KR102400141B1 - Contactless button assembly and method for pressing button without contact using it - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a non-contact button assembly and a method for pressing a button without contact using the same, and more specifically, to a non-contact button assembly capable of pressing a button without contact in line with an untact era and a method of pressing the button without contact using the same. The non-contact button assembly includes: a plurality of buttons having one surface of which is exposed toward a user; a frame fixing the plurality of buttons; and a tactile induction device disposed in the direction of the other surfaces of the plurality of buttons.

Description

Non-contact button assembly and method of pressing a button without contact using the same

The present invention relates to a tactile non-contact button assembly and a method of pressing a button without contact using the same, and more particularly, to a non-contact button assembly capable of pressing a button without contact in accordance with the untact era and a non-contact button assembly using the same It's about how to press a button.

In response to the untact era that has come along with the global coronavirus, many of the previously performed activities are being changed to non-contact and non-face-to-face methods.

Among them, the non-contact method refers to a method that does not contact each other. In the case of an appliance installed in a public place or public sector, for example, an elevator, the passenger must press the button of the floor to which the passenger wants to go, so that the elevator moves to the corresponding floor. Applying a non-contact method would be difficult to imagine.

It is very self-evident that these buttons will have various germs transferred from the hands of many passengers, and some of them may contain the corona virus. It will be said that the application of a non-contact method is more urgent than any other apparatus installed in a public place or public sector.

On the other hand, recent attempts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus by attaching an antibacterial sheet to the button of the elevator have been continued, but the button has not come into direct contact, and the antibacterial sheet has no choice but to contact each time while pressing the button, repeatedly There is a problem in that it is not an essential solution for the introduction of a non-contact method, as it is often the case that the button is pressed while the antibacterial sheet is torn due to the used use.

The present invention was derived to solve such a problem, and intends to propose a new and advanced technology that can respond to changes in the untact era by introducing a completely non-contact method to a button, which is an appliance installed in a public place or public sector.

Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-1581763 (Registered on December 24, 2015)

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is a non-contact button assembly that can completely prevent the transmission of bacteria or corona virus by introducing a completely non-contact method to a button, which is an appliance installed in a public place or public sector, and a button without contact using the same It provides a way to press .

Another technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a non-contact button assembly that can provide a user with a feeling that he or she has pressed the button, even if a non-contact method is adopted, and a method of pressing the button without contact using the same will be.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, the non-contact button assembly according to the present invention, a plurality of buttons with one surface exposed to the user; a frame for fixing the plurality of buttons; and a tactile inducing device disposed in the direction of the other surfaces of the plurality of buttons, wherein the tactile inducing device detects the user's body and induces a tactile sense in the sensed direction of the user's body. ) a laser output unit to output; a lens unit for changing a diameter of the laser beam; and a controller configured to control an operation of the lens unit to adjust a diameter of the laser beam output from the laser output unit according to a result of detecting the user's body.

In addition, in the non-contact button assembly, the plurality of buttons may individually include one or more vias through which the laser beam output from the laser output unit may pass.

The non-contact button assembly may further include a reflector configured to change a path through which the laser beam passes to a path through the via.

In addition, in the non-contact button assembly, the plurality of tactile inducing devices may be arranged in a 1:1 correspondence with the other surface direction of each of the plurality of buttons.

In addition, in the non-contact button assembly, the plurality of tactile inducing devices are arranged in a 1:1 correspondence with the other surface direction of the first group including some buttons among the plurality of buttons and the second group including the remaining buttons. can be characterized.

In addition, in the non-contact button assembly, the tactile inducing device may be disposed in a direction of the other surface of all of the plurality of buttons.

In addition, in the non-contact button assembly, the lens unit may include: a light diffusing unit for diffusing the laser beam; and a light focusing unit converging the laser beam, wherein the control unit selectively disposes the light diffusing unit and the light focusing unit or by changing a position at which the light diffusing unit and the light focusing unit are disposed to control the laser beam. The diameter can be adjusted.

In addition, in the non-contact button assembly, when the distance from the laser output unit to the user's body is a first distance as a result of detecting the user's body, the control unit only includes the light diffusing unit in the path through which the laser beam passes. The first control selectively arranging, the second control arranging the arrangement position close to the laser output unit when only the light diffusion unit is selectively arranged, and the arrangement position when only the light focusing unit is selectively arranged By performing any one of the third control arranged far from the laser output unit to increase the diameter of the laser beam, it is possible to provide “tactile sensation” to the user's body.

In addition, in the non-contact button assembly, after performing any one of the first control, the second control, and the third control, the laser output unit is separated from the user's body as a result of detecting the user's body If the distance exceeds the first distance, return to the state before increasing the diameter of the laser beam by selectively arranging the light diffusing unit and the light focusing unit or changing the positions at which the light diffusing unit and the light focusing unit are disposed can be characterized as

Meanwhile, a method of pressing a button without contact through a non-contact button assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: (a) detecting a user's body by a laser output unit; (b) determining whether a separation distance from the laser output unit to the user's body is a first distance as a result of detecting the user's body; and (c) if "YES" as a result of the determination in step (b), the control unit controls the operation of the lens unit to adjust the diameter of the laser beam output by the laser output unit to provide "tactile sensation" to the user through the laser beam. providing to the body; may include

According to the present invention, there is an effect that can induce the user's tactile sense in a non-contact manner even if an obstacle is present in the middle.

