Method and apparatus for tactile haptic device to guide user in real-time obstacle avoidance
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsGARY W. BEHM, RICHARD E. VON MERING
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for providing information about a physical surrounding environment to a user includes; a handle, at least one sensor operatively coupled to the handle, a plurality of dual purpose, bi-directional haptic force feedback devices coupled to the handle, and a processor which receives signals from the at least one sensor and controls force feedback of the plurality of dual purpose, bi-directional haptic force feedback devices to convey information about the physical surrounding environment sensed by the at least one sensor.
Claims20
An apparatus for providing information about a physical surrounding environment to a user, the apparatus comprising:
- a body;
- at least one sensor coupled to the body;
- at least one dual purpose, bi-directional haptic force feedback device coupled to the body;
- and
- a processor which receives signals from the at least one sensor and operatively controls the at least one dual purpose, bi-directional haptic force feedback device to convey information about the physical surrounding environment sensed by the at least one sensor.
A method of providing information about a physical surrounding environment to a user, the method comprising:
- transmitting at least one sensing signal to the physical surrounding environment;
- receiving a modified sensing signal from the physical surrounding environment;
- and
- controlling a plurality of dual purpose, bi-directional haptic force feedback devices, the controlling being based on the modified sensing signal.
An apparatus for providing information about a physical surrounding environment to a user, the apparatus comprising:
- a handle;
- at least one sensor operatively coupled to the handle;
- a plurality of dual purpose, bi-directional haptic force feedback mechanisms coupled to the handle;
- a vibrator coupled to the handle;
- and
- a processor which receives signals from the at least one sensor and controls force feedback of the plurality of dual purpose, bi-directional haptic force feedback mechanisms and vibration of the vibrator to convey information about the physical surrounding environment sensed by the at least one sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.