WO2021026513A1 - Rétroaction physique dans des véhicules - Google Patents

Rétroaction physique dans des véhicules Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021026513A1
WO2021026513A1 PCT/US2020/045523 US2020045523W WO2021026513A1 WO 2021026513 A1 WO2021026513 A1 WO 2021026513A1 US 2020045523 W US2020045523 W US 2020045523W WO 2021026513 A1 WO2021026513 A1 WO 2021026513A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
transducer
location
automobile seat
activating signal
occupant
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2020/045523
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Louis-Pierre Guidetti
Sarosh Khwaja
Todd CHERNECKI
Original Assignee
Subpac, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US16/534,845 external-priority patent/US10674267B1/en
Application filed by Subpac, Inc. filed Critical Subpac, Inc.
Publication of WO2021026513A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021026513A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R1/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R1/02—Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein
    • H04R1/028—Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
    • B60N2/90—Details or parts not otherwise provided for
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R3/00—Circuits for transducers, loudspeakers or microphones
    • H04R3/12—Circuits for transducers, loudspeakers or microphones for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03G—CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION
    • H03G5/00—Tone control or bandwidth control in amplifiers
    • H03G5/16—Automatic control
    • H03G5/165—Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2201/00—Details of transducers, loudspeakers or microphones covered by H04R1/00 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2201/02—Details casings, cabinets or mounting therein for transducers covered by H04R1/02 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2201/023—Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2400/00—Loudspeakers
    • H04R2400/03—Transducers capable of generating both sound as well as tactile vibration, e.g. as used in cellular phones
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2499/00—Aspects covered by H04R or H04S not otherwise provided for in their subgroups
    • H04R2499/10—General applications
    • H04R2499/13—Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles

Definitions

  • the application relates generally to contextualized equalization, and also generally relates to vehicle alerts.
  • One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include a method that includes receiving a reading from a pressure sensor disposed within an object in contact with a body of a user, where the pressure sensor includes a force sensitive resistor (FSR) in series with a constant resistor.
  • the object may host a transducer that is configured to provide vibrotactile sensations to the body of the user.
  • the method may also include, using the reading from the pressure sensor, computing an amount of pressure exerted on the object by the body of the user.
  • the method may additionally include comparing the amount of pressure to a pressure threshold data structure to determine a transducer system state associated with the transducer.
  • the method may also include performing equalization processing on an output signal used by the transducer, where the equalization processing is specific to the transducer system state.
  • One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may include a method that includes monitoring a sensor associated with a first location of an automobile seat, where the first location corresponds to a first transducer embedded within the automobile seat, and the automobile seat includes a second transducer at a second location within the automobile seat.
  • the first and the second transducers may be configured to generate tactile feedback upon receiving an activating signal.
  • the method may also include detecting an event triggering the activating signal to be sent to the first transducer, and based on a reading from the sensor indicating that an occupant of the automobile seat is not in contact with the first location, modifying the activating signal such that the first transducer primarily produces an audible sound rather than tactile feedback.
  • Figure 1 illustrates an example system associated with providing contextual equalization
  • Figure 2 illustrates an example vehicle associated with providing contextual equalization
  • Figure 3 illustrates an example system associated with providing contextual equalization
  • Figure 4 illustrates an example graphical representation of readings from sensors
  • Figure 5 illustrates an example automobile seat
  • Figures 6A and 6B illustrate examples views of an occupant in an automobile seat
  • Figure 7 illustrates a flowchart of an example method of providing contextual equalization
  • Figure 8 illustrates a flowchart of an example method of determining a breathing rate
  • Figure 9 illustrates a flowchart of another example method of determining a breathing rate
  • Figure 10 illustrates a flowchart of an additional example method of determining a breathing rate
  • Figure 11 illustrates a flowchart of an example method of determining an amount of pressure
  • Figure 12 illustrates a flowchart of an example method of determining an amount of pressure; all in accordance with at least one embodiment described in the present disclosure.
  • Listening to an audio piece may be one aspect of an audio experience for a user.
  • Feeling the audio piece may be another aspect of the audio experience for the user.
  • Embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to the generation of vibrations (which may be referred to as tactile or vibrotactile sensations) associated with an audio piece or other sounds/alerts.
  • the generation of such a tactile sensation may allow the user to feel a physical dimension of the sound they hear, which may result in an immersive experience for both acoustic perception and tactile perception of the user.
  • the setting in which a transducer generating the vibrations is operating can have a large impact on the performance of the transducer.
  • interactions of the body of a user with the transducer may vary a transducer system state such that the transducer may perform significantly differently depending on which of multiple transducer system states the transducer and/or the associated system is operating.
  • the performance of the transducer may be significantly different than if the transducer is embedded in the back of a seat against which the user is leaning.
  • a specific equalization curve may be applied to the transducer such that the user may enjoy a consistent tactile experience regardless of the state of the transducer. Additionally, that principle may be extrapolated to multiple transducers in an object that has multiple transducers such that the transducer system state associated with each transducer may be determined and each transducer may be provided with specific equalization specific to the transducer system state of each individual transducer such that the transducers together provide a consistent experience to the user.
  • the transducer system state includes not only an operating condition/set of properties of the transducer itself, but also of the surroundings in which the transducer is operating and/or the interactions between the surroundings and the transducer.
  • determining the transducer system state of the transducer may include a state of the entire object within which the transducer is operating, the transducer, and an item, person, etc. imposing pressure or force on the object within which the transducer is operating.
  • a pressure sensor using a constant resistor and one or more variable resistors may be used to facilitate approximation of the pressure experienced by the transducer, and that information may be used to determine a transducer system state associated with the transducer.
  • the transducer system state may facilitate a determination of which type of equalization to apply to the signal received by the transducer.
  • the transducer system state associated with the transducer may be monitored in real time such that the equalization applied can be modified in real time.