In addition, according to the present invention, when the user's body approaches a certain distance without having to press the button directly, it provides the user's body through "tactile feeling" that the button is pressed, and at the same time operates as if the button was pressed. It is possible to implement untact, which has the effect of completely preventing the transmission of bacteria or corona virus.

On the other hand, the effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is a view showing the overall configuration of a non-contact button assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a tactile induction device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a conceptual diagram showing parameters of a pulsed laser beam.
4 is an exemplary view illustrating a lens unit that may be included in a laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 to 7 are simulation results regarding the relationship between the change in the beam diameter and the change in the penetration depth.
8 is a graph showing the relationship between beam diameter and penetration depth.
9 is data showing scattering and energy transfer efficiency in the skin according to the diameter of a pulsed laser beam.
10 to 11 are graphs of experimental results showing the relationship between the change in beam diameter and the energy density for tactile presentation (the energy density at which 50% or more of the subjects feel tactile).
12 is an exemplary diagram illustrating examples of sensory receptors present in the epidermis or dermis of the skin.
13 is a view showing a state in which a tactile induction device is disposed.
14 and 15 are views showing another embodiment other than FIG. 13 with respect to the arrangement of the tactile inducing device.
16 is a flowchart illustrating representative steps of a method of pressing a button without contact according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The purpose and technical configuration of the present invention, and details regarding the operational effects thereof will be more clearly understood by the following detailed description based on the accompanying drawings in the specification of the present invention. An embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments disclosed herein should not be construed or used as limiting the scope of the present invention. It is natural for those skilled in the art that the description including the embodiments of the present specification will have various applications. Accordingly, any embodiments described in the detailed description of the present invention are illustrative for better describing the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the embodiments.

The functional blocks shown in the drawings and described below are merely examples of possible implementations. Other functional blocks may be used in other implementations without departing from the spirit and scope of the detailed description. Also, although one or more functional blocks of the present invention are represented as separate blocks, one or more of the functional blocks of the present invention may be combinations of various hardware and software configurations that perform the same function.

In addition, the expression that includes certain components is an expression of “open type” and merely refers to the existence of the corresponding components, and should not be construed as excluding additional components.

Furthermore, when it is said that a component is “connected” or “connected” to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but it should be understood that other components may exist in between. do.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a non-contact button assembly (A) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The non-contact button assembly A according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of buttons 30 , a frame 70 , and a tactile induction device 100 , and may include other required elements in achieving the object of the present invention. Additional components may be further included.

One side of the button 30 is exposed toward the user.

Here, that one surface is exposed in the direction of the user means that the user can identify and press the button 30 so that the other surface, which is the opposite surface of the one surface, cannot be identified by the user. (A) is facing the rear direction.

On the other hand, it is common that there are a plurality of buttons 30, but this does not exclude the case where only one button 30 is included, so the non-contact button assembly A according to an embodiment of the present invention can be installed. This is because the number of buttons 30 may vary according to the purpose of the appliance installed in a public place or public sector.

The frame 70 fixes the plurality of buttons 30 .

Here, fixing means that the plurality of buttons 30 do not deviate from their original positions, and the frame 70 has as many holes as the number of the plurality of buttons 30 to be fixed. It is common to include

Here, the hole is not limited in its shape, a plurality of buttons 30 pass through the frame 70 through the hole, one surface is exposed toward the user, and the other surface is a non-contact button assembly (A) according to an embodiment of the present invention. ) is sufficient, but if the shape of the button 30 and the shape of the hole are different, the inside of the non-contact button assembly (A) according to an embodiment of the present invention is clearly visible, so the appearance is not good or there is no dust, etc. Since there is a possibility of penetration and failure, it would be desirable to prevent this by forming the same shape as possible.

The button 30 and the frame 70 briefly described above can be viewed as essential components of a universal button assembly, and the material and design of the button assembly may vary according to the mechanism in which the button assembly is installed. Can be implemented, which will be the same in the case of the non-contact button assembly (A) according to an embodiment of the present invention, and since it corresponds to a known matter, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, the difference in the tactile induction apparatus 100 will be described.

The tactile inducing device 100 is disposed in the direction of the other surfaces of the plurality of buttons 30 .

Here, the direction of the other surface of the plurality of buttons 30 is the opposite direction to the user direction and the rear direction of the frame 70 , and since the tactile induction device 100 is disposed in the direction of the other surface of the plurality of buttons 30 , this When the non-contact button assembly A according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in a device, it will be said that the tactile induction device 100 cannot be identified from the outside.

2 is a view showing a detailed configuration of the tactile induction apparatus 100. The tactile inducing apparatus 100 may include a laser output unit 110, a lens unit 50, and a control unit 170, and Needless to say, it may further include additional components required to achieve the purpose, for example, the optical filter unit 130 .

On the other hand, the tactile induction device 100 corresponds to a core configuration of the non-contact button assembly A according to an embodiment of the present invention, and outputs a laser beam inducing tactile induction. The principle applied thereto will be described independently. There is a need. Let the description continue below.

The tactile induction apparatus 100 generates a pulsed laser beam under a condition of a pulse width of ms (millisecond) or less, and presents a sense of touch using the pulsed laser beam having a pulse width of ms or less.

