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US 6,786,863 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for remote physical contact
AssigneeDADT Holdings, LLC
InventorTouraj Abbasi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Remote physical contact using mechanical surrogates that replicate anatomical components. Pressure, temperature and displacement sensors perceive action upon the surrogate. Actuators for pressure temperatures and displacement enable a second surrogate to mimic the contact imparted on the first. A computer program implements the method by sending contact messages comprising contact characteristics that describe the nature of a physical contact perceived by a surrogate with full duplex capability. A human lip surrogate enables two people to kiss remotely.
Claims14
A method for enabling remote physical contact comprising the steps of:
- initiating a first mechanical surrogate attached to a first computing device wherein said first mechanical surrogate comprises a first model of an anatomical component comprising a first sensor to detect actions imparted on it, wherein said first sensor in said first mechanical surrogate comprises a thermal sensor;
- accepting an address for a second computing device from a user;
- establishing a communications link with said second computing device via said address;
- initiating a second mechanical surrogate attached to said second computing device wherein said second mechanical surrogate comprises a second model of an anatomical component comprising a second actuator able to mimic actions imparted on said first mechanical surrogate, wherein said second actuator in said second mechanical surrogate is a heater-cooler;
- receiving in said first computing device sensory input from said first mechanical surrogate that is indicative of an action imparted on said first mechanical surrogate;
- creating in said first computing device a contact message reflecting said sensory input;
- conveying said contact message to said second computing device using said communication link;
- commanding said actuator in said second mechanical surrogate in accordance with said contact message in order to mimic said action imparted onto said first mechanical surrogate;
- attenuating from sensory input from said second mechanical surrogate action components induced by said second actuator in said second mechanical surrogate resulting from said commanding;
- receiving video information from a video camera attached to said first computing device;
- compressing said video information;
- conveying said video information to said second computing device using said communication link wherein said second computing device further comprises a graphics display;
- displaying said video information on said graphics display of said second computing device;
- receiving audio information from a microphone attached to said first computing device;
- conveying said audio information to said second computing device using said communication link wherein said second computing device further comprises an audio output unit;
- dispatching said audio information to said audio output unit of said second computing device;
- receiving textual information from a keyboard attached to said first computing device;
- conveying said textual information to said second computing device using said communication link wherein said second computing device further comprises a text display unit;
- displaying said textual information on said text display unit of said second computing device;
- and,
- storing said contact message, said video information, said audio information and said text information for future playback.
18 more elements
A computer program for affecting remote physical contact, said computer program executing in a tangible memory medium comprising:
- an interface manager that establishes connections with a remote computer program using a computer readable media;
- a sensor process that
- receives sensor input signals from a first mechanical surrogate;
- creates a first contact message that reflects the nature of the contact as indicated by said senor input signals;
- conveys said first contact message to a remote process by way of said computer readable media;
- a response actuator process that
- receives a second contact message from a remote process by way of the computer readable media;
- commands an actuator in or on a second mechanical surrogate to cause said second mechanical surrogate to replicate a contact according to said second contact message wherein said second mechanical surrogate attenuates a sensory input from said second mechanical surrogate's action components induced by said actuator in said second mechanical surrogate resulting from said command;
- and,
- a video camera, a microphone and a keyboard attached to a first computing device, said first computing device capable of compressing and conveying video, audio and textual information to a second computing device using said computer readable media wherein said second computing device comprises a graphics display and speakers.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.