  • the pressure sensors and/or the transducer system state associated with the transducers may be used to determine whether or not an occupant of a seat is in contact with the seat at the location of a given transducer. If the user is not in contact with the seat at the location of the transducer, the signal activating the transducer may be modified. For example, if the user is not in contact with the seat the signal may be modified so that the transducer generates an audible sound rather than a tactile sensation, although still originating at the same location via the same transducer.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example system 100 associated with providing contextual equalization, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the system 100 may include an object 110 against a body of a user 120.
  • the object 110 may include one or more transducers 112 to provide tactile sensations to the user 120.
  • audio from a mobile device 130 of the user 120 and/or audio from a server 140 may be played to the user 120 while the user 120 enjoys corresponding tactile sensations from the object 110 that correspond to the audio.
  • a processor 116 associated with the object 110 may perform equalization or other processing on activating signals that cause the transducers 112 to generate the tactile sensations.
  • the processor 116 may use information from one or more pressure sensors 114 to determine what type of equalization or other processing to perform on the activating signals.
  • the object 110 may include any object that includes one or more transducers 112 (such as the transducers 112a-112n) to provide tactile sensations to the user 120.
  • the object 110 may include a backpack, vest, body suit, garment, piece of clothing, or other wearable apparatus or device that places the object in contact with the body of the user 120.
  • the object 110 may include a seat, such as an automotive seat, a movie theater seat, etc.
  • the object 110 may include a pad or attachment that rests atop an existing seat or chair.
  • a back region of the object 110 may include a primary membrane that is configured to be positioned adjacent the body of the user 120 and a secondary membrane that is adjacent to the primary membrane.
  • the primary membrane and the secondary membrane may be implemented as a single membrane.
  • the primary membrane may be a large, rigid membrane and may be made of any of a number of thermoplastics, such as polypropylene, high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and the like, or of composite materials, such as carbon- fiber.
  • This secondary membrane may be a microcellular polymer membrane made of microcellular elastomers (EVA), urethanes (PU), rubbers, and the like; but otherwise may include microcellular polyurethane, which has a great dampening effect on vibrations.
  • the secondary membrane may have less surface area than the primary membrane.
  • the transducers 112 may be directly attached to the secondary membrane or the transducer transducers 112 may be embedded in the secondary membrane.
  • the transducers 112 may include a magnet that moves back and forth and thereby may generate vibrations. When the magnet moves back and forth, it may create a vibration that the user 120 may feel.
  • the vibrations may be dampened by the secondary membrane and may be dissipated across a surface area of the secondary membrane.
  • the primary membrane may be engaged with the secondary membrane such that the primary membrane may collect the vibrations from the secondary membrane and may transfer the vibrations to the body of the user 120.
  • the primary membrane may include a large, rigid membrane that has approximately the same surface area as a region of the object 110 proximal to the body of the user 120.
  • each transducer 112 may have its own primary and/or secondary membrane or may share its primary and/or secondary membrane with one or more additional transducers 112.
  • the transducers 112 may be embedded within the object 110 such that one or more surfaces or membranes of the object 110 may convey the vibrations generated by the transducers 112 to the user 120 such that the user 120 enjoys the tactile sensations generated by the object 110.
  • the transducers 112 may receive an activating signal causing the transducers 112 to vibrate or an output signal, such as from an audio device, to activate the transducers 112.
  • the vibrating transducers 112 may convey those vibrations to a membrane that interfaces with the body of the user 120.
  • the obj ect 110 may include a processor 116 that may control operation of the object 110.
  • the processor 116 may facilitate communication of the object 110 with the mobile device 130 to receive audio data or other data(e.g., alerts, vibration tracks, etc.) to be conveyed to the user 120 via vibrations.
  • the processor 116 may facilitate communication of the object 110 with the remote computing device 140 to receive audio data or other data (e.g., alerts, vibration tracks, etc.) to be conveyed to the user 120 via vibrations.
  • the processor 116 may perform filtering, processing, equalization, personalization, customization, etc. of an output signal to be provided to the transducers 112.
  • the transducers 112 may include any device, component, or system configured to generate vibrations for the user 120.
  • the transducers 112 may include any of tactile transducers, exciters, piezoelectric actuators, piston drivers, or any other mechanism that translates an electric signal such as the activating signal or an output signal into motion.
  • the object 110 may include one or more pressure sensors 114 (such as the pressure sensors 114a-l 14n).
  • the pressure sensors 114 may be individual pressure sensors that provide individual pressure readings at each of the locations of the pressure sensors 114. Additionally or alternatively, the pressure sensors 114 may operate cooperatively to provide an overall pressure reading for the entire object 110. For example, the pressure sensors 114 may facilitate determination of the pressure exerted by the body of the user 120 against the object 110. Additionally or alternatively, multiple pressure sensors 114 may operate in conjunction for a particular transducer 112.
  • the pressure sensors 114a and 114b may operate in conjunction to provide the amount of pressure experienced at the transducer 112a, and/or the pressure sensors 114b and 114c may operate in conjunction to provide the amount of pressure experienced at the transducer 112b.
  • the pressure sensors 114a and 114b may be in a combined circuit (e.g., wired in parallel and/or in series) or may be in separate electrical circuits and operated independently.
  • the performance of the transducer 112 may be impacted by a transducer system state.
  • the transducer system state associated with the transducer 112 may be based on the system and surroundings in which the transducer 112 is used. For example, if the material of which the object 110 is made is compressed (e.g., if foam from a seat is compressed from the user 120 sitting against the seat), the performance of the transducer 112 may change. By determining the pressure exerted by the body of the user 120 against the object 110, a transducer system state associated with the transducer 112 may be determined.
  • an output signal that drives the transducer 112 may undergo equalization to change the amplitude of certain frequency ranges reproduced by the transducer 112.
  • the equalization curve may be modified based on the transducer system state. For example, in certain states, certain frequencies may be desirably amplified or diminished.
  • a pressure threshold data structure may be used such that a given pressure value may be compared to the pressure threshold data structure to determine a transducer system state that corresponds to the given pressure value, and/or an associated equalization process to be performed based on the determined state.
