US 20140085181A1

( 19 ) United Sta tes

( 12) Pa tent Applica tion Publica tion ( 10) Pub. N o. : US 2014/0085181 A1
Ros ewa y et a l. ( 43 ) Pub. D a te: Ma r. 27 , 2014
( 54) MOOD -ACTUATED D EVICE Publica tion Cla s s i? ca tion
( 7 1) Applica nt: MICROSOFT CORPORATION , ( 51) Int. Cl.
Redm ond, WA ( US) G06F 3 /00 ( 2006. 01)
( 52) US. Cl.
( 7 2) Inventors Am J - Ros ewa y, B ellevue, WA ( US) ; CPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6a n 3 /002 ( 2013 . 01)
Felecia A- D a vis , Ca m bridge, MA ( US) ; USPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 45/156
Erin A. Ca rroll, Moores ville, N C ( US) ;
Ma ry Cz erWins k i, K irk la nd, WA ( US) ;
D ia na L . Ma clea n, Pa lo Alto, CA ( US) ( 57 ) AB STRACT
( 7 3 ) As s ignee: Micros oft Corpora tion, Redm ond, WA _ _ _
( Us ) Th is docum ent des crlbes tech m q ues a nd a ppa ra tus es for
im plem enting a m ood-a ctua ted device. In va rious em bodi
( 21) Appl. N o. : 13 /7 3 2, 280 m ents , m ood inform a tion corres ponding to a current m ood of
_ a us er is received. An em otiona l s ta te of th e us er is determ ined
( 22) Flled: D ec 3 1 2012 ba s ed on th e m ood inform a tion, a nd a m ood-a ctua ted device
. . is controlled to rea ct ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
Rela ted U' s ' Apph ca tlon D a ta In s om e em bodim ents , th e m ood-a ctua ted device includes a
( 60) Provis iona l a pplica tion N o. 61/7 06, 7 3 0, ? led on Sep. ? ex ible m a teria l th a t is con? gured to rea ct by ch a nging to a
27 , 2012.
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s h a pe ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
Pa tent Applica tion Publica tion
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Pa tent Applica tion Publica tion Ma r. 27 , 2014 Sh eet 6 0f 9 US 2014/0085181 A1
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US 2014/0085181Al
MOOD -ACTUATED D EVICE
REL ATED APPL ICATION
[ 0001] Th is a pplica tion cla im s priority from US. Provi
s iona l Pa tent Applica tion Ser. N o. 61/7 06, 7 3 0 ? led Sep. 27 ,
2012, th e dis clos ure of wh ich is incorpora ted by reference
h erein in its entirety.
B ACK GROUN D
[ 0002] Stres s h a s a wide ra nge of nega tive im pa cts on
people, ra nging from declines in rea l-tim e ta s k perform a nce
to developm ent of ch ronic h ea lth conditions . D es pite th e
increa s ing a va ila bility of s ens ors a nd m eth ods for detecting
s tres s , th ere a re very few ex is ting s tres s intervention a pplica
tions . Furth er, ga ps s till ex is t between wh a t a pers on per
ceives a s s tres s , a nd wh a t is a ctua lly going on in th e pers on s
body.
SUMMARY
[ 0003 ] Th is docum ent des cribes tech niq ues a nd a ppa ra
tus es for im plem enting a m ood-a ctua ted device. In va rious
em bodim ents , m ood inform a tion corres ponding to a current
m ood of a us er is received. An em otiona l s ta te of th e us er is
determ ined ba s ed on th e m ood inform a tion, a nd a m ood
a ctua ted device is controlled to rea ct ba s ed on th e em otiona l
s ta te of th e us er. In s om e em bodim ents , th e m ood-a ctua ted
device includes a ? ex ible m a teria l th a t is con? gured to rea ct
by ch a nging to a s h a pe ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e
us er.
[ 0004] Th is s um m a ry is provided to introduce s im pli? ed
concepts in a s im pli? ed form th a t a re furth er des cribed below
in th e D eta iled D es cription. Th is s um m a ry is not intended to
identify es s entia l fea tures of th e cla im ed s ubj ect m a tter, nor is
it intended for us e in determ ining th e s cope of th e cla im ed
s ubj ect m a tter.
B RIEF D ESCRIPTION OF THE D RAWIN GS
[ 0005] Em bodim ents of tech niq ues a nd a ppa ra tus es for a
m ood-a ctua ted device a re des cribed with reference to th e
following dra wings . Th e s a m e num bers a re us ed th rough out
th e dra wings to reference lik e fea tures a nd com ponents :
[ 0006] FIG. 1 illus tra tes a n ex a m ple environm ent in wh ich
a m ood-a ctua ted device ca n be im plem ented.
[ 0007 ] FIG. 2 illus tra tes a deta iled ex a m ple of a m ood
ra ting s ervice.
[ 0008] FIG. 3 illus tra tes a com puting device in wh ich a
controller m a y be em bodied.
[ 0009 ] FIG. 4 illus tra tes a deta iled ex a m ple of a m ood
a ctua ted device th a t includes a ? ex ible m a teria l.
[ 0010] FIG. 5 illus tra tes a deta iled ex a m ple of a m ood
a ctua ted device th a t includes a m ech a nica l com ponent.
[ 0011] FIG. 6 illus tra tes a n ex a m ple m eth od im plem ented
by a m ood-ra ting s ervice.
[ 0012] FIG. 7 illus tra tes a n ex a m ple m eth od of controlling
a m ood-a ctua ted device.
[ 0013 ] FIG. 8 illus tra tes a n ex a m ple m eth od im plem ented
by a m ood-a ctua ted device th a t includes a bio s ens or.
[ 0014] FIG. 9 illus tra tes a n ex a m ple device in wh ich tech
niq ues for a m ood-a ctua ted device ca n be im plem ented.
