JP2016110383A - Tactile transmission device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tactile information transmission device that accurately transmits tactile information on an object to a receiver.SOLUTION: A tactile transmission device comprises: a tactile information acquisition unit 13 for acquiring tactile information Td on an object Fe; an imaging unit 15 for acquiring visual information Vd; a visual information display unit (display) 11 for displaying the visual information Vd; a tactile information presentation unit 14 for presenting the tactile information Td; an editing unit for editing the visual information Vd and/or tactile information Td; an information processing unit for generating transmission information including the visual information Vd and tactile information Td; and a communication connection unit 40 for transmitting and receiving the transmission information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a haptic transmission device that transmits visual information and haptic information of an object.

  In recent years, with the widespread use of portable information terminals, a high-speed and large-capacity network environment has been established, and information transmission using visual information mainly based on video in addition to conventional language information mainly based on voice and characters has been performed. It's getting on. By adding visual information to the linguistic information, the amount of information that can be transmitted is greatly increased, and the information that is desired to be transmitted can be transmitted more accurately.

  However, there are many pieces of information that are difficult to communicate only with the language information and the visual information. For example, it is difficult to express the tactile sensation felt on the skin when touching an object with linguistic information or visual information, and it is very difficult to accurately transmit a tactile sense only with linguistic information or visual information.

  In view of this, there has been proposed a device that transmits a tactile sensation using a touch sensor that receives an input from an operator and a vibration generation unit that generates vibrations provided in the portable information terminal (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-2012). 226478, JP 2009-217805, etc.). In such a portable information terminal, the tactile information input by the touch sensor is transmitted, the vibration generation unit of the received portable terminal is vibrated based on the tactile information, and the tactile sense is transmitted to the receiver using the vibration. Yes.

JP 2012-226478 A JP 2009-217805 A

  However, the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-217805 merely transmits a simple acting force when the touch input unit is touched and reproduces the acting force with an actuator. In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-226478, the vibration information is corrected by correcting the vibration information from a Web server including a Web page in which display information such as image data, image information, or character string information is associated with vibration information. The vibration generating unit is merely vibrated with the vibration information.

  In any case, the operator can obtain tactile information by vibration, but it is difficult to obtain detailed tactile information. Even if sufficient tactile information can be obtained by vibration, it is difficult to know in detail which part of the target object the tactile information is, and accurate information is sent to the receiver. Is difficult.

  Furthermore, it is not possible to confirm whether or not the tactile information transmitted to the recipient is intended, and confirm whether or not the transmitted information can accurately convey the information that the sender intends to transmit. Is difficult.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a tactile information transmission device that can accurately transmit tactile information of an object to a receiver.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a haptic transmission device that transmits haptic information, a haptic information acquisition unit that acquires haptic information of the object in contact with or close to the object, and the object. An imaging unit that acquires visual information, a visual information display unit that displays the visual information, a tactile information presentation unit that presents the tactile information, and the visual information display unit that displays the visual information and the tactile information presentation An editing unit that edits at least one of the visual information or the tactile information, an information processing unit that generates transmission information including the visual information and the tactile information, and the transmission information. And a communication connection unit for transmitting and receiving.

  According to this configuration, the tactile information and the visual information of the target object are acquired, and are transmitted after editing the tactile information or the visual information as necessary (in response to a user's request). The transmitted visual information and tactile information may be consistent with the user's intention.

  In the above configuration, the transmission information includes position information indicating a position at which the tactile information on the visual information is acquired. With this configuration, when the user who has acquired the tactile information confirms the tactile information, it is possible to intuitively confirm which part of the target object is the tactile information.

  In the above configuration, the tactile information may include at least one of shape information, temperature, and humidity of the object. Examples of the shape information include information including at least one of the contact force, acceleration, moving speed, deformation amount of the object, surface roughness amplitude, and frequency of the tactile information acquisition unit.

  In the above configuration, the position information specifies at least one of coordinates, positions, and trajectories acquired by the tactile information acquisition unit on the visual information. With such a configuration, it is possible to accurately inform the user of the position on the object from which the tactile information has been acquired.

  In the above configuration, the position information includes a relative position with respect to a feature point of the visual information of the object, and the information processing unit extracts the feature point from the visual information of the object acquired in advance, While the imaging unit acquires visual information of the object, the haptic information acquisition unit acquires the haptic information of the object, so that the relative position with respect to the feature point of the visual information to which the haptic information is added is automatically set. The relative position may be added to the transmission information as position information. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the amount of information without reducing the accuracy of the position information. Further, even when the visual information of the object displayed on the visual information display unit is rotated or deformed, the position information can easily follow the rotation and deformation.

