Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Cursor mark position control device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-07
2004-06-08
Liang, Regina (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Cursor mark position control device
C345S161000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06747631
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tactile information transmission system for transmission of various information through tactile sensation of human fingers and a tactile information perception apparatus, and more particularly relates to a system for information transmission by means of perception of the motion of a part on which a human hand finger touches and a driving power generation apparatus suitably used for such system or apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many cases, the tactile sensation is the decisive sensation for recognizing or judging an object among perception information perceived by sense organs such as eyes, ears, nose, hands, and fingers. It is likely that a person understands and is convinced of the feeling such as surface smoothness and roughness or weight of an object by touching it with hands and fingers and makes various decisions after such perception.
On the other hand, the information of commodities or exhibitions, which cannot be obtained by touching with hands and fingers, displayed on a screen of a television set or a personal computer, or the information of commodities introduced on documents such as journals, pamphlets, or catalogues, cannot be perceived through atmosphere and perception though the object can be recognized in word or visually. A person fills the lack of information by estimation and stores the estimation in the brain and is convinced of it.
Therefore, the depth of understanding based on the visual single information is apt to be shallower than that based on the information with tactile sensation, as the result the erroneous judgment is caused due to the vague memory.
However, the development and spread of information communication apparatus have been addressed mainly on visual information so far such as Internet, and the information transmission based on visual sensation and auditory sensation, which has been popular so far, has made great progress. Therefore, after full development and spread of visual information transmission apparatuses, it is expected that the demand for tactile information transmission will grow.
As the information transmission tool based on the tactile sensation, Braille has been known for long years for use by visually handicapped persons. Semi-three dimensional resin documents made by press-molding originated from a mold as tools for transmission or recognition of diagrammatic configurational information such as maps have been known.
Furthermore, the transmission of such character information or configurational information by means of an electronic information apparatus has been tried, and some examples are disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho 59-168483, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 2-5081, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 5-333765, Japanese Published Unexamined Utility Model Application No. Hei 5-96863, U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,576, etc.
Apparatuses disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho 59-198483, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 2-5081, and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 5-333765 are the ones for displaying Braille, plural pins are activated and controlled so that some pins are projected and some pins are recessed to thereby generate the Braille cord.
The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Utility Model Application No. Hei 5-96863 functions as a three-dimensional display, plural pins arranged in a matrix format are driven individually in the vertical direction by a driving source, and the position in the height direction is controlled. Therefore, characters or diagrams are displayed three-dimensionally by means of a set of plural pins.
The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,576 has the structure for presenting tactile information to a fingertip, is provided with a robot manipulator having a link mechanism, and is provided with a fingerstall at the tip of the manipulator into which a finger is to be inserted. An operator inserts a finger into the fingerstall, and moves the finger with viewing a pointer that appears on a computer screen to thereby perceive the configuration and soft-hard feeling of an object on the screen.
On the other hand, an input apparatus by which a user can perceive an object by means of correlation between a displayed image and vibration that is perceived by a hand and fingers has been known (product of Sony Co., brand name is DUALSHOCK). The apparatus generates various sensation by selecting the vibration frequency and interval.
An apparatus that drives a mouse by providing the electromagnetic force from a mouse pad instead of a mouse for selecting an image by use of pointer displayed on a display (the technique name is FEELitMOUSE, product of Immersion Co.). The mass feeling of a displayed image at the portion where a pointer is overlapped with moving of a mouse, and vibration corresponding to the roughness of the imaginary object such as a button or window are transmitted to a user through tactile sensation. Though the detailed structure of this apparatus has not been disclosed, it is estimated that a dedicated mouse is placed on a dedicated mouse pad having a built-in processor for performing arithmetic operation corresponding to tactile sensation, and the mouse is moved by means of an electromagnetic mechanism.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 7-191798 discloses an apparatus that feeds back tactile information to an input user by rotational control of a sphere provided in an input apparatus.
The apparatus gives tactile sensation as if a finger is sliding on an object of a certain configuration or as if a certain object is moving by a method in which a ball is in contact with fingers or a hand of a user and the ball is driven rotationally.
However, these conventional apparatus described hereinabove are disadvantageous as described hereunder.
The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho 59-198483, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 2-5081, and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 5-333465 must express the information in the form of Braille code information because the apparatus only has binary expression capability namely projected pins and recessed pins. Therefore all the information is transmitted through language, and configuration such as analogue contour lines or movement captured sensuously cannot be expressed.
The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 5-96863 has the structure for controlling many pin positions and is capable of expressing three-dimensional configuration, but is not capable of dynamic expression because the apparatus is structured on the premise that the apparatus is used in static state.
Many pins are moved independently in the apparatus, and it is required to control pins individually, such a mechanism requires complex structure and complex control.
The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,576 gives the touching force sensation information on one fingertip and is capable of giving sensation of configuration and hard/soft feeling. An operator moves his wrist or arm by himself and perceives a reaction force on the extension of the movement. In other words, the hand searches around the information in a virtual space, and the operator cannot acquire the information unless the operator moves actively.
The apparatus has the structure that converts the rotational motion of electromagnetic motors provided in many directions to obtain the driving force in the plural directions to the swing rotation of plural swing arms, and such structure requires a large volume for containing the driving mechanism for motion in plural directions. The distance from the motor, which is the driving source, to the arm tip where an operator perceives is too long in the structure and the force is transmitted by way of many connection members, as the result it is difficult to transmit we
Okamura Koichiro
Sakamaki Katsumi
Tsukamoto Kazuyuki
Fuji 'Xerox Co., Ltd.
Liang Regina
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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