| 摘要 |
A vibro-tactile cutaneous alert stimulation and massaging system for equipment such as a vehicle includes a pad; a heater element, and motorized vibrators in respective regions of the pad; a plurality of vibratory transducers for location relative to plural zones of the seat, each transducer being responsive to a transducer power signal; a microprocessor controller having program and variable memory and an input and output interface; an array of input elements connected to the input interface for signaling the microprocessor in response to operator input, the signaling including an intensity control value, a plurality of mode signals, and a plurality of region signals relating transducers to be enabled; and a driver circuit responsive to the output interface for producing the power signal separately for each of the transducers. The controller responds to the input elements to activate the transducers in: a massaging mode selectively producing activation of the drive signals at adjustable intensity corresponding to the intensity control value; and an alert mode producing a predetermined sequence of vibro-tactile cutaneous alert stimulation cycles, each alert stimulation cycle having idle portion between 1 and 30 seconds, and an active portion of sufficient duration, frequency, and intensity for selectively stimulating the muscle groups of the driver for improving the driver's alertness, the intensity of vibration in the alert mode being greater than the maximum intensity in the massaging mode. Additional transducers can be spaced along a restraining seat belt for imparting directionally oriented stimuli warning of an impending collision. Also disclosed are methods for alerting a vehicle driver and for tactile-signaling a directionally oriented external condition to a vehicle driver or occupant.
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