United States Patent: 8028644
| United States Patent | 8,028,644 |
| Wagner , et al. | October 4, 2011 |
Cable driven tactor
Abstract A tactor system transforms cable motion to tactor motion. A housing defining a plane is adapted for placement proximate to the skin of a user. A cable is operative to deform a tactor element in the housing, causing a portion of the element to move outwardly from the plane of the housing, thereby imparting a tactile sensation to the user's skin. For example, tension on the cable may cause a strip of flexible plastic or other suitable material to bend at a living hinge that moves outwardly from the plane of the housing. The cable may be driven by an actuator including. Two or more tactor elements may be disposed next to each other or in the same housing, with different elements being activated at different times to enhance the apparent frequency of the stimulus. For example, a reciprocating mechanism may be used to operate a pair of tactor elements out of phase with respect to one another. The cable may be controlled by a remote reciprocating mechanism, with a physical quick disconnect mechanism provided between the reciprocating mechanism and the cable.
| Inventors: | Wagner; Christopher R. (Simi Valley, CA), Christiana; Amanda (Ann Arbor, MI), Jacobus; Charles J. (Ann Arbor, MI) |
| Assignee: | Cybernet Systems Corporation (Ann Arbor, MI) |
| Appl. No.: | 12/272,922 |
| Filed: | November 18, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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| Application Number | Filing Date | Patent Number | Issue Date |
| 60992163 | Dec., 2007 |
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| Current U.S. Class: | 116/205 ; 74/469 |
| Current International Class: | G08B 6/00 (20060101); G09B 21/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: | 116/205 74/469 340/407.1,407.2 414/5 434/112 601/97,101,103,107,108,111,DIG.20 |
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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| 2362329 |
| Nov., 2001 |
| GB |
| 2001183973 |
| Jul., 2001 |
| JP |
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Primary Examiner: Smith; Richard A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Gifford, Krass, Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
Government Interests
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. N68335-07-C-0259 awarded by the United States Navy. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
