KR100613910B1 - Belt-type vibrotactile system - Google Patents

Abstract

1. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a belt type tactile information output device.

2. The technical problem to be solved by the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a belt-type tactile information output device for converting and outputting a variety of information wirelessly received from a navigation system, a mobile / wearable computer, etc. into a tactile signal.

3. Summary of the Solution of the Invention

The present invention provides a belt type tactile information output device, comprising: a plurality of tactile signal output means for outputting a tactile signal under control of a control means; The control means for interpreting the information received from the outside and controlling the corresponding tactile signal output means to output the tactile signal corresponding to the interpreted information; And power supply means for supplying power to the tactile signal output means and the control means.

4. Important uses of the invention

The present invention is used as an output device such as a navigation system, a mobile / wearable computer.

Tactile Information, Belts, Navigation Systems, Mobile / Wearable Computers, Vibration

Description

Belt type tactile information output device {BELT-TYPE VIBROTACTILE SYSTEM}

1A is a perspective view of a belt type tactile information output device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 1b is a view from the inside of the belt-type tactile information output device according to an embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a block diagram of a control unit of the belt type tactile information output device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is an explanatory diagram for illustrating an example of wearing a belt type tactile information output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawing

100: belt type tactile information output device 110: tactile signal output unit

200: control unit 21: signal receiving unit

22: information analysis unit 23: tactile signal conversion unit

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a belt-type tactile information output device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tactile signal by converting navigation (route guidance) information, status information, etc., received wirelessly from a navigation system, a mobile / wearable computer, and the like. A belt type tactile information output device.

With the recent advancement in the technology of mobile / wearable computers, the performance is getting better and the size is getting smaller. Such a small sized mobile / wearable computer has the advantage of being lightweight and easy to carry, whereas the difficulty of effectively outputting information has been raised due to the small display screen.

It is also very difficult to continuously monitor the screen of a mobile / wearable computer while the user is moving or performing other tasks.

To solve this problem, a voice signal or a tactile signal may be used as an auxiliary output means.

As a related art, "a walking aid system for the visually impaired using a location tracking system and a mobile phone" is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2000-0036392. The disclosed Patent No. 10-2000-0036392 is a walking assistance system that detects the current position of the visually impaired and communicates walking guidance information to a destination by voice through communication between a portable terminal and a central center. However, there is a disadvantage that the voice signal cannot be accurately transmitted when the user is moving or in a noisy environment.

On the other hand, since the tactile signal is directly transmitted through the skin of a person, information loss due to ambient noise is less, and there is an advantage of being transmitted privately only to the person without disturbing others.

As an example of transmitting information using a tactile signal, there is an example in which "Sony" has a small actuator mounted on a personal digital assistant (PDA) to express the progress bar of the process. I introduced a vest-type wearable computer with a vibrator for expression. However, when using the actuator to inform the status information of the personal digital assistant (PDA), there is a disadvantage that can be recognized only when the user pays attention.In the case of a vest-type road guide device, the size is large and it is inconvenient to wear. have.

On the other hand, the waist area in the human body is a body part that does not have a great change such as movement or bending of the skin even in the motion of a person. That is, because the waist has a large surface area, it is easy to transmit information through the skin and is a very good place to place the haptic device. In addition, the belt worn on the waist is a form of everyday clothing, which has traditionally been easily worn without objection.

Therefore, it is very convenient to be provided with various types of information such as navigation information or process status information through the tactile information even when the user is not paying attention using the form of a belt worn everyday.

The present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems and meet the above requirements, and converts navigation (route guidance) information, status information, etc. received wirelessly from a navigation system, a mobile / wearable computer, etc. into a tactile signal. It is an object of the present invention to provide a belt type tactile information output device for outputting.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be understood by the following description, and will be more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. Also, it will be readily appreciated that the objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized by the means and combinations thereof indicated in the claims.

An apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object comprises: a belt type tactile information output device, comprising: a plurality of tactile signal output means for outputting a tactile signal under control of a control means; The control means for interpreting the information received from the outside and controlling the corresponding tactile signal output means to output the tactile signal corresponding to the interpreted information; And power supply means for supplying power to the tactile signal output means and the control means.

The above objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, whereby those skilled in the art may easily implement the technical idea of the present invention. There will be. In addition, in describing the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1A is a perspective view of a belt type tactile information output device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a view viewed from the inside of the belt type tactile information output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Belt-type tactile information output device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be made of a flexible cloth or rubber material, as shown in Figure 3 the shape of the belt worn on the user's waist portion to be.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the belt-type tactile information output apparatus 100 corresponds to a plurality of tactile signal output units (vibrators) 110 to output corresponding tactile signals according to information received from the outside. And a control unit (not shown) for controlling the tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 and a power supply unit (not shown) for supplying power to each of the components.