Ma r. 27 , 2014
D ETAIL ED D ESCRIPTION
[ 0015] Overview
[ 0016] Th is docum ent des cribes tech niq ues a nd a ppa ra
tus es for im plem enting a m ood-a ctua ted device. In va rious
em bodim ents , a controller receives m ood inform a tion corre
s ponding to a current m ood of a us er, or a group of us ers . Th e
m ood inform a tion ca n be received from one or m ore bio
s ens ors , s uch a s a h ea rt ra te m onitor, a n electroca rdiogra ph y
m onitor, or a ga lva nic s k in res pons e m onitor. Alterna tely, th e
m ood inform a tion ca n be received a s us er-inputted m ood
inform a tion from a com puting device th a t renders a us er
interfa ce con? gured to ena ble th e us er to ra te th e us er s cur
rent m ood. Th e controller determ ines a n em otiona l s ta te of
th e us er ba s ed on th e m ood inform a tion, a nd ca us es a m ood
a ctua ted device to rea ct ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e
us er. In s om e em bodim ents , th e m ood-a ctua ted device
includes a ? ex ible m a teria l th a t is con? gured to rea ct by
ch a nging to a s h a pe ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
Ex a m ple Environm ent
[ 0017 ] FIG. 1 is a n illus tra tion of a n ex a m ple environm ent
100 in wh ich a m ood-a ctua ted device ca n be im plem ented.
Environm ent 100 m a y include one or m ore bio s ens ors 102
a nd/or a m ood-ra ting s ervice 104. B oth bio s ens or 102 a nd
m ood-ra ting s ervice 104 a re con? gured to receive or s ens e
indica tors of a current m ood, or em otiona l s ta te, of a us er, a nd
provide m ood inform a tion corres ponding to th e current m ood
or em otiona l s ta te of th e us er to a controller 106. Environm ent
100 m a y include both bio s ens or 102 a nd m ood-ra ting s ervice
104, only bio s ens or 102, or only m ood-ra ting s ervice 104.
[ 0018] B io s ens or 102 ca n be a ny type ofs ens or con? gured
to detect or s ens e indica tors of a us er s m ood or em otiona l
s ta te. B io s ens or 102 ca n be im plem ented a s a s ens or th a t is
con? gured to m a k e ph ys ica l conta ct with th e us er, s uch a s a
h ea rt ra te m onitor th a t s ens es a us er s h ea rt ra te, a n electro
ca rdiogra ph y m onitor th a t s ens es th e ra te a nd regula rity of a
us er s h ea rtbea t, or a ga lva nic s k in res pons e m onitor th a t
s ens es th e electrica l conducta nce of th e s k in, to na m e j us t a
few. Alterna tely, bio s ens or 102 ca n be im plem ented a s a
s ens or th a t does not m a k e ph ys ica l conta ct with th e us er, s uch
a s a ca m era or a m icroph one. For ex a m ple, a ca m era s ens or
m a y be a ble to determ ine th a t a us er is s tres s ed ba s ed on th e
pos ition of th e us er s eyebrows . Sim ila rly, a m icroph one s en
s or m a y be a ble to determ ine th a t th e us er is s tres s ed ba s ed on
a tone of th e us er s voice. In s om e em bodim ents , bio s ens or
102 ca n is con? gured to determ ine a n em otiona l s ta te of th e
us er ba s ed on us er intera ction da ta received from s ocia l
m edia , em a il, a nd/or ch a t a pplica tions .
[ 0019 ] After s ens ing th e current m ood of th e us er, bio s en
s or 102 provides m ood inform a tion corres ponding to th e
current m ood of th e us er to controller 106 to ena ble th e
controller to determ ine a n em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. Th e
m ood inform a tion provided by bio s ens or 102 m a y include
indica tors of th e us er s current m ood or em otiona l s ta te, s uch
a s ch a nges in th e us er s s k in tem pera ture s ens ed by th e ga l
va nic s k in res pons e m onitor, or ch a nges in th e us er s h ea rt
ra te s ens ed by th e h ea rt ra te m onitor. Th es e indica tors of th e
us er s current m ood or em otiona l s ta te ca n th en be us ed by
controller 106 to determ ine th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
For ex a m ple, a n increa s e in th e electrica l conducta nce of a
us er s s k in, a s s ens ed by th e ga lva nic s k in res pons e m onitor,
m a y be us ed by controller 106 to determ ine th a t th e us er is
a rous ed or ex cited.
US 2014/0085181Al
[ 0020] Mood-ra ting s ervice 104 is con? gured to render a
us er interfa ce on a dis pla y of a com puting device th a t ena bles
a us er to ra te th e us er s current m ood or em otiona l s ta te. For
ex a m ple, th e us er ca n ra te th e us er s current em otiona l s ta te a s
h a ppy, s a d, rela x ed, or s tres s ed. Mood-ra ting s ervice 104
receives us er-inputted da ta corres ponding to th e us er s cur
rent m ood via th e us er interfa ce, a nd provides m ood inform a
tion corres ponding to th e current m ood of th e us er to control
ler 106 to ena ble th e controller to determ ine a n em otiona l
s ta te of th e us er.
[ 0021] FIG. 2 illus tra tes a deta iled ex a m ple 200 of m ood
ra ting s ervice 104. In th is ex a m ple, m ood-ra ting s ervice 104
ca us es a com puting device 202 to render a us er interfa ce 204
on a s creen of th e com puting device. In th is ex a m ple, th e
s creen is a touch -input dis pla y th a t is con? gured to receive
touch -input from th e us er. Com puting device 202 is illus
tra ted a s a m obile ph one, but it is to be a pprecia ted th a t
com puting device 202 m a y a ls o be im plem ented a s a ta blet
device, a com m unica tion device, a n enterta inm ent device, a
ga m ing device, a na viga tion device, a nd/or oth er type of
com puting device. Com puting device 202 ca n be im ple
m ented with va rious com ponents , s uch a s a proces s or a nd/or
m em ory s ys tem to im plem ent m ood-ra ting s ervice 104, a s
well a s a ny num ber a nd com bina tion of differing com ponents
a s furth er des cribed with reference to th e ex a m ple device
s h own in FIG. 9 .