  In the above configuration, the position information includes a relative position of the object with respect to the outline of the visual information, and the information processing unit extracts the outline of the visual information of the object acquired in advance, and the imaging unit While acquiring the visual information of the object, the tactile information acquisition unit acquires the tactile information of the object, so that the relative position with respect to the contour of the visual information to which the tactile information is added is automatically recognized. The relative position may be added as position information to the transmission information. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the amount of information without reducing the accuracy of the position information. Further, even when the visual information of the object displayed on the visual information display unit is rotated or deformed, the position information can easily follow the rotation and deformation. Also, by extracting the outline, when visual information is displayed, the visual information is provided to the user in various ways, such as highlighting the target object or displaying only the target object (no background). It is possible.

  The said structure WHEREIN: You may make it the said information processing part produce | generate the said visual information and tactile information from the transmission information acquired via the said communication connection part. With this configuration, the tactile transmission device can be used as both a transmission device and a reception device that transmit tactile information. It is also possible to obtain tactile information from the outside, and even if the structure does not have a tactile information acquisition unit, it is possible to transmit the tactile information of an object using editing in the editing unit It is.

  The said structure WHEREIN: You may make it the instruction | indication part which shows the position shown by the said tactile information presentation part on visual information displayed on the said visual information display part. By displaying the support portion, the position on the object presenting the tactile information can be transmitted to the user in more detail.

  In the above configuration, the visual information display unit is arranged so as to overlap the tactile information presentation unit, and the position to be touched by an operator when presenting the tactile information as the positional information on the visual information display unit, At least one of the moving direction and speed may be displayed together with the visual information. With this configuration, it is possible to transmit the tactile information to the user more accurately while transmitting the information when the tactile information is acquired.

  The said structure WHEREIN: You may make it the said tactile information presentation part adjust the said tactile information to show according to expansion or reduction | decrease of the said visual information displayed on the said visual information display part. When there is a part where the tactile information changes locally or there is a part where it changes in a complex manner, the part of the visual information is enlarged and the corresponding part of the tactile information is adjusted to accurately obtain the tactile information. It is possible to communicate. For example, when the haptic information is enlarged, the frequency of the haptic information is changed in accordance with the enlargement. As a result, even if the movement (speed) of the user's finger is the same, the moving speed with respect to the object is slower when the magnification is performed, and tactile information is transmitted to the user so as to correspond to the slow movement. It is possible.

  The said structure WHEREIN: You may make it the said tactile information contain the result of having acquired the said target object in multiple times by the said tactile information acquisition part.

  In the above configuration, the tactile information acquisition unit may be detachable.

  The said structure WHEREIN: The characteristic of the to-be-presented person who receives presentation of tactile information may be detected, and the signal intensity | strength of tactile information may be adjusted according to the said user's characteristic.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the tactile information transmission apparatus which can transmit the tactile information of a target object to a receiver correctly can be provided.

1 is a schematic view of a haptic transmission device according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the haptic transmission apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which is using the haptic transmission apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement which transmits haptic information using a haptic transmission apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement which confirms the haptic information received using the haptic transmission apparatus. It is a figure which shows the state which has confirmed the haptic information transmitted with the haptic transmission apparatus concerning this invention. It is the schematic which shows the other example of the haptic transmission apparatus concerning this invention. It is the schematic which shows the modification of the haptic transmission apparatus concerning this invention. It is the schematic which shows the other example of the haptic transmission apparatus concerning this invention. It is the schematic of the other example of the haptic transmission apparatus concerning this invention. It is the graph which showed tactile information. FIG. 10B is an enlarged view of visual information in FIG. 10A. It is a figure which shows the tactile information changed according to expansion. It is a user database with which the memory | storage part of the other example of the tactile transmission apparatus concerning this invention is equipped.

  A haptic transmission device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a haptic transmission device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the haptic transmission device shown in FIG. The haptic transmission device shown in FIG. 1 is a device that transmits haptic information of the object Fe to another haptic transmission device. FIG. 1 shows a state where the tactile information Td is edited after the tactile information Td is acquired with the T-shirt as the object Fe. Therefore, in the tactile transmission unit A shown in FIG. 1, visual information Vd, tactile information Td (graph), position information Ad, and adjustment unit Cr of the object Fe are displayed on the display 11. Details of the display 11 will be described later.

  Here, the tactile information Td is information obtained by quantifying the sensation felt when the user touches the outer shape or surface state of the target object, such as the shape, temperature, humidity, and weight of the target object. Examples of the shape of the object include, for example, the outer shape of the object, the amplitude and frequency when the surface irregularities are measured, and the speed, acceleration, and time when the measuring device (tactile sensor 13 described later) is moved. be able to. In addition to these, information perceived when the object is touched may be included.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tactile transmission device A is a portable information terminal including an input / output unit 10, a processing unit 20, a storage unit 30, and a communication connection unit 40. The input / output unit 10 includes a display 11 (visual information display unit), a touch sensor 12, a tactile sensor 13 (tactile information acquisition unit), a tactile output unit 14 (tactile information presentation unit), a camera unit 15 (imaging unit), and a microphone 16. And a speaker 17. The tactile transmission device A includes a housing 100 that is an exterior member.