  • each transducer 112 of multiple transducers 112a-l 12n may have an individual transducer system state determined, and each may have a corresponding equalization curve applied to an output signal for the corresponding transducer 112.
  • each transducer system state associated with the transducers 112 based on different contextual settings for the transducers 112 (e.g., the transducers corresponding to the small of the back of the user 120 may have less pressure exerted than the transducers corresponding to the shoulder blades of the user 120).
  • the transducers corresponding to the small of the back of the user 120 may have less pressure exerted than the transducers corresponding to the shoulder blades of the user 120.
  • the output signal may be based on an audio source that is providing audio to which the user 120 is listening.
  • the user 120 may be playing audio from the mobile device 130 and listening via headphones while also experiencing tactile sensations associated with the audio as provided to the user 120 via the transducers 112 in the object 110.
  • the user 120 may be playing audio from the remote computing device 140 such as a cloud-based or streaming music service.
  • one or more components of the audio signal may be provided to the object 110 as an output signal.
  • the output signal may be a certain frequency range of the audio signal (such as the frequencies between 10 and 250 Hz).
  • a certain channel of audio data may be designated as tactile signal, similar to how a certain portion of an audio signal may be provided to left or right speakers.
  • the entire audio signal may be provided to the processor 116 and the processor 116 may select out the components of the audio signal to provide to the transducers 112 as an output signal.
  • the processor may filter out a certain range of frequencies etc.
  • the pressure readings from the object 110 may be used for one or more other purposes, such as determining a breathing rate of the user 120. An example of such operations are described with greater detail with reference to Figures 8- 10. Additionally or alternatively, the system 100 may utilize the pressure readings from the object 110 to determine a posture of the user 120 and provide an alert to the user 120 accordingly. An example of such operations are described with greater detail in Figure 12.
  • the system 100 may include any number of transducers 112 and/or pressure sensors 114.
  • the object 110 may take any shape or form configured to experience pressure due to contact between the user 120 and the object 110 such that the object 110 is able to convey tactile sensations to the user 120.
  • the pressure sensors 114 may be disposed in any pattern and any location throughout the object 110.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an example vehicle 200 associated with providing contextual equalization, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the vehicle 200 may illustrate one example implementation of the system 100 of Figure 1.
  • the automobile seat 210 may correspond to the object 110 of Figure 1.
  • the automobile seat 210 may include transducers 212 (such as the transducers 212a-212n) and pressure sensors 214 (such as the pressure sensors 214a-214n) which may be similar or comparable to the transducers 112 and the pressure sensors 114, respectively.
  • the automobile seat 210 may include a back portion 210a and a seat portion 210b.
  • the user 220 may be similar or comparable to the user 120 of Figure 1.
  • the transducers 212 may be configured to provide tactile sensations to the user 220.
  • the user 220 may be driving the vehicle 200, or may be a passenger within the vehicle 200.
  • the transducers 212 may be utilized to enhance the listening experience of the user 220 when listening to audio in the vehicle 200 by receiving an output signal related to the listening experience of the user.
  • the transducers 212 may be configured to provide an alert or tactile feedback to the user 220 by receiving activating signal that activates the transducers 212. In some embodiments, such alerts may be beneficial when driving as the alert may be provided to the user 220 rather than all occupants of the vehicle 200.
  • an alert to the user 200 may be triggered by a triggering event that causes an activating signal to be sent to one or more of the transducers 212.
  • a triggering event that causes an activating signal to be sent to one or more of the transducers 212.
  • a blind spot warning, a lane departure warning, a low fuel alert, a collision warning, a vehicle passing warning, a door ajar signal, a seatbelt warning, a driver- attention warning, an emergency vehicle warning, an arrival at location signal, a drop-off signal, a pick-up signal, etc. including any other alerts from an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS).
  • ADAS advanced driver-assistance system
  • such a triggering event may have a directionality component associated with the event.
  • a lane departure warning may be associated with a particular side of the vehicle 200 along which the vehicle 200 is departing from a lane.
  • a door ajar signal may be associated with a rear right direction associated with a back passenger door being ajar.
  • a pick-up signal may alert the user 220 that a ride-sharing individual is on their left to be picked up.
  • the alert may be provided to specific transducers 212 based on the directionality component of the triggering event.
  • the lane departure warning for the vehicle 200 departing the lane on the right may cause an activating signal to be sent to one or more of the transducers 212 along a right side of the automobile seat 210.
  • the door ajar signal for the back passenger door being ajar may cause an activating signal to be sent to the transducers in the left and back-most regions of the automobile seat 210.
  • the pick-up alert may trigger activating signals to be sent to the transducers along the left side of the automobile seat 210.
  • readings from the pressure sensors 214 may indicate that a transducer system state associated with a given transducer corresponds to a transducer system state in which the user 220 is not sitting against a particular transducer 212 (such as the transducer 212a). While described as the user 220 sitting or not sitting against the transducer 212, it will be appreciated that the transducer 212 may be embedded within the seat and the reference to sitting against a particular transducer or being in contact with a particular transducer may also refer to being in physical contact with the surface of the automobile seat 210 beneath which the transducer 212 is located.
  • the activating signal being used to trigger the transducer 212a may be modified such that the transducer 212a may generate an audible signal instead of or in addition to the tactile sensation normally generated by the transducer 212a.
  • certain filtering or other signal processing may be performed on the activating signal such that the transducer 212a produces an audible sound to the user 220.
  • the modification to include the audible sound may be performed on a per-transducer 212 basis, or may be performed such that all of the transducers 212 produce the audible sound.
  • An example of such modification may be described in greater detail with reference to Figure 12.
  • the activating signal when modifying the activating signal, may cause only or primarily tactile sensations to be generated, only or primarily audible sounds to be generated, or combinations of both tactile and audible sounds.
  • the activating signal when referencing that a signal produces “primarily” audible sounds or “primarily” tactile sensations, greater than half of the energy consumed by the transducer may be used to generate the particular output, such as audible sounds or tactile sensations.
  • the transducers 212 and/or the pressure sensors 214 may be disposed throughout the automobile seat 210.