[ 0022] Us er interfa ce 204 is con? gured to ena ble a us er to
ra te th e us er s current m ood. In va rious em bodim ents , th e
us er interfa ce includes a grid th a t ena bles th e us er to s elect
between two oppos ite m oods a long a ? rs t a x is , a nd two dif
ferent oppos ite m oods a long a s econd a x is th a t is perpendicu
la r to th e ? rs t a x is . B y wa y of ex a m ple a nd not lim ita tion,
oppos ite m oods ca n include h a ppy a nd s a d, ca lm a nd s tres s ed,
or rela x ed a nd ex cited. In ex a m ple 200, th e us er interfa ce a s k s
th e us er to res pond to th e q ues tion h ow do you feel? Th e
us er interfa ce a ls o includes a grid th a t ena bles th e us er to ra te
th e us er s current m ood from nega tive va lence ( e. g. , s a d) to
pos itive va lence ( e. g. , h a ppy) a long a ? rs t a x is ( th e x -a x is in
th is ex a m ple) , a nd ena bles th e us er to ra te th e us er s m ood
from ex cited to rela x ed a long a s econd a x is ( th e y-a x is in th is
ex a m ple) . In th is ex a m ple, th e us er h a s ra ted th e us er s cur
rent m ood a s m os tly nega tive, a nd m os tly ex cited. It is to be
noted, of cours e, th a t th is is j us t one ex a m ple of a us er inter
fa ce th a t ena bles th e us er to ra te th e us er s current m ood.
Mood-ra ting s ervice 104 receives input indica ting th e current
m ood of th e us er, a nd provides m ood inform a tion, ba s ed on
th e input, to controller 106 to ena ble th e controller to deter
m ine a n em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
[ 0023 ] Controller 106 receives m ood inform a tion from bio
s ens or 102 a nd/or m ood-ra ting s ervice 104, a nd determ ines
a n em otiona l s ta te of th e us er ba s ed a t lea s t in pa rt on th e
m ood inform a tion. Controller 106 ca n determ ine a va riety of
different em otiona l s ta tes of th e us er, s uch a s th e us er being
h a ppy, s a d, s tres s ed, ca lm , ex cited, bored, or a ngry, to na m e
j us t a few. In s om e em bodim ents , controller 106 m a y deter
m ine th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er ba s ed on th e received
m ood inform a tion a nd a dditiona l inform a tion, s uch a s us er
h is tory inform a tion or ex terna l inform a tion. For ex a m ple,
us er h is tory inform a tion corres ponding to a s peci? c us er m a y
ena ble controller 106 to m ore a ccura tely determ ine th e em o
tiona l s ta te of th e s peci? c us er. Additiona lly, ex terna l infor
m a tion, s uch a s a current tem pera ture, m a y be ta k en into
a ccount by controller 106 wh en determ ining th e em otiona l
s ta te of th e us er. For ex a m ple, inform a tion received from a
Ma r. 27 , 2014
ga lva nic s k in res pons e m onitor indica ting th a t th e us er s s k in
is h ot m a y be les s releva nt if th e tem pera ture outs ide is over 9 0
degrees . As a noth er ex a m ple, inform a tion th a t th e us er s h ea rt
ra te is h igh m a y be les s releva nt if ex terna l inform a tion is
provided th a t indica tes th a t th e us er is currently ex ercis ing.
[ 0024] After determ ining th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er,
controller 106 ca us es m ood-a ctua ted device 108 to rea ct
ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. Controller 106 ca n
ca us e m ood-a ctua ted device 108 to rea ct to corres pond to a
va riety of different em otiona l s ta tes or m oods of th e us er,
including by wa y of ex a m ple a nd not lim ita tion, th e us er
being h a ppy, s a d, s tres s ed, ca lm , ex cited, bored, or a ngry. As
des cribed in m ore deta il below, m ood-a ctua ted device 108
ca n be controlled to rea ct to th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er in
a va riety of different wa ys , s uch a s by ch a nging s h a pes ,
m oving, m a k ing s ounds , or ligh ting up, to na m e j us t a few.
[ 0025] In s om e em bodim ents , controller 106 ca us es m ood
a ctua ted device 108 to rea ct to indica te th e em otiona l s ta te of
th e us er. For ex a m ple, if th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er is
determ ined to be s tres s ed , controller 106 ca us es m ood
a ctua ted device 108 to re? ect th a t th e us er is s tres s ed. In oth er
em bodim ents , m ood-a ctua ted device 108 is controlled to
rea ct to h elp ch a nge th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. For
ex a m ple, if th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er is determ ined to be
s tres s ed , controller 106 ca us es m ood-a ctua ted device 108
to rea ct in a wa y th a t m a y h elp to ca lm th e us er.
[ 0026] FIG. 3 illus tra tes a device 3 02 in wh ich controller
106 m a y be em bodied. D evice 3 02 is illus tra ted with va rious
non-lim iting ex a m ple devices : s m a rtph one 3 02-1, la ptop
3 02-2, televis ion 3 02-3 , des k top 3 02-4, a nd ta blet 3 02-5.
D evice 3 02 includes proces s or( s ) 3 04 a nd com puter-rea da ble
m edia 3 06, wh ich includes m em ory m edia 3 08 a nd s tora ge
m edia 3 10. Applica tions a nd/or a n opera ting s ys tem ( not
s h own) em bodied a s com puter-rea da ble ins tructions on com
puter-rea da ble m edia 3 06 ca n be ex ecuted by proces s or( s )
3 04 to provide s om e or a ll of th e functiona lities des cribed
h erein. Com puter-rea da ble m edia 3 06 a ls o includes control
ler 106.
[ 0027 ] D evice 3 02 a ls o includes , or is in com m unica tion
with , one or m ore bio s ens ors 102 a nd/ or m ood-ra ting s ervice
104, a nd m ood-a ctua ted device 108. B io s ens or 102 a nd
m ood-ra ting s ervice 104 a re con? gured to ca pture m ood
inform a tion a s dis cus s ed a bove, a nd m a y be s epa ra te or inte
gra l with device 3 02. For ex a m ple, in s om e em bodim ents , bio
s ens ors 102 a nd/ or m ood-ra ting s ervice 104 m a y be loca ted a t
device 3 02 a long with controller 106. In oth er em bodim ents ,
bio s ens ors 102 a nd/or m ood-ra ting s ervice 104 m a y com m u
nica te with device 3 02 a nd controller 106 over a network .
Mood-a ctua ted device 108 m a y a ls o be s epa ra te or integra l
with device 3 02. For ex a m ple, in s om e em bodim ents , device
3 02 is im plem ented a s pa rt of m ood-a ctua ted device 108. In
oth er em bodim ents , m ood-a ctua ted device 108 m a y com m u
nica te with device 3 02 a nd controller 106 over a network .