  The display 11 is a visual information display unit that displays visual information Vd, and uses an image display device such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. The display 11 is arranged so that the display area is exposed from an opening window provided on the front surface of the housing 100. In addition, a driver, a power source, and the like of the display 11 are disposed inside the housing 100. Note that circuits such as drivers are omitted. FIG. 1 shows a state in which tactile information is being edited. As described above, the display 11 displays the visual information Vd, the position information Ad, the tactile information Td, and the adjustment unit Cr.

  The touch sensor 12 is disposed so as to overlap the display unit of the display 11, and is disposed so as to be exposed from the opening window, as in the display area of the display 11. Arranged inside. The touch sensor 12 is a sensor for detecting a contact position of a pointer such as a user's finger or a touch pen. The touch sensor 12 can detect not only the touch of the pointer but also the movement of the touching pointer. By using the touch sensor 12, a figure, a character, or the like can be input by handwriting.

  Examples of the touch sensor 12 include a capacitance method and a pressure sensitive method. In addition to this, it is possible to widely adopt a device that can acquire information on a contact portion of a pointer such as a user's finger that touches the panel or a touch pen. Further, the touch sensor may be configured to detect the contact pressure of the surface that the pointer contacts.

  By combining the display 11 and the touch sensor 12, an input device (a so-called touch panel) that performs operations by touching a switch or the like displayed on the display 11 or performs handwritten input of characters is configured. . In addition to the touch sensor 12, a mechanical input device such as a keyboard or a numeric keypad may be used as an input device for inputting characters. Furthermore, a pointing device such as a mouse may be attached (built-in).

  The tactile sensor 13 is a tactile information acquisition unit that acquires the tactile information Td of the object Fe by making contact with the object Fe. As shown in FIG. 1, the tactile sensor 13 connects a detector 131 provided outside the housing 100 to the housing 100 with a cable. And the tactile information Td of the target object Fe is acquired by making the detection area | region (not shown) which detects the tactile information Td of the detector 131 contact the target object Fe.

  Examples of the tactile information Td acquired by the tactile sensor 13 include the outer shape, surface shape, temperature, humidity, and weight of the object Fe. Here, the outer shape is the unevenness or curved surface shape of the object Fe, the surface shape is the surface roughness, the amplitude and frequency of the surface unevenness, the speed at which the detector 131 is moved, and the moving time. The acceleration acting on the detector 131 and the pressure of the portion in contact with the object Fe can be mentioned. In addition to these, a sensor that can determine the tactile information Td in accordance with the property of the object Fe and acquire the tactile information Td may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the tactile sensor 13 is brought into contact with the object Fe, but is not limited thereto. For example, the tactile information Td of the object Fe may be acquired in a non-contact manner using a sensor that can acquire the tactile information Td of the object Fe in a non-contact manner. The detector 131 is connected to the processing unit 20 via a cable to transmit and receive information. In addition, the detector 131 transmits and receives information to and from the processing unit 20 using a wireless connection such as radio waves and infrared rays. May be performed. The tactile sensor 13 detects the tactile information Td and moves the detector 131 in contact with the object Fe. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only the detector 131 is brought into contact. Thus, the configuration may be such that the tactile information Td of the contact portion can be detected.

  Further, the tactile sensor 13 is configured to include the detector 131 separated from the casing 100, but is not limited thereto, and the tactile sensor 13 may be included in a part of the casing 100. Good. Moreover, the structure provided with the detector 131 of the touch sensor 13 so that attachment or detachment to the housing | casing 100 may be sufficient.

  The tactile output unit 14 is a device for transmitting the tactile information Td to the user, and is a tactile information presenting unit that presents the tactile information Td. In the haptic transmission device A illustrated in FIG. 1, the haptic transmission device A is provided below the display 11 on the front surface of the housing 100. Note that the tactile output unit 14 also exposes the output portion to the outside through an opening window provided in the housing 100 in the same manner as the display 11. Then, when the user touches the exposed portion with a finger or the like, the tactile information Td is reproduced.

  Examples of the tactile output unit 14 include a heat generating element, a humidity generator, a blower, a piezoelectric element, an electrostatic element, and a microfluid that express an outer shape, a surface shape, and a pressure distribution. In addition, the tactile transmission device A shown in FIG. 1 includes the small tactile output unit 14 at a distance from the display 11 and the touch sensor 12, but is not limited thereto, and the display 11 and the touch sensor 12 are not limited thereto. It may be the same as or larger than that.

  When confirming the tactile information Td with the tactile output unit 14, the user causes the tactile output unit 14 to touch a part that feels a tactile sense such as a finger. At this time, the tactile information Td is detected by moving the finger onto the tactile output unit 14. At this time, visual information Vd and position information Ad acquired by the camera unit 15 are displayed on the display 11 (see FIG. 6 described later). By providing the tactile output unit 14 as described above, it is possible to easily and intuitively transmit to the user the target object Fe and which part of the target object the tactile information Td.

