Tactile communication apparatus, method, and computer program product

Abstract

A tactile communication apparatus that includes a signal receiver configured decode data received via a wireless signal, a tactile communication device containing a plurality of pins on one side, each pin configured to respectively move in both an outward direction and inward direction to form a plurality of pin combinations based on a plurality of activation signals, and a communication processor configured to generate the plurality of pin activation signals based on the received data so as to convey the data to a user through the plurality of pin combinations of the tactile communication device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tactile communication apparatus comprising:
 a signal receiver configured to decode data received via a wireless signal;   a portable tactile communication device containing a plurality of pins on one side and configured to be detachably attached over a wrist of a user such that the one side opposes the wrist of the user without restriction of hand movement, each pin configured to reciprocately move in an outward direction and an inward direction to form a plurality of pin combinations that contact the wrist of the user in response to a plurality of pin activation signals activating at least a portion of the plurality of pins; and   a communication processor configured to generate the plurality of pin activation signals determined from the received data so as to convey the data tactilly to the user through the plurality of pin combinations of the portable tactile communication device.   
     
     
         2 . The tactile communication apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 subsets of the plurality of pins are arranged in tactile communication components, each subset being contained in a different tactile communication component, one tactile communication component being positioned next to another tactile communication component so as to convey multiple types of information to adjacent locations on the wrist of the user.   
     
     
         3 . The tactile communication apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the one side of the portable tactile communication device containing the plurality of pins is ergonomically shaped to match at least an underside of the wrist of the user such that each of the plurality of pins, when moved in an outwards direction, comes into contact with the wrist of the user.   
     
     
         4 . The tactile communication apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the communication processor is configured to activate a rise amount of the pins by variable degrees to form pin combinations to convey one of a ripple effect and a pulse effect to the wrist of the user.   
     
     
         5 . The tactile communication apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the communication processor is configured to activate the pins to raise by variable degrees to form pin combinations that tactilly relay an equalizer pattern to the wrist of the user.   
     
     
         6 . The tactile communication apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 the communication processor is configured to activate the pins to raise by variable degrees to form pin combinations that tactilly relay information such as temperature, speed and tuning in a meter format.   
     
     
         7 . The tactile communication apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the communication processor is configured to execute a downloadable application and provide output information from the application tactilly to the wrist of the user via a plurality of pins.   
     
     
         8 . The wearable tactile communication apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the detection processor is included in at least one of a smartphone and a smartwatch and communicates wirelessly with the signal receiver.   
     
     
         9 . A wearable tactile communication apparatus comprising:
 a signal receiver configured to decode data received via a wireless signal;   a portable tactile communication device containing a plurality of pins on one side and configured to be detachably attached over a palm or wrist of a user such that the one side that opposes the palm or wrist of the user without restriction of finger movement, the plurality of pins configured to controllably and reciprocatively move in an outward direction and an inward direction to form a plurality of pin combinations to be received in the palm or wrist of the user in response to a plurality of pin activation signals activating at least a portion of the plurality of pins; and   a communication processor configured to generate the plurality of pin activation signals determined from the received data so as to convey the data tactilly to the user through the plurality of pin combinations of the tactile portable communication device,   Said received data includes object movement data, and said plurality of pin activation signals corresponds with conveying content of the object movement data to a palm or wrist of the user.   
     
     
         10 . The wearable tactile communication apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein
 said object movement data includes automobile blind spot sensor data, said communication processor configured to generate pin activation signals that tactilly inform the user of a presence of an obstacle in a blind spot of an automobile driven by the user.   
     
     
         11 . The wearable tactile communication apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein
 said object movement data includes lane departure sensor data provided by a land departure sensor, said communication processor configured to generate pin activation signals that tactilly inform the user of a lane departure of a vehicle driven by the user.   
     
     
         12 . The wearable tactile communication apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein
 said object movement data includes obstacle avoidance sensor data provided by an obstacle avoidance sensor in an automobile, said communication processor configured to generate pin activation signals that tactilly inform the user of a presence of an obstacle approaching the vehicle driven by the user.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with computer readable instructions stored therein that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute a tactile communication method using a tactile communications device, the method comprising:
 receiving with a signal receiver data in a wireless signal having;   receiving a destination data input by a user;   receiving a predetermined object data input by a user;   generating navigational data based on GPS positional data and the destination data;   matching with the computer the predetermined object data to sensor data received from a plurality of sensors;   generating with a communications processor a plurality of pin activation signals based on the received data, the navigational data, and the results of the matching; and   reciprocally moving a plurality of pins of the portable tactile communication device in an outward direction and an inward direction to form a plurality of pin combinations corresponding to output data from a downloadable application received wirelessly to relay an indication based on the plurality of activation signals, wherein the portable tactile communication device contains plurality of pins on one side and is configured to be detachably attached over a wrist or palm of a user such that the one side opposes the wrist or palm of the user without restriction finger movement, each pin configured to reciprocally move in an outward direction and an inward direction to form a plurality of pin combinations to be received in the wrist or palm of the user in response to the plurality of pin activation signals activating at least a portion of the plurality of pins.