Finger-mounted device with sensors and haptics

{
  "publication_number": "US10838499B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Finger-mounted device with sensors and haptics",
  "abstract": "A finger-mounted device may include finger-mounted units. The finger-mounted units may each have a body that serves as a support structure for components such as force sensors, accelerometers, and other sensors and for haptic output devices. The body may have sidewall portions coupled by a portion that rests adjacent to a user's fingernail. The body may be formed from deformable material such as metal or may be formed from adjustable structures such as sliding body portions that are coupled to each other using magnetic attraction, springs, or other structures. The body of each finger-mounted unit may have a U-shaped cross-sectional profile that leaves the finger pad of each finger exposed when the body is coupled to a fingertip of a user's finger. Control circuitry may gather finger press input, lateral finger movement input, and finger tap input using the sensors and may provide haptic output using the haptic output device.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A finger-mounted device configured to be worn on a finger of a user, the finger having a fingertip with a fingernail on one surface and a finger pad on an opposing surface, the finger-mounted device comprising: a body configured to be coupled to the fingertip, wherein the body has a first portion that covers the fingernail of the fingertip, a second portion that extends down a first side portion of the fingertip, and a third portion that extends down a second side portion of the fingertip, wherein the body leaves the finger pad of the fingertip exposed, and wherein the second and thirs portions are configured to move relative to one another to attach to the fingertip; a sensor in the second portion of the body; a haptic output device coupled to the body; and control circuitry configured to provide haptic output to the user's finger using the haptic output device.",
    "2. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 further comprising an accelerometer coupled to the body, wherein the control circuitry is configured to gather finger tap input with the accelerometer.",
    "3. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 2 wherein the sensor comprises a force sensor, wherein the control circuitry includes wireless communications circuitry configured to wirelessly transmit the finger tap information and force information from the force sensor that is associated with finger pressure applied with the finger to a surface.",
    "4. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 further comprising an optical sensor coupled to the body.",
    "5. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 4 further comprising a light-emitting diode coupled to the body.",
    "6. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the finger-mounted device further comprises a biasing structure coupled between the second and third portions that is configured to pull the second and third portions together.",
    "7. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the body comprises a deformable metal layer coated with polymer.",
    "8. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the body comprises magnetic portions that couple the second and third portions together.",
    "9. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 further comprising a compressible layer on an inner surface of the body.",
    "10. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a force sensor and wherein the control circuit is configured to gather force measurements with the force sensor that are associated with pressure applied by the finger.",
    "11. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 10 wherein the control circuit is configured to provide the haptic output based on the force measurements.",
    "12. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 10 wherein the second and third portions of the body form respective first and second sidewall portions, wherein the first portion couples the first and second sidewall portions to each other, and wherein the haptic output device is mounted to one of the first and second sidewall portions.",
    "13. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 10 wherein the force sensor comprises a piezoelectric force sensor.",
    "14. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 10 wherein the force sensor comprises a capacitive force sensor.",
    "15. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the haptic output device comprises a piezoelectric haptic output device.",
    "16. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the haptic output device is configured to gather force sensor input for the control circuitry.",
    "17. The finger-mounted electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a force sensor, the finger-mounted device further comprising: an accelerometer, wherein the control circuitry is configured to drive the haptic output device with pulses at a frequency of 1-300 Hz in response to detection of output from a selected one of: the force sensor and the accelerometer.",
    "18. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the haptic output device is configured to provide force sensor measurements to the control circuitry.",
    "19. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the haptic output comprises haptic output selected from the group consisting of: virtual reality haptic output and augmented reality haptic output.",
    "20. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of: an optical sensor and an accelerometer.",