  In addition, by changing the information output from the tactile output unit 14 while the finger is in contact with a predetermined position of the tactile output unit 14, the tactile information Td when the tactile sensor 13 is moved along the position information. Can be communicated to the user. With such a configuration, it is possible to transmit tactile information Td accompanying the movement of the tactile sensor 13 to the user regardless of the size of the tactile output unit 14. In the case of such a configuration, the tactile output unit 14 may be the size of the part touched by the user, and can be downsized.

  Moreover, the structure provided apart from the housing | casing 100 similarly to the tactile sensor 13 grade | etc., May be sufficient. At this time, the tactile output unit 14 and the housing 100 may be connected by a cable or may be connected wirelessly. At this time, the tactile sensor 13 and the tactile output unit 14 may be integrally formed.

  Furthermore, when the tactile output unit 14 has translucency (for example, is transparent), the display 11 and the touch sensor 12 may be arranged to overlap each other. With such a configuration, when the visual information Vd and the position information Ad displayed on the display 11 are touched, the touch information Td of that portion can be transmitted to the user. Thereby, tactile information with high realism can be transmitted to the user. Furthermore, since the space for arranging the tactile output unit 14 can be eliminated, the areas of the display 11 and the touch sensor 12 can be increased.

  The camera unit 15 is an imaging unit that images the object Fe and the like. The camera unit 15 is a conventionally known digital camera unit, and a detailed configuration is omitted. The camera unit 15 sends visual information Vd obtained by photographing the object Fe to the processing unit 20. Further, the camera unit 15 is configured to be able to photograph continuously or intermittently.

  While the tactile sensor 13 acquires the tactile information of the object Fe, the camera unit 15 continuously or intermittently captures the object Fe and the tactile sensor 13 for the object Fe, and the tactile sensor 13 captures the tactile information. Is acquired as the position information Ad. Here, the position information Ad is information that defines the position on the visual information Vd where the tactile sensor 13 has acquired the tactile information. The position information Ad may be trajectory information or coordinate information. The camera unit 15 sends the position information Ad to the processing unit 20 together with the visual information Vd.

  In the case where the tactile sensor 13 is built in the housing 100, it is difficult to capture information for which the tactile sensor 13 acquires tactile information. In such a case, it is assumed that the user directly inputs the position information Ad. Further, in the case of a configuration that roughly indicates the position touched by the touch sensor 13, the position information Ad can be omitted by adding the position information directly to the visual information Vd.

  The microphone 16 converts sound into an electrical signal. As shown in FIG. 1, in the haptic transmission device A, the microphone 16 is provided outside the housing 100 via a cable, but may be attached inside the housing 100. Instead of connecting with a cable, it may be configured to connect with radio waves, infrared rays or the like. Further, the processing of the processing unit 20 may be performed by voice input via the microphone 16.

  The speaker 17 is a device for outputting sound. As shown in FIG. 1, in the haptic transmission device A, the speaker 17 is provided outside the housing 100 via a cable, but may be attached inside the housing 100. Instead of connecting with a cable, it may be configured to connect with radio waves, infrared rays or the like.

  Each device of the input / output unit 10 described above is connected to the processing unit 20, and each device is controlled according to an instruction from the processing unit 20. The processing unit 20 includes a circuit that performs arithmetic processing such as an MPU or a CPU, and has a configuration capable of performing a plurality of processes. Moreover, you may have the structure which performs a process by operating a processing program as needed. The processing unit 20 includes an information processing unit 21 and an editing unit 22.

  The processing unit 20 performs processing for specifying the object Fe based on the visual information Vd sent from the camera unit 15. Similarly, the position on the object Fe specified on the visual information Vd is acquired based on the position information Ad. The processing unit 20 performs an operation of displaying the visual information Vd and the position information Ad on the display 11.

  As the visual information Vd, as shown in the display 11 of FIG. 1, image information that identifies the target object Fe among captured images captured by the camera unit 15 can be exemplified. Further, as a display method of the position information Ad on the display 11, the position on the visual information Vd displayed on the display 11 at the position where the tactile information Td of the object Fe is acquired is represented by a predetermined figure (here, an ellipse). ). In addition, an instruction unit Ad1 that moves in accordance with the position to which the tactile information Td such as the user's finger in the tactile output unit 14 is transmitted is also displayed. Details of the instruction unit Ad1 will be described later.

