Social touch through temperature communication system, method and device
The invention relates to a social touch communication system for temperature. A social touch communication system for temperature is a system that can communicate the sense of touch through interactive temperature changing surfaces, comprising two devices in communication with each other, or one device in combination with a virtual reality. Manipulation of the temperature of the surfaces is achieved by at least one actuator in each devices changing the temperature of said surfaces, and two users, one on each device, touching said surfaces. If one user is a virtual character in a virtual reality, there is only one device in the system.
The invention aims at a cost effective and/or reliable system which gives users a social touch sensing experience which is as natural as possible.
According to the invention, the system comprises a computer network comprising at least one computer or mobile device (e.g. smartphone or tablet) having a processing unit, and two social touch input/output devices connected to said computer network at different locations, and computer software arranged to run on said computer processing unit, said social touch input/output devices each comprising: a housing designed to be held comfortably by a human hand; at least one actuator in said housing, wherein said actuator comprises a heating element, one or more temperature sensors, and a touch member having an outer surface, said touch member being arranged to be manipulated in temperature at predetermined intervals, both higher and lower, such that a user can feel the temperature by touching said outer surface; said actuator being provided with means arranged to determine continuously the relative temperature of said outer surface, and means arranged to communicate continuously at said predetermined intervals said relative temperature to said computer processing unit; wherein said computer software is arranged to use said relative temperature and the difference between the current relative temperature and at least the relative temperature determined in the previous intervals, of two corresponding actuators in said two devices to calculate two next temperatures of outer surfaces, one for each of said actuators, and to communicate said next relative temperatures to the respective actuators; and wherein said actuators arc arranged to manipulate said outer surfaces instantly to the calculated and communicated next relative temperature.
Preferably said social touch input/output devices are substantially identical and each device comprises a multitude of said actuators, wherein said software is arranged to communicate said temperature parameters between each one actuator in one device and the corresponding actuator in the other device.
Said social touch input / output devices can have various dimensions so as to fit a child or adult person's hand, wherein said multitude of actuators are arranged such that the outer surfaces of said actuators extend in a substantially curved surface and can simultaneously touch all different parts of said hand, being at least each of the five fingers and the palm of said hand.
Said outer surfaces of said multitude of actuators are preferably covered by one flexible membrane, for instance a rubber membrane.
Said computer software is preferably arranged to calculate said two next temperatures of said outer surfaces such, that if a temperature is determined in one of said actuators, the corresponding actuator is brought to that temperature, instantly or as quickly as the actuator allows, and the same occurs vice versa, from the corresponding actuator to the first, such that a smooth natural feeling temperature change is experienced by users operating the devices as if their two hands were in mutual physical contact.
Optionally, in order to even further extend the use of the social touch communication system, it may be possible to arrange the computer programme such that predetermined temperature changes are used, for instance in accordance with a corresponding audio and/or visual recording, or that temperature changes occur in accordance with input from a visual reality system, for instance when the user operating one device is not a human but a virtual character.
The predetermined interval of the system is preferably less than 50 ms, more preferably less than 15 ms, still more preferably less than 5 ms. The smaller the interval, the smoother the system will react. The possible interval is largely dependent on the processing power of the processing unit(s) used, and the specifications of the temperature actuator.
The invention furthermore relates to a social touch input/output device comprising: a housing designed to be held comfortably by a human hand ; at least one actuator in said housing ; wherein said actuator comprises a heating element, at least one temperature sensor and a touch member having an outer surface, said touch member being arranged to be temperature manipulated at predetermined intervals, such that a user can feel the temperature changes by touching said outer surface ; said actuator being provided with means arranged to determine continuously at said predetermined intervals the relative temperature on said outer surface, and means arranged to communicate continuously at said predetermined intervals said relative temperature to a computer processing unit; and wherein said actuator is arranged to manipulate said outer surface instantly to a calculated and communicated next relative temperature.
