Calibration of haptic device using sensor harness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018301060-A1
Application number	US-201815949416-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2018
Priority date	Apr 17, 2017
Publication date	Oct 18, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A haptic calibration device comprises a signal generator configured to receive the subjective force value and the force location from a subjective magnitude input device. The signal generator also receives from at least one of a plurality of haptic sensors a sensor voltage value, with the at least one of the plurality of haptic sensors corresponding to the force location. The signal generator stores the subjective force value and the corresponding sensor voltage value in a data store. The signal generator generates a calibration curve indicating a correspondence between subjective force values and sensor voltage values for the location where the subjective force was experienced using the data from the data store, wherein the calibration curve is used to calibrate a haptic feedback device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A calibration device, comprising:
a subjective magnitude input interface configured to receive a subjective force value indicating a value of a subjective force experienced by a user in response to a haptic sensation produced by a haptic feedback device, and a force location indicating where the subjective force was experienced; one or more haptic sensors located on an area of a surface of a user's body, the one or more haptic sensors configured to detect a force and to output a sensor voltage value corresponding to the force; and a signal generator configured to:
receive the subjective force value and the force location;
receive a sensor voltage value for at least one of the one or more haptic sensors, the at least one haptic sensor corresponding to the force location;
store the subjective force value and the corresponding sensor voltage value in a data store; and
generate a calibration curve indicating a correspondence between subjective force values and sensor voltage values for the location where the subjective force was experienced using the data from the data store, wherein the calibration curve is used to calibrate the haptic feedback device.

2 . The calibration device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an adjustable harness shaped to wrap around a user's arm, the adjustable harness having an interior surface facing the user's arm when worn by the user; wherein the one or more haptic sensors are placed on the interior surface of the adjustable harness; and wherein the subjective force value indicates an amount of subjective force experienced by the user due to the adjustable harness.

3 . The calibration device of claim 2 , wherein the adjustable harness is adjusted using one or more adjustable components located on the adjustable harness at the location of each haptic sensor, the adjustable components having indicators for a current level of adjustment.

4 . The calibration device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic feedback device is calibrated such that each cutaneous actuator of the haptic feedback device adheres to a corresponding calibration curve that indicates a corresponding location that is within a threshold distance of the location of the cutaneous actuator on the user's body when the haptic feedback device is worn by the user.

5 . The calibration device of claim 1 , wherein the calibration curve causes an intensity of haptic feedback to be increased from a default value when the calibration curve is above a baseline curve, and an intensity of haptic feedback to be decreased from a default value when the calibration curve is below a baseline curve.

6 . The calibration device of claim 1 , wherein separate calibration curves are generated corresponding to different activities performed by the user.

7 . The calibration device of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more haptic sensors is adjacent to a respective cutaneous actuator, the one or more haptic sensors also functioning as the haptic feedback device.

8 . A method, comprising:
receiving an indication of the subjective force value of a subjective force from a subjective force input interface, the indication also including a location where the subjective force was experienced, the subjective force value indicating a value of a subjective force experienced by a user in response to a haptic sensation produced by a haptic feedback device; receiving a sensor voltage value for at least one of the one or more haptic sensors, the at least one haptic sensor corresponding to the force location; storing the subjective force value and the corresponding sensor voltage value in a data store; and generating a calibration curve indicating a correspondence between subjective force values and sensor voltage values for the location where the subjective force was experienced using the data from the data store, wherein the calibration curve is used to calibrate the haptic feedback device.

9 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of haptic sensors are placed on an interior surface of an adjustable harness;
wherein the adjustable harness is shaped to wrap around a user's arm, the adjustable harness having an interior surface facing the user's arm when worn by the user; and wherein the subjective force value indicates an amount of subjective force experienced by the user due to the adjustable harness.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the adjustable harness is adjusted using one or more adjustable components located on the adjustable harness at the location of each haptic sensor, the adjustable components having indicators for a current level of adjustment.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the haptic feedback device is calibrated such that each cutaneous actuator of the haptic feedback device adheres to a corresponding calibration curve that indicates a corresponding location that is within a threshold distance of the location of the cutaneous actuator on the user's body when the haptic feedback device is worn by the user.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the calibration curve causes an intensity of haptic feedback to be increased from a default value when the calibration curve is above a baseline curve, and an intensity of haptic feedback to be decreased from a default value when the calibration curve is below a baseline curve.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein separate calibration curves are generated corresponding to different activities performed by the user.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more haptic sensors is adjacent to a respective cutaneous actuator, the one or more haptic sensors also functioning as the haptic feedback device.

15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
receive an indication of the subjective force value of a subjective force from a subjective force input interface, the indication also including a location where the subjective force was experienced, the subjective force value indicating a value of a subjective force experienced by a user in response to a haptic sensation produced by a haptic feedback device; receive a sensor voltage value for at least one of the one or more haptic sensors, the at least one haptic sensor corresponding to the force location; store the subjective force value and the corresponding sensor voltage value in a data store; and generate a calibration curve indicating a correspondence between subjective force values and sensor voltage values for the location where the subjective force was experienced using the data from the data store, wherein the calibration curve is used to calibrate the haptic feedback device.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of haptic sensors are placed on an interior surface of an adjustable harness;
wherein the adjustable harness is shaped to wrap around a user's arm, the adjustable harness having an interior surface facing the user's arm when worn by the user; and wherein the subjective force value indicates an amount of subjective force experienced by the user due to the adjustable harness.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the adjustable harness is adjusted using one or more adjustable components located on the adjustable harness at the location of each haptic sensor, the adjustable components having indicators for a current level of adjustment.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wher

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Israr Ali
• Lau Frances Wing Yee
• Abnousi Freddy
• Klumb Keith

Classifications

• G06N3/045

  Combinations of networks · CPC title

• G06N3/044

  Recurrent networks, e.g. Hopfield networks · CPC title

• G10L19/0018

  Speech coding using phonetic or linguistical decoding of the source; Reconstruction using text-to-speech synthesis · CPC title

• G10L2021/065

  Aids for the handicapped in understanding · CPC title

• G01L5/0028

  Force sensors associated with force applying means (G01L5/0052, G01L5/0057, G01L5/0061 take precedence) · CPC title