    "21. A finger-mounted device configured to be worn on a fingertip of a user, the finger-mounted device comprising: a force sensor; a haptic output device; an accelerometer; a fingertip unit having a support structure with a top portion that overlaps a fingernail of the fingertip and two side portions that extend down first and second opposing sides of the fingertip while leaving a finger pad of the fingertip exposed, wherein the two side portions are configured to move relative to one another to attach to the fingertip, wherein one of the two side portions of the support structure is coupled to the force sensor, and wherein the support structure is coupled to the haptic output device and the accelerometer; and control circuitry configured to gather information from the force sensor and the accelerometer and configured to supply drive signals to the haptic output device.",
    "22. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 21 wherein the control circuitry comprises wireless circuitry with which the control circuitry wirelessly transmits the information from the force sensor and the accelerometer.",
    "23. The finger-mounted device defined in claim 21 wherein the support structure has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile.",
    "24. Apparatus, comprising: a finger-mounted support structure having a U-shaped cross-sectional profile with first and second portions that form sidewalls that extend down side portions of a user's fingertip while leaving a finger pad of the fingertip exposed, wherein the sidewalls are coupled by a third portion and wherein the first and second portions are configured to move relative to one another to attach to the fingertip; a force sensor located on the first portion; an accelerometer located on the third portion; and a haptic output device coupled to the finger-mounted support structure.",
    "25. The apparatus defined in claim 24 wherein the finger-mounted support structure has a deformable metal layer configured to deform to adjust a separation distance between the first and second portions.",
    "26. The apparatus defined in claim 24 wherein the third portion has portions that slide with respect to each other to adjust a separation distance between the first and second portions.",
    "27. The apparatus defined in claim 24 wherein the third portion includes a component with electrically adjustable flexibility.",
    "28. The apparatus defined in claim 24 further comprising an electronic device with a camera that tracks movements of the finger-mounted support structure and that is configured to display visual elements.",
    "29. The apparatus defined in claim 28 wherein the electronic device comprises a head-mounted device with a display that displays the visual elements and wherein the head-mounted device is configured to move the displayed visual elements on the display based on information from the accelerometer.",
    "30. The apparatus defined in claim 28 wherein the electronic device comprises a head-mounted device with a display that displays the visual elements and wherein the head-mounted device is configured to move the displayed visual elements on the display based on information from the force sensor while supplying the haptic output with the haptic output device as feedback.",
    "31. The apparatus defined in claim 28 further comprising a visual marker that is tracked using the camera.",
    "32. The apparatus defined in claim 31 wherein the visual marker comprises an infrared light-emitting diode on the finger-mounted support structure."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/526,792, filed on Jun. 29, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.\n\nThis relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to wearable electronic devices.\n\nElectronic equipment such as computers and head-mounted display systems are sometimes controlled using input-output devices such as gloves. A glove may have sensors that detect user hand motions. The user hand motions can be used in controlling electronic equipment.\n\nThe use of wearable devices to gather input for controlling electronic equipment can pose challenges. If care is not taken, a device such as a glove may affect the ability of a user to feel objects in the user's surroundings, may be uncomfortable to use, or may not gather suitable input from the user.\n\nA finger-mounted device may include finger-mounted units coupled to control circuitry. The control circuitry may wirelessly transmit information gathered with the finger mounted units to an external device to control the external device. The control circuitry may also use the finger-mounted units to provide a user's fingers with feedback such as haptic feedback. For example, the control circuitry may supply haptic output to a user's fingers based on wirelessly received information from the external device. The haptic output may correspond to virtual reality or augmented reality haptic output.\n\nThe finger-mounted units may each have a body. The body serves as a support structure for components such as force sensors, accelerometers, and other sensors and for haptic output devices.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06F 3/016",
    "G01L 1/14",
    "G01L 1/16",
    "G01P 15/00",
    "G01P 15/003",
    "G02B 2027/0178",
    "G02B 27/017",
    "G06F 2203/0331",
    "G06F 3/014",
    "G06F 3/017",
    "G06F 3/0346",
    "G06F 3/0421",
    "G06F 3/0426",
    "G06F 3/04815",
    "G06F 3/04886",
    "G06T 19/006"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G01P 15/00",
    "G02B 27/01",
    "G06F 3/01",
    "G06F 3/0346",
    "G06F 3/042",
    "G06F 3/0481",
    "G06F 3/0488",
    "G06T 19/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Apple Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Paul X. Wang",
    "Alex J. Lehmann",
    "Michael J. Rockwell",
    "Michael Y. Cheung",
    "Ray L. Chang",
    "Hongcheng Sun",
    "Ian M. Bullock",
    "Kyle J. NEKIMKEN",
    "Madeleine S. Cordier",
    "Seung Wook Kim",
    "David H. Bloom",
    "Scott G. Johnston"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-06-21",
  "publication_date": "2020-11-17",
  "grant_date": "2020-11-17",
  "priority_date": "2017-06-29",
  "application_number": "US-201816015043-A",
  "family_id": "64738080",
  "cited_by_count": 21,
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