Apparatus and method for generating a control signal for a tactile sensation generator

Apparatus for generating a control signal for a tactile sensation generator comprising:

• a front end circuit for forming a composite audio signal from a stereophonic audio signal;
• a variable gain preamplifier, connected to said front end circuit, for amplifying said composite audio signal;
• an equalizer, connected to said preamplifier, for selectively filtering said amplified composite audio signal;
• a rectifier, connected to said equalizer, for rectifying the equalized signal;
• a peak hold circuit, connected to said rectifier, for temporarily holding the rectified signal and for adding a DC bias to the rectified signal to generate a processed signal;
• and
• a control signal generator, connected to said peak hold circuit, for generating, in response to said processed signal, a control signal for said tactile sensation generator.

A method of generating a control signal for a tactile sensation generator comprising the steps of:

• forming a composite audio signal from a stereophonic audio signal;
• amplifying said composite audio signal;
• selectively filtering said amplified composite audio signal;
• rectifying the equalized signal;
• temporarily holding the rectified signal and for adding a DC bias to the rectified signal to generate a processed signal;
• and
• generating, in response to said processed signal, a control signal for said tactile sensation generator.