Tactile information conversion device, tactile information conversion method, tactile information conversion program, and element arrangement structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019043322-A1
Application number	US-201816153008-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 5, 2018
Priority date	Apr 7, 2016
Publication date	Feb 7, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The purpose is to provide a device, method and program for tactile information conversion, and an element arrangement structure for presenting a plurality of types of stimuli that are capable of presenting a plurality of types of stimuli at one point in a concentrated manner from different points. One of the features is to determine a first stimulation point at which a first type of tactile stimulus is generated or generate the first type of tactile stimulus at the first stimulation point via the output unit and output tactile information for generating a second type of tactile stimulus via the output unit to the output unit at a second stimulation point separated within a temporally and/or spatially predetermined threshold value from the first stimulation point of the first type of tactile stimulus that has been determined or generated by a first stimulation unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A tactile information conversion device comprising at least a storage unit and a control unit in order to provide tactile information to one or a plurality of output units capable of outputting a tactile stimulus,
wherein the storage unit includes a tactile definition unit that defines a first type of tactile stimulus and a second type of tactile stimulus for allowing the second type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at a first stimulation point at which the first type of tactile stimulus is generated or a first type of tactile stimulus and a second type of tactile stimulus for allowing the first type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at a second stimulation point at which the second type of tactile stimulus is generated, and wherein the control unit includes: a first stimulation unit that determines the first stimulation point at which the first type of tactile stimulus is generated or generates the first type of tactile stimulus at the first stimulation point via the output unit; and a second stimulation unit that outputs to the output unit tactile information for generating the second type of tactile stimulus via the output unit at the second stimulation point separated within a temporally and/or spatially predetermined threshold value from the first stimulation point of the first type of tactile stimulus, which is determined or generated by the first stimulation unit.

2 . The tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tactile sensation definition unit defines, as the second type of tactile stimulus, a type of tactile stimulus with a temporal or spatial physiological discrimination threshold that is larger than that of the first type of tactile stimulus in order to allow the second type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at the first stimulation point or defines, as the first type of tactile stimulus, a type of tactile stimulus with a temporal or spatial physiological discrimination threshold that is larger than that of the second type of tactile stimulus in order to allow the first type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at the second stimulation point.

3 . The tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first stimulation unit determines or causes force presentation as the first type of tactile stimulus, and the second stimulation unit generates one or a plurality of stimuli among vibration, temperature, and electrical stimuli as the second type of tactile stimulus at the second stimulation point, thereby allowing the second type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at the first stimulation point.

4 . The tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first stimulation unit determines or generates one or a plurality of stimuli among vibration, temperature, and electrical stimuli as the first type of tactile stimulus, and the second stimulation unit causes force presentation as the second type of tactile stimulus at the second stimulation point, thereby allowing the first type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at the second stimulation point.

5 . The tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first stimulation unit determines or causes vibration presentation as the first type of tactile stimulus, and the second stimulation unit generates a temperature stimulus as the second type of tactile stimulus at the second stimulation point, thereby allowing the second type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at the first stimulation point.

6 . The tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first stimulation unit determines or causes temperature presentation as the first type of tactile stimulus, and the second stimulation unit generates a vibration stimulus as the second type of tactile stimulus at the second stimulation point, thereby allowing the first type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at the second stimulation point.

7 . The tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first stimulation unit determines or causes electrical stimulus presentation as the first type of tactile stimulus, and the second stimulation unit generates vibration and/or temperature as the second type of tactile stimulus at the second stimulation point, thereby allowing the second type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at the first stimulation point.

8 . The tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first stimulation unit determines or generates vibration and/or temperature as the first type of tactile stimulus, and the second stimulation unit causes electrical stimulus presentation as the second type of tactile stimulus at the second stimulation point, thereby allowing the first type of tactile stimulus to be perceived at the second stimulation point.

9 . The tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first stimulation point and/or the second stimulation point are perceptual points caused due to phantom sensation illusion.

10 . An input device comprising the tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 .

11 . The input device according to claim 10 , comprising at least:
a multipoint distribution type pressure sensation measurement sensor on a surface layer; a warm/cold feeling measurement sensor in an intermediate layer; and a vibration feeling measurement sensor in a lower layer.

12 . A transmission device comprising the tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 .

13 . A storage device comprising the tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 .

14 . A server device comprising the tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 .

15 . A receiving device comprising the tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 .

16 . An output device comprising the tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 .

17 . The output device according to claim 16 , comprising at least:
at least a distribution-type pressure presentation unit using a multipoint electrical tactile sensation stimulus on a surface layer; a high-speed driving type warm/cold feeling presentation unit using a Peltier element in an intermediate layer; and a vibration presentation unit of a wide frequency range in a lower layer.

18 . An interaction operation system comprising the tactile information conversion device according to claim 1 that teaches motion to a robot by using a robot teaching device operated by an operator,
wherein the robot has:
a finger portion for holding an object;
an object detection unit that detects the object or the characteristics of the object and generates object detection information and that is arranged in the finger portion; and
a robot driving device that drives the robot, and
wherein the robot teaching device has:
an object detection sensation providing unit that provides a corresponding tactile feeling to the operator in accordance with tactile information converted by the tactile information conversion device based on the object detection information transmitted from the robot.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a program for performing a tactile information conversion method performed in a tactile information conversion device comprising at least a storage unit and a control unit in order to provide tactile information to one or a plurality of output units capable of outputting a tactile stimulus,
wherein the

Assignees

• Japan Science & Tech Agency

Inventors

• Tachi Susumu
• Nakatani Masashi
• Sato Katsunari
• Minamizawa Kouta
• Kajimoto Hiroyuki

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

• G06F3/014

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

• B25J13/025

  comprising haptic means · CPC title

• B25J13/02

  Hand grip control means {(handles or pedals for crane control B66C13/56; for measuring the force applied to control members G01L5/22; hand-held casings for switching devices, e.g. joy-sticks H01H9/0214)} · CPC title