Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and apparatus for the modulation of an acoustic field for providing tactile sensations. A method of creating haptic feedback using ultrasound is provided. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of ultrasound waves with a common focal point using a phased array of ultrasound transducers, the common focal point being a haptic feedback point, and modulating the generation of the ultrasound waves using a waveform selected to produce little or no audible sound at the haptic feedback point.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods to manipulate a given parametrized haptic curve in order to yield a smooth phase function for each acoustic transducer which minimizes unwanted parametric audio. Further, the impulse response of a haptic system describes the behavior of the system over time and can be convolved with a given input to simulate a response to that input. To produce a specific response, a deconvolution with the impulse response is necessary to generate an input.

Abstract: Mid-air ultrasonic haptic devices operate by manipulating an acoustic field to produce a haptic effect on a user. Addressing mid-air haptic devices which abstracts the most basic acoustic fundamental from that of a point to a “primitive” provides tools to adjust shape, location, and amplitude. A primitive can be designed to provide a haptic effect at the location targeted, removing the requirement of the designer needing to understand methods to create a haptic sensation. Further, a control scheme for a set of dynamic acoustic phased-array solvers is presented which enables a distributed system to compensate for unwanted time-of-flight artifacts at low cost. This is achieved by recursively subdividing the system into subtrees of phased-array nodes whose output can be estimated and the desired field drive distributed amongst the nodes.

Abstract: In one general aspect, a method can include receiving a search query and causing display of a first search result and a second search result within a display area of a browser in response to the search query. In response to a selection of the first search result, the method can include causing display of a webpage within a display area of the browser, and causing display of a first search result indicator corresponding with the first search result and a second search result indicator corresponding with the second search result in a search result area outside of the display area where the search result area is within the browser. In some implementations, the method includes causing display of the search result area in response to interaction with the display of the webpage in the display area.

Abstract: Estimating the field strength from an ultrasonic phased array can be done by summing the contribution of each transducer to the point of interest. Since this contribution is already calculated when creating a converging spherical wave, it can be reused to add a virtual microphone to the system. By monitoring this microphone and moving it along with new focus points, a robust system of field estimates and regulation may be established.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and apparatus for the modulation of an acoustic field for providing tactile sensations. A method of creating haptic feedback using ultrasound is provided. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of ultrasound waves with a common focal point using a phased array of ultrasound transducers, the common focal point being a haptic feedback point, and modulating the generation of the ultrasound waves using a waveform selected to produce little or no audible sound at the haptic feedback point.

Abstract: In one general aspect, a method can include causing display of a webpage within a display area of a browser, and causing display of a search area indicator associated with an area of the webpage. The method can include receiving a selection of the search area indicator. In response to the selection of the search area indicator being received the method can include defining an image corresponding to the area, and triggering a search query based on the image. The method can include receiving a search result in response to the search query, and causing display of the search result in a search result area outside of the display area where the search result area is within the browser.

Abstract: A deck apparatus for assembly with a pair of opposing brace frames interconnected by a pair opposing connector bases and a deck board top frame having a plurality of deck boards disposed thereon, the connector bases having opposing posts for being received in openings in a lower end of the opposing brace frames ends and the deck board top frame having posts for being received in an upper end of the opposing brace frames, and optionally attaching a stairs riser having a plurality of spaced-apart treads or a ramp riser for extending from a deck surface at a height to a vertically lower support surface.

Abstract: An acoustic matching structure is used to increase the power radiated from a transducing element with a higher impedance into a surrounding acoustic medium with a lower acoustic impedance. The acoustic matching structure consists of a thin, substantially planar cavity bounded by a two end walls and a side wall. The end walls of the cavity are formed by a blocking plate wall and a transducing element wall separated by a short distance (less than one quarter of the wavelength of acoustic waves in the surrounding medium at the operating frequency). The end walls and side wall bound a cavity with diameter approximately equal to half of the wavelength of acoustic waves in the surrounding medium. In operation, a transducing element generates acoustic oscillations in the fluid in the cavity.

Abstract: To resolve an issue related to the calibration of optical cameras in transducer-based mid-air haptic systems, the magnification of the motion induced on an optical camera by an acoustic field modulated at specific frequencies reveals very small temporal variations in video frames. This quantized distortion is used to compare different acoustic fields and to solve the calibration problem in an automatized manner. Further, mechanical resonators may be excited by ultrasound when it is modulated at the resonant frequency. When enough energy is transferred and when operating at the correct frequency, a user in contact with the device can feel vibration near areas of largest displacement. This effect can be exploited to create devices which can produce haptic feedback while not carrying a battery or exciter when in the presence of an ultrasonic source.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and apparatus for the modulation of an acoustic field for providing tactile sensations. A method of creating haptic feedback using ultrasound is provided. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of ultrasound waves with a common focal point using a phased array of ultrasound transducers, the common focal point being a haptic feedback point, and modulating the generation of the ultrasound waves using a waveform selected to produce little or no audible sound at the haptic feedback point.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and apparatus for the modulation of an acoustic field for providing tactile sensations. A method of creating haptic feedback using ultrasound is provided. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of ultrasound waves with a common focal point using a phased array of ultrasound transducers, the common focal point being a haptic feedback point, and modulating the generation of the ultrasound waves using a waveform selected to produce little or no audible sound at the haptic feedback point.