  • the automobile seat 210 may include a foam cushion and the transducers 212 and the pressure sensors 214 may be disposed throughout the foam cushion.
  • the transducers 212 and/or the pressure sensors 214 may be uniformly distributed about a cross section of the automobile seat 210 (e.g., the transducers 212 and/or the pressure sensors 214 may be at a consistent depth in the foam). Additionally or alternatively, the transducers 212 and/or the pressure sensors 214 may be at various depths and/or may be distributed in a non-uniform manner.
  • the transducers 212 may be in a pattern about the back portion 210a and the seat portion 210b, and the pressure sensors 214 may be distributed about a corresponding transducer 212 for which the pressure sensors 214 are used to facilitate determination of the transducer system state.
  • the vehicle 200 may include any number of seats with any number of transducers.
  • each seat in the vehicle may have its own set of transducers such that the different seat occupants may receive personalized signals from the transducers.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an example system 300 associated with providing contextual equalization, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the system 300 may include a processor 316 to perform processing on various signals (such as a content source 370 signal), in order to generate an output 380 that is provided to a transducer 312.
  • the processor 316 may additionally or alternatively facilitate determination of which equalization to apply to the content source 370 signal based on information from a pressure sensor 350.
  • the pressure sensor 350 may include any component or device configured to measure an amount of pressure experienced by the pressure sensor 350.
  • One implementation of the pressure sensor 350 as illustrated in Figure 3 includes one or more resistors used to determine the amount of pressure.
  • the pressure sensor 350 may include a constant resistor 352 that may have a set resistance (e.g., a 100 kO resistor).
  • the constant resistor 352 may be wired in series with one or more variable resistors 354 that are wired in parallel.
  • a ground voltage 356 may be located at one end of a circuit and be directly connected to the constant resistor 352.
  • Next in the circuit may be the variable resistors 354a, 354b, and 354n wired in parallel and coupled to a positive/constant voltage source 358.
  • the circuit between the constant resistor 352 and the variables resistors 354, labeled as V r may provide one input to a data acquisition component (DAQ) 340.
  • the positive/constant voltage source 358 may be provided to the DAQ 340 as another input.
  • the DAQ 340 may compare the voltage of the two inputs and may output a digital signal representative of the difference between the two voltages.
  • the variable resistors 354 may include any type of resistor that varies based on experienced force.
  • the variable resistors 354 may be force sensitive resistors (FSRs).
  • FSRs force sensitive resistors
  • the variable resistors 354 may be located at various locations within a region for which the pressure may be analyzed together as a single value. For example, if a single transducer 312 is used, all of the variable resistors 354 in the object may functionally act as a single resistor in the circuit of the pressure sensor 350, thereby permitting the pressure from multiple locations (the locations of the variable resistors 354) to be determined and represented as a single pressure value.
  • multiple pressure sensors 350 may be located at multiple locations in an object, and each of the pressure sensors 350 may include multiple variable resistors 354 that correspond to the respective pressure sensors 350.
  • one or more of the pressure sensors 350 may correlate with a transducer 312, and each transducer 312 may have a corresponding transducer system state that may be determined based on the sensed pressure.
  • variable resistors 354 may be embedded or otherwise disposed within the material of the object within which the transducer 312 is disposed.
  • the transducer 312 may be disposed within the foam or other material of the automobile seat, and the variable resistors 354 may also be disposed within the foam or other material of the automobile seat.
  • the processor 316 may perform various operations, examples of which are illustrated by the blocks 361-366, as explained herein.
  • the conductance of the summation of the variable resistors 354a-n may be represented by the inverse of their associated resistance.
  • the determined conductance and/or resistance of the variable resistors may be correlated with an amount of pressure.
  • a lookup table or other set of values may be maintained by the processor 316 as a pressure threshold data structure that may facilitate the identification of an amount of pressure.
  • the block 362 may represent the comparison of the determined conductance (and/or resistance) to a pressure threshold data structure.
  • the pressure threshold data structure may include a table with a series of ranges of conductance and/or resistance and/or corresponding pressures that are proportional to the measured conductance and/or resistance of the variable resistors 354.
  • the pressure threshold data structure may include various transducer system states associated with the transducer corresponding to the ranges of pressure and/or conductance/resistance such that for a determined pressure and/or conductance/resistance, the transducer system state may be determined.
  • the block 363 may represent the processor 316 determining which equalization to apply to the output signal provided to the transducer 312. For example, the processor 316 may look up the pressure threshold data structure to identify a corresponding equalization curve to apply to the output signal based on the transducer system state associated with the transducer 312. In some embodiments, the corresponding equalization curves may be personalized or customized. For example, a default equalization curve may be included as corresponding to a given transducer system state associated with the transducer 312. When in the given transducer system state, the user of the object may adjust the equalization of the output signal to modify the tactile sensations experienced by the user.
  • the processor 316 may store the modified equalization curve as an updated equalization curve corresponding to the current transducer system state associated with the transducer 312 such that as the transducer 312 is found to be in the same transducer system state at some point in the future, the modified equalization curve may be applied to the output signal rather than the default equalization curve.
  • a continuous transition between states may be provided.
  • a function may be applied to the pressure and/or conductance/resistance such that a linear or logarithmic correlation may be applied between amplitude values and pressure and/or conductance/resistance values to be applied to the output signal.
  • a discrete jump in equalization curves from one transducer system state to another there may be variations between different values within a same transducer system state.
  • the block 364 may represent the processor 316 performing initial processing on the content source 370.
  • the content source 370 may include an audio signal and the low frequencies of the audio signal may be extracted.
  • the content source 370 may include a track dedicated to tactile sensations.
  • the initial processing 364 may include personalization of the signal, for example, as described in U.S. Application No. 16/267,211, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
  • the block 365 may represent the processor 316 applying the equalization curve determined at the block 363 to the output signal to be provided to the transducer 312. For example, certain frequencies may be amplified and others may be diminished in amounts that are based on the transducer system state associated with the transducer 312.
