Tactile feedback man-machine interface device

Abstract

A man-machine interface which provides tactile feedback to various sensing body parts is disclosed. The device employs one or more vibrotactile units, where each unit comprises a mass and a mass-moving actuator. As the mass is accelerated by the mass-moving actuator, the entire vibrotactile unit vibrates. Thus, the vibrotactile unit transmits a vibratory stimulus to the sensing body part to which it is affixed. The vibrotactile unit may be used in conjunction with a spatial placement sensing device which measures the spatial placement of a measured body part. A computing device uses the spatial placement of the measured body part to determine the desired vibratory stimulus to be provided by the vibrotactile unit. In this manner, the computing device may control the level of vibratory feedback perceived by the corresponding sensing body part in response to the motion of the measured body part. The sensing body part and the measured body part may be separate or the same body part.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for providing a tactile sensation to a sensing body part in relation to a virtual state signal, said apparatus comprising at least one vibrotactile unit, wherein each unit comprises: 
 a mass-moving actuator comprising a shaft and an eccentric mass mounted on said shaft, said mass-moving actuator rotating said shaft;    fastening means for holding said mass-moving actuator in relation to said sensing body part for transmitting vibrations to said sensing body part; and    wherein said apparatus further comprises a signal processor for interpreting said virtual state signal to produce an activating signal and transmitting said activating signal to said mass-moving actuator for activating said mass-moving actuator.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said fastening means comprises a casing containing said vibrotactile unit.  
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said activating signal provides varying levels of activating said mass-moving actuator for varying the rotation of said shaft.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said mass-moving actuator is an electric motor and said apparatus comprises electrical connection means connecting said electric motor to said signal processor.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said fastening means comprises means for fastening to a portion of a hand.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said portion of a hand is the dorsal side of a finger.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said portion of a hand is the metacarpus.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said eccentric mass is pie-shaped.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of vibrotactile units.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said signal processor produces multiple activating signals for individually activating each vibrotactile unit of said plurality of vibrotactile units to produce a complex tactile sensation.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for providing a tactile sensation to a sensing body part in relation to a state of a measured body part, said apparatus comprising at least one vibrotactile unit, wherein each unit comprises: 
 a mass-moving actuator comprising a shaft and an eccentric mass mounted on said shaft, said mass-moving actuator rotating said shaft; and    fastening means for holding said mass-moving actuator in relation to said sensing body part for transmitting vibrations to said sensing body part; and    wherein said apparatus further comprises: 
 a state sensor for measuring the state of said measured body part and generating a state signal; and  
 a signal processor for receiving said state signal to produce an activating signal and transmitting said activating signal to said mass-moving actuator for activating said mass-moving actuator.  
   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said fastening means comprises a casing containing said vibrotactile unit.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said activating signal provides varying levels of activating said mass-moving actuator for varying the rotation of said shaft.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said mass-moving actuator is a variable speed electric motor.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said fastening means comprises means for fastening to a portion of a hand.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein said portion of a hand is the dorsal side of a finger.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein said portion of a hand is the metacarpus.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said eccentric mass is pie-shaped.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , comprising a plurality of vibrotactile units, wherein said signal processor produces multiple activating signals for individually activating each vibrotactile unit of said plurality of vibrotactile units to produce a complex tactile sensation.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said apparatus has a plurality of state sensors, each state sensor for measuring the state of a different said measured body part.