  The information processing unit 21 generates transmission information including the tactile information Td acquired by the tactile sensor 13, the visual information Vd acquired by the camera unit 15, and the position information Ad. When the transmission destination device has a tactile information presentation unit, the transmission information displays visual information Vd (and position information Ad) and presents the tactile information Td, and when the transmission destination device does not have a visual information, Only the information Vd is displayed. As such transmission information, for example, the tactile information Td and the position information Ad are embedded in the visual information Vd (known image formats such as JPEG, PNG, etc.) imaged by the camera unit 15, and as normal image data A reproducible configuration can be mentioned.

  The editing unit 22 has an editing function for editing the visual information Vd or the tactile information Td so as to match the user's preference based on the operation of the touch sensor 12 by the user. Examples of the editing of the visual information Vd using the editing unit 22 include adjustment of luminance and chromaticity of a captured image that is the visual information Vd, trimming, and reduction of the number of pixels. The editing method of the visual information Vd is the same as the known image data editing method, and therefore the details are omitted.

  The editing unit 22 can also edit the position information Ad. Since the position information Ad is determined based on the photographing of the camera unit 15, there may be some deviation depending on the angle of view and the position of the camera unit 15. Therefore, when the visual information Vd is edited, the position information Ad is displayed superimposed on the visual information Vd, and when the user inputs a change of the position information Ad, the changed position information Ad is displayed on the visual information Vd. Editing associated with the position is also possible. In the tactile sensation transmission device A of the present embodiment, the position information Ad is acquired by the camera unit 15, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the position created by the user using the editing function of the editing unit 22 is used. Information Ad may also be used.

  Next, editing of tactile information will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, when editing the tactile information Td with the tactile information transmission device A, the editing unit 22 displays visual information Vd, position information Ad, tactile information Td, and an adjusting unit Cr on the display 11. Then, the user touches the tactile output unit 14 with a part such as a finger that can recognize the tactile sense, and confirms the tactile information Td. At this time, the user is visually recognizing the visual information Vd and the position information Ad on the display 11 and confirms the tactile information Td with a finger. The tactile information Td can be confirmed by sliding the finger on the tactile output unit 14. At this time, the display 11 displays the position of the tactile information Td on the visual information Vd with an arrow or the like. The user confirms the tactile information Td and edits the tactile information Td by adjusting the slider of the adjusting unit Cr.

  The tactile transmission device A includes a storage unit 30 connected to the processing unit 20. The storage unit 30 includes a semiconductor memory such as a ROM, a RAM, and a flash memory, and a physical storage device such as a hard disk and an optical disk. The storage unit 30 includes a storage area for storing visual information Vd, tactile information Td, and position information Ad. In addition, a work area for temporarily storing information is provided, and information before processing by the processing unit 20 and / or information during processing can be temporarily stored. Further, information to be transmitted / received via the communication connection unit 40 may be temporarily stored.

  Note that the processing unit 20 (the information processing unit 21 and the editing unit 22) first stores the acquired tactile information Td, visual information Vd, and position information Ad in the storage unit 30 and processes the stored information. Alternatively, it may be stored in the storage unit 30 after processing.

  The tactile transmission device A transmits and receives transmission information via the communication connection unit 40. The communication connection unit 40 is for connecting to a network. Here, the communication connection unit 40 is connected to the network via a wireless line. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a communication cable is connected and wired information communication is performed may be used. Here, examples of the wireless line include a mobile phone line, a wireless LAN, and infrared rays. An example of a network is the Internet to which an infinite number of terminals are connected, but a network that transmits and receives information one to one is also included. In the present embodiment, for the sake of convenience, an antenna protruding outside the housing 100 is provided. However, in practice, an antenna may be provided inside the housing 100.

  The operation of the haptic transmission device A according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the tactile transmission device is used, FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of transmitting tactile information using the tactile transmission device, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating using the tactile transmission device. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement which confirms the received tactile information.

  As shown in FIG. 3, two haptic transmission devices A are connected to a network Nt. In FIG. 3, for convenience of explanation, the transmission side including transmission information including the haptic information Td is referred to as a transmission side haptic transmission device A1, and the reception side is referred to as a reception side haptic transmission device A2. Both have the same configuration. doing. A procedure for transmitting the haptic information Td using the haptic transmission device A will be described, and then an operation for receiving the haptic information Td will be described.

  The tactile sensor 13 of the transmitting tactile transmission device A1 acquires tactile information Td of the object Fe. While the tactile sensor 13 acquires the tactile information Td with the tactile sensor 13, the tactile transmission device A1 captures the object Fe with the camera unit 15, and acquires the locus of the tactile sensor 13 as the position information Ad (step S101). At the same time, the tactile sensor 13 acquires tactile information Td of the object Fe. Each piece of information is sent to the processing unit 20 and stored in the storage unit 30 (step S102).

  Then, the processing unit 20 confirms whether the user needs to edit any one of the tactile information Td, the visual information Vd, and the position information Ad (step S103). When the user inputs that the editing is necessary using an input device such as the touch sensor 11 (Yes in step S103), the editing unit 22 receives the tactile information Td, visual information according to the user's request. Information Vd and position information Ad are edited (step S104).