  • the block 366 may represent any final processing that the processor 316 may perform on the output signal prior to sending the output signal to the transducer 312. Such processing may include filtering, general amplification, normalization, transient shaping, compression, reverberation, sub-harmonic generation, etc.
  • the output 380 may represent the signal that is output by the processor 316 to activate the transducer 312.
  • the output 380 may include the processed and equalized output signal derived from the content source 370. Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the system 300 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
  • the system 300 may include more or fewer components than those illustrated in Figure 3.
  • any number of variable resistors 354 may be disposed at various locations throughout the object.
  • the system 300 may include multiple pressure sensors 350 associated with multiple transducers 312 that may be monitored by one processor 316 or multiple microcontrollers 316.
  • Figure 4 illustrates an example graphical representation 400 of readings from sensors, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the graphical representation 400 may illustrate a plot of pressure vs time as measured by pressure sensors such as the pressure sensors 114 of Figure 1, 214 of Figure 2, and/or variations in resistance of the variable resistors 354 of Figure 3.
  • the pressure readings may also be used to monitor the breathing rate of a user using an object within which the transducer is disposed.
  • an automobile seat or backpack that is worn by a user that includes a transducer for providing tactile sensations and pressure sensors for determining the transducer system state associated with the transducers may also measure the breathing rate.
  • a trace 410 illustrates the data points of the pressure over time. As illustrated in Figure 4, the trace 410 may include a series of peaks and valleys. The peaks may represent an inhale, and the valleys may represent an exhale.
  • the body of the user may exert more pressure on the object, and as the lungs contract with an exhale, the body of the user may exert less pressure on the object.
  • a number of approaches may be used to determine the breathing rate based on the data of the pressure sensor, such as that described with reference to Figures 8-10.
  • the graphical representation 400 may include more or fewer components than those illustrated in Figure 4.
  • the pressure may be monitored and traced for any length of time.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates an example automobile seat 500, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the automobile seat 500 may use one or more transducers 520 in a seat portion 510 and/or one or more transducers 522 in a back portion 512 of the automobile seat 500 to provide tactile sensations to an occupant of the automobile seat 500.
  • the automobile seat 500 may include pressure sensors 530 to facilitate determination of a transducer system state associated with the transducers 520 and/or pressure sensors 532 to facilitate determination of the transducer system states.
  • the automobile seat 500 may be similar or comparable to the object 110 of Figure 1 and/or the automobile seat 210 of Figure 2.
  • the transducers 520 and/or 522 may be similar or comparable to the transducers 112 of Figure 1, 212 of Figure 2, and/or 312 of Figure 3.
  • the pressure sensors 530 and/or 532 may be similar or comparable to the pressure sensors 114 of Figure 1, 214 of Figure 2, and/or 350 of Figure 3 and/or the variable resistors 354 of Figure 3.
  • the various pressure sensors 530/532 may be used to monitor the amount of pressure exerted on the automobile seat 500 by the occupant of the automobile seat 500.
  • the pressure sensors 530 may take readings of the amount of pressure exerted on the seat portion 510 by the occupant sitting on the seat portion 510
  • the pressure sensors 532 may take readings of the amount of pressure exerted on the back portion 512 based on the occupant leaning back against the back portion 512.
  • the transducer system states associated with the transducers 520 in the seat portion 510 may be in a different transducer system state than the transducer system states associated with the transducers 522 in the back portion 512 due to the increased force applied when considering the force from the occupant sitting on the seat portion 510 as compared to leaning against the back portion 512.
  • Certain combinations of pressure sensors 530 may be dedicated to a particular transducer 520, and/or combinations of pressure sensors 532 may be dedicated to a particular transducer 522.
  • the transducers 520 and/or 522 may be activated in differing combinations and/or locations based on various triggering events. For example, a lane departure warning may trigger the transducers 520c, 520d, 522c, and 522d such that the transducers 520/522 along the left side may be activated. As another example, a rear passenger door ajar signal may trigger the transducers 522c and 522d.
  • signals for various transducers may be modified or adjusted based on whether or not the occupant of the automobile seat 500 is on contact with the region of the automobile seat 500 over the various transducer.
  • the activating signal for the transducer 522a may typically generate a tactile sensation to the occupant of the automobile seat 500.
  • the activating signal for the transducer 532a may be modified such that the transducer 532a may produce an audible sound in addition to or instead of the tactile sensation.
  • the activating signal may include a low frequency component (e.g., between 10 and 250 Hz) to produce the tactile sensations and a high frequency component (e.g., between 500 and 30,000 Hz, between 800 and 9,000 Hz, between 2,000 Hz and 8,000 Hz, and/or around 3500 Hz) to produce the audible sound.
  • the high frequency component may be filtered out.
  • the high frequency component may be unfiltered when sent to the transducer 532a.
  • the low frequency component may be filtered out while the high frequency component may be permitted to be sent to the transducer 352a.
  • an entire array of transducers 520/522 may receive a modified signal based on one of the transducers in the array being associated with a location with which the occupant is not in contact. For example, if the transducers 520a, 520b, 522a, and 522b were associated with an alert of a triggering event, but the occupant of the automobile seat 500 is not in contact with the back portion 512 over the transducer 522a, rather than only changing the activating signal being sent to the transducer 522a, the activating signals being sent to the transducers 522a, 522b, 520a, and/or 520b may all be modified to produce an audible sound.
  • the transducer 522a and the next closest transducer, the transducer 522b may be modified. Any number or combinations, in addition to the transducer 522a may be modified based on the occupant of the automobile seat 500 not being in contact with the back portion 512 associated with the transducer 522a.
  • the automobile seat 500 may include more or fewer components than those illustrated in Figure 5.
  • the automobile seat 500 may include any number of transducers 520/522 and/or pressure sensors 530/532.
  • Figures 6A and 6B illustrate examples views 600a and 600b of an occupant 620 in an automobile seat 610, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the view 600a illustrates the occupant 620 sitting with an erect posture and the view 600b illustrates the occupant 620 sitting with a slouching posture.
  • the automobile seat 610 may include a back portion 610a and a seat portion 610b.