[ 0028] D evice 3 02 m a y a ls o include network interfa ce( s )
3 12 for com m unica ting da ta over wired, wireles s , or optica l
network s . D a ta com m unica ted over s uch network s m a y
include m ood inform a tion com m unica ted from bio s ens ors
102 a nd/ or m ood-ra ting s ervice 104 to controller 106, a s well
a s control s igna ls com m unica ted between controller 106 a nd
m ood-a ctua ted device 108. B y wa y of ex a m ple a nd not lim i
ta tion, network interfa ce 3 12 m a y com m unica te da ta over a
loca l-a rea -network ( L AN ) , a wireles s loca l-a rea -network
( WL AN ) , a pers ona l-a rea -network ( PAN ) , a wide-a rea -net
US 2014/0085181Al
work ( WAN ) , a n intra net, th e Internet, a peer-to-peer net
work , point-to-point network , a m es h network , a nd th e lik e.
[ 0029 ] Mood-Actua ted D evice with Flex ible Ma teria l
[ 003 0] In va rious em bodim ents , m ood-a ctua ted device 108
includes a ? ex ible m a teria l th a t is controlled to rea ct to a n
em otiona l s ta te of a us er by ch a nging s h a pes or tex tures . Th e
? ex ible m a teria l ca n be a ny type of m a teria l or fa bric th a t ca n
m ove a nd/or ch a nge s h a pes , including felt, cloth , pla s tic, or
m eta l, to na m e j us t a few. In s om e em bodim ents , th e ? ex ible
m a teria l is con? gured to h a ng on a wa ll, but it is to be a ppre
cia ted th a t th e ? ex ible m a teria l ca n be des igned in a ny s iz e
a nd/ or s h a pe.
[ 003 1] FIG. 4 illus tra tes a deta iled ex a m ple 400 of m ood
a ctua ted device 108 th a t includes a ? ex ible m a teria l 402. In
th is ex a m ple, ? ex ible m a teria l 402 of m ood-a ctua ted device
108 is controlled by controller 106 to rea ct to a ch a nge in th e
em otiona l s ta te of th e us er by ch a nging s h a pes from a ? a t
s h a pe illus tra ted a t 108-a to a crum pled or enfolded s h a pe
illus tra ted a t 108-b. In s om e em bodim ents , controller 106
ca us es ? ex ible m a teria l 402 of m ood-a ctua ted device 108 to
rea ct to indica te th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. For ex a m ple,
th e ? a t s h a pe of ? ex ible m a teria l 402 a t 108-a m a y indica te a
? rs t em otiona l s ta te of th e us er, a nd th e crum pled s h a pe of
? ex ible m a teria l 402 a t 108-b m a y indica te a s econd em o
tiona l s ta te of th e us er.
[ 003 2] In va rious em bodim ents , ? ex ible m a teria l 402 is
controlled to indica te th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er by ch a ng
ing to a s h a pe th a t vis ua lly m irrors th e em otiona l s ta te of th e
us er. As des cribed h erein, a s h a pe of th e ? ex ible m a teria l
vis ua lly m irrors a n em otiona l s ta te wh en ch a ra cteris tics of
th e s h a pe repres ent ch a ra cteris tics of th e em otiona l s ta te. At
108-a , for ex a m ple, th e rela x ed s h a pe of ? ex ible m a teria l 402
m a y vis ua lly m irror th a t th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er is
ca lm . In contra s t, th e tigh t winding up of ? ex ible m a teria l 402
a t 108-b m a y vis ua lly m irror th a t th e us er is s tres s ed. It is to
be noted, h owever, th a t m ood-a ctua ted device 108 ca n be
con? gured or m a pped to ch a nge to a ny s h a pe res pons ive to
a ny em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. For ex a m ple, ? ex ible m a teria l
402 could be controlled to ch a nge to th e crum pled s h a pe to
indica te th a t th e us er is ca lm , a nd to ch a nge to th e ? a t s h a pe
to indica te th a t th e us er is s tres s ed.
[ 003 3 ] In a n em bodim ent, ? ex ible m a teria l 402 of m ood
a ctua ted device 108 is con? gured to rea ct to four q ua dra nts of
h igh or low a rous a l, a nd nega tive or pos itive va lence. For
ex a m ple, a s des cribed a bove, if th e us er is in a s ta te of low
a rous a l, or ca lm , ? ex ible m a teria l 402 ca n be controlled to
rea ct a s illus tra ted a t 108-a , a nd if th e us er is in a s ta te of h igh
a rous a l, or s tres s ed, th e ? ex ible m a teria l ca n rea ct a s illus
tra ted a t 108-b. In a ddition to th es e ex a m ples , h owever, ? ex
ible m a teria l 402 ca n be controlled to rea ct to vis ua lly m irror
h a ppines s if th e us er is h a ppy, s uch a s by being controlled to
rea ct with ra pid m ovem ents of a ir pock ets running th rough
th e ? ex ible m a teria l. Alterna tely, if th e us er is s a d, ? ex ible
m a teria l 402 ca n be controlled to rea ct to vis ua lly m irror
s a dnes s , s uch a s by being controlled to droop. It is to be noted,
h owever, th a t m ood-a ctua ted device 108 ca n be con? gured to
m ove in a ny direction or ch a nge into a ny s h a pe to indica te a ny
em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
[ 003 4] B y ch a nging s h a pes , ? ex ible m a teria l 402 noti? es
th e us er of th e us er s em otiona l s ta te, a nd ena bles th e us er to
a lter th is s ta te th rough a wa renes s . Cons ider, for ex a m ple, th a t
th e us er is una wa re of being s tres s ed. In res pons e to th e us er s
s tres s ful s ta te, ? ex ible m a teria l 402 is controlled to ch a nge to
th e crum pled s h a pe illus tra ted a t 108-b. Th is crum pled s h a pe
Ma r. 27 , 2014
m a y ca us e a wa renes s by th e us er th a t th e us er is s tres s ed
wh ich ena bles th e us er to a ct to reduce th is s tres s level, s uch
a s by ta k ing a few deep brea th s or going for a wa lk . If th e us er
is s ucces s ful in rela x ing, ? ex ible m a teria l 402 noti? es th e
us er th a t th e us er h a s ca lm ed down by ch a nging ba ck to th e
? a t s h a pe. It is to be a pprecia ted, th a t noticing ? ex ible m a te
ria l 402 rea ct by ch a nging ba ck to th e ? a t s h a pe a t 108-a m a y
h elp to rea s s ure th e us er th a t th e us er s s tres s level h a s been
reduced.