  The editing unit 21 accesses the storage unit 30 and updates the edited information with the edited information (step S105). When editing is unnecessary (No in step S103) or after updating the information after editing, the information processing unit 21 calls the tactile information Td, the visual information Vd, and the position information Ad stored in the storage unit 30, and these The transmission information including the information is generated (step S106). The information processing unit 21 stores the generated transmission information in the storage unit 30 (step S107). In the present embodiment, since the transmission information is the visual information Vd including the tactile information Td and the position information Ad, the storage of the transmission information may be an update of the visual information Vd or a new one. Information may be stored.

  Then, the processing unit 20 connects to the network Nt via the communication connection unit 40 and transmits transmission information via the network Nt (step S108). In this way, the transmission-side haptic transmission device A1 can transmit the haptic information Td by combining the visual information Vd and the position information. Note that the transmission-side haptic transmission device A1 may transmit the transmission information by designating a transmission partner (reception-side haptic transmission device A2) or transmitting it to an unspecified number. It may be.

  Next, an operation when the tactile transmission device A2 on the receiving side receives transmission information will be described. The reception-side haptic transmission device A2 is connected to the network Nt via the communication connection unit 40 (see FIG. 3), similarly to the transmission-side haptic transmission device A1.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the tactile transmission device A2 on the receiving side acquires transmission information via the network Nt (step S201). The transmission information is sent to the processing unit 20, and the processing unit 20 stores the transmission information in the storage unit 30 (step S202). The information processing unit 21 reproduces visual information Vd, tactile information Td, and position information Ad from the transmission information (step S203). In the present embodiment, since the transmission information is the visual information Vd including the tactile information Td and the position information Ad, the reproduction of the visual information Vd, the tactile information Td, and the position information Ad is performed from the visual information Vd. And the position information Ad is extracted.

  The information processing unit 21 displays an image of the object Fe on the display 11 based on the visual information Vd (step S204). Further, the information processing section 21 presents the haptic information Td using the haptic output section 14 at the same time or almost simultaneously with the display of the visual information Vd (step S205). Further, the information processing section 21 displays the position information Ad on the display 11 so as to overlap the visual information Vd (step S206).

  As described above, the haptic transmission device A according to the present invention can transmit the haptic information Td intended by the user together with the visual information Vd of the object Fe. In addition, since the position on the visual information Vd of the tactile information Td is transmitted to the receiver by transmitting the position information Ad at the same time, the receiver receives the tactile information Td on which part of the object Fe the received tactile information Td is. Can be easily recognized. Thereby, the tactile information Td of the object Fe can be accurately transmitted.

  The operation for confirming the transmitted tactile information will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the haptic information transmitted by the haptic transmission device according to the present invention is confirmed. As shown in FIG. 6, in the tactile sensation transmitting device A, the tactile information Td is confirmed (transmitted) in a state where the visual information Vd and the position information Ad are displayed on the display 11.

  The tactile transmission device A has a configuration capable of detecting a location where the user's finger contacts the tactile output unit 14. The tactile output unit 14 starts outputting the tactile information Td when detecting that the user's finger is touched. For example, it is assumed that the user touches the end of the tactile output unit 14 with his / her finger and moves it along the tactile output unit 14. At this time, when the tactile output unit 14 detects the touch of the user's finger, output of the tactile information Td is started.

  Then, the instruction unit Ad1 is moved on the position information Ad in conjunction with the movement of the user's finger. Thereby, it is shown which part of the object Fe the tactile information Td currently transmitted to the user. The user can check the tactile information Td and the position on the object Fe from which the tactile sensation can be obtained.

  Here, it is described that the user touches the end of the tactile output unit 14 with his / her finger and moves the finger from the end to the end of the tactile output unit 14. is there. In such a case, the entire length of the position information Ad displayed on the display 11 is replaced with the tactile output unit 14, and the instruction unit Ad1 is determined from the distance from one end of the position touched by the finger (ratio to the whole). May be automatically determined. In addition, the position of the instruction unit Ad1 is determined in advance using the touch sensor 12 or the like, and is associated with the place where the user's finger is touched on the tactile output unit 14 to match the movement of the user's finger. You may make it move Ad1.

  In the present embodiment, an example is described in which the tactile information Td acquired by one operation of the tactile sensor 13 is transmitted. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same object (visual information) is used. On the other hand, the tactile information Td acquired after performing a plurality of operations may be transmitted together.

(Second Embodiment)
Another example of the haptic transmission device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing another example of the tactile transmission device according to the present invention. The haptic transmission device A of FIG. 7 shows a state in which the visual information Vd and the position information Ad are determined, and the configuration of the haptic transmission device itself is the same as in the first embodiment. In the haptic transmission device A shown in FIG. 7, visual information Vd that is an image of the object Fe is displayed on the display 11, and contour information OL that defines the contour of the object Fe is also displayed. Note that the contour information OL is formed larger than the image of the object Fe for convenience of explanation, but actually, it is displayed so as to indicate the boundary portion of the object Fe.