Abstract: A plurality of control points (10) are defined which each have a known spatial relationship relative to an array of transducers. An amplitude is assigned to each control point (12). A matrix (16) is produced containing elements which represent, for each of the control points, the effect that producing a modeled acoustic field having the assigned amplitude with a particular phase at the control point has on the consequential amplitude and phase of the modeled acoustic field at the other control points (14). Eigenvectors of the matrix (18) are determined, each eigenvector representing a set of phases and relative amplitudes of the modeled acoustic field at the control points.

Abstract: Use of ultrasound beams to unlock the perception of mid-air tactile stimuli on hairy skin by using acoustic streaming is described. Such acoustic streaming is directional, more focused than fan and air-puff devices, doesn't require the use of cumbersome attachments, fast since it can be generated at a distance with the speed of sound, and can be used in a complementary fashion with vibrotactile mid-air stimulation deriving from the same hardware. Further proposed is a way to modulate the thermal perception of the mid-air tactile stimuli without the need for a thermal source or wearables. The effect of acoustic streaming and its thermal modulation may be combined for the accurate elicitation of affective touch sensations.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described that include generating a repository of metadata based on a plurality of webpages accessed and saved in a browser history of a web browser executing on a computing device, generating, based on the metadata, a history cluster including a portion of the plurality of webpages related to a topic where the history cluster generation is based on the source events and the access timestamps of the webpages in the portion, and assigning respective scores for the webpages in the portion. In response to a request to view browser activity associated with the topic, the systems and method may generate and display a history cluster listing for the topic where the history cluster listing includes visit listings associated with the webpages in the history cluster that are determined to have a score that meets a threshold score.

Abstract: A method for blending new control points into the field is described. A more costly but conceptually simpler method, measuring the extant field and recreating a copy of that field interpolated with the actually desired value at a new control point is first described. Further, traditionally predicting the output of phased array systems involves taking each element and evaluating its contribution to the field. When focusing phased arrays, predicting the output and the fringing field is necessary for multipoint focusing and acoustic cloaking applications. In the limit of a large enough number of discrete transducer elements, the evaluation of a single approximation will inevitably outperform even a linear summation over the linear acoustic properties of the elements.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to use of anti-IL-1? antibodies (e.g., canakinumab or gevokizumab) in a therapy treating, preventing, reducing, or alleviating one or more manifestations and complications in individuals suffering from sickle cell disease (including, e.g., homozygous HbS gene carriers, heterozygotes with sickle-beta-thalassemia with an SCD supporting combination of HbS gene and beta-tha1 gene, an individual with one sickle cell gene and one null allele, or an individual with hemoglobin sickle cell disease), optionally in combination with an additional therapeutic agent. Such manifestations and complications include, but are not limited to: pain, fatigue, hospitalization, poor sleep quality, work or school absences, narcotic use, acute or chronic blood transfusion therapy, acute chest syndrome, bone infarct, avascular necrosis, osteonecrosis, stroke, priapism, infarction of penis, a cardiovascular disorder, growth delay, stunted growth, low body mass index (BMI), low body weight, and organ damage.

Abstract: Described is a method for instilling the haptic dimension of texture to virtual and holographic objects using mid-air ultrasonic technology. A set of features is extracted from imported images using their associated displacement maps. Textural qualities such as the micro and macro roughness are then computed and fed to a haptic mapping function together with information about the dynamic motion of the user's hands during holographic touch. Mid-air haptic textures are then synthesized and projected onto the user's bare hands. Further, mid-air haptic technology enables tactile exploration of virtual objects in digital environments. When a user's prior and current expectations and rendered tactile texture differ, user immersion can break. A study aims at mitigating this by integrating user expectations into the rendering algorithm of mid-air haptic textures and establishes a relationship between visual and mid-air haptic roughness.

Abstract: Estimating the field strength from an ultrasonic phased array can be done by summing the contribution of each transducer to the point of interest. Since this contribution is already calculated when creating a converging spherical wave, it can be reused to add a virtual microphone to the system. By monitoring this microphone and moving it along with new focus points, a robust system of field estimates and regulation may be established.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and apparatus for the modulation of an acoustic field for providing tactile sensations. A method of creating haptic feedback using ultrasound is provided. The method comprises the steps of generating a plurality of ultrasound waves with a common focal point using a phased array of ultrasound transducers, the common focal point being a haptic feedback point, and modulating the generation of the ultrasound waves using a waveform selected to produce little or no audible sound at the haptic feedback point.