[ 003 5] In s om e em bodim ents , ? ex ible m a teria l 402 is con
? gured to ch a nge to a s h a pe th a t ca n h elp ch a nge th e em o
tiona l s ta te of th e us er. Th e s h a pes th a t ca n h elp ch a nge th e
em otiona l s ta te of th e us er ca n be ba s ed on s tudies th a t indi
ca te th a t th e us er s em otiona l s ta te is ch a nged by wa tch ing or
intera cting with th e s h a pe of th e ? ex ible m a teria l. For
ex a m ple, if th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er is s tres s ed ,
controller 106 ca n ca us e ? ex ible m a teria l 402 to rea ct in a
wa y th a t m a y h elp to ca lm th e us er s uch , a s by ca us ing th e
? ex ible m a teria l to s lowly unfurl. Wa tch ing ? ex ible m a teria l
402 s lowly unfurl m a y h elp rela x th e us er, th ereby ch a nging
th e us er s em otiona l s ta te from s tres s ed to ca lm .
[ 003 6] In non-lim iting ex a m ple 400, m ood-a ctua ted device
108 furth er includes wires 404, a m icrocontroller 406, a nd a
power s ource 408. Flex ible m a teria l 402 is interla ced with
wires 404, wh ich ca n be a ny type of wire th a t is con? gured to
contra ct wh en h ea ted, s uch a s N itinol wire. Wh en wires 404
h ea t a nd contra ct, th ey ca us e ? ex ible m a teria l 402 to rea ct by
crum pling a s illus tra ted a t 108-b. As wires 404 cool, th ey
ca us e ? ex ible m a teria l 402 to unfold a nd return to its origina l
? a t s ta te a s illus tra ted a t 108-11. It is to be noted th a t oth er
m ech a nis m s m a y be im plem ented to ca us e th e ? ex ible m a te
ria l to rea ct, s uch a s s ervo m otors .
[ 003 7 ] Microcontroller 406 is con? gured to receive control
s igna ls from controller 106, a nd res pons ively ca us e power
from power s ource 408 to be fed th rough wires 404 ca us ing
th e wires to h ea t up a nd contra ct. For ex a m ple, m icrocontrol
ler 406 ca n turn on power s ource 408 for a predeterm ined
a m ount of tim e to h ea t wires 404 th ereby ca us ing ? ex ible
m a teria l 402 to ch a nge to th e crum pled s h a pe a t 108-b. Sim i
la rly, m icrocontroller 406 ca n turn off power s ource 408 to
cool th e wires th ereby ca us ing ? ex ible m a teria l 402 to ch a nge
ba ck to th e ? a t s h a pe illus tra ted a t 108-a . In s om e em bodi
m ents , m ood-a ctua ted device 108 m a y furth er include one or
m ore h a nging weigh ts th a t a re a tta ch ed to th e lower end of
? ex ible m a teria l 402. Th es e h a nging weigh ts h elp to pull
? ex ible m a teria l 402 ba ck to th e ? a t s h a pe a s wires 404 cool.
[ 003 8] Mood-Actua ted D evice with Mech a nica l Com po
nent
[ 003 9 ] In va rious em bodim ents , m ood-a ctua ted device 108
includes a m ech a nica l com ponent th a t is controlled to rea ct
by m oving ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. In s om e
em bodim ents , th e m ood-a ctua ted device is con? gured to be
wea ra ble by th e us er, a nd th e m ech a nica l com ponent ca n
notify th e us er, a nd in s om e ca s es oth er people, of th e em o
tiona l s ta te of th e us er. In th es e em bodim ents , bio s ens or 102
m a y be im plem ented a s pa rt of m ood-a ctua ted device 108 to
s ens e indica tors of a n em otiona l s ta te of a us er th a t is wea ring
th e m ood-a ctua ted device. Alterna tely, bio s ens or 102 m a y be
im plem ented s epa ra te from m ood-a ctua ted device 108 a nd
con? gured to com m unica te with m ood-a ctua ted device 108
via a wired or wireles s connection.
[ 0040] FIG. 5 illus tra tes a deta iled ex a m ple 500 of a m ood
a ctua ted device 108 th a t includes a m ech a nica l com ponent
502. In th is ex a m ple, m ood-a ctua ted device is im plem ented
US 2014/0085181A1
a s a robotic butter? y, a nd m ech a nica l com ponent 502 is
im plem ented a s m ech a nica l wings of th e robotic butter? y.
Mech a nica l com ponent 502 of m ood-a ctua ted device 108 is
controlled by controller 106 to rea ct by m oving ba s ed on th e
em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
[ 0041] Controller 106 ca n va ry th e s peed a nd/ or th e a m ount
of m ovem ent of m ech a nica l com ponent 502 to indica te th e
em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. For ex a m ple, a t 504 controller 106
ca us es th e wings of th e robotic butter? y to m ove a s m a ll
dis ta nce, res ulting in a gentle h over . At 506, controller 106
ca us es th e wings of th e robotic butter? y to m ove a grea ter
dis ta nce th a n th e dis ta nce m oved a t 504. At 508, controller
106 ca us es th e wings of th e robotic butter? y to m ove a n even
grea ter dis ta nce th a n th e dis ta nce m oved a t 506, res ulting in a
la rge ? a p of th e wings . In s om e em bodim ents , controller
106 ca us es m ech a nica l com ponent 502 of m ood-a ctua ted
device 108 to rea ct to indica te th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
For ex a m ple, th e m ovem ent of th e wings of th e robotic but
ter? y illus tra ted a t 504 m a y indica te a ? rs t em otiona l s ta te of
th e us er, th e m ovem ent of th e wings a t 506 m a y indica te a
s econd em otiona l s ta te of th e us er, a nd th e m ovem ent of th e
wings a t 508 m a y indica te a th ird em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
[ 0042] In va rious em bodim ents , m ech a nica l com ponent
502 is controlled to indica te th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er by
m oving to vis ua lly m irror th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. As
des cribed h erein, a m ovem ent of th e m ech a nica l com ponent
vis ua lly m irrors a n em otiona l s ta te wh en ch a ra cteris tics of
th e m ovem ent repres ent ch a ra cteris tics of th e em otiona l s ta te.