  As illustrated in FIG. 7, the processing unit 20 detects the contour of the target object Fe from the captured image when the target object Fe is captured, and acquires visual information Vd including the contour information OL. Further, the position where the tactile information Td with respect to the contour of the object Fe in the captured image is detected is acquired as the position information Ad. The information processing unit 21 generates transmission information using information including the contour information OL as the visual information Vd.

  As described above, the contour information OL is acquired and the position information Ad is set to the position with respect to the contour. Therefore, even when the image is rotated or deformed while the visual information Vd is displayed on the display 11, the position information Ad is stored. It is possible to accurately match the visual information Vd. Thereby, it is possible to provide accurate tactile information.

(Modification)
As shown in FIG. 8, when the object Fe is photographed by the camera unit 15, the feature point P1 (the shoulder portion in FIG. 8) of the object Fe is detected in the visual information Vd. Then, by associating the position information Ad with the feature point P1, it is possible to obtain the same effect as when the contour is detected. In addition, although one point is mentioned here about the feature point, it is good also as a several point. By increasing the feature points, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the position information Ad and the instruction unit Ad1. Further, the detection of feature points is often simpler than the detection of contours, and it is possible to reduce the time and effort required for the processing.

(Third embodiment)
Another example of the haptic transmission device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing another example of a haptic transmission device according to the present invention. The haptic transmission device B shown in FIG. 9 has a configuration in which the display 11 and the haptic output unit 14 are formed to overlap each other.

  In the haptic transmission device B shown in FIG. 9, since the display 11 and the haptic output unit 14 are arranged so as to overlap each other, the visual information Vd displayed on the display 11 is displayed and the haptic information Vd is acquired by the object Fe. The tactile information output unit 14 outputs the tactile information Vd at a position overlapping the visual information Vd corresponding to the position.

  The position information Ad is displayed at a position corresponding to the position where the tactile information Td on the visual information Vd displayed on the display 11 is acquired. As shown in FIG. 9, in order to effectively transmit the tactile information Td, the position information Ad is displayed by the position to be touched by the user, the direction (trajectory) in which the touched finger is moved, and the speed (movement speed of the arrow). ) Is displayed.

  In this way, by arranging the display 11 and the tactile output unit 14 so as to overlap each other, the position information Ad can be made closer to the state when the actual tactile information Td is acquired, and accurate tactile transmission can be achieved. Is possible. In the present embodiment, the display 11 and the tactile output unit 14 may be overlapped, and the tactile output unit 14 may also function as the touch sensor 12.

  Other features are the same as those in the first and second embodiments.

(Fourth embodiment)
Another example of the haptic transmission device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram of another example of a haptic transmission device according to the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a graph showing haptic information. FIG. 11A is a diagram in which visual information is enlarged in FIG. 10A, and FIG. 11B is a diagram showing tactile information that has changed in accordance with the magnification. The haptic transmission device A shown in FIG. 10A has the same configuration as the haptic transmission device A shown in FIG. 1 and will be described using the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 10A shows a state where tactile information is being confirmed (transmitted). As shown in FIG. 10A, in a normal state, when the visual information Vd is displayed on the display 11, the tactile transmission device A displays the entire image of the object Fe.

  On the other hand, a part of the haptic information Td may be enlarged and displayed, for example, when the haptic information Td is changing rapidly. For example, when the state shown in FIG. 10A is expanded to the state shown in FIG. 11A, the movement distance on the visual information Vd displayed on the display 11 changes even if the movement distance of the user's finger is the same. By adjusting the frequency (period) of the tactile information from the state shown in FIG. 10B to the state shown in FIG. 11B so as to match the change in the moving distance, the tactile information of a fine (narrow) portion can be accurately transmitted. Is possible.

  By changing the frequency of the signal in this way, it is possible to prevent erroneous recognition at a portion where the tactile information Td changes rapidly.

  In the above example, the signal intensity (amplitude) is not changed in order not to change the unevenness, but the signal intensity (amplitude) may be changed. That is, the strength of the signal of the tactile information Td output from the tactile output unit 14 is adjusted in accordance with the expansion of the visual information Vd.

  By changing the strength of the signal in this way, it is possible to emphasize part of the tactile information. The user can easily confirm the position of the tactile information Td on the visual information Vd. In addition, it is possible to prevent erroneous recognition at a portion where the tactile information Td changes rapidly.

