IP Library Granted Patent US 8,665,076
Granted Patent B2
US 8,665,076 · App. 13/162,627 · Granted Mar 4, 2014

Tactile feedback method and system, computer program and storage medium that stores the computer program

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,665,076
App. No.
13/162,627
Granted
Mar 4, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tactile feedback system includes: a removing section for removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, included in both a first contact-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object and a second contact-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object, from the first contact-generated waveform; a superposing section for superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, included in both the first finger-pulp-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when a person's finger pulp contacts with the one object and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object, on the first contact-generated waveform from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed; and a simulating section for displaying a vibration stimulation based on the first contact-generated waveform on which the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform has been superposed.

Claims (28)

1. A tactile feedback system comprising:

a removing section for removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second contact-generated waveforms, from the first contact-generated waveform, wherein the first contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object, and the second contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object;

a superposing section for superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms, on the first contact-generated waveform, from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed, wherein the first finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a person's finger pulp contacts with the one object, and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object; and

a simulating section for displaying a vibration stimulation based on the first contact-generated waveform on which the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform has been superposed.

2. The tactile feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform is determined by object's physical quantity measured and by a type of contact movement between the contact device and the object, and

wherein the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform is also determined by the physical quantity measured and the contact movement.

3. The tactile feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the contact movement is defined by a relative velocity of the contact device with respect to the object.

4. The tactile feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the contact movement is defined by a load of the contact device that is pressed against the object.

5. The tactile feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform is determined by a power peak that is included in the waveform representing the frictional vibration produced between the contact device and the object.

6. The tactile feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform is determined by a power peak that is included in the waveform representing the frictional vibration produced between the finger pulp and the object.

7. The tactile feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform is determined by the number of frictional vibration waveforms that have power peaks falling within a predetermined range in multiple waveforms representing frictional vibrations produced by tracing a plurality of objects with the contact device.

8. The tactile feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform is determined by the number of frictional vibration waveforms that have power peaks falling within a predetermined range in multiple waveforms representing frictional vibrations produced by tracing a plurality of objects with the finger pulp.

9. The tactile feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second contact-generated waveforms are represented by a power spectrum showing a frequency-power relation, and

wherein the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform is a waveform component that is included in both of the power spectra of the first and second contact-generated waveforms.

10. The tactile feedback system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms are represented by a power spectrum showing a frequency-power relation, and

wherein the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform is a waveform component that is included in both of the power spectra of the first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms.

11. A tactile feedback method comprising the steps of:

removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second contact-generated waveforms, from the first contact-generated waveform, wherein the first contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object, and the second contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object;

superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms, on the first contact-generated waveform, from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed, wherein the first finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a person's finger pulp contacts with the one object, and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object; and

displaying a vibration stimulation based on the first contact-generated waveform on which the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform has been superposed.

12. A computer program stored on a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, and to be executed by a computer,

wherein the computer program is defined to make the computer perform the steps of:

removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second contact-generated waveforms, from the first contact-generated waveform, wherein the first contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object, and the second contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object;

superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms, on the first contact-generated waveform, from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed, wherein the first finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a person's finger pulp contacts with the one object, and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object; and

displaying a vibration stimulation based on the first contact-generated waveform on which the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform has been superposed.

13. A tactile feedback system comprising:

a removing section for removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second contact-generated waveforms, from the first contact-generated waveform, wherein the first contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object, and the second contact-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object; and

a superposing section for superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, which is included in both of first and second finger-pulp-generated waveforms, on the first contact-generated waveform, from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed, wherein the first finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when a person's finger pulp contacts with the one object, and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform represents a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2024
From: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066703/0278 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 21, 2024
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066644/0600 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2011
From: OKIMOTO, YOSHIYUKI; MOTOMURA, HIDETO
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026581/0227 →