Apparatus and method for providing tactile sensation in cooperation with display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9317121-B2
Application number	US-201214236485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2012
Priority date	Dec 15, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for providing a tactile sensation in cooperation with a display device are disclosed. The disclosed apparatus includes: a display-device communication unit configured to receive information on a virtual image from the display device; a determiner unit configured to determine whether or not a user attempts an interaction with the virtual image by using an image of a user body; and a tactile-sensation provider unit configured to provide a tactile sensation to a preset body part of the user based on a determination result of the determiner unit. The disclosed apparatus can enable the user to interact with a virtual image with verisimilitude.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for providing a tactile sensation in cooperation with a display device for displaying a virtual image, the apparatus comprising:
a communication unit configured to receive information on a virtual image and the image of the user body from the display device;
a determiner unit configured to determine whether or not a user attempts an interaction with the virtual image by using the image of the user body;
a tactile-sensation provider unit configured to provide a tactile sensation to a preset body part of the user based on a determination result of the determiner unit;
a tactile-sensation provision controller configured to adjust a position of an ejector nozzle of the tactile-sensation provider such that the ejector nozzle is positioned in correspondence to the position of the virtual image; and
wherein, when a showing of the virtual image is predicted, the tactile-sensation provision controller adjusts the position of the elector nozzle in correspondence to the position of the virtual image.

2. The apparatus for providing a tactile sensation according to claim 1 , wherein the determiner unit comprises:
a recognition unit configured to recognize the preset body part from the image of the user body;
a tracker unit configured to track a body part recognized by the recognition unit to determine a position of the recognized body part; and
an interaction-determiner unit configured to determine whether or not a user is attempting an interaction with the virtual image based on position information of the preset body part tracked by the tracker unit.

3. The apparatus for providing a tactile sensation according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual image comprises a stereoscopic image and an augmented reality object.

4. The apparatus for providing a tactile sensation according to claim 3 , wherein, when the virtual image comprises a stereoscopic image, the interaction-determiner unit determines that an interaction is attempted if the tracked body part is moved to or within a preset threshold from the display device.

5. The apparatus for providing a tactile sensation according to claim 3 , wherein, when the virtual image comprises an augmented reality object, the interaction-determiner unit determines that an interaction is attempted if the tracked body part is moved to or within a preset threshold from an augmented reality marker.

6. The apparatus for providing a tactile sensation according to claim 1 , wherein the tactile-sensation provider unit provides a tactile sensation by ejecting compressed air.

7. The apparatus for providing a tactile sensation according to claim 1 , further comprising a docking unit configured to dock with the display device.

8. An apparatus for providing a tactile sensation in cooperation with a display device for displaying a virtual image, the apparatus comprising:
an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image of a user body;
a communication unit configured to receive content data information;
a determiner unit configured to determine whether or not a user attempts an interaction with the virtual image by using the image acquired by the image acquisition unit;
a content analyzer unit configured to acquire a time at which a virtual image is shown and position information of the shown virtual image from the content data information;
a tactile-sensation provider unit configured to provide a tactile sensation to a preset body part of the user based on a determination result of the determiner unit;
a tactile-sensation provision controller configured to adjust a position of an ejector nozzle of the tactile-sensation provider unit in correspondence to a position of the virtual image based on a virtual image showing time and position acquired by the content analyzer unit, and
wherein, when a showing of the virtual image is predicted based on the virtual image showing time, the tactile-sensation provision controller adjusts the position of the elector nozzle in correspondence to the position of the virtual image.

9. The apparatus for providing a tactile sensation according to claim 8 , wherein the determiner unit comprises:
a recognition unit configured to recognize the preset body part from an image acquired by the image acquisition unit;
a tracker unit configured to track a body part recognized by the recognition unit to determine a position of the recognized body part; and
an interaction-determiner unit configured to determine whether or not a user is attempting an interaction with the virtual image based on a position of the preset body part tracked by the tracker unit.

10. The apparatus for providing a tactile sensation according to claim 8 , wherein the virtual image comprises a stereoscopic image and an augmented reality object.

11. The apparatus for providing a tactile sensation according to claim 8 , wherein the tactile-sensation provider unit provides a tactile sensation by ejecting compressed air.

12. A method for providing a tactile sensation for a virtual image, the method comprising:
(a) acquiring an image of a user body from a display device for the virtual image;
(b) receiving information on the virtual image from the display device;
(c) determining whether or not a user attempts an interaction with the virtual image by using the image acquired in said step (a) and information on the virtual image;
(d) providing a tactile sensation to a preset body part of the user based on a determination result of said step (c); and
(e) adjusting a position of an ejector nozzle for providing a tactile sensation in correspondence to a position of the virtual image when a showing of the virtual image is predicted.

Assignees

• Iucf Hyu

Inventors

• Park Jong-Il
• Seo Byung-Kuk
• Lee Dae-Sun
• Park Jung-Sik

Classifications

• H04M2250/52

  including functional features of a camera · CPC title

• H04N21/8583

  by creating hot-spots · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• G06F3/042

  by opto-electronic means · CPC title