(Fifth embodiment)
Another example of the haptic transmission device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 12 shows a user database provided in the storage unit of another example of the haptic transmission device according to the present invention. The configuration of the haptic transmission device of the present embodiment is the same as that of the haptic transmission device A shown in the first embodiment except that the storage unit 30 includes the user database 34, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The tactile output unit 14 brings a part of the user's skin (in many cases, the belly of a finger) into contact with the tactile output unit 14, and stimulates the finger from the tactile output unit 14 (heat, humidity, electrostatic, vibration, wind, etc.). Etc.) to transmit tactile information. The sensitivity of these stimuli often varies depending on the user. For example, Mr. B may feel only “11” for Mr. A, and “13” may be felt by Mr. C.

  The tactile information that is felt even with the same stimulus varies depending on the recipient who receives such tactile information. In the haptic transmission device of this embodiment, the storage unit 30 includes a user database 34 as shown in FIG. And in the user database 34, it has a presentation ratio which shows the ratio of what kind of stimulus is felt with respect to a predetermined stimulus. In the haptic transmission device, the processing unit 20 acquires user information, accesses the user database 34 to call a presentation ratio for each user, and changes the haptic information ratio to change the haptic output unit 14. Output. That is, the haptic information output from the haptic output unit 14 is corrected.

  By performing such an operation, the haptic output unit 14 can transmit haptic information in which variations in user's senses are corrected. Other features are the same as those in the first to fourth embodiments.

  As a method for identifying a user who uses the tactile transmission device, the touch sensor 11 may be used to identify an individual such as a fingerprint. Alternatively, the user's voice may be input with the microphone 16 and the individual of the user may be identified from a voiceprint or the like. Furthermore, an individual may be determined based on input by a user (for example, input of a name, a password, etc.).

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this content. The embodiments of the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A, A1, A2 Tactile transmission device Fe Object 10 Input / output unit 11 Display 12 Touch sensor 13 Tactile sensor (tactile information acquisition unit)
14 Tactile output unit (tactile information presentation unit)
15 Camera unit (imaging unit)
16 Microphone 17 Speaker 100 Case 20 Processing unit 21 Information processing unit 22 Editing unit 30 Storage unit 40 Communication connection unit Vd Visual information Td Tactile information Ad Position information

Claims (15)

A tactile information acquisition unit that acquires tactile information of the object in contact with or close to the object;
An imaging unit for obtaining visual information of the object;
A visual information display unit for displaying the visual information;
A tactile information presentation unit for presenting the tactile information;
An editing unit that edits at least one of the visual information and the tactile information in a state in which the visual information is displayed on the visual information display unit and the tactile information is presented on the tactile information presentation unit;
An information processing unit for generating transmission information including the visual information and the tactile information;
A tactile transmission device comprising: a communication connection unit that transmits and receives the transmission information.   The haptic transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the haptic information includes at least one of shape information, temperature, and humidity of the object.   The haptic transmission according to claim 2, wherein the shape information includes at least one of a contact force, an acceleration, a moving speed, a deformation amount of the object, an amplitude of a surface roughness, and a frequency of the haptic information acquisition unit. apparatus.   The haptic transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission information includes position information indicating a position where the haptic information is acquired on the visual information.   The haptic transmission device according to claim 4, wherein the position information specifies at least one of coordinates, a position, and a locus acquired by the haptic information acquisition unit on the visual information. The position information includes a relative position with respect to a feature point indicating a feature of the visual information of the object;
The information processing unit extracts the feature point from the visual information of the object, and automatically recognizes a relative position with respect to the feature point when the tactile information acquisition unit acquires the tactile information of the object. The haptic transmission device according to claim 5, wherein the relative position is acquired as position information. The position information includes a relative position of the object to the outline of the visual information;
The information processing unit extracts the contour from the visual information of the object, and automatically recognizes a relative position with respect to the contour when the tactile information acquisition unit acquires the tactile information of the target. The haptic transmission device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a relative position is acquired as position information.   The haptic transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the information processing unit generates the visual information and the haptic information from transmission information acquired via the communication connection unit.   The haptic transmission device according to claim 8, wherein an instruction unit indicating a position presented by the haptic information presentation unit is displayed on the visual information on the visual information display unit. The visual information display unit is arranged to overlap the tactile information presentation unit,
10. The visual information display unit displays at least one of a position, a moving direction, and a speed touched by an operator when presenting the tactile information as the positional information together with the visual information. The tactile transmission device according to the description.   The haptic information presenting unit according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the haptic information presenting unit adjusts the haptic information to be presented in accordance with expansion or reduction of the visual information displayed on the visual information display unit. .   The haptic transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the haptic information includes a result of acquiring the object a plurality of times by the haptic information acquisition unit.   The haptic transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the haptic information acquisition unit is detachable.   The haptic information transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the haptic information presenting unit presents haptic information using at least one of electrostatic, vibration, fluid, and wind. Provided with a characteristic detection unit that detects the characteristics of the person receiving the presentation of tactile information,
The haptic transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising an output adjustment unit that adjusts the signal intensity of the haptic information according to the characteristic of the user detected by the characteristic detection unit.

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