For ex a m ple, th e gentle h over of th e m ech a nica l wings a t 504
m a y vis ua lly m irror th a t th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er is ca lm
or rela x ed. In contra s t, th e la rge ? a p of th e wings a t 508 m a y
vis ua lly m irror th a t th e us er is s tres s ed, ex cited, a nd/or ner
vous . In s om e ca s es , controller 106 ca n a ls o control th e s peed
a t wh ich m ech a nica l com ponent 502 m oves . For ex a m ple,
controller 106 ca n control a dura tion of tim e for th e full
wingtip-to-wingtip contra ction of th e la rge ? a p a t 508 to
repres ent different em otiona l s ta tes of th e us er. To do s o,
controller 106 ca us es th e wings to m ove s lowly to increa s e th e
dura tion of tim e for th e full wingtip-to-wingtip contra ction,
or to m ove q uick ly to decrea s e th e dura tion of tim e for th e full
wingtip-to-wingtip contra ction. It is to be noted th a t m ood
a ctua ted device 108 ca n be con? gured or m a pped to a ny type
of m ovem ent res pons ive to a ny em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
For ex a m ple, th e wings could be controlled to m ove in th e
la rge ? a p of 508 to indica te th a t th e us er is ca lm , a nd to gently
h over a t 504 to indica te th a t th e us er is s tres s ed.
[ 0043 ] Mech a nica l com ponent 502 noti? es th e us er of th e
us er s em otiona l s ta te th rough m ovem ent, a nd ena bles th e
us er to a lter th is s ta te th rough a wa renes s . Cons ider, for
ex a m ple, th a t th e us er is una wa re of being s tres s ed. In
res pons e to th e us er s s tres s ful s ta te, th e wings of th e robotic
butter? y a re controlled to m ove in th e la rge ? a p a s illus tra ted
a t 508. Th is la rge ? a p m a y ca us e a wa renes s by th e us er th a t
th e us er is s tres s ed, wh ich ena bles th e us er to a ct to reduce th is
s tres s level, s uch a s by ta k ing a few deep brea th s or going for
a wa lk . If th e us er is s ucces s ful in rela x ing, th e wings of th e
robotic butter? y notify th e us er th a t th e us er h a s ca lm ed down
by m oving in th e gentle h over a s illus tra ted a t 504. It is to be
a pprecia ted, th a t noticing th e wings m ove in th e gentle h over
m a y h elp to rea s s ure th e us er th a t th e us er s s tres s level h a s
been reduced.
[ 0044] In s om e em bodim ents , m ech a nica l com ponent 502
is con? gured to m ove in a wa y th a t ca n h elp ch a nge th e
em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. Th e m ovem ents th a t ca n h elp
Ma r. 27 , 2014
ch a nge th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er ca n be ba s ed on s tudies
th a t indica te th a t th e us er s em otiona l s ta te is ch a nged by
wa tch ing or intera cting with th e m ovem ent of th e m ech a nica l
com ponent. For ex a m ple, if th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er is
s tres s ed , controller 106 ca n ca us e m ech a nica l com ponent
502 to rea ct in a wa y th a t m a y h elp to ca lm th e us er s uch , a s
by ca us ing th e wings of th e robotic butter? y to m ove in th e
gentle h over. Wa tch ing th e wings of th e m ech a nica l butter? y
m ove in th e gentle h over m a y h elp rela x th e us er, th ereby
ch a nging th e us er s em otiona l s ta te from s tres s ed to ca lm .
[ 0045] In non-lim iting ex a m ple 500, m ood-a ctua ted device
108 furth er includes wires 510, a m icrocontroller 512, a nd a
power s ource 514. In th is ex a m ple, th e wings of th e robotic
butter? y a re interla ced with wires 510 ( not pictured) , wh ich
ca n be a ny type of wire th a t is con? gured to contra ct wh en
h ea ted, s uch a s N itinol wire. Wh en wires 510 a re h ea ted, th ey
ca us e th e wings of th e robotic butter? y to clos e, a nd a s wires
510 cool th ey ca us e th e wings to open. Th us , m icrocontroller
512 ca us es th e wings of th e robotic butter? y to ? a p by ca us ing
power from power s ource 514 to be fed th rough wires 510
ca us ing th e wings to clos e, a nd reducing th e power fed
th rough wires 510 ca us ing th e wings to open. Microcontroller
512 ca n control th e a pex of th e ? a p ( e. g. , h ow m uch th e wings
clos e) a nd/or th e s peed of th e ? a p by m odifying th e volta ge
fed from power s ource 514 to wires 510. It is to be noted th a t
oth er m ech a nis m s m a y be im plem ented to ca us e th e wings of
th e robotic butter? y to m ove, s uch a s s ervo m otors .
[ 0046] In s om e ca s es , th e m ech a nica l com ponent ca n be
des igned s o a s to notify oth er people of th e us er s em otiona l
s ta te. For ex a m ple, a m ood-a ctua ted device worn by a us er
could notify oth er people th a t th e us er is s tres s ed by ca us ing
m ovem ent of th e m ech a nica l com ponent. As a n ex a m ple, in a
cla s s room environm ent, th e m ech a nica l com ponent could
notify th e tea ch er wh eth er or not ea ch s tudent is pa ying a tten
tion. In oth er em bodim ents , th e m ech a nica l com ponent is
con? gured to notify th e us er with out notifying oth ers of th e
us er s em otiona l s ta te. For ex a m ple, th e m ech a nica l com po
nent ca n vibra te or m ove in a wa y th a t is noticea ble to th e us er
but is not noticea ble by oth ers .
Ex a m ple Meth ods
[ 0047 ] FIG. 6 is a ? ow dia gra m depicting a n ex a m ple
m eth od 600 im plem ented by m ood-ra ting s ervice 104. B lock
602 ca us es dis pla y of a us er interfa ce on a s creen of a com
puting device th a t ena bles a us er to ra te a current m ood of th e
us er. For ex a m ple, m ood-ra ting s ervice 104 ca us es a us er
interfa ce 204 ( FIG. 2) to be dis pla yed on a s creen of com put
ing device 202 th a t ena ble a us er to ra te a current m ood of th e
us er.
