Animal assistive communication system
OwnerDanielle Reddinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system may include a plurality of selectable input zones, contact surfaces disposed at the plurality of selectable input zones, and one or more processors programmed to detect contact events independently at each selectable input zone. The one or more processors are programmed to measure a duration of contact events using independent timers associated with each selectable input zone, determine contact events within a first predetermined duration interval as intentional communicative input, determine contact events exceeding a second predetermined duration interval as stabilization behavior, and respond to communicative input at a first selectable input zone during sustained load-bearing contact at a second selectable input zone.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a plurality of selectable input zones;
- contact surfaces disposed at the plurality of selectable input zones and configured for activation by animal appendages;
- one or more sensors associated with the plurality of selectable input zones and configured to generate electrical signals in response to deformation or contact of the contact surfaces by an animal appendage;
- and
- one or more processors programmed to:
- detect contact events independently at each selectable input zone;
- measure a duration of contact events using independent timers associated with each selectable input zone;
- determine contact events within a first predetermined duration interval as intentional communicative input;
- determine contact events exceeding a second predetermined duration interval as stabilization behavior;
- and
- respond to communicative input at a first selectable input zone during sustained load-bearing contact at a second selectable input zone.
A method for controlling an animal assistive communication system, comprising:
- mechanically activating one or more selectable input zones using deformable contact surfaces configured for activation by animal appendages;
- detecting contact events independently at each of the one or more selectable input zones;
- measuring contact duration for each selectable input zone using independent timers;
- determining contact events occurring within a first predetermined duration interval as intentional communicative input;
- determining contact events exceeding a second predetermined duration interval as stabilization behavior;
- and
- detecting communicative input at a first selectable input zone while sustained stabilization contact is maintained at a second selectable input zone without suppressing responsiveness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.