  • the back portion 610a may include transducers 612a and 612b and the seat portion 610b may include transducers 612c and 612d.
  • the automobile seat 610 may be similar or comparable to the automobile seat 210 of Figure 2 and/or the automobile seat 500 of Figure 5, the transducers 612 may be similar or comparable to the transducers 112 of Figure 1, 212 of Figure 2, 312 of Figure 3, and 520/522 of Figure 5.
  • an activating signal may be sent to the transducer 612a based on a triggering event.
  • the activating signal may be sent to a different transducer, such as the transducer 612b.
  • the transducer 612b may cause confusion to the occupant 620 as the location of the expected tactile sensation may occur at the location of the transducer 612b rather than the transducer 612a. This may be particularly dangerous or disadvantageous when the triggering event has a directionality component. For example, if the transducer 612a were on the left side of the automobile seat 610 and the transducer 612b were on the right side of the automobile seat 610, the occupant 620 may think the triggering event is coming from the opposite direction than intended.
  • the activating signal may be changed to produce an audible sound.
  • the occupant may continue to maintain a sense of the directionality component of the triggering event.
  • the change in posture observed when comparing view 600a to the view 600b may occur in the middle of an alert from a triggering event.
  • the activating signal may be modified in real time, or in other words, part way through presenting the alert to the occupant 620.
  • the pressure sensors facilitate determination of a transducer system state associated with the transducers 612 in real time and may modify the equalization applied to an output signal in real time
  • the activation signal may also be modified.
  • the filtering to select a low frequency component rather than a high frequency component for the activating signal for a transducer 612 during the posture as illustrated in the view 600a may be changed such that the high frequency component of the activating signal is no longer filtered when the occupant 620 shifts to the posture illustrated in the view 600b.
  • Figure 7 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 700 of providing contextual equalization, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • One or more operations of the method 700 may be performed by a system or device, or combinations thereof, such as the system 100, the object 110, and/or the processor 116 of Figure 1; the vehicle 200 of Figure 2; and/or the system 300, and/or the processor 316 of Figure 3.
  • a system or device such as the system 100, the object 110, and/or the processor 116 of Figure 1; the vehicle 200 of Figure 2; and/or the system 300, and/or the processor 316 of Figure 3.
  • various blocks of the method 700 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation.
  • a pressure sensor reading may be received from a pressure sensor disposed within an object in contact with a body of a user.
  • a pressure sensor may be disposed within a backpack or other wearable device that is configured to provide tactile sensations to the body of the user via one or more transducers.
  • a pressure sensor may be disposed within a seat that is configured to provide tactile sensations to the body of the occupant of the seat via one or more transducers.
  • the pressure sensor may include an FSR.
  • the pressure sensor may be configured as illustrated in Figure 3.
  • an amount of pressure exerted on the object by the body of the user may be computed using the readings of the block 710.
  • a microcontroller or processor may be configured to calculate a pressure value based on the readings from the pressure sensor.
  • one or more calculations may be performed on the resistance and/or conductance levels as read by the pressure sensor to determine a conductance of the FSRs. Based on the readings, an amount of pressure experienced in the system may be determined.
  • the amount of pressure may be compared to a pressure threshold data structure to determine a transducer system state associated with the transducer in the object.
  • a pressure threshold data structure is included below:
  • a function may be applied to the resistance values to generate the equalization curve in a continuous manner. For example, a linear or logarithmic correlation between the resistance and the amplitude values may be generated. In some embodiments, different frequency bands may follow different linear or logarithmic correlation between the resistance and the amplitude values for the different frequency bands.
  • equalization processing may be performed on an output signal used by the transducer that is specific to the transducer system state associated with the transducer. For example, based on the transducer system state as determined in the block 730, a particular equalization curve may be applied to an output signal being provided to the transducer.
  • the equalization may include an amplitude modifier of zero such that a transducer is muted if in a “no contact” transducer system state. In these and other embodiments, such equalization may be accomplished by filtering, cancelling, or otherwise preventing the output signal from being provided to the transducer associated with the “no contact” state.
  • a breathing rate of the user may be determined based on the pressure readings. For example, a trace of the pressure readings may be stored over time and the occurrence of the different breaths may be determined for a given period of time. Various examples of doing so may be illustrated in Figures 8-10.
  • a determination may be made whether or not the breathing rate is abnormal. For example, the breathing rate may be compared to typical breathing rates for individuals with a similar demographic as the user. As another example, the breathing rate for the user may be stored over time and based on the breathing rate falling outside of a normal range, the breathing rate may be identified as abnormal. If the breathing rate is not abnormal, the method 700 may return to block 750 to continue to determine the breathing rate of the user. If the breathing rate is abnormal, the method 700 may proceed to the block 770.
  • an intervention may be triggered with the user based on the abnormal breathing rate.
  • the intervention may be a triggering event causing a certain pattern or duration of tactile sensation may be provided to the user to prompt the user to adjust their breathing rate.
  • a signal may be sent to an electronic device of the user to cause the electronic device to provide the user with training or instruction on changing the breathing rate for the user.
  • Figures 8-10 illustrate flowcharts of example methods 800, 900, and 1000, respectively, of determining a breathing rate, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the methods 800, 900, and 1000 may represent examples of specific implementations of the block 750 of Figure 7.
  • One or more operations of the methods 800, 900, and/or 1000, may be performed by a system or device, or combinations thereof, such as the system 100, the object 110, and/or the processor 116 of Figure 1; the vehicle 200 of Figure 2; and/or the system 300, and/or the processor 316 of Figure 3.
  • various blocks of the methods 800, 900, and/or 1000 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation.
  • readings from a pressure sensor may be captured for a given window of time.
  • the pressure readings may be captured at a frequency of between five and fifty times per second, between ten and thirty times per second, and/or around ten times per second.
  • the readings may be used to generate a visual reproduction of the readings over time.
  • filtering may be performed on the readings.
  • the incoming signals may be subjected to a low pass filter to remove noise and/or a high pass filter to remove drift in the signal.