[ 0048] B lock 604 receives input indica ting th e current
m ood of th e us er, a nd block 606 provides m ood inform a tion,
ba s ed on th e input, to a controller effective to ca us e a m ood
a ctua ted device to rea ct ba s ed on th e m ood inform a tion. For
ex a m ple, m ood-ra ting s ervice 104 receives us er input indi
ca ting th e current m ood of th e us er via us er interfa ce 204.
Mood-ra ting s ervice 104 th en provides m ood inform a tion,
th a t includes th e us er input, to controller 106 effective to
ca us e m ood-a ctua ted device 108 to rea ct ba s ed on th e m ood
inform a tion.
[ 0049 ] FIG. 7 is a ? ow dia gra m depicting a n ex a m ple
m eth od 7 00 of controlling m ood-a ctua ted device 108. B lock
7 02 receives m ood inform a tion corres ponding to a current
m ood of a us er. For ex a m ple, controller 106 ( FIG. 1) receives
US 2014/0085181A1
m ood inform a tion corres ponding to a current m ood of th e
us er from bio s ens ors 102 a nd/or m ood-ra ting s ervice 104.
[ 0050] B lock 7 04 determ ines a n em otiona l s ta te of th e us er
ba s ed on th e m ood inform a tion. For ex a m ple, controller 106
determ ines a n em otiona l s ta te of th e us er ba s ed on th e m ood
inform a tion received from bio s ens ors 102 a nd/ or m ood
ra ting s ervice 104. Controller 106 ca n determ ine a va riety of
different em otiona l s ta tes of th e us er, s uch a s th e us er being
h a ppy, s a d, s tres s ed, ca lm , ex cited, bored, or a ngry, to na m e
j us t a few.
[ 0051] B lock 7 06 ca us es a m ood-a ctua ted device to rea ct
ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. For ex a m ple, con
troller 106 ca us es m ood-a ctua ted device 108 to rea ct ba s ed on
th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. In s om e ca s es , m ood-a ctua ted
device 108 includes a ? ex ible m a teria l 402 th a t is con? gured
to rea ct by ch a nging to a s h a pe th a t corres ponds to th e em o
tiona l s ta te of th e us er. In oth er em bodim ents , m ood-a ctua ted
device 108 includes a m ech a nica l com ponent 502 th a t is
con? gured to rea ct by m oving ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of
th e us er.
[ 0052] FIG. 8 is a ? ow dia gra m depicting a n ex a m ple
m eth od 800 im plem ented by a m ood-a ctua ted device th a t
includes a bio s ens or. B lock 802 s ens es indica tors of a n
em otiona l s ta te of a us er. For ex a m ple, bio s ens or 102 ( FIG. 1)
ca n be im plem ented a s pa rt of a wea ra ble m ood-a ctua ted
device 108, s uch a s th e m ech a nica l butter? y illus tra ted in
FIG. 5. B io s ens or 102 ca n be a ny type of s ens or con? gured
to detect or s ens e indica tors of a us er s m ood or em otiona l
s ta te. In th is ca s e, bio s ens or 102 is im plem ented a s a s ens or
th a t is con? gured to m a k e ph ys ica l conta ct with th e us er, s uch
a s a h ea rt ra te m onitor, a n electroca rdiogra ph y m onitor, or a
ga lva nic s k in res pons e m onitor.
[ 0053 ] B lock 804 ca us es a m ech a nica l com ponent to m ove
ba s ed on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er. For ex a m ple, m icro
controller 512 ( FIG. 5) ca us es m ech a nica l com ponent 502
( illus tra ted a s m ech a nica l wings ) to m ove ba s ed on th e em o
tiona l s ta te of th e us er s ens ed by bio s ens or 102.
Ex a m ple D evice
[ 0054] FIG. 9 illus tra tes va rious com ponents of ex a m ple
device 9 00 th a t ca n be im plem ented a s a ny type of client,
s erver, a nd/or dis pla y device a s des cribed with reference to
th e previous FIGS. 1-8 to im plem ent tech niq ues ena bling a
m ood-a ctua ted device. In em bodim ents , device 9 00 ca n be
im plem ented a s one or a com bina tion of a wired a nd/ or wire
les s device, a s a form of ? a t pa nel dis pla y, televis ion, televi
s ion client device ( e. g. , televis ion s et-top box , digita l video
recorder ( D VR) , etc. ) , cons um er device, com puter device,
s erver device, porta ble com puter device, us er device, com
m unica tion device, video proces s ing a nd/ or rendering device,
a pplia nce device, ga m ing device, electronic device, a nd/ or a s
a noth er type of device. D evice 9 00 m a y a ls o be a s s ocia ted
with a viewer ( e. g. , a pers on or us er) a nd/or a n entity th a t
opera tes th e device s uch th a t a device des cribes logica l
devices th a t include us ers , s oftwa re, ? rm wa re, a nd/ or a com
bina tion of devices .
[ 0055] D evice 9 00 includes com m unica tion devices 9 02
th a t ena ble wired a nd/or wireles s com m unica tion of device
da ta 9 04 ( e. g. , received da ta , da ta th a t is being received, da ta
s ch eduled for broa dca s t, da ta pa ck ets of th e da ta , etc. ) . Th e
device da ta 9 04 or oth er device content ca n include con? gu
ra tion s ettings of th e device, m edia content s tored on th e
device, a nd/or inform a tion a s s ocia ted with a us er of th e
device. Media content s tored on device 9 00 ca n include a ny
Ma r. 27 , 2014
type of a udio, video, a nd/or im a ge da ta . D evice 9 00 includes
one or m ore da ta inputs 9 06 via wh ich a ny type of da ta , m edia
content, a nd/ or inputs ca n be received, s uch a s us er- s electa ble
inputs , m es s a ges , m us ic, televis ion m edia content, recorded
video content, a nd a ny oth er type of a udio, video, a nd/or
im a ge da ta received from a ny content a nd/or da ta s ource.
[ 0056] D evice 9 00 a ls o includes com m unica tion interfa ces
9 08, wh ich ca n be im plem ented a s a ny one or m ore of a s eria l
a nd/or pa ra llel interfa ce, a wireles s interfa ce, a ny type of
network interfa ce, a m odem , a nd a s a ny oth er type of com
m unica tion interfa ce. Th e com m unica tion interfa ces 9 08 pro
vide a connection a nd/or com m unica tion link s between
device 9 00 a nd a com m unica tion network by wh ich oth er
electronic, com puting, a nd com m unica tion devices com m u
nica te da ta with device 9 00.
