Contact type tactile feedback apparatus and operating method of contact type tactile feedback apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US9870682B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Contact type tactile feedback apparatus and operating method of contact type tactile feedback apparatus",
  "abstract": "A contact type tactile feedback apparatus and operational method of the contact type tactile feedback apparatus is provided. The contact type tactile feedback apparatus may enable an object to be in close contact with a power feedback portion to transfer a power sensed by a sensor, using a fixing portion, thereby enabling the object to recognize the power, intuitively.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus comprising: a tactile feedback portion configured to move a finger in at least one direction based on a signal; and a fixing portion configured to adjust a gap between the tactile feedback portion and the fixing portion through a movement of the fixing portion to place the finger in closer contact with the tactile feedback portion, wherein the tactile feedback portion and the fixing portion are configured to enclose a portion of the finger placed within the gap, and wherein the signal is associated with tactile feedback from a remote sensor in a remote device or a virtual object in a virtual space.",
    "2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback is generated based on power applied to the remote device, and wherein the remote device is controlled based on a movement of the finger.",
    "3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback is generated based on power applied to the virtual object, and wherein the virtual object is controlled based on a movement of the finger.",
    "4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback portion is configured to provide tactile feedback to the finger.",
    "5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the fixing portion is configured to adjust the gap to fix the finger between the tactile feedback portion and the fixing portion.",
    "6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback portion comprises: a first tactile feedback portion comprising n first actuators to support a lower portion of a first contact portion that is in contact with an upper surface of the finger; and a second tactile feedback portion configured to receive the first tactile feedback portion, the second tactile feedback portion comprising m second actuators configured to move the first tactile feedback portion, from a side of the first tactile feedback portion, in a second direction that is different than the first direction, wherein n and m denote natural numbers.",
    "7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixing portion comprises: actuators configured to press, in a second direction that is different than the first direction, a second contact portion that is in contact with an upper surface of the finger.",
    "8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fixing portion is controlled to adjust the gap based on a fixing signal that is dependent on a thickness of the finger.",
    "9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to apply a force, proportional to a force sensed by the remote sensor, to the finger through the tactile feedback portion while the finger is made to be in close contact with the tactile feedback portion through control of the fixing portion.",
    "10. A method of providing a tactile feedback, comprising: moving a tactile feedback portion in at least one direction towards a finger based on a signal; and adjusting a gap between the tactile feedback portion and a fixing portion through a movement of the fixing portion to place the finger in closer contact with the tactile feedback portion, wherein the tactile feedback portion and the fixing portion are configured to enclose a portion of the finger placed within the gap, and wherein the signal is associated with tactile feedback from a remote sensor in a remote device or a virtual object in a virtual space.",
    "11. The method of claim 10, wherein the tactile feedback is generated based on power applied to the remote device, and wherein the remote device is controlled based on a movement of the finger.",
    "12. The method of claim 10, wherein the tactile feedback is generated based on power applied to the virtual object, and wherein the virtual object is controlled based on a movement of the finger.",
    "13. The method of claim 10, wherein the tactile feedback portion is configured to provide tactile feedback to the finger.",
    "14. The method of claim 13, wherein the moving of the tactile feedback portion comprises moving the tactile feedback portion relative to the finger located between the tactile feedback portion and the fixing portion.",
    "15. The method of claim 10, wherein the moving comprises: moving the tactile feedback portion in a Z-axial direction based on a first signal associated with a tactile feedback, and moving the tactile feedback portion in an X-axial direction or a Y-axial direction, based on a second signal associated with a tactile feedback.",
    "16. The method of claim 10, wherein the fixing portion is controlled to adjust the gap based on a fixing signal that is dependent on a thickness of the finger.",
    "17. The method of claim 10, further comprising transferring a force, proportional to a force sensed by the remote sensor, to the finger through the tactile feedback portion while the finger is made to be in close contact with the tactile feedback portion through control of the fixing portion.",
    "18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to implement a method of providing a tactile feedback, the method comprising: moving a tactile feedback portion towards a finger based on a signal associated with a tactile feedback; and adjusting a gap between the tactile feedback portion and a fixing portion through a movement of the fixing portion to place the finger in closer contact with the tactile feedback portion, wherein the tactile feedback portion and the fixing portion are configured to enclose a portion of the finger placed within the gap, and wherein the signal is associated with tactile feedback from a remote sensor in a remote device or a virtual object in a virtual space."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field\n\nExample embodiments relate to a technology for transferring a sensed power to an object, for example, a finger of a user, by expressing the sensed power as a physical movement.\n\n2. Description of the Related Art\n\nResearch on a haptic feedback is actively being performed, as a technology for feeling power, that is, a tactile sense. The haptic feedback refers to artificially generating and transferring a sense that is felt when actually controlling an object with a hand or arm of a human in order to intuitively control, for example, an object in a virtual space or a robot at a far distance. As an example, a haptic feedback apparatus may provide a feedback in a manner of adjusting a level of a load that is felt while controlling a device, when a human controls an object in a virtual space or a robot at a far distance using a specially designed device, for example, a control stick.\n\nSince a relatively great portion of a tactile sense is distributed in a finger, among body parts, a user controls an object with a finger in a sophisticated manner, and easily recognizes strength of a power required to control the object. Accordingly, in order to control an object in a sophisticated manner, using a robot, there is a desire for a technology that transfers, to a finger of a user, power applied to a finger of the robot or power applied to the object by the robot, and enables the user to recognize the power intuitively, thereby controlling power used to control the robot, in a sophisticated manner, based on the recognized power.",
  "cpc": [
    "G08B 6/00",
    "B06B 1/10",
    "B25J 19/00",
    "B25J 3/00",
    "G06F 3/016"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 3/01",
    "G08B 6/00",
    "H04B 3/36"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Samsung Electronics Co Ltd",
    "Industry University Cooperation Foundation of Sogang University"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Joonah Park",
    "Hyung Kew Lee",
    "Eun Hyup Doh",
    "Kwang Seok Yun"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-02-13",
  "publication_date": "2018-01-16",
  "grant_date": "2018-01-16",
  "priority_date": "2012-04-04",
  "application_number": "US-201514621695-A",
  "family_id": "49291848",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US3822629A",
    "US4810249A",
    "JPH05232859A",
    "US6184868B1",
    "US6445284B1",
    "US20100046994A1",
    "JP2003316493A",
    "JP2003337653A",
    "US20050187438A1",
    "JP2005293512A",
    "US8570163B2",
    "US20100270089A1",
    "JP2009276996A",
    "US20090303022A1",
    "US8174372B2",
    "KR20100091382A",
    "US20100321330A1",
    "JP2011067609A",
    "US8976013B2"
  ]
}