Even in the case of using a pulse laser, if the pulse width is large, a sufficient exposure time of the laser stimulation is secured, so that a photo-chemical or photo-thermal phenomenon that can damage living tissue may occur. Therefore, it is preferable to generate a pulsed laser beam under a condition of a pulse width of ms (millisecond) or less.

In addition, the tactile inducing apparatus 100 according to the present invention may increase or decrease the diameter of the pulsed laser beam for presenting tactile sensation, thereby controlling the depth at which the pulsed laser beam penetrates the skin. Therefore, by controlling the penetration depth, it is possible to selectively stimulate sensory receptors existing at different depths of the skin tissue, and the tactile sensation (single sensory or multi-sensory) presented through this selective stimulation action. can change the type of

For reference, referring to FIG. 12 , various sensory receptors present at different depths of skin tissue may be identified. As can be seen in FIG. 12 , these sensory receptors include Krause corpuscle (responsible for sensation such as cooling), Merkel's disc (responsible for touch, etc.), Meissner's corpuscle (responsible for pressure, etc.), nerves There are extremities (Free nerve ending, responsible for pain, etc.), Ruffini's ending (responsible for warmth, etc.), Pacinian corpuscle (Pacinian corpuscle, responsible for deep pressure, etc.). Therefore, the laser device according to the present invention can selectively stimulate these sensory receptors by adjusting the depth of penetration, thereby changing the type of tactile sensation presented. For example, a single sense such as cooling, touch, and pain may be presented by adjusting the penetration depth, or a complex sense such as touch + warmth, touch + warm + pressure may be presented.

In addition, the tactile inducing apparatus 100 according to the present invention may adjust the energy transfer efficiency (the efficiency of transmitting energy of the pulsed laser beam to the skin) by adjusting the penetration depth of the laser beam. Specifically, the energy transfer efficiency may be increased by increasing the penetration depth of the laser beam, or the energy transfer efficiency may be decreased by decreasing the penetration depth of the laser beam. Therefore, it is possible to change the intensity of the presented tactile sensation by controlling the energy transfer efficiency. Hereinafter, the configuration included in the tactile induction device 100 will be described in detail.

The laser output unit 110 detects the user's body and outputs a laser beam that induces a sense of touch in the sensed direction of the user's body.

Here, the detection of the user's body may be made through a separate body sensing means (not shown) included in the laser output unit 110 , but the user's body is detected by the laser beam itself output from the laser output unit 110 . Since it can detect it, it would be desirable to implement it to detect the user's body through a laser beam in order to reduce cost and increase productivity.

This is a principle similar to identifying an object through infrared, electromagnetic wave, ultrasound, and laser signals, and the user's body is detected using the time when these output signals collide with the object and return.

In addition to sensing the user's body, the laser output unit 110 outputs a pulsed laser beam that induces tactile sensation, and may include a laser driver, a cooling device, and the like. Here, the laser driver is a component including a laser medium, an optical pumping unit, an optical resonator, and the like, and generates an optical signal constituting a pulsed laser beam. In addition, the cooling device is a configuration that removes heat that may be generated while the laser driver generates an optical signal, and serves to protect the laser driver device.

The laser output unit 110 may be formed in various forms capable of generating a pulsed laser beam. For example, the laser output unit 110 includes a ruby laser, a neodymium:YAG laser, a neodymium:a glass laser (Nd:Glass Laser), a laser diode (Ga, Al, As), and an excimer. It may be formed in the form of a laser, a dye laser, or the like, and may be configured in various forms other than these types.

In addition, the laser output unit 110 may control various parameters of the pulsed laser beam, and in particular, may control the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam to generate an opto-mechanical effect. Here, the control of energy per unit pulse is achieved through the operation of adjusting the intensity (Power, J/s) of the optical signal constituting the pulsed laser beam, or the operation of adjusting the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam. can be achieved through

However, in this case, it is preferable to control the pulse width in the range of ms (millisecond) or less, but when it is controlled in the range exceeding ms, there is no photo-chemical effect or photo-thermal effect that can damage living tissue. Because there is a possibility that it may be triggered.

For reference, referring to FIG. 3 , parameters such as optical signal strength (Power, J/s), pulse width, and pulse repetition rate of the pulsed laser beam can be checked.

Meanwhile, as the laser output unit adjusts the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam, the energy density of the pulsed laser beam irradiated to the skin may also be adjusted. Specifically, the energy density may be increased by increasing the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam, or the energy density may be decreased by decreasing the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam.

The lens unit 150 is configured to change the diameter of the laser beam.

More specifically, it may include a light diffusion unit 154 (eg, a concave lens unit, etc.) for diffusing the pulsed laser beam and a light focusing unit 152 (eg, a convex lens unit, etc.) for focusing.

The lens unit 150 may change the diameter of the pulsed laser beam. Specifically, the lens unit 150 includes 1) a first control for selectively arranging the light focusing unit 152 and the light diffusing unit 154 (on a path through which the pulsed laser beam passes), 2) the light diffusing unit The second control for changing the arrangement position of 154, 3) the third control for changing the arrangement position of the light focusing unit 152, 4) The light focusing unit 152 and the light diffusing unit 154 are sequentially arranged In addition, the diameter of the pulse laser beam can be increased or decreased through a fourth control for changing the arrangement positions of the light focusing unit 152 and the optical mountain unit 154 , and the control operation of the lens unit 150 is It will be referred to by the control unit 170, which will be described later.

Referring to FIG. 4 , an example of an operation in which the lens unit 150 changes the diameter of a pulsed laser beam can be seen. Specifically, referring to FIG. 4A , it can be seen that the lens unit 150 selectively arranges the light focusing unit 152 and the light diffusing unit 154 to change the diameter of the pulsed laser beam. . In this case, the lens unit 150 increases the diameter of the beam by arranging the light diffusing unit 154 in the path through which the pulsed laser beam passes, or by disposing the light focusing unit 152 in the path through which the pulsed laser beam passes. diameter can be reduced.

Also, referring to FIG. 4B , an operation in which the lens unit 150 changes the arrangement position of the light focusing unit 152 to change the diameter of the pulsed laser beam can be seen. In this case, the lens unit 150 may increase or decrease the diameter of the beam by moving the light focusing unit 152 in the direction in which the pulsed laser beam travels (or in the opposite direction). (The change in diameter of the beam according to the movement of the position of the light focusing unit 152 may be inferred and applied to the change in diameter of the beam according to the movement of the position of the light diffusion unit 154 of course.)

Meanwhile, the lens unit 150 may change the diameter of the pulsed laser beam to change the depth at which the pulsed laser beam penetrates into the skin of the user's body. As will be seen later, since the depth at which the pulsed laser beam penetrates the skin can be changed according to the diameter of the pulsed laser beam, the penetration of the pulsed laser beam by the operation of the lens unit 150 (the operation of changing the diameter of the beam) Depth can be varied.

In addition, the lens unit 150 may be configured in a form in which the diameter of the pulse laser beam is changed in a range of greater than 0 mm and less than or equal to 6 mm. Similarly, as will be seen later, in this range, it is easy to have a 1:1 correspondence between the diameter of the beam and the penetration depth, so it is easy to quantitatively control the penetration depth of the laser beam.

The optical filter unit 130, which is an additional component, is a component for adjusting the intensity (Power, J/s) of an optical signal constituting the pulsed laser beam, and the laser output unit 110 outputs through such intensity control. It is a configuration in which the energy per unit pulse of the beam can be secondarily adjusted.

The optical filter unit 130 may include an attenuator for attenuating the intensity of the optical signal, and may attenuate the intensity (Power, J/s) of the optical signal by using this device. Accordingly, the optical filter unit 130 may perform an operation of reducing the energy per unit pulse by attenuating the intensity of the optical signal while the pulse width is the same.

On the other hand, when the laser output unit 110 itself has the ability to control the energy per unit pulse, the optical filter unit 130 may be selectively mounted on the tactile induction device 100 and finely control the energy per unit pulse. It can play an auxiliary role in regulating However, if the laser output unit 110 itself does not have the ability to control the energy per unit pulse, it is essential to the tactile induction device 100 and plays a leading role in controlling the energy per unit pulse. .

The control unit 170 is not only configured to control various components of the tactile induction device 100 including the laser output unit 110 , the optical filter unit 130 , the lens unit 150 , and the like, but also detects the user's body. The operation of the lens unit 150 is controlled to adjust the diameter of the laser beam output from the laser output unit 110 according to the result.

The control unit 170 may be a computing means having a central processing unit and a memory, and in this case, the central processing unit is also a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, etc. can be called

In addition, the central processing unit may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. When implemented using hardware, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) or DSP (digital signal processor) ), DSPD (digital signal processing device), PLD (programmable logic device), FPGA (field programmable gate array), etc., when implemented using firmware or software, a module, procedure or function that performs the above functions or operations Firmware or software may be configured to include, for example. In addition, memory includes ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory, SRAM (Static RAM), It may be implemented as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or the like.

On the other hand, the control unit 170 may be connected to an input means for receiving an arbitrary input from the user, and an output means for displaying arbitrary information to the user. The type of input means may include a keyboard, a mouse, and/or a joystick, and a display having a touch-sensitive surface may also be included as one type of the input means. The output means may be included without limitation as long as it is a display capable of outputting arbitrary text, image, image, and the like.

Meanwhile, the control unit 170 may control the operation of the laser output unit 110 and the optical filter unit 130 to collectively adjust the energy per unit pulse of the pulsed laser beam. Specifically, the control unit 170 may control the operation of the laser output unit 110 and the optical filter unit 130 to adjust the pulse width or the intensity of the optical signal (Power, J/s), Through the control operation of these parameters, it is possible to collectively control the energy per unit pulse.

Also, the controller 170 may control the operation of the lens unit 150 to change the diameter of the pulsed laser beam. For example, the control unit 170 selectively arranges the light focusing unit 152 or the light diffusing unit 154 that the lens unit 150 may include (on a path through which the pulsed laser beam passes), or The diameter of the pulsed laser beam may be changed by changing the position at which the light diffusing unit 152 or the light focusing unit 154 is disposed. As mentioned above, as the diameter of the pulsed laser beam changes, the depth at which the pulsed laser beam penetrates the skin, which is the user's body, may change. It is possible to control the penetration depth (the depth of penetration into the skin) of the pulsed laser beam.

Also, the controller 170 may control the diameter of the pulsed laser beam based on a DB (Data Base) including information on the diameter of the pulsed laser beam and the penetration depth information. Here, the DB may include information on the diameter of the pulsed laser beam and the penetration depth information in a state of matching (matching), for example, 'beam diameter A - penetration depth a', 'beam diameter B - penetration depth b', ' Corresponding information such as beam diameter C - penetration depth c' may be included. Accordingly, the controller 170 may quantitatively control the target penetration depth by using the DB. Specifically, in the case of implementing the penetration depth of a, the diameter of the beam is adjusted to A, and in the case of implementing the penetration depth of b, the diameter of the beam is adjusted to B through the operation of the pulse laser beam. Penetration depth can be controlled quantitatively. (For reference, the DB may be implemented by various memory devices, and may be formed inside or outside the control unit 170 in a linked state with the control unit 170 .)

Also, the controller 170 may selectively present various tactile sensations through an operation of controlling the lens unit 150 . Specifically, the controller 170 may control the operation of the lens unit 150 to control the diameter of the pulsed laser beam, and control the diameter of the pulsed laser beam to control the skin penetration depth of the pulsed laser beam. It is possible to selectively stimulate sensory receptors located at different depths by controlling the skin penetration depth of the pulsed laser beam. Accordingly, through such an operation, it is possible to selectively present various senses that various sensory receptors are responsible for. For reference, the tactile sensations selectively presented herein may be individual sensations (cooling, pain, tactile, etc.) or complex sensations in which two or more individual sensations are combined (tactile + warm, tactile + warm + pressure). This is because, depending on the selective control of the penetration location and depth of penetration, only one sensory receptor (receptor of shallow depth) may be stimulated, but two or more sensory receptors (receptor of shallow depth + receptor of deep depth) may be stimulated simultaneously. .

Also, the controller 170 may control the diameter of the pulsed laser beam based on a DB (Data Base) including information on the diameter of the pulsed laser beam, penetration depth information, and tactile type information. Here, the DB may include information on the diameter of the pulsed laser beam, the penetration depth information, and the tactile type information in a state in which they are matched (matched), and the control unit 170 controls the target type based on the DB and quantitative control of the beam diameter. tactile sensation can be realized. For example, if you want to implement pain sensation, adjust the beam diameter to A, and if you want to implement a complex sense of pain + pressure, adjust the beam diameter to B, etc. to control the type of touch. can do.

In addition, the control unit 170 may also change the intensity of the touch through the operation of controlling the diameter of the pulsed laser beam. As will be seen later, energy transfer efficiency (efficiency of energy transfer to the skin) increases or decreases as the diameter of the pulsed laser beam increases or decreases. can change Accordingly, the controller 170 may 1) increase the diameter of the laser beam while the energy density is the same, 1-1) change the type of touch and increase the intensity of the touch, or 1-2) increase the intensity of the touch. Even if the type does not change (provided that the sensory receptors being stimulated do not change), the intensity of touch can be increased. In addition, the control unit 170 2) reduces the diameter of the laser beam in a state where the energy density is the same, 2-1) changes the type of touch and reduces the intensity of the touch at the same time, or 2-2) reduces the type of touch Even if you do not change the tactile intensity can be reduced.

On the other hand, the quantitative correspondence between the diameter of the pulsed laser beam, the penetration depth, and the energy transfer efficiency may also be converted into a DB, and the control unit 170 may perform a quantitative control operation based on the DB information. .

Hereinafter, a relationship between a diameter of a pulsed laser beam and a penetration depth will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 .

Simulation was conducted to examine the relationship between the diameter of the pulsed laser beam and the penetration depth, and the parameters used for the simulation are as follows.

- A laser device having a wavelength of 532 nm and a pulse width of 5 ns was modeled and used.

- The skin tissue was modeled and used as shown in Table 1 below.

parameter epidermis dermis thickness 0.1 mm 4.9 mm width 5mm 5mm refractive index (n) 1.4 1.4 Absorption coefficient (ma) 0.54 mm-1 0.26 mm- Scattering Coefficient (ms) 30.02 mm-1 19.95 mm-1 Anisotropy coefficient (g) 0.8 0.8 Tissue Density [Kg/m3] 1200 1200 Specific heat [J/Kg·K] 3589 3300

The simulation was conducted in such a way that the penetration depth of the pulsed laser beam was analyzed under the condition that the beam diameter was changed in the range of 0.03 mm to 8 mm and the energy density was changed in the range of 0.051995 to 396.3199 J/cm 2 .

5 to 7 , some of simulation result data can be viewed.

5 shows simulation results under the conditions of a beam diameter of 0.03 mm and an energy density of 396.3199 J/cm 2 . Referring to FIG. 5 , it can be seen that the penetration depth of the pulsed laser beam is 0.11 mm. 6 shows the simulation results under the conditions of a beam diameter of 4 mm and an energy density of 0.143312 J/cm 2 . Referring to FIG. 6 , it can be seen that the penetration depth of the pulsed laser beam is 0.66 mm. 7 shows the simulation results under the conditions of a beam diameter of 8 mm and an energy density of 0.069665605 J/cm 2 . Referring to FIG. 7 , it can be seen that the penetration depth of the pulsed laser beam is 0.71 mm.

Analyzing the results of FIGS. 5 to 7 , it can be seen that the penetration depth increases as the diameter of the beam increases even when the energy density decreases. That is, it can be confirmed that the penetration depth of the pulsed laser beam is predominantly affected by the diameter of the beam.

8 is a graph in which simulation results are summarized in the relationship of 'beam diameter - penetration depth'.

Referring to the graph of FIG. 8 , it can be seen that the penetration depth increases as the diameter of the pulsed laser beam increases, and the penetration depth decreases as the diameter of the pulsed laser beam decreases.

In addition, in the range where the diameter of the beam is 0 to 6 mm, since the change in the penetration depth according to the change in the diameter of the beam is large, it can be confirmed that it is easy to match the diameter data of the beam and the penetration depth data 1:1 .

Hereinafter, a relationship between a diameter of a pulsed laser beam and energy transfer efficiency will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11 .

9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a relationship between a diameter of a pulsed laser beam and energy transfer efficiency. Referring to FIG. 9 , as the diameter of the pulsed laser beam increases, the scattering of the laser beam increases to increase the penetration depth, and it can be seen that the energy transfer efficiency of the skin is increased by the increase in the penetration depth.

10 to 11 are graphs summarizing experimental result data. Specifically, it is a graph that summarizes the data of the in-vivo experiment performed to examine the relationship between the beam diameter and the energy transfer efficiency.

The experiment was conducted in the following way.

1) Using a laser device having a wavelength of 532 nm and a pulse width of 5 ns, the experiment was conducted by applying laser stimulation to the skin of the subjects once.

2) The experiment was conducted under conditions of changing the beam diameter in the range of 0.03 mm to 8 mm and changing the energy density in the range of 0.051995 to 396.3199 J/cm 2 . Typically, the experiment was conducted using the parameters shown in Table 2.

3) The response to laser stimulation was investigated through a questionnaire after laser stimulation for each experimental parameter. For the response, three categories of 'no feeling', 'tactile' and 'pain' were used.

Beam diameter [mm] Energy density [J/cm2] Beam diameter [mm] Energy density [J/cm2] 7 0.051995 1.08 0.3058 8 0.069666 0.43 0.413375 6 0.070771 0.43 0.620063 7 0.075393 0.43 0.826751 6 0.084926 0.43 1.033439 5 0.096815 0.43 1.309022 7 0.098791 0.35 1.975822 6 0.09908 0.35 2.91174 8 0.099522 0.31 3.71163 0.87 0.100982 0.23 4.575392 3 0.127389 0.25 5.70701 4 0.127389 0.21 8.08816 5 0.127389 0.14 18.1984 0.87 0.151473 0.12 24.77 3 0.155697 0.11 29.4783 5 0.157962 0.07 72.7934 4 0.159236 0.05 142.675 0.87 0.2201964 0.04 222.9299 0.87 0.252454 0.03 396.3199

The graphs of FIGS. 10 to 11 are graphs showing the results of analyzing the experimental result data. Specifically, 'change in beam diameter' and 'change in energy density required for more than 50% of subjects to feel touch (= change in energy density for a person with average sensitivity to stimulus to perceive touch)' It is a graph showing the result of analyzing the relationship.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 10 , raw data obtained by analyzing the relationship between 'beam diameter' and 'energy density required for more than 50% of subjects to feel touch' can be confirmed. In addition, referring to (b) of FIG. 10 , a graph representing such raw data on a log scale can be confirmed.

In addition, as can be seen in FIG. 10 , the relationship between 'beam diameter' and 'energy density required for more than 50% of subjects to feel the touch' was modeled using an exponential function, and the obtained formula was displayed along with a graph. In addition, the value of the coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9999), which is a measure of the fitness of the regression equation, is also displayed on the drawing.

Referring to FIG. 11 , a graph in which the raw data of FIG. 10 (a) is expressed as a log value can be confirmed. In addition, in the case of FIG. 10 as well, the relationship between 'beam diameter' and 'energy density required for more than 50% of the subjects to feel the touch' was modeled (modeled using a fifth-order polynomial), and the obtained formula is displayed with a graph did. In addition, the value of the coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9948), which is a measure of the fitness of the regression equation, is also displayed on the drawing.

Looking at the results of FIGS. 10 to 11 , it can be seen that as the 'beam diameter' increases, the 'energy density required for more than 50% of the subjects to feel the touch' decreases. That is, it can be confirmed that when the 'beam diameter' is increased, a tactile sensation of sufficient intensity (intensity that can be felt by a person with normal sensitivity) can be presented to 50% or more of the subjects even if the energy density is small. Therefore, based on these experimental results, it can be confirmed that as the 'beam diameter' increases, the 'energy efficiency (efficiency of energy transfer to the skin)' also improves.

In summary, based on the results of FIGS. 10 to 11 , it can be confirmed that the 'beam diameter' can be increased or decreased to increase or decrease the 'efficiency of energy transfer to the skin'.

Accordingly, by increasing or decreasing the beam diameter in a state where the energy density is the same, it is possible to increase or decrease the energy delivered to the skin, thereby increasing or decreasing the intensity of the tactile sensation induced on the skin.

So far, the technical characteristics of the tactile inducing apparatus 100 inducing tactile sense to the user's body, the skin, with a laser beam, have been described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 12 . Accordingly, returning to the description of FIG. 1 again, a detailed aspect applied to the non-contact button assembly A according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the preceding description, the control unit 170 is said to control the operation of the lens unit 150, the purpose of controlling the operation of the lens unit 150 in the non-contact button assembly (A) according to an embodiment of the present invention is through this By adjusting the diameter of the laser beam and selectively stimulating the skin receptors at different depths through the adjustment of the penetration depth of the laser beam that induces tactile sensation in the user's body, the button 30 is not pressed directly. This is to provide the same tactile sensation as when pressed. To this end, the plurality of buttons 30 may individually include one or more vias (Via, V) through which the laser beam output from the laser output unit 110 may pass.

Meanwhile, although FIG. 13 illustrates a state in which a plurality of tactile induction devices 100 are disposed in a 1:1 correspondence with the other surface direction of each of the plurality of buttons 30, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. ) of the first group including some buttons and a plurality of 1:1 corresponding to the other surface direction of the second group including the remaining buttons may be arranged in plurality, and only one may be arranged in the other surface direction of all of the plurality of buttons 30 there will be

For example, if the plurality of buttons 30 are six buttons in a row where numbers are individually written, the first group includes three buttons below, and the second group includes three buttons above. At the time, as shown in FIG. 14 , the tactile inducing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is located in the direction of the other surfaces of the three buttons below the first group and in the direction of the other surfaces of the upper three buttons of the second group. Each of them may be disposed, and as shown in FIG. 15 , only one of the buttons may be disposed in the other direction of the buttons, all of which have one tactile induction device 100 , more specifically, one laser output unit 110 . Since the laser beam must be output toward the plurality of buttons 30, the tactile inducing device 100 itself is implemented to be tiltable, or the path through which the laser beam passes is a via ( It would be desirable to include one or more reflectors (not shown) that change the path through Via and V).

Hereinafter, an example will be described.

The output unit 110 is configured to detect the user's body at all times or only while the device installed in a public place or public sector in which the non-contact button assembly A according to an embodiment of the present invention can be installed is driven, the user's body Outputs a laser beam for detection, where it is desirable that the laser beam does not provide a special touch to the user's body, which may give the user a feeling that he is being watched, and a user who avoids it depending on the specific type of the touch This is to prevent the user from reducing the frequency of use of the non-contact button assembly (A) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

When the laser output unit 110 detects the user's body, the control unit 170 may calculate the separation distance from the laser output unit 110 to the user's body, and the thickness of the button 30 is fixed. Because there is, the separation distance from one side of the button 30 to the user's body can also be calculated, but the following separation distance is the separation distance from the laser output unit 110 to the user's body.

As a result of detecting the user's body, when the separation distance from the laser output unit to the user's body is the first distance, the control unit 170 selectively arranges the light focusing unit 152 and the light diffusing unit 154 or the light focusing unit ( 152) and a first control for selectively disposing only the light diffusing unit 154 in a path through which the laser beam passes, more specifically, the first control, light When only the diffusion unit 154 is selectively arranged, when only the second control and light focusing unit 152 that is disposed close to the laser output unit 110 is selectively arranged, the arrangement position is the laser output unit The diameter of the laser beam is increased by performing any one of the third control that is arranged far from 110.

Here, the first distance is a distance that is close enough to be sure that the user's doctor is a doctor who wants to press a specific button according to the general usage of the button assembly, and is preferably any one of 1 cm to 3 cm. If the distance is long enough to deviate from this, the user's doctor may not want to press a specific button, and if the distance is shorter than this, it will come into contact with the button 30 outside the scope of the present invention of pressing the button 30 without contact. because it is highly likely.

Accordingly, when the separation distance from the laser output unit 110 to the user's body is the first distance, that is, when the user approaches the button to the extent that the intention to press a specific button is certain, the control unit 170 controls the second By performing any one of the 1st control, the 2nd control, and the 3rd control, the diameter of the laser beam output is increased, and through this, the user's body, the skin, is provided with a "tactile feel" to press the button 30 without directly pressing it. It indicates that a specific button has been pressed.

On the other hand, the degree of "tactile feeling" may be different for each user, and in this case, the user may want to check whether the button he or she wants to press is properly pressed. It may further include a light emitting unit (not shown).

Here, the light emitting unit (not shown) is configured to emit light of a certain color from the other surface direction of the plurality of buttons 30 to cause the button 30 to display the light of the corresponding color. By operating the light emitting unit (not shown) disposed in the other surface direction of the button 30 located closest to the user's body detected by the laser output unit 110 at the same time or immediately after providing " to the user's body, the user You can make sure that the button you want to press is properly pressed.

On the other hand, in the case of the button 30, it will be said that there is no limitation on the material thereof, but when the light emitting unit (not shown) is disposed in the other direction, the light emitted by the light emitting unit (not shown) is transmitted through the button 30 by the user. Since it should appear in the direction in which it is located, it would be preferable to implement it with a bright material, a material with high light transmittance, or a transparent material rather than a dark material or a material with low light permeability.

If the button that the user wants to press is pressed in a non-contact manner without directly pressing the button, the user's purpose has been achieved and there is no need to provide a "tactile feeling" anymore. Accordingly, the control unit 170 performs any one of the first control, the second control, and the third control, and as a result of detecting the user's body, the separation distance from the laser output unit 110 to the user's body is the first distance. If it is exceeded, selectively disposing the light diffusing unit 154 and the light focusing unit 152 or changing the positions at which the light diffusing unit 154 and the light focusing unit 152 are disposed to increase the diameter of the laser beam You can revert to the previous state. This may seem a bit difficult to control, but to simply explain, after providing a "tactile feeling" to the user, it returns to an initial state that can detect the user's body.

On the other hand, even if it does not return to the initial state, the button 30 may be notified that the button 30 is pressed by providing a tactile sensation different from the "tactile" provided when the separation distance from the laser output unit 110 to the user's body is the first distance. There will be.

Until now, the non-contact button assembly (A) according to an embodiment of the present invention reflects the user's intention to press the specific button 30 even if the button 30 is not pressed due to direct contact by the user. A state of notifying that the user is pressed by providing "tactile sensation" to the user's body has been described. According to the present invention, when the user's body approaches a certain distance without having to press the button directly, it provides the user's body through "tactile feeling" that the button is pressed, and at the same time operates as if the button was pressed. It is possible to implement tact, and through this, it is possible to completely prevent the transmission of bacteria or corona virus.

On the other hand, the non-contact button assembly (A) according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented by a method of pressing a button without contact according to another embodiment of the present invention including all the same technical features, in this case As shown in FIG. 16 , the laser output unit 110 detects the user's body ( S110 ), and as a result of detecting the user's body, it is determined whether the separation distance from the laser output unit 110 to the user's body is the first distance If the determination result of steps S120 and S120 is "YES", the control unit 170 controls the operation of the lens unit 150 to adjust the diameter of the laser beam output from the laser output unit 110 to "tactile" Step of providing to the user's body through a laser beam (S130), the step of determining whether the separation distance from the laser output unit 110 to the user's body as a result of detecting the user's body after step S130 exceeds the first distance If the determination result of steps S140 and S140 is "YES", the controller 130 may reduce the diameter of the laser beam to return to the initial state (S150).

Although not described in detail to prevent duplicate description, all technical features applied to the non-contact button assembly (A) according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown in FIG. The same can be applied to the pressing method.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can realize that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. you will be able to understand Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

A: Contactless button assembly
30: button
70: frame
100: tactile induction device
110: laser output unit
130: optical filter unit
150: lens unit
170: control unit
V: via

Claims (10)

a plurality of buttons with one side exposed toward the user;
a frame for fixing the plurality of buttons; and
a tactile inducing device disposed in the direction of the other surfaces of the plurality of buttons;
In the non-contact button assembly comprising a,
The tactile induction device,
a laser output unit for detecting the user's body and outputting a laser beam for inducing a sense of touch in the sensed direction of the user's body;
a lens unit for changing a diameter of the laser beam; and
a control unit for controlling an operation of the lens unit to adjust a diameter of the laser beam output from the laser output unit according to the user's body detection result;
including,
The laser output unit outputs a laser beam for detecting the user's body, the laser beam for detecting the user's body does not provide a tactile sense to the user's body, and
When the user's body is detected by the laser beam for detecting the user's body and the separation distance to the user's body is calculated as a predetermined first distance by the control unit, the diameter of the laser beam being output by controlling the lens unit Non-contact button assembly, characterized in that providing a tactile sense to the user's body by increasing the.
According to claim 1,
The plurality of buttons,
Individually comprising one or more vias through which the laser beam output from the laser output unit can pass,
Contactless button assembly.
3. The method of claim 2,
a reflector for changing a path through which the laser beam passes into a path through the via;
A contactless button assembly further comprising a.
According to claim 1,
The tactile induction device,
A plurality of buttons are arranged in 1:1 correspondence to the other surface direction of each of the plurality of buttons,
Contactless button assembly.
According to claim 1,
The tactile induction device,
A plurality of the plurality of buttons are arranged in a 1:1 correspondence with the other surface direction of the first group including some buttons and the second group including the remaining buttons among the plurality of buttons,
Contactless button assembly.
According to claim 1,
The tactile induction device,
One disposed in the direction of the other surface of all of the plurality of buttons,
Contactless button assembly.
According to claim 1,
The lens unit,
a light diffusing unit for diffusing the laser beam; and
a light focusing unit for focusing the laser beam;
includes,
The control unit is
Controlling the diameter of the laser beam by selectively arranging the light diffusing unit and the light focusing unit or changing positions at which the light diffusing unit and the light focusing unit are disposed,
Contactless button assembly.
8. The method of claim 7,
The control unit is
As a result of detecting the user's body, when the separation distance from the laser output unit to the user's body is a first distance,
A first control for selectively arranging only the light diffusion unit in a path through which the laser beam passes, a second control for arranging a position close to the laser output unit when only the light diffusion unit is selectively arranged, and the light focusing When only the part is selectively disposed, any one of the third control of disposing the disposed position away from the laser output unit is performed to increase the diameter of the laser beam to provide "tactile sensation" to the user's body,
Contactless button assembly.
9. The method of claim 8,
The control unit is
After performing any one of the first control, the second control, and the third control, when the separation distance from the laser output unit to the user's body exceeds the first distance as a result of detecting the user's body,
Returning to the state before increasing the diameter of the laser beam by selectively disposing the light diffusing unit and the light focusing unit or changing the position at which the light diffusing unit and the light focusing unit are disposed,
Contactless button assembly.
A method of pressing a button without contact through a contactless button assembly, the method comprising:
(a) detecting the user's body by outputting, by a laser output unit, a laser beam for detecting the user's body, the laser beam for detecting the user's body does not provide a tactile sense to the user's body;
(b) determining whether a separation distance to the user's body is a first distance after the user's body is sensed by the laser beam for detecting the user's body; and
(c) providing "tactile sensation" to the user's body through a laser beam by a control unit increasing a diameter of a laser beam being output by the laser output unit if "YES" as a result of the determination in step (b);
How to press a button without contact, including.

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