  • Other filtering may also be performed on the readings, such as amplification, normalization, correction, etc.
  • a Fast Fourier Transform may be generated based on the filtered readings. Because the FFT captures the frequency of the signals of the breathing (which, as observed in Figure 4, may be a signal similar or comparable to a sine wave), the frequency with the highest amplitude in the FFT may represent the breathing rate of the user. While an FFT is described, any other processing or data analysis technique to determine a frequency response of a signal may be used.
  • readings from a pressure sensor may be captured for a given window of time.
  • the block 910 may be similar or comparable to the block 810 of Figure 8.
  • filtering may be performed on the readings.
  • the block 920 may be similar or comparable to the block 820 of Figure 8.
  • peaks in a graphical representation of the readings may be determined. For example, a series of local maximums may be found during the given window of time. The time of the peaks may be identified.
  • the average time difference between peaks may be measured. For example, the time difference between each of the identified peaks may be found, and the average of the time differences may be taken.
  • the average time difference of the block 940 may be inverted to determine the average breathing rate.
  • readings from a pressure sensor may be captured for a given window of time.
  • the block 1010 may be similar or comparable to the block 810 of Figure 8.
  • filtering may be performed on the readings.
  • the block 1020 may be similar or comparable to the block 820 of Figure 8.
  • peaks in a graphical representation of the readings may be determined.
  • the block 1030 may be similar or comparable to the block 930 of Figure 9.
  • a number of peaks in the given window of time may be counted. For example, the number of local maximums that occurred during the window of time may be tallied.
  • the number of peaks may be divided by the given window of time to determine an average breathing rate. For example, the number of peaks as determined in the block 1040 may be divided by the given time window for which the signals were collected in the block 1010.
  • Figure 11 illustrates a flowchart of an example method 1100 of determining an amount of pressure, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • One or more operations of the method 1100 may be performed by a system or device, or combinations thereof, such as the system 100, the object 110, and/or the processor 116 of Figure 1 ; the vehicle 200 of Figure 2; and/or the system 300, and/or the processor 316 of Figure 3.
  • a system or device or combinations thereof, such as the system 100, the object 110, and/or the processor 116 of Figure 1 ; the vehicle 200 of Figure 2; and/or the system 300, and/or the processor 316 of Figure 3.
  • various blocks of the method 1100 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation.
  • a constant voltage may be supplied across a circuit with FSRs and a constant resistor.
  • An example of such a circuit is illustrated in Figure 3.
  • Such a circuit may include a voltage divider circuit with a constant resistor in one branch of the voltage divider circuit and a set of FSRs in parallel in the other branch of the circuit.
  • the voltage drop across the FSRs may be measured.
  • the voltage between the two branches may be measured and the voltage at the branch as compared to the ground may represent the voltage drop across the FSRs.
  • the voltage drop may be converted to a digital value.
  • a DAQ may convert the reading of the voltage drop into a digital value that may be used by a microcontroller or processor.
  • conductance of the FSRs may be computed based on the constant voltage and the resistance of the constant resistor.
  • RFSR 1 +RFSR2+--+RFSRTI Rconstant solving for the summation of the variable resistors, where Ku may represent the source voltage, and V r may represent the voltage as measured in the circuit between the branch containing the variable resistors RFSR and the branch containing the constant resistor Rconstant.
  • the inverse of the resistance of the variable resistors RFSR may be the conductance of the FSRs.
  • an amount of pressure may be determined based on the conductance of the FSRs. For example, the conductance and/or resistance as determined at the block 1140 may be compared to a pressure threshold data structure to determine a corresponding amount of pressure.
  • Figure 12 illustrates a flowchart of an example method of determining an amount of pressure, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • One or more operations of the method 1200 may be performed by a system or device, or combinations thereof, such as the system 100, the object 110, and/or the processor 116 of Figure 1; the vehicle 200 of Figure 2; and/or the system 300, and/or the processor 316 of Figure 3.
  • a system or device or combinations thereof, such as the system 100, the object 110, and/or the processor 116 of Figure 1; the vehicle 200 of Figure 2; and/or the system 300, and/or the processor 316 of Figure 3.
  • various blocks of the method 1200 may be divided into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation.
  • one or more sensors associated with a first location of an automobile seat corresponding to a first transducer embedded in the seat may be monitored.
  • a transducer embedded within the automobile seat may have one or more pressure sensors dedicated to the transducer to facilitate determination of a transducer system state.
  • the pressure sensors may also be embedded within the automobile seat proximate the transducer.
  • the pressure sensors may work in cooperation to determine the transducer system state associated with the first transducer corresponding to the first location on the automobile seat.
  • the first location may be a surface of the automobile seat directly over where the first transducer is embedded in the automobile seat.
  • other sensors may be used, such as a camera, a thermocouple, an accelerometer, etc. to facilitate monitoring of the first location.
  • an event triggering an activating signal to be sent to the first transducer may be detected.
  • any of an ADAS alert, a lane departure warning, a door ajar signal, etc. may be the triggering event that is detected.
  • a processor associated with the automobile may detect the event and send the activating signal to the first transducer with certain accompanying processing.
  • the processing may include filtering out of certain components of the activating signal, such as a high frequency component and/or a low frequency component of the activating signal.
  • a determination may be made whether or not an occupant of the automobile seat is in contact with the first location. For example, based on compression of the foam and/or other material of which the automobile seat is made being compressed around the first location, the readings of a pressure sensors may change indicating that there is contact with a body of the occupant and the first location.
  • a thermocouple may facilitate measuring a temperature at or near the first location. If the temperature is elevated above the ambient temperature, it may be determined that the occupant is in contact with the first location.
  • an accelerometer may measure movement near the first location such that as the accelerometer moves due to compression of the automobile seat, a determination may be made that the occupant is in contact with the first location due to movement of the surface of the automobile seat at the first location.
