , comprising heads disposed on the pins, the heads being larger in width than a body of the pins.

27 . The electronic device according to claim 26 , wherein the heads are moveable relative to the pins, about a coupling to the pins.

28 . The electronic device according to claim 27 , wherein the heads include a plurality of facets, having different material properties to provide different tactile sensations, the facets being selectively directed outwardly by the movement of the heads of the pins about the coupling to the pins.

29 . The electronic device according to claim 26 , wherein the temperature of the heads is controlled by heating or cooling the heads.

30 . The electronic device according to claim 26 , wherein the heads include touch sensors disposed thereon.

31 . The electronic device according to claim 26 , comprising pores disposed in the heads and fluidly coupled to a reservoir to expel fluid therefrom.

32 . The electronic device according to claim 31 , wherein the pins comprise a fluid conduit for fluidly coupling the pores in the heads to the reservoir.

33 . The electronic device according to claim 26 , comprising pores disposed in the heads and fluidly coupled to a vessel for creating a pressure differential to cause suction through the pores.

34 . The electronic device according to claim 26 , wherein pins are stacked on eachother such that pins of a first layer are disposed on the body a

Assignees

• Shuster Brian
• Shuster Gary Stephen

Inventors

• Shuster Brian
• Shuster Gary Stephen

Classifications

• G06F2203/04102

  Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04103

  Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title