Tactile pattern music generator and player

摘要

A device that produces patterned tactile sensations or events discernible to human touch from micro-actuators housed in a fabric, or other pliable material, where such actuated sensations or events are discernible by a user donning the fabric. The device is configured to convert electronically stored music or audio data into a sequence of patterned tactile sensations or events in a matrix across the fabric, providing a tactile representation of the music or audio data to the user. The discernible tactile sensations or events may alternately comprise retractable physical features, electric stimuli, and/or combinations of these.

主权项

1. A tactile pattern player comprising:
a. an electric power source configured to produce one or more electric impulses; b. a memory unit configured to store electronic data, the electronic data comprising music; c. a computer processor operatively associated with the electric power source to control the production of the electric impulses, the computer processor operatively associated with the memory unit to retrieve electronic data stored in the memory unit; and d. a plurality of tactile actuators operatively associated with the electric power source and the computer processor, the plurality of actuators comprising a matrix, each of said actuators configured to produce a tactile event in response to one or more of said electric impulses being applied to the actuator, each such tactile event discernible by human touch; wherein the computer processor is programmed with a set of computer executable instructions that convert at least a portion of the electronic data stored in the memory unit into a series of commands to the power source to selectively apply a corresponding plurality of electric impulses to the plurality of actuators to produce a pattern of tactile events defined by the computer executable instructions.