  • a camera may capture an image, such as the views illustrated in Figures 6A and 6B, the analysis of which may indicate whether or not the occupant is in contact with the first location. If it is determined that the occupant is in contact with the automobile seat at the first location, the method 1200 may proceed to the block 1240. If it is determined that the occupant is not in contact with the automobile seat at the first location, the method 1200 may proceed to the block 1250.
  • the activating signal may be provided to the transducer such that the transducer generates tactile feedback.
  • the activating signal may be provided with normal operation, such as by using typical filtering because the occupant is in contact with the first location.
  • the activating signal may include a high frequency component and a low frequency component and the high frequency component may be filtered out at the block 1240 prior to sending the activating signal to the first transducer. After providing the tactile feedback to the occupant of the automobile seat at block 1240, the method 1200 may return to the block 1210.
  • the activating signal may be provided to the transducer such that the transducer generates an audible sound based on the occupant not being in contact with the first location.
  • the filtering that removes the high frequency component from the activating signal may be bypassed at the block 1250.
  • both a tactile sensation and an audible sound may be generated by the activating signal at the block 1250.
  • the occupant may shift so that they are in contact with the first location part-way through the activating signal.
  • the method 1200 may transition from providing an audible sound or a tactile response and an audible sound, to longer producing the audible sound when it is detected that the occupant is in contact with the first location.
  • the activating signal may be modified to produce an audible sound partway through the reproduction of the activating signal.
  • the method 1200 may return to the block 1210 to continue to monitor the sensors associated with the first location.
  • the methods 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 may be performed, in whole or in part, in some embodiments in a network environment, such as the environment 400. Additionally or alternatively, the methods 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 may be performed by a processor, such as a processor of the server 410, as described with respect to Figs. 4 and 5. In these and other embodiments, some or all of the steps of the methods 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 may be performed based on the execution of instructions stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media.
  • a processor may include any suitable special-purpose or general-purpose computer, computing entity, or processing device including various computer hardware or software modules and may be configured to execute instructions stored on any applicable computer-readable storage media.
  • the processor may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or any other digital or analog circuitry configured to interpret and/or to execute program instructions and/or to process data.
  • DSP digital signal processor
  • ASIC application-specific integrated circuit
  • FPGA Field-Programmable Gate Array
  • the processor may include any number of processors distributed across any number of networks or physical locations that may be configured to perform individually or collectively any number of operations described herein.
  • the processor may interpret and/or execute program instructions and/or processing data stored in the memory.
  • the device may perform operations, such as the operations performed by a processor of the server 410, as described with respect to Figs. 4 and 5.
  • memory as found in servers, databases, and the like may include computer-readable storage media or one or more computer-readable storage mediums for carrying or having computer-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon.
  • Such computer-readable storage media may be any available media that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, such as the processor.
  • such computer- readable storage media may include non-transitory computer-readable storage media including Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory devices (e.g., solid state memory devices), or any other storage medium which may be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and which may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. Combinations of the above may also be included within the scope of computer-readable storage media.
  • RAM Random Access Memory
  • ROM Read-Only Memory
  • EEPROM Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
  • CD-ROM Compact Disc Read-Only Memory
  • flash memory devices e.g., solid state memory devices
  • Combinations of the above may also be included within the scope of computer-readable storage media.
  • non-transitory should be construed to exclude only those types of transitory media that were found to fall outside the scope of patentable subject matter in the Federal Circuit decision of In re Nuijten, 500 F.3d 1346 (Fed. Cir. 2007).
  • computer-executable instructions may include, for example, instructions and data configured to cause the processor to perform a certain operation or group of operations as described in the present disclosure.
  • the various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale.
  • any disjunctive word or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms.
  • the phrase “A or B” should be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
  • first,” “second,” “third,” etc. are not necessarily used herein to connote a specific order or number of elements.
  • the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc. are used to distinguish between different elements as generic identifiers. Absence a showing that the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., connote a specific order, these terms should not be understood to connote a specific order. Furthermore, absence a showing that the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., connote a specific number of elements, these terms should not be understood to connote a specific number of elements.
  • a first widget may be described as having a first side and a second widget may be described as having a second side.
  • the use of the term “second side” with respect to the second widget may be to distinguish such side of the second widget from the “first side” of the first widget and not to connote that the second widget has two sides.

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé qui peut consister à surveiller un capteur associé à un premier emplacement d'un siège d'automobile, le premier emplacement correspondant à un premier transducteur intégré à l'intérieur du siège d'automobile et le siège d'automobile comprenant un second transducteur à un second emplacement à l'intérieur du siège d'automobile. Les premier et second transducteurs peuvent être configurés pour générer une rétroaction tactile lors de la réception d'un signal d'activation. Le procédé peut également consister à détecter un événement déclenchant le signal d'activation à envoyer au premier transducteur et, sur la base d'une lecture à partir du capteur indiquant qu'un occupant du siège d'automobile n'est pas en contact avec le premier emplacement, à modifier le signal d'activation de telle sorte que le premier transducteur produise principalement un son audible plutôt qu'une rétroaction tactile.
PCT/US2020/045523 2019-08-07 2020-08-07 Rétroaction physique dans des véhicules WO2021026513A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US16/534,845 US10674267B1 (en) 2019-08-07 2019-08-07 Physical feedback in vehicles
US16/534,845 2019-08-07
US202016890974A 2020-06-02 2020-06-02
US16/890,974 2020-06-02

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20170325039A1 (en) * 2016-05-09 2017-11-09 Subpac, Inc. Tactile sound device having active feedback system
US20190300020A1 (en) * 2016-08-05 2019-10-03 Subpac, Inc. Transducer system providing tactile sensations
US10457179B1 (en) * 2017-11-03 2019-10-29 Zoox, Inc. Immersive vehicle seats

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20170325039A1 (en) * 2016-05-09 2017-11-09 Subpac, Inc. Tactile sound device having active feedback system
US20190300020A1 (en) * 2016-08-05 2019-10-03 Subpac, Inc. Transducer system providing tactile sensations
US10457179B1 (en) * 2017-11-03 2019-10-29 Zoox, Inc. Immersive vehicle seats

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