Furthermore the invention relates to a method for communicating social touch sense between two persons, or between a person and a virtual character, using a social touch communication system comprising a computer network comprising at least one computer having a processing unit, and two social touch input / output devices connected to said computer network at different locations, and computer software running on said computer processing unit, said social touch input / output devices each comprising: a housing designed to be held comfortably by a human hand; at least one actuator in said housing, wherein said actuator comprises a heating element, at least one temperature sensor and a touch member having an outer surface, said touch member being arranged to be temperature manipulated, such that a user feels said temperature changes by touching said outer surface and can touch said surface in order to provide it with the user's own skin temperature ; said actuator being provided with means which determine continuously at said predetermined intervals the relative temperature on said outer surface, and means which communicate continuously at said predetermined intervals said relative temperature to said computer processing unit; wherein said computer software uses said relative temperature of two corresponding actuators in said two devices to calculate two next temperatures of outer surfaces, one for each of said actuators, and communicates said next relative temperatures to the respective actuators ; and wherein said actuators change said outer surfaces instantly to the calculated and communicated next relative temperature.
The invention also relates to a computer software programme arranged to cany out the method, as well as to a social touch input / output device in combination with such a computer software programme.
The invention will now be described by means of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a social touch device used in the system of the invention ;
Figure 2 is a schematic layout, seen from the side, of actuators in the social touch device of figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective explosion view of the device of figure 1;
Figure 4 is a perspective sectional view of the actuator used in the social touch device of figure 1;
Figure 5 is a schematic view of a system according to the invention.
According to figures 1 and 2 the social touch device comprises a housing, which can be placed stably on a table and which can be picked up and held by a hand. The shell is provided with surface areas for the exchange of temperature between the hand and the device.
The shape and dimensions of the housing can vary in size, so as to be held easily by the hand of a person of any age, child or adult. According to figure 2, the primary heated surface is the area that touches the palm of the hand, and the possible additional heated surface is the area that touches the bottom (palm-side) of the fingers. However, the heated area can in principle be any surface area of the device. The device is suited for both left and right handed people.
As shown in figure 3, the device comprises a temperature sensor 1, for instance a thermistor, another temperature sensor 2, also possibly a thermistor, and a temperature actuator 3, for instance a heating paper or heating pad, all placed against the housing 4. Temperature sensor 1 measures the temperature of the hand holding the device, whereas temperature sensor 2 measures the temperature of the temperature actuator.
The working principle of the social touch communication system is such that once a user holds a device that is in communication with another device, the temperature of that user, as measured by the temperature sensor 1, is communicated to the other device, and the heating actuator in the other device is brought to a temperature corresponding with the first user’s hand, so that the other user can feel the temperature of the first user’s hand. The same happens in the other direction, ie. the first user can feel the warmth of the other user’s hand because the temperature actuator of the first user’s device is changed according to the temperature of the other user’s hand.
In figure 4, the additional temperature sensor (numbered 2 in figure 3) is not visible, because placed between the heating paper and the housing, and therefore the numbers in figure 4 are 1 for the first temperature sensor, 2 for the temperature actuator and 3 for the housing.
Figure 5 shows the system of the invention, wherein two smartphones, tablets or personal computers 21 are connected through the internet 20, and each smartphone, tablet or personal computer is connected to a social touch device 100, either with a cable or wirelessly.
It is, however, noted explicitly that any one side of figure 5 can be virtual in the sense that a human hand can feel the ‘warmth’ of a virtual character’s hand, this virtual character being either human or non-human, in which case there would not be two devices communicating between each other, but only one, communicating with a hand inside a virtual reality.
Also noted is that the processing unit normally found in a computer, tablet or smartphone can also be placed inside the social touch input/output device itself, thereby eliminating the need for a wireless connection between the social touch device and a separate computer or mobile device, and schematically creating a direct link between the social touch device and the internet.
The invention has thus been described by means of a preferred embodiment. It is to be understood, however, that this disclosure is merely illustrative, and extends to other embodiments, including gloves. Various details of the structure and function were presented, but changes made therein, to the full extent extended by the general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed, are understood to be within the principle of the present invention. The description and drawings shall be used to interpret the claims. The claims should not be interpreted as meaning that the extent of the protection sought is to be understood as that defined by the strict, literal meaning of the wording used in the claims, the description and drawings being employed only for the purpose of resolving an ambiguity found in the claims. For the purpose of determining the extent of protection sought by the claims, due an 6 ^valent to a„ . 10 &i element ment specified