[ 0057 ] D evice 9 00 includes one or m ore proces s ors 9 10
( e. g. , a ny of m icroproces s ors , controllers , a nd th e lik e) , wh ich
proces s va rious com puter-ex ecuta ble ins tructions to control
th e opera tion of device 9 00 a nd to ena ble tech niq ues for
im plem enting a tra ns pa rent dis pla y device. Alterna tively or
in a ddition, device 9 00 ca n be im plem ented with a ny one or
com bina tion of h a rdwa re, ? rm wa re, a s ys tem -on-ch ip ( SoC) ,
or ? x ed logic circuitry th a t is im plem ented in connection with
proces s ing a nd control circuits wh ich a re genera lly identi? ed
a t 9 12. Alth ough not s h own, device 9 00 ca n include a s ys tem
bus or da ta tra ns fer s ys tem th a t couples th e va rious com po
nents with in th e device. A s ys tem bus ca n include a ny one or
com bina tion of different bus s tructures , s uch a s a m em ory bus
or m em ory controller, a periph era l bus , a univers a l s eria l bus ,
a nd/or a proces s or or loca l bus th a t utiliz es a ny of a va riety of
bus a rch itectures .
[ 0058] D evice 9 00 a ls o includes com puter-rea da ble s tor
a ge m edia 9 14, s uch a s one or m ore m em ory devices th a t
ena ble pers is tent a nd/or non-tra ns itory da ta s tora ge ( i. e. , in
contra s t to m ere s igna l tra ns m is s ion) , ex a m ples of wh ich
include ra ndom a cces s m em ory ( RAM) , non-vola tile
m em ory ( e. g. , a ny one or m ore of a rea d-only m em ory
( ROM) , non-vola tile RAM ( N V RAM) , ? a s h m em ory,
EPROM, EEPROM, etc. ) , a nd a dis k s tora ge device. A dis k
s tora ge device m a y be im plem ented a s a ny type of m a gnetic
or optica l s tora ge device, s uch a s a h a rd dis k drive, a record
a ble a nd/or rewritea ble com pa ct dis c ( CD ) , a ny type of a
digita l vers a tile dis c ( D VD ) , a nd th e lik e. D evice 9 00 ca n a ls o
include a m a s s s tora ge m edia device 9 16.
[ 0059 ] Com puter-rea da ble s tora ge m edia 9 14 provides
da ta s tora ge m ech a nis m s to s tore th e device da ta 9 04, a s well
a s va rious device a pplica tions 9 18 a nd a ny oth er types of
inform a tion a nd/or da ta rela ted to opera tiona l a s pects of
device 9 00. For ex a m ple, a n opera ting s ys tem 9 20 ca n be
m a inta ined a s a com puter a pplica tion with th e com puter
rea da ble s tora ge m edia 9 14 a nd ex ecuted on proces s ors 9 10.
Th e device a pplica tions 9 18 m a y include a device m a na ger,
s uch a s a ny form of a control a pplica tion, s oftwa re a pplica
tion, s igna l -proces s ing a nd control m odule, code th a t is na tive
to a pa rticula r device, a h a rdwa re a bs tra ction la yer for a
pa rticula r device, a nd s o on.
[ 0060] Th e device a pplica tions 9 18 a ls o include a ny s ys tem
com ponents or m odules to im plem ent tech niq ues us ing or
ena bling a m ood-a ctua ted device. In th is ex a m ple, th e device
a pplica tions 9 18 ca n include controller 106 a nd/or m icrocon
troller 406 for controlling a m ood-a ctua ted device.
US 2014/0085181A1
CON CL USION
[ 0061] Th is docum ent des cribes va rious a ppa ra tus es a nd
tech niq ues for im plem enting a m ood-a ctua ted device.
Alth ough th e invention h a s been des cribed in la ngua ge s pe
ci? c to s tructura l fea tures a nd/ or m eth odologica l a cts , it is to
be unders tood th a t th e invention de? ned in th e a ppended
cla im s is not neces s a rily lim ited to th e s peci? c fea tures or a cts
des cribed. Ra th er, th e s peci? c fea tures a nd a cts a re dis clos ed
a s ex a m ple form s of im plem enting th e cla im ed invention.
Wh a t is cla im ed is :
1. A m ood-a ctua ted device, com pris ing:
a m icrocontroller con? gured to receive s igna ls corre
s ponding to a n em otiona l s ta te of a us er; a nd
a ? ex ible m a teria l con? gured to be controlled by th e m icro
controller to ch a nge to a s h a pe ba s ed on th e em otiona l
s ta te of th e us er.
2. Th e m ood-a ctua ted device a s recited in cla im 1, wh erein
th e ? ex ible m a teria l is con? gured to ch a nge to a s h a pe ba s ed
on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er by ch a nging to a s h a pe th a t
indica tes th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
3 . Th e m ood-a ctua ted device a s recited in cla im 1, wh erein
th e ? ex ible m a teria l is con? gured to ch a nge to a s h a pe ba s ed
on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er by ch a nging to a s h a pe th a t
vis ua lly m irrors th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
4. Th e m ood-a ctua ted device a s recited in cla im 1, wh erein
th e ? ex ible m a teria l is con? gured to ch a nge to a s h a pe ba s ed
on th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er by ch a nging to a s h a pe th a t
ca n h elp ch a nge th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
5. Th e m ood-a ctua ted device a s recited in cla im 1, wh erein
th e ? ex ible m a teria l is interla ced with wires th a t contra ct
wh en h ea ted, a nd wh erein th e m icrocontroller ch a nges th e
s h a pe of th e ? ex ible m a teria l by ca us ing th e wires to be
h ea ted or cooled.
6. Th e m ood-a ctua ted device a s recited in cla im 5, wh erein
th e m ood-a ctua ted device furth er includes a power s ource
th a t is connected to th e wires , a nd wh erein th e m icrocontrol
ler ca us es th e wires to be h ea ted by turning on th e power
s ource, a nd ca us es th e wires to be cooled by turning off th e
power s ource.
7 . Th e m ood-a ctua ted device a s recited in cla im 1, wh erein
th e ? ex ible m a teria l is con? gured to be controlled by th e
m icrocontroller to ch a nge to a ? a t s h a pe wh en th e em otiona l
s ta te of th e us er is rela x ed, a nