阅读说明：本技术 触觉刺激系统和方法 (Haptic stimulation systems and methods ) 是由 徐俊 刘菲 于 2019-04-30 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及触觉刺激技术。一种触觉刺激设备,包括一组触觉刺激元素。每个触觉刺激元素包括用于产生气压波的换能器和耦合到所述换能器的壳体,以形成由所述壳体和所述换能器限定的空腔。所述触觉刺激设备包括控制器,所述控制器用于驱动所述换能器基于多个空腔中的多个气压波生成触觉刺激图案。(The present invention relates to tactile stimulation techniques. A tactile stimulation apparatus comprising a set of tactile stimulation elements. Each tactile stimulation element includes a transducer for generating pneumatic pressure waves and a housing coupled to the transducer to form a cavity defined by the housing and the transducer. The tactile stimulation apparatus includes a controller for driving the transducer to generate a tactile stimulation pattern based on a plurality of air pressure waves in a plurality of cavities.)

1. A tactile stimulation apparatus, comprising:

a set of tactile stimulation elements, each tactile stimulation element comprising a transducer for generating barometric pressure waves and a housing coupled to the transducer to form a cavity defined by the housing and the transducer;

a controller to drive the plurality of transducers to generate a tactile stimulation pattern based on a plurality of air pressure waves in a plurality of cavities.

2. Tactile stimulation apparatus according to claim 1,

the housing of each tactile stimulation element comprises a pneumatic wave aperture;

the controller is configured to drive the plurality of transducers to emit a plurality of pneumatic waves in the plurality of cavities from the pneumatic wave holes to generate the tactile stimulation pattern.

3. The tactile stimulation apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a stimulation membrane located over the barometric wave port of each tactile stimulation element, the stimulation membrane to generate the tactile stimulation pattern under the plurality of barometric wave vibrations.

4. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing of each tactile stimulation element comprises a stimulation area for generating the tactile stimulation pattern under the plurality of air pressure wave vibrations in the plurality of cavities.

5. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the controller is configured to drive the transducers at different frequencies to convey information in the tactile stimulation pattern.

6. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the controller is configured to drive the transducers with different amplitudes to convey information in the tactile stimulation pattern.

7. The tactile stimulation apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the controller is configured to drive the transducer in one of an on state and an off state to communicate information in the tactile stimulation pattern.

8. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the controller is configured to drive the transducer to generate an inaudible sound wave.

9. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the controller is configured to drive the transducer to generate an inaudible acoustic wave having a frequency of between 10Hz and 10 kHz.

10. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the controller is configured to drive the transducer to generate a barometric wave with a sound pressure level of less than 40dB at a distance of one meter from the set of tactile stimulation elements.

11. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the transducer comprises a micro audio speaker.

12. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the cross-sectional diameter of the tactile stimulation elements is between 0.5 millimeters (mm) and 2 mm.

13. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the housing of each tactile stimulation element comprises a cavity resonator.

14. A method of providing a tactile stimulation interface, the method comprising:

selecting a plurality of tactile stimulation elements to be activated to provide a tactile stimulation pattern, each tactile stimulation element comprising a transducer and a housing coupled to the transducer to form a cavity defined by the housing and the transducer;

driving the plurality of transducers of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements to produce a plurality of barometric pressure waves in the cavity to generate the tactile stimulation pattern based on the plurality of barometric pressure waves.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the driving the plurality of transducers of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements to produce a plurality of barometric pressure waves in a cavity to generate the tactile stimulation pattern based on the plurality of barometric pressure waves comprises:

generating the tactile stimulation pattern based on a plurality of air pressure waves emitted from a plurality of air pressure wave holes of a plurality of housings of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the driving the plurality of transducers of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements to produce a plurality of barometric pressure waves in a cavity to generate the tactile stimulation pattern based on the plurality of barometric pressure waves comprises:

vibrating a stimulation membrane over a plurality of pneumatic wave holes of a plurality of housings of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the driving the plurality of transducers of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements to produce a plurality of barometric pressure waves in a cavity to generate the tactile stimulation pattern based on the plurality of barometric pressure waves comprises:

vibrating a plurality of stimulation regions of a plurality of housings of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements.

18. The method of any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising:

determining that each tactile stimulation element of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements is in one of a plurality of states;

determining a frequency of the plurality of transducers driving the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements, wherein each state in the plurality of states uses a different frequency, the plurality of transducers being driven at the determined frequency to communicate the state in which each tactile stimulation element in the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements is.

19. The method of any one of claims 14 to 17, further comprising:

determining that each tactile stimulation element of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements is in one of a plurality of states;

determining amplitudes of the plurality of transducers driving the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements, wherein each state in the plurality of states uses a different amplitude, the plurality of transducers being driven at the determined amplitudes to deliver the state in which each tactile stimulation element in the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements is.

20. The method of any of claims 14 to 19, wherein driving the plurality of transducers of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements produces a plurality of air pressure waves in a cavity to generate the tactile stimulation pattern based on the plurality of air pressure waves comprises:

the plurality of transducers are driven to produce an inaudible sound wave.

21. The method of any of claims 14 to 20, wherein driving the plurality of transducers of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements produces a plurality of air pressure waves in a cavity to generate a tactile stimulation pattern based on the plurality of air pressure waves, comprising:

driving the plurality of transducers to produce inaudible sound waves having a frequency between 10Hz and 10 kHz.

22. The method of any of claims 14 to 21, wherein driving the plurality of transducers of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements produces a plurality of air pressure waves in a cavity to generate the tactile stimulation pattern based on the plurality of air pressure waves comprises:

driving the plurality of transducers to produce one or more air pressure waves having a sound pressure level less than 40dB at a distance of one meter from the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements.

23. A tactile stimulation apparatus, comprising:

a tactile stimulation interface comprising a pattern of a plurality of tactile stimulation elements for stimulating receptors in the skin of a user, each tactile stimulation element comprising a cavity resonator and an electro-vibration transducer for generating air pressure waves into the cavity resonator;

a receiver for receiving information to be presented in the tactile stimulation interface;

a controller for driving the electro-vibration transducer in accordance with the received information, generating a tactile stimulation pattern in receptors in the skin of the user based on the plurality of air pressure waves in the plurality of cavity resonators.

24. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the controller is configured to:

determining that each tactile stimulation element of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements is in one of a plurality of states;

determining a frequency at which each electrovibrational transducer is driven, wherein each state in the plurality of states uses a different frequency;

individually driving the plurality of electro-vibration transducers at a determined frequency to communicate a state of each tactile stimulation element of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements.

25. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any of claims 23 to 24, wherein the controller is configured to:

determining that each tactile stimulation element of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements is in one of a plurality of states;

determining an amplitude of driving each electrovibrational transducer, wherein each state of the plurality of states uses a different amplitude;

individually driving the plurality of electro-vibration transducers at the determined amplitudes to deliver the state of each tactile stimulation element of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements.

26. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any of claims 23 to 25, wherein the controller is configured to drive the plurality of electro-vibration transducers to generate inaudible air pressure waves.

27. A tactile stimulation apparatus according to any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein the cavity resonator of each tactile stimulation element comprises a gas pressure wave hole.

28. The tactile stimulation apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:

a stimulation membrane located over the air pressure wave hole of each cavity resonator.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to tactile stimulation techniques.

Background

One type of tactile stimulation, which may be referred to as tactile stimulation, stimulates receptors in human skin. Human skin has many different types of receptors that are adapted to different tactile sensations. Meissner corpuscles (Meissner corpuscle) in the skin are used to sense low frequency vibrations. Meikel cells (Merkel cells) in the skin are used to sense pressure. A Judge in the skin (Ruffini ending) is used to sense shear deformation. Pacinian corpuscles (Pacinian corpuscle) in the skin are used to sense high frequency vibrations.

Disclosure of Invention

According to an aspect of the invention, a tactile stimulation apparatus is provided comprising a set of tactile stimulation elements. Each tactile stimulation element includes a transducer for generating pneumatic pressure waves and a housing coupled to the transducer to form a cavity defined by the housing and the transducer. The tactile stimulation apparatus further includes a controller for driving the transducer to generate a tactile stimulation pattern based on the plurality of air pressure waves in the plurality of cavities. The tactile stimulation apparatus does not require a motor to generate the tactile stimulation pattern, thereby making the design simpler. Energy can be saved by using a transducer for generating the pressure waves. The tactile stimulus pattern is very accurate.

Optionally, in any of the above aspects, the housing of each tactile stimulation element comprises a pneumatic pressure wave hole. The controller is configured to drive the plurality of transducers to emit a plurality of pneumatic waves in the plurality of cavities from the pneumatic wave holes to generate the tactile stimulation pattern.

Optionally, in any aspect above, the tactile stimulation apparatus further comprises a stimulation membrane located over the pneumatic pressure wave hole of each tactile stimulation element. The stimulation membrane is used for generating the tactile stimulation pattern under the plurality of air pressure wave vibrations.

Optionally, in any of the above aspects, the housing of each tactile stimulation element comprises a stimulation region. The stimulation region is to generate the tactile stimulation pattern under the plurality of barometric wave vibrations in the plurality of cavities.

Optionally, in any of the above aspects, the controller is configured to drive the transducer at different frequencies to convey information in the tactile stimulation pattern. Thus, different status information may be communicated using different frequencies.

Optionally, in any aspect above, the controller is configured to drive the transducer with different amplitudes to convey information in the tactile stimulation pattern. Thus, different amplitudes may be used to convey different state information.

Optionally, in any aspect above, the controller is configured to drive the transducer in one of an on state and an off state to deliver information in the tactile stimulation pattern.

Optionally, in any aspect above, the controller is configured to drive the transducer to generate an inaudible acoustic wave. So that the user is not distracted.

Optionally, in any aspect above, the controller is configured to drive the transducer to generate an inaudible acoustic wave having a frequency between 10Hz and 10 kHz.

Optionally, in any aspect above, the controller is to drive the transducer to generate a barometric wave with a sound pressure level of less than 40dB at a distance of one meter from the set of tactile stimulation elements. Such a low decibel level does not distract the user.

Optionally, in any aspect above, the transducer comprises a micro-audio speaker. Energy can be saved by using the miniature audio speaker. If the tactile stimulation apparatus is powered by a battery, battery power may be conserved. In addition, the miniature audio speaker is small in size, providing an accurate tactile stimulus pattern.

Optionally, in any aspect above, the cross-sectional diameter of the tactile stimulation element is between 0.5 millimeters (mm) and 2 mm.

Optionally, in any of the above aspects, the housing of each tactile stimulation element comprises a cavity resonator. The cavity resonator may be used to enhance the desired frequency.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of providing a tactile stimulation interface is provided. The method comprises the following steps: a plurality of tactile stimulation elements to be activated are selected to provide a tactile stimulation pattern. Each tactile stimulation element includes a transducer and a housing coupled to the transducer to form a cavity defined by the housing and the transducer. The method further comprises the following steps: driving the plurality of transducers of the selected plurality of tactile stimulation elements to produce a plurality of barometric pressure waves in the cavity to generate the tactile stimulation pattern based on the plurality of barometric pressure waves.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a tactile stimulation apparatus is provided. The tactile stimulation apparatus comprises a tactile stimulation interface comprising a pattern of a plurality of tactile stimulation elements for stimulating receptors in the skin of a user. Each tactile stimulation element comprises a cavity resonator and an electro-vibration transducer for generating air pressure waves into the cavity resonator. The tactile stimulation apparatus comprises a receiver for receiving information to be presented in the tactile stimulation interface. The tactile stimulation apparatus comprises a controller for driving the electro-vibration transducer in accordance with the received information, generating a tactile stimulation pattern in receptors in the skin of the user based on a plurality of air pressure waves in the plurality of cavity resonators.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the background.

Drawings

Various aspects of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless network for data communication;

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a tactile stimulation system;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary base station;

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a tactile stimulation apparatus;

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of presenting information in a presentation mode called "alphabetical notation" on a tactile stimulation interface;

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of presenting information in a presentation mode called "symbolic representation of words" on a tactile stimulation interface;

FIG. 7A is a schematic view of one embodiment of a tactile stimulation element;

FIG. 7B shows a cross-sectional view of the front housing along line 716 of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7C shows a cross-sectional view of the front housing along line 718 in FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8A shows another embodiment of a tactile stimulation element with a stimulation membrane;

FIG. 8B is a top view of a tactile stimulation element showing the stimulation membrane on top of the air pressure wave hole;

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of a tactile stimulation element;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process of providing a tactile stimulation interface;

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process of driving a transducer to deliver information in a stimulation pattern;

FIG. 12A illustrates how different states may be represented using different frequencies in one embodiment;

FIG. 12B is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process for driving a transducer at a state dependent frequency to deliver information in a stimulation pattern;

FIG. 13A illustrates how different amplitudes are used to represent different states in one embodiment;

FIG. 13B is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process for driving a transducer with state dependent amplitudes to deliver information in a stimulation pattern.

Detailed Description

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which generally relate to tactile stimulation systems and methods. In some embodiments, the tactile stimulation interface has a set of tactile stimulation elements. Each tactile stimulation element has a transducer for generating air pressure waves. The transducer may be an electrical vibration transducer. In some embodiments, each tactile stimulation element further has a housing coupled to the transducer to form a cavity defined by the housing and the transducer. In some embodiments, the plurality of air pressure waves are used to directly or indirectly stimulate receptors in the user's skin, rather than directly stimulating the receptors in the user's skin using the plurality of transducers. Thus, the transducer is not damaged by direct contact with the user.

In some embodiments, the transducer is relatively small. For example, in some embodiments, the diameter of the transducer may be between about 0.5 millimeters (mm) to 2 mm. The tactile stimulation interface may include an array of tactile stimulation elements, each array of tactile stimulation elements including a transducer. For example, the array may be 5mm x 5mm or 10mm x 10 mm. The tactile stimulation interface provides a very accurate tactile stimulation pattern. By providing a solution where the user does not need to directly touch the transducer, a small and possibly delicate transducer can be used to provide the tactile stimulation interface. Furthermore, the tactile stimulation apparatus does not require a motor to drive the transducer, thereby making the apparatus simpler and less bulky in design. Furthermore, energy can be saved using a transducer for generating air pressure waves. Thus, if the tactile stimulation system is powered by a battery, battery life may be extended.

In one embodiment, the housing of the tactile stimulation element has an air pressure wave hole through which air pressure waves are emitted from the housing. In one embodiment, driving the plurality of transducers in the set of tactile stimulation elements emits a plurality of pneumatic pressure waves from a plurality of pneumatic pressure wave holes of a housing of the tactile stimulation elements to generate a tactile stimulation pattern. The tactile stimulation pattern refers to a pattern in the tactile stimulation interface. When a user touches the tactile stimulation interface, receptors in the user's skin may be stimulated. In one embodiment, the housing has a stimulation membrane located over the air pressure wave aperture. In one embodiment, the stimulation membrane is to generate the tactile stimulation pattern under the plurality of barometric wave vibrations from the plurality of barometric wave holes. In one embodiment, the housing includes a stimulation region for generating the tactile stimulation pattern under pneumatic wave vibration in the cavity.

In some embodiments, the transducer is a driver in an "on" or "off" state to convey information in a tactile stimulation pattern. In some embodiments, the transducer is driven to produce an inaudible acoustic wave one meter from the tactile stimulation interface. Here, inaudible sound waves refer to air pressure waves one meter away from the tactile stimulation interface. Sound pressure (also called sound pressure) is the local pressure deviation from the ambient (average or equilibrium) atmospheric pressure caused by sound waves. The sound pressure may be measured in pascals. According to equation 1, the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) is measured in decibels (dB).

SPL ＝20 logp/p₀Equation 1

In equation 1, SPL refers to sound pressure level. Pressure "p" refers to the pressure (in pascals) of the acoustic wave being measured. Pressure "p₀"refers to the pressure of the reference sound wave. The pressure of the reference sound wave is 0.00002 pascal.

Sound waves with a sound pressure level below 40dB (one meter from the tactile stimulation interface) are defined as inaudible to the human ear. Any sound wave with a frequency below 20Hz or above 20kHz is defined as inaudible to the human ear. In other words, 20Hz to 20kHz is defined herein as the audible frequency range (note that the sound waves have sufficient SPL to be audible as defined herein). Thus, if the frequency is below 20Hz, the SPL of the sound waves one meter from the tactile stimulation interface may be greater than 40dB and still be inaudible.

In some embodiments, the transducers are driven individually at different frequencies to convey information in the tactile stimulation pattern. In some embodiments, different frequencies may be assigned to different states. For example, 10 different states may be assigned corresponding 10 different frequencies. In some embodiments, each transducer is driven at a frequency corresponding to one of the states to communicate information to a user.

In some embodiments, the transducers are driven individually at different amplitudes to convey information in the tactile stimulation pattern. In some embodiments, different amplitudes may be assigned to different states. For example, 10 different states may be assigned respective 10 different amplitudes. In some embodiments, each transducer is driven at an amplitude corresponding to one of the states to communicate information to a user.

In some embodiments, the plurality of housings of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements includes a plurality of cavity resonators. In one embodiment, the plurality of cavity resonators are used to increase the acoustic energy at one or more resonant frequencies of the cavity resonators to emphasize inaudible frequencies. In one embodiment, the plurality of cavity resonators are used to reduce acoustic energy at one or more resonant frequencies of the cavity resonators to de-emphasize audible frequencies.

It should be understood that embodiments of the invention may be embodied in many different forms and that the scope of the claims should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the embodiments of the invention to those skilled in the art. Indeed, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents of these embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details.

Fig. 1 illustrates a wireless network for data communication. The communication system 100 includes a user equipment 110A, a user equipment 110B, a user equipment 110C, a Radio Access Network (RAN) 120A, RAN 120B, a core network 130, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 140, the internet 150, and other networks 160, and the like. Other or alternative networks include private and public data packet networks, including corporate intranets. Although fig. 1 shows a certain number of these components or elements, any number of these components or elements may be included in system 100.

In one embodiment, the wireless network may be a fifth generation (5G) network, the 5G network including at least one 5G base station. The 5G base station communicates with the communication device using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and/or non-OFDM and a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) of less than 1 millisecond (e.g., 100 microseconds or 200 microseconds). In general, a base station may also refer to either an eNB or a 5gbs (gnb). The wireless network can further include a network server for processing information received from the communication device via at least one eNB or gNB.

Communication system 100 enables multiple wireless users to transmit and receive data and other content. Communication system 100 may perform one or more channel access methods including, but not limited to, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA).

User Equipment (UE) 110A, UE 110B and UE 110C may each be referred to as a UE110 or collectively as a plurality of UEs 110 for operation and/or communication in system 100. For example, UE110 may be used to transmit and/or receive wireless signals or wired signals. Each UE110 represents any suitable end user equipment and may include the following (or may be referred to as): user Equipment (UE), a wireless transmit/receive unit, a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a pager, a cellular telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a laptop, a computer, a touchpad, a wireless sensor, a wearable device, or a consumer electronic device, among others.

In the present embodiment, the RAN 120A and the RAN 120B include one or more Base Stations (BSs) 170A and 170B, respectively. The RAN 120A and the RAN 120B may each be referred to as one RAN 120 or collectively as a plurality of RANs 120. Similarly, the Base Station (BS) 170A and the BS 170B may be referred to as one Base Station (BS) 170 or collectively as a plurality of Base Stations (BS) 170, respectively. Each BS170 is configured to wirelessly connect with one or more UEs 110 of the plurality of UEs 110, respectively, to enable access to core network 130, PSTN 140, internet 150, and/or other networks 160. For example, the plurality of Base Stations (BSs) 170 may include one or more of several well-known devices, such as a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), a node b (NodeB), an evolved node b (eNB), a next generation (fifth generation) (fine generation, 5G) NodeB (gnb), a Home node b (Home NodeB/Home eNodeB), a site controller, an Access Point (AP), or a wireless router, or a server, a router, a switch, or other processing entity having a wired network or a wireless network.

In one embodiment, the BS 170A is part of the RAN 120A, and the RAN 120A may include one or more other BSs 170, one or more elements, and/or one or more devices. Similarly, the BS 170B is part of the RAN 120B, and the RAN 120B may include one or more other BSs 170, one or more elements, and/or one or more devices. Each BS170 operates separately to transmit and/or receive wireless signals within a particular geographic area (sometimes referred to as a "cell"). In some embodiments, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology may be employed such that each cell has multiple transceivers.

BS170 communicates with one or more UEs 110 of the plurality of UEs 110 over one or more air gaps (not shown) using a wireless communication link. These air ports may employ any suitable wireless access technology.

The system 100 may use multi-channel access functionality including, for example, multiple schemes for implementing Long Term Evolution wireless communication standards (LTE), LTE (LTE-Advanced, LTE-a), and/or LTE Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) by the BS170 and the UE 110. In other embodiments, the base station 170, user equipment 110A to user equipment 110C are used to implement UMTS, HSPA or HSPA + standards and protocols. Of course, other multiple access schemes and wireless protocols may be used.

RAN 120 communicates with core network 130 to provide Voice, data, applications, Voice over IP (VoIP), or other services to UE 110. It is to be appreciated that the RAN 120 and/or the core network 130 can be in direct or indirect communication with one or more other RANs (not shown). Core network 130 may also serve as a gateway access for other networks, such as PSTN 140, internet 150, and other networks 160. Additionally, some or all of the plurality of UEs 110 may be capable of communicating with different wireless networks over different wireless links using different wireless technologies and/or protocols.

The plurality of RANs 120 may also include millimeter wave and/or microwave Access Points (APs). These APs may be part of multiple BSs 170 or may be remote from multiple BSs 170. These APs may include, but are not limited to, a connection point (mmwave CP) or BS170 (e.g., mmwave base station) capable of mmwave communication. The millimeter wave AP may transmit and receive signals in the frequency range of 24GHz to 100GHz, etc., but is not required to operate in this entire range. The term "base station" as used herein refers to a base station and/or a wireless access point.

Although fig. 1 shows one example of a communication system, various changes may be made to fig. 1. For example, communication system 100 may include any number of user devices, base stations, networks, or other components in any suitable configuration. It should also be understood that the term "user equipment" may refer to any type of wireless device that communicates with a radio network node in a cellular or mobile communication system. Non-limiting examples of user equipment include target equipment, device-to-device (D2D) user equipment, machine class user equipment, or machine-to-machine (M2M) enabled user equipment, laptop, PDA, iPad, tablet, mobile terminal, smartphone, Laptop Embedded Equipment (LEE), Laptop Mounted Equipment (LME), and USB dongle.

In one embodiment, UE110 has a wireless connection to tactile stimulation device 240. In one embodiment, UE110 sends information (e.g., digital data) to tactile stimulation device 240 over a wireless connection. This information is presented on the tactile stimulation interface 250. In one embodiment, the tactile stimulation system includes the tactile stimulation device 240, but not the UE 110.

Fig. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a tactile stimulation system. In this embodiment, the tactile stimulation system includes a tactile stimulation device 240 and the UE 110. In another embodiment, the tactile stimulation system includes the tactile stimulation device 240, but not the UE 110. The UE110 may be a mobile phone or the like, but in other examples may be other devices, such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, handheld computing device, automotive computing device, and/or other computing devices. As shown, the illustrated exemplary UE110 includes at least one transmitter 202, at least one receiver 204, memory 206, at least one processor 208, and at least one input/output device 212. The processor 208 may implement various processing operations for the UE 110. For example, the processor 208 may perform signal coding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, or any other functionality that enables the UE110 to operate in the system 100 (e.g., the system 100 of fig. 1). The processor 208 may include any suitable processing or computing device for performing one or more operations. For example, the processor 208 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field programmable gate array, or application specific integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the memory 206 is a non-transitory memory. In one embodiment, the memory 206 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

The transmitter 202 is used to modulate data or other content for transmission via at least one antenna 210. The transmitter 202 may also be used to amplify, filter, and frequency convert RF signals before providing them to the antenna 210 for transmission. The transmitter 202 may include any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless transmission.

The receiver 204 may be used to demodulate data or other content received by at least one antenna 210. The receiver 204 may also be used to amplify, filter, and frequency convert RF signals received via the antenna 210. In some embodiments, the receiver 204 is an RF signal receiver. The receiver 204 may include any suitable structure for processing wirelessly received signals. The antenna 210 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals. The same antenna 210 may be used for transmitting and receiving RF signals, or alternatively, different antennas 210 may be used for transmitting and receiving signals.

It is to be appreciated that one or more transmitters 202 can be employed in the UE110, one or more receivers 204 can be employed in the UE110, and one or more antennas 210 can be employed in the UE 110. Although shown as separate blocks or components, the at least one transmitter 202 and the at least one receiver 204 may be combined into a transceiver. Thus, rather than showing a separate block for the transmitter 202 and a separate block for the receiver 204 in fig. 2, a single block for a transceiver is shown. In one embodiment, at least one of the transmitters 202 is used to communicate with the tactile stimulation device 240. In one embodiment, at least one of the receivers 204 is used to communicate with the tactile stimulation device 240. In one embodiment, the transmitter and/or the receiver comprise a wireless communication interface for communicating with the tactile stimulation device 240.

The UE110 also includes one or more input/output devices 212. The input/output devices 212 facilitate interaction with a user. Each input/output device 212 includes any suitable structure for providing information to or receiving information from a user, such as a speaker, microphone, keypad, keyboard, display, or touch screen. It should be noted that some users may have difficulty receiving information using one or more structures. For example, some users may have difficulty seeing or reading visual displays on UE 110. In another example, it may be difficult for some users to hear the speaker on UE 110. In one embodiment, the tactile stimulation device 240 allows the user to obtain such information from the UE 110.

Further, the UE110 includes at least one memory 206. Memory 206 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by UE 110. For example, the memory 206 may store software or firmware instructions executed by the one or more processors 208 and data for reducing or eliminating interference in the incoming signal. Each memory 206 includes one or more of any suitable volatile and/or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory may be used, such as Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, memory stick, Secure Digital (SD) memory card, and so forth.

The UE110 has a wireless connection to the tactile stimulation device 240. The tactile stimulation device 240 has a tactile stimulation interface 250 (also referred to simply as a "stimulation interface"), a receiver 260, a controller 270, and a digital-to-analog (D/a) converter 275. The receiver 260 may include a wireless receiver for wireless communication with the UE 110. The receiver 260 may be used to communicate via various wireless communication protocols, including but not limited to the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 protocol or the IEEE 802.15 protocol. In one embodiment, the receiver 260 is configured to communicate using bluetooth. Optionally, the tactile stimulation device 240 may have a transmitter for communicating via various wireless communication protocols. In one embodiment, the user may select information to be transmitted from UE110 to the tactile stimulation device 240. After the user is accustomed to using the tactile stimulation device 240, the user may request more detailed information to be sent. For example, the user may select a notification of receipt of an email, a keyword in an email, an entire email, and so forth.

The stimulation interface 250 is used to generate a tactile stimulation pattern. In one embodiment, the tactile stimulation pattern stimulates receptors in the user's skin when the user's skin is in contact with the stimulation interface 250. The receptors may include, but are not limited to, meissner's corpuscles, merkel's cells, fibrani's terminal parts, and pacinian corpuscles. The stimulation interface 250 need not stimulate all types of receptors. In one embodiment, the stimulation interface 250 stimulates a subset of one or more types of receptors (e.g., meissner corpuscles, meckel cells, feimsonian distal tips, and/or pacinian corpuscles). In one embodiment, the stimulation interface 250 has a set (e.g., a pattern, an array, etc.) of stimulation elements. In some embodiments, the stimulation interface 250 stimulates receptors in human skin through mechanical motion (e.g., mechanical vibration). In one embodiment, each of the stimulating elements comprises an electrical vibration transducer for generating acoustic waves.

The controller 270 is used to control the operation of the tactile stimulation apparatus 240. In one embodiment, the controller 270 is configured to control data transmission from the UE110 through the receiver 260. In one embodiment, the data transmission from UE110 to the tactile stimulation device 240 is unidirectional. In one embodiment, the data transfer is bidirectional. Thus, the tactile stimulation device 240 may report configuration information, status, etc. to the UE 110.

In one embodiment, the controller 270 is configured to control the presentation of data on the stimulation interface 250. The D/a converter 275 is used to convert the digital signal to an analog signal. In one embodiment, the controller 270 processes a first digital signal from the UE110 and provides a second digital signal to a D/a converter 275. Based on the second digital signal from the controller 270, the D/A converter 275 outputs an analog signal to drive the stimulation interface 250. Because the controller 270 may process functions, such as generating digital signals suitable for the configuration of the stimulation interface 250, the first digital signal and the second digital signal may be different. In one embodiment, the UE110 handles these functions, wherein the first digital signal and the second digital signal may be the same.

The controller 270 may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Hardware control circuit components for implementing the controller 270 may include, but are not limited to, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an application-specific standard product (ASSP), a system-on-a-chip (SOC), a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), a special purpose computer, and the like. In one embodiment, the controller 270 is implemented as software (stored on a storage device) for programming one or more processors. Accordingly, the controller 270 may include a storage device and a processor.

In one embodiment, the controller 270 is for driving the transducer to generate a tactile stimulation pattern based on barometric pressure waves for stimulating receptors in the skin of the user. In one embodiment, the pressure waves directly stimulate receptors in the skin of the user means that the pressure waves can directly stimulate receptors in the skin of the user. Thus, the user does not need to touch a tangible object to stimulate the receptors. In one embodiment, the air pressure waves are used to indirectly stimulate receptors in the skin of the user by inducing mechanical vibrations in the stimulation membrane. Indirectly stimulating receptors in the skin of a user using pressure waves refers to using pressure waves to generate vibrations in a tangible object that the user can contact through the skin. For example, the controller 270 drives a set of stimulation elements, such as the plurality of transducers in stimulation element 410 shown in fig. 8A. In one embodiment, the air pressure waves are used to indirectly stimulate the skin of the user by causing mechanical vibrations in a housing coupled to an electrical vibration transducer. For example, the controller 270 drives a set of stimulation elements, such as the plurality of transducers in stimulation element 410 shown in fig. 9.

In one embodiment, the controller 270 works with the UE110 to present information on the stimulation interface 250. For example, by executing instructions stored by the memory 206 on the processor 208, the UE110 may transmit digital data to the receiver 260. Thus, in one embodiment, the combination of the controller 270, the processor 208, and the memory 206 may be referred to as control circuitry for presenting information on the tactile stimulation interface 250.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary BS170 in which the methods and descriptions provided by the present invention may be implemented. As shown, the BS170 includes at least one processor 308, at least one transmitter 302, at least one receiver 304, one or more antennas 310, and at least one memory 306. The processor 308 performs various processing operations of the BS170, such as signal encoding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, or any other function. Each processor 308 includes any suitable processing or computing device for performing one or more operations. For example, each processor 308 may include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field programmable gate array, or application specific integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the memory 306 is a non-transitory memory.

Each transmitter 302 includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless transmission to one or more UEs 110 or other devices. Each receiver 304 includes any suitable structure for processing signals wirelessly received from one or more UEs 110 or other devices. Although shown as separate blocks or components, the at least one transmitter 302 and the at least one receiver 304 may be combined into a transceiver. Each antenna 310 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals. Although a common antenna 310 is shown coupled to both the transmitter 302 and the receiver 304, one or more antennas 310 may be coupled to one or more of the transmitter 302 and one or more separate antennas 310 may be coupled to one or more of the receiver 304. Each memory 306 includes one or more of any suitable volatile and/or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices.

Fig. 4 shows one embodiment of a tactile stimulation device 240. The stimulation interface 250 has a set (e.g., pattern, array, etc.) of tactile stimulation elements 410 (also referred to simply as "stimulation elements"). In one embodiment, the set of stimulating elements 410 are used to stimulate receptors in human skin (e.g., meissner corpuscles, merkel cells, ficus distal and/or pacinian corpuscles). In one embodiment, each stimulation element 410 may be independently controlled. The set of stimulus elements in fig. 4 is merely an example, and the stimulus elements 410 can have a number of other configurations. In this example, there are 6 × 6 groups of 36 stimulus elements 410 in total. The number of stimulation elements 410 may vary depending on the implementation. In the example of fig. 4, there are 6 rows of stimulation elements 410 and 6 columns of stimulation elements 410. The number of rows is not required to be equal to the number of rows. In the example of fig. 4, the stimulation elements 410 are equally spaced. However, equal spacing is not required. The pattern is not required to be arranged in rows and columns. In one embodiment, the set includes an array of stimulation elements 410. The term "array" refers to a systematic arrangement of similar objects, such as stimulus elements 410.

The cross-sectional shape of each stimulation element 410 is circular in fig. 4, but stimulation elements 410 may have other cross-sectional shapes.

In one embodiment, each stimulation element 410 includes an electrical vibration transducer. As defined herein, an electrical vibration transducer is a transducer capable of converting electrical energy into vibrational energy. The vibration may generate a pressure wave. When the air pressure wave passes through the air, the air pressure wave may be referred to as an atmospheric pressure wave. The air pressure wave may sometimes be an acoustic wave. For example, an electric vibration transducer may be controlled by an electrical signal (e.g., current or voltage) to generate sound waves. Thus, in one embodiment, the stimulation interface 250 includes a set of electrical vibration transducers for generating pneumatic waves that directly or indirectly stimulate receptors in the skin of the user. It is noted that by using air pressure waves to stimulate receptors in the user's skin directly or indirectly, it is not necessary for the user to touch the electro-vibration transducer directly.

The diameter of the electrovibrational transducer may be between about 0.5mm and 2 mm. However, an electrical vibration transducer of less than 0.5mm or greater than 2mm is also suitable for stimulating element 410. In one embodiment, each stimulus element 410 includes a micro audio speaker. The term micro audio speaker herein refers to an electrical vibration transducer and a housing for an electrical vibration transducer. As the term is defined herein, a micro-audio speaker has a housing with a cross-sectional diameter in the x-y plane of 2mm or less. Therefore, the cross-sectional diameter of the electric vibration transducer in the micro audio speaker is 2mm or less.

In some embodiments, the electrovibrating transducer is driven to produce sound waves that are inaudible to the human ear. In one embodiment, the electro-vibration transducer is driven to generate sound waves with a frequency below 20 Hz. In some embodiments, the electrovibratory transducer is driven to produce sound waves in the frequency range of 10Hz to 10 kHz. However, the electric vibration transducer may be driven to generate sound waves below 10Hz or above 10 kHz.

In one embodiment, the electro-vibration transducer is driven to produce sound pressure level sound waves of less than 40dB at a distance of 250 meters from the stimulation interface. However, in some embodiments, the electro-vibration transducer may be driven to produce sound pressure level waves greater than 40dB at a distance of 250 meters from the stimulation interface. In one embodiment, the electro-vibration transducer is driven to produce acoustic waves having an amplitude between 0dB and 40dB at a distance of 250 meters from the stimulation interface.

The format of the information provided by the UE110 to the tactile stimulation device 240 may vary depending on implementation. For example, the information may be "raw data" such as text data or even image data. In this case, the tactile stimulation device 240 is used to determine how to map the "raw data" to the pattern of tactile stimulation elements 410. However, the information may be provided to the UE110 in a more refined format. For example, the UE110 may know the configuration of the pattern of the stimulation elements 410. In this case, the UE110 may indicate what the tactile stimulation device 240 should present in each stimulation element 410.

Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment of presenting information in a presentation mode called "symbolic representation of letters" on the tactile stimulation interface 250. The letter "a" of the english alphabet is represented on the tactile stimulation interface 250. In this example, the representation on the tactile stimulation interface 250 visually resembles the letter "a" of the english alphabet. This concept is applicable to alphabets of other languages.

Fig. 6 illustrates an embodiment of presenting information in a presentation mode called "symbolic representation of a word" on a tactile stimulation interface 250 representing the word "love" of the english alphabet on the tactile stimulation interface 250. In this example, the representation on the tactile stimulation interface 250 is visually heart-like. In this example, the symbol of heart is a symbolic representation of the word "love". It should be noted that the entire word is presented on the tactile stimulation interface 250, rather than a single letter, so that the tactile stimulation interface 250 is more efficient in presenting information to the user. For example, the time required to present an email to a user is greatly reduced. However, in some cases, the user cannot understand the more complex words. In other words, the user understands the letters of the alphabet more easily.

The concepts of fig. 5 and 6 may be applied to characters or symbols written in other languages. Accordingly, one embodiment includes a mode of representation referred to herein as "symbolic representation of characters for writing in a language". For example, in one embodiment, the representation mode is a symbolic representation of Chinese characters. Herein, kanji refers to any known chinese character that has been developed to be writable.

Fig. 7A is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a tactile stimulation element 410. The tactile stimulation element 410 may be one of a set of tactile stimulation elements 410 in the stimulation interface 250 of the tactile stimulation device 240. The tactile stimulation element 410 includes a transducer 702. The transducer 702 is enclosed in a front housing 704 and a rear housing 708. The front housing 704 is coupled to the transducer 702 to form a front cavity 706 defined by the front housing 704 and the transducer 702. Fig. 7B shows a cross-sectional view of the front housing 704 along line 716 of fig. 7A. In one embodiment, the front cavity 706 is empty (except for air). Thus, the air pressure wave is free to propagate in the air of the front cavity 706. Referring again to fig. 7A, the rear housing 708 is coupled to the transducer 702 to form a rear cavity 710 defined by the rear housing 708 and the transducer 702. In some embodiments, the rear cavity 710 is filled with a material that dampens pressure waves (e.g., acoustic waves).

When stimulated by an input signal, the transducer 702 generates air pressure waves in the front cavity 706. In some embodiments, the input signal is an electrical signal. The air pressure wave is generated under the vibration of the transducer 702. For example, the transducer 702 may be an electrical vibration transducer capable of converting electrical energy provided by an input signal into vibrational energy, which in turn may generate pneumatic pressure waves. In some embodiments, the transducer 702 vibrates around a balance point. In some embodiments, the direction of vibration is substantially in the direction of the z-axis. In some embodiments, the maximum displacement of the transducer 702 during vibration is controlled to control the pressure level of the air pressure waves in the front cavity 706. In some embodiments, the transducer 702 vibrates between a point of maximum displacement in the + z direction (into the front cavity 706) and a point of maximum displacement in the-z direction (into the back cavity 710). As mentioned above, the rear cavity 710 may be filled with a material that dampens pressure waves (e.g., sound). That is, the rear cavity 710 may be filled with a material that dampens the pressure wave in the rear cavity 710.

In some embodiments, the front housing 704 has an air pressure wave aperture 714. In some embodiments, the pressure wave aperture 714 has a path for pressure waves (e.g., acoustic pressure waves) to emanate from the front cavity 706. Fig. 7C shows a cross-sectional view of the front housing 704 along line 718 in fig. 7A. In the embodiment of FIG. 7C, the pressure wave holes 714 are circular, but may be other shapes. For example, the pressure wave hole 714 may be polygonal, such as square, rectangular, octagonal, and the like. In some embodiments, the air pressure wave holes 714 serve as tactile stimulation areas. For example, in some embodiments, the pressure waves emitted from the pressure wave holes 714 are used to stimulate receptors in the user's skin. Thus, the air pressure wave holes 714 from a set of tactile stimulation elements 410 may be used to generate a tactile stimulation pattern in the skin of a user based on the air pressure waves in the front cavity 706 of the tactile stimulation elements 410. There may be more than one air pressure wave hole 714 in the front housing 704. When there is more than one air pressure wave aperture 714 in the front housing 704, different air pressure wave apertures may have different sizes and/or shapes. In other embodiments, the front housing 704 does not have the pneumatic wave holes 714.

In some embodiments, the front housing 704 includes a cavity resonator. The cavity resonator is a closed (or mostly closed) structure that confines the air pressure waves from the transducer 702. In some embodiments, the cavity resonator may also be referred to as an acoustic cavity resonator. The cavity resonator exhibits resonant behavior. For example, in some embodiments, the front housing 704 has one or more resonant frequencies. That is, the front housing 704 may naturally oscillate at one or more resonant frequencies. Acoustic cavity resonators may be used to enhance acoustic energy at one or more resonant frequencies. For example, acoustic cavity resonators may be used to boost acoustic energy at lower frequencies to emphasize frequencies below the human hearing threshold (e.g., inaudible). Alternatively, an acoustic cavity resonator may be used to reduce the acoustic energy at one or more resonant frequencies. For example, an acoustic cavity resonator may be used to reduce acoustic energy at resonant frequencies between 20Hz and 20000Hz to de-emphasize frequencies above the human hearing threshold (e.g., audible).

Fig. 8A illustrates another embodiment of a tactile stimulation element 410. The tactile stimulation element 410 may be one of a set of tactile stimulation elements 410 in a stimulation membrane 810 of the tactile stimulation device 240. The tactile stimulation element 410 is similar to that of fig. 7A, but with the addition of a stimulation membrane 810 over the air pressure wave hole 714. Fig. 8B is a top view of the tactile stimulation element 410, showing the stimulation membrane 810 on top of the barowave hole 714. The outline of the pressure wave aperture 714 is a dashed line, illustrating that the pressure wave aperture 714 is located below the stimulation membrane 810 in the z-direction.

Referring again to fig. 8A, the stimulation membrane 810 vibrates in response to the pressure waves emanating from the anterior cavity 706 and entering the pressure wave aperture 714. Three arrows are depicted on the top surface 814 and bottom surface 816 of the stimulation membrane 810, illustrating that the stimulation membrane 810 is configured to vibrate in response to air pressure waves. The stimulation membrane 810 may be formed of a relatively flexible material such that energy from the air pressure waves causes relatively large movements of the stimulation membrane 810 along the z-axis. In some embodiments, the front housing 704 is formed of a much harder material than the stimulation membrane 810 so that energy from the air pressure waves does not cause nearly as much physical movement in the front housing. Thus, the stimulation membrane 810 of a set of tactile stimulation elements 410 may be used to generate a tactile stimulation pattern on the skin of a user based on the air pressure waves in the front cavity 706 of the tactile stimulation elements 410.

Fig. 9 illustrates another embodiment of a tactile stimulation element 410. The tactile stimulation element 410 may be one of a set of tactile stimulation elements 410 in a stimulation membrane 810 of the tactile stimulation device 240. The tactile stimulation element 410 is similar to that of fig. 7A, but without the air pressure wave holes 714. A portion of the front housing 704 is labeled as a stimulation zone 912. Three arrows are depicted on the top and bottom surfaces 914, 916 of the front housing 704 in the stimulation region 912, illustrating that the stimulation region 912 vibrates in response to air pressure waves in the front cavity 706. The stimulation region 912 may be formed of a relatively flexible material such that energy from the pneumatic pressure waves causes the stimulation region 912 to move with a relative amplitude along the z-axis. Thus, the stimulation region 912 in a set of tactile stimulation elements 410 may be used to generate a tactile stimulation pattern. The tactile stimulation pattern may be used to stimulate receptors in the skin of the user.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process 1000 of providing a tactile stimulation pattern. The tactile stimulation patterns may be used to stimulate receptors in human skin. In one embodiment, the method 1000 is used for the tactile stimulation device 240. Each tactile stimulation element 410 has a transducer 702 for generating air pressure waves. In one embodiment, the plurality of tactile stimulation elements 410 have the configuration shown in fig. 7A-7C. In one embodiment, the plurality of tactile stimulation elements 410 have the configuration shown in fig. 8A-8B. In one embodiment, the plurality of tactile stimulation elements 410 has the configuration shown in fig. 9. Process 1000 is not limited to the embodiments in fig. 7A-9.

Step 1002: the tactile stimulation elements 410 to be activated are selected to provide a tactile stimulation pattern. In one embodiment, each tactile stimulation element of the plurality 410 has a front housing 704 coupled to a transducer 702 to form a front cavity 706 defined by the front housing 704 and the transducer 702. The transducers 702 in each tactile stimulation element 410 need not be selected simultaneously. For example, certain elements 410 may be selected to represent letters of the alphabet, as shown in FIG. 5. As another example, certain elements 410 may be selected to represent symbols (other than letters of the alphabet), as shown in FIG. 6.

Step 1004: the transducer 702 driving the selected tactile stimulation element 410 generates a pneumatic pressure wave to generate a tactile stimulation pattern based on the pneumatic pressure wave. By the user touching the tactile stimulation pattern, receptors in the user's skin may be stimulated. In one embodiment, step 1004 includes driving the transducer 702 to produce an inaudible acoustic wave. For example, a sound wave one meter from the tactile stimulation interface 250 has an SPL of less than 40dB, making the sound wave inaudible. As another example, the sound waves emitted from the tactile stimulation interface 250 have a frequency less than 20Hz, such that the sound waves are inaudible. As another example, the sound waves emitted from the tactile stimulation interface 250 have a frequency greater than 20kHz, such that the sound waves are inaudible.

In one embodiment, step 1004 includes generating the tactile stimulation pattern based on a plurality of air pressure waves in the front cavity 706. In one embodiment, step 1004 includes generating the tactile stimulation pattern based on a plurality of pneumatic pressure waves emitted from a plurality of pneumatic pressure wave holes 714 of the plurality of front housings 704 of the tactile stimulation elements 410. At this point, the air pressure waves may be used to directly stimulate receptors in the user's skin. In one embodiment, step 1004 includes vibrating a stimulation membrane 810 over the plurality of barowave holes 714 of the plurality of front housings 704 of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements 410. At this point, the stimulating elements 410 may be used to directly stimulate receptors in the skin of the user. In one embodiment, step 1004 includes vibration stimulation regions 912 of the plurality of front housings 704 of the plurality of tactile stimulation elements 410. At this point, the vibration stimulation region 912 may be used to directly stimulate receptors in the user's skin.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process 1100 of driving a transducer 702 to convey information in a tactile stimulation pattern. Step 1102: data (e.g., information to be communicated) is mapped to the transducer 702 in the tactile stimulation interface 250. For example, the mapping may be used to represent letters of an alphabet, as shown in FIG. 5. As another example, the mapping may be used to represent symbols (other than letters of the alphabet), as shown in FIG. 6.

Step 1104: the state of each transducer 702 is determined. In process 1100, the transducer 702 is controlled in one of two states, referred to as "on" or "off. In connection with the examples of fig. 5-6, the element 410 displayed in black corresponds to an "on" state, and the other elements 410 correspond to an "off" state.

Step 1106: the transducer 702 is driven in either an on state or an off state to communicate information in the tactile stimulation interface 250. In one embodiment, the closed state means that the transducer 702 does not vibrate. In one embodiment, an on state refers to the transducer 702 being vibrated. In one embodiment, the transducers 702 in each "on" state vibrate at the same frequency. In one embodiment, the transducers 702 in each "on" state vibrate at the same amplitude. The amplitude is here the displacement of the transducer from its equilibrium point. In one embodiment, the transducers 702 in each "on" state vibrate at the same frequency and the same amplitude.

In some embodiments, the tactile stimulation elements are driven at a particular frequency to deliver different states. FIG. 12A is a diagram 1200 that illustrates how different states may be represented using different frequencies in one embodiment. In fig. 12A, 10 different states (state 0 to state 9) are represented with corresponding 10 different frequencies (f0 to f 9). State 0 is represented by a frequency of 0Hz (f0), corresponding to transducer 702 being in an "off" state. State 0 may be represented by a non-zero (i.e., positive) frequency. State 9 corresponds to the highest frequency (f 9). An exemplary frequency range of f1 to f9 is 10Hz to 10 kHz. One exemplary use case is that 10 states correspond to 10 numbers 0 to 9. This concept can be used to represent information other than numerical values (e.g., numbers). There may be more than 10 states or less.

Fig. 12B is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process 1250 of driving a transducer 702 to deliver information in a stimulation pattern. Process 1250 is described with reference to the example of fig. 12A, but is not limited to this example. Step 1252: the state of each tactile stimulation element 410 in the tactile stimulation interface 250 is determined. For example, controller 270 determines which of the 10 states in fig. 12A should be assigned to each tactile stimulation element 410. The same state may be selected for each tactile stimulation element 410. Two, three or more states may be selected. In connection with the example of FIG. 12A, in some embodiments, any combination of 10 states may be selected.

Step 1254: the frequency at which each transducer 702 is driven is determined. As an example, the controller 270 selects one of the frequencies f0 through f9 according to the corresponding state (state 0 through state 9) of the tactile stimulation element 410.

Step 1256: the transducer 702 is driven at the frequency determined in step 1254 to convey state information in the tactile stimulation interface 250. It is noted that if there is a state corresponding to a frequency of 0Hz, it is said to "drive the transducer" at a frequency of 0 Hz. That is, the transducer 702 need not vibrate at the assigned 0Hz frequency for the condition. If the transducer 702 is driven at a non-zero frequency, the transducer vibrates at that frequency. In one embodiment of step 1256, two, three, or more frequencies are used simultaneously. Only one frequency (f 0-f 9) may be used at a time, with different frequencies being used at different times. For example, a value of "4" may be indicated to the user by vibrating all (or a subset) of the plurality of transducers 702 at a frequency f 4.

In some embodiments, the tactile stimulation elements are driven at certain amplitudes to deliver different states. FIG. 13A is a diagram 1300 that illustrates how different amplitudes are used to represent different states in one embodiment. In fig. 13A, 10 different states (state 0 to state 9) are represented by corresponding 10 different amplitudes (a0 to a 9). State 0 is represented by an amplitude (a0) corresponding to transducer 702 being in an "off state. State 0 may be represented by a non-zero amplitude. State 9 corresponds to the highest amplitude (a 9). One exemplary use case is that 10 states correspond to 10 numbers 0 to 9. This concept can be used to represent information other than numerical values. There may be more than 10 states or less.

Different implementations of defining the amplitude are possible. One technique is to define the amplitude as the maximum displacement of the transducer 702 in the + z direction (see fig. 7A). Thus, in one embodiment, the reference values a0 to a9 represent 10 different displacements in the + z direction. Another technique is to define the amplitude from the strength of the signal used to drive the transducer 702. For example, the amplitude may be defined in terms of the magnitude of the current used to drive the transducer 702. Thus, in one embodiment, the reference values a 0-a 9 represent 10 different current amplitudes. As another example, the amplitude may be defined in terms of the magnitude of the voltage used to drive the transducer 702. Thus, in one embodiment, the reference values a0 through a9 represent 10 different voltage amplitudes. As another example, the amplitude may be defined in terms of the sound pressure level of the air pressure waves generated by the transducer 702. Thus, in one embodiment, reference values a 0-a 9 represent 10 different decibel levels of sound waves at a reference distance (e.g., one meter from tactile stimulation element 410). As yet another example, the amplitude may be defined in terms of the sound power level of the pressure waves generated by the tactile stimulation element 410. The sound power level does not depend on the distance from the sound source, compared to the sound pressure level, which decreases with the distance from the sound source. Instead, the sound power level is defined as the power of the sound emitted from the tactile stimulation element 410.

FIG. 13B is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a process 1350 of driving the amplitude of the transducer 702 to convey information in a stimulation pattern. Process 1350 is described with reference to the example of fig. 13A, but is not limited to this example. Step 1352: the state of each tactile stimulation element 410 in the tactile stimulation interface 250 is determined. For example, controller 270 determines which of the 10 states in fig. 13A should be assigned to each tactile stimulation element 410. The same state may be selected for each tactile stimulation element 410. Two, three or more states may be selected. In connection with the example of fig. 13A, any combination of 10 states may be selected.

Step 1354: the amplitude at which each transducer 702 is driven is determined. As one example, the controller selects one of the amplitudes a 0-a 9 according to the corresponding state (state 0-state 9) of the tactile stimulation element 410. The amplitude may be determined based on factors including, but not limited to, the maximum displacement of the transducer 702, the strength of the input signal (e.g., current, voltage), or the SPL of the acoustic wave generated by the single transducer 702.

Step 1356: the transducer 702 is driven at the amplitude determined in step 1354 to convey the status information in the tactile stimulation interface 250. It is noted that if there is a state corresponding to amplitude 0, it is said that the transducer is "driven" at amplitude 0. That is, the transducer 702 need not vibrate at an assigned amplitude of 0 for a state. In one embodiment of step 1356, two, three, or more amplitudes are used simultaneously. Only one of the amplitudes (a 0-a 9) may be used at a time, with different amplitudes being used at different times.

In some embodiments, the techniques described herein may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software. The software used is stored in the one or more processor readable storage devices to program the one or more processors to perform the functions described herein. The processor-readable storage device may include computer-readable media, such as volatile and non-volatile media, removable and removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer readable storage media and communication media. Computer-readable storage media may be implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. The computer readable storage medium is one example of a non-transitory computer readable medium. Computer-readable storage media include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, Digital Versatile Disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by a computer. Computer-readable media do not include propagated, modulated, or transitory signals.

Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a propagated data signal, a modulated data signal, or a transitory data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as RF and other wireless media. Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

In alternative embodiments, some or all of the software may be replaced by dedicated hardware logic components. Illustrative types of hardware Logic components that may be used include, but are not limited to, Field-Programmable Gate arrays (FPGAs), Application-specific Integrated circuits (ASICs), Application-specific Standard products (ASSPs), System-on-a-chips (SOCs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), special purpose computers, and the like. In one embodiment, software (stored in a memory device) implementing one or more embodiments is used to program one or more processors. The one or more processors may communicate with one or more computer-readable media/storage devices, peripherals, and/or communication interfaces.

It should be understood that the inventive subject matter may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this subject matter is thorough and will fully convey the invention to those skilled in the art. Indeed, the present subject matter is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents of these embodiments, which may be included within the scope and spirit of the present subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present subject matter, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present subject matter. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present subject matter may be practiced without these specific details.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein in connection with flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products provided by embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable instruction execution apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in any way disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The aspects of the invention were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

For purposes herein, each flow associated with the disclosed technology may be performed continuously by one or more computing devices. Each step in the flow may be performed by the same or different computing device as used in the other steps, and each step need not be performed by a single computing device.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example ways of implementing the claims.