First, the tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 is provided on the inner surface of the belt worn inside the belt or on the waist of the user, and outputs a corresponding tactile signal (eg, vibration) under the control of the controller. In this case, the number and arrangement of the tactile signal output units (vibrators) 110 may be modified in various ways according to the pattern of the tactile information to be expressed.

On the other hand, the control unit may be provided in a buckle of the belt, etc., and operates in conjunction with an external navigation system or a mobile / wearable computer. A more detailed configuration of the controller will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

2 is a block diagram of a control unit of the belt type tactile information output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 200 of the belt-type tactile information output device according to an embodiment of the present invention is various information (navigation information or process status information) from the outside (navigation system or mobile / wearable computer). Signal reception unit 21 for wirelessly receiving the information, an information analysis unit 22 for analyzing the information received through the signal reception unit 21, and the information interpreted by the information analysis unit 22 to the specific tactile signal output unit ( And a tactile signal converter 23 for converting the vibrator 110 into a signal for controlling.

The signal receiver 21 receives the current location information and the road guidance information of the user through the navigation system, or receives the process status information (file download status, program installation information, etc.) from the mobile / wearable computer that the user carries. do.

The information analyzer 22 analyzes the navigation information (road guide information) or the process status information received through the signal receiver 21.

The tactile signal converter 23 converts the result analyzed by the information analyzer 22 into a signal for controlling the tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 and outputs the signal. In this case, the tactile signal converter 23 may effectively express the navigation information by using various predetermined vibration patterns.

That is, the tactile signal converter 23 extracts the vibration pattern corresponding to the result analyzed by the information analyzer 22 from the preset vibration pattern, and the tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 is the tactile signal converter ( According to the control of 23), a corresponding vibration signal is output.

For example, when the belt-type tactile signal output device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention operates in conjunction with a navigation system, the vibration of the navel-sided tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 is forward, or the like. The vibration of the side tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 is reversed, and the vibration of both side tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 indicates left and right traveling directions, and the other tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 ) Indicates an instruction to proceed in the corresponding direction, and the movement distance may be expressed using the intensity of the vibration.

In addition, all of the tactile signal output units (vibrators) 110 can be driven at once to be used as stop signals, warning signals, process completion signals, and the like. Can be expressed as a tactile signal pattern. In this case, the tactile signal pattern should be designed in a form that is easy for the user to recognize and memorize.

Meanwhile, even when the belt-type tactile signal output device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention operates in conjunction with a mobile / wearable computer, process status information (file download state, program installation information, etc.) as various tactile signal patterns Can be expressed.

For example, by vibrating the tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 around the navel to indicate the start of the process, while vibrating the tactile signal output unit (vibrator) 110 in a clockwise direction along the belt, the right flank ( 90%) up to 25% progress, the back (180 degrees) 50% progress, the left side (270 degrees) can be informed 75% progression, the tactile signal output of the navel area (360 degrees) The vibrator 110 may be vibrated to signal the completion of a particular process. At this time, as the progress state approaches 100%, if the vibration intensity is gradually increased, the process state information can be more effectively transmitted to the user.

As such, the present invention enables the user to receive navigation information or process status information through the belt even when the user is not paying attention, thereby improving the work efficiency of the user and distributing the information focused on the visual and auditory information into tactile information. Allows users to utilize various information channels.

The present invention described above is capable of various substitutions, modifications, and changes without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention for those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. It is not limited by the drawings.

As described above, the present invention may be provided with various types of information such as navigation information or process status information through the tactile information even when the user does not pay attention to the visual and auditory state by using a belt form worn everyday. It can be effective.

Claims (6)

In the belt type tactile information output device, A plurality of tactile signal output means for outputting the tactile signal according to the control of the control means; The control means for interpreting the information received from the outside and controlling the corresponding tactile signal output means to output the tactile signal corresponding to the interpreted information; And Power supply means for supplying power to the tactile signal output means and the control means Belt type tactile information output device comprising a. The method of claim 1, The control means, A belt type tactile information output device, which operates in conjunction with an external navigation system and controls the tactile signal output means to output a tactile signal corresponding to the navigation information received from the navigation system. The method of claim 1, The control means, A belt type, which operates in conjunction with a mobile / wearable computer carried by a user, and controls the tactile signal output means to output a tactile signal corresponding to the process state information received from the mobile / wearable computer. Tactile information output device. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control means, Signal receiving means for receiving a wireless signal from the outside; Information analyzing means for analyzing information received through the signal receiving means; And Tactile signal conversion means for converting the result interpreted by the information analysis means into a signal for driving the specific tactile signal output means Belt type tactile information output device comprising a. The method of claim 4, wherein The tactile signal conversion means, Extracting a vibration pattern corresponding to the result analyzed by the information analysis means of the predetermined vibration pattern, The tactile signal output means, And a vibration signal is output under the control of the tactile signal converting means. The method of claim 5, wherein The vibration pattern is, And a position of a corresponding haptic signal output means to output a vibration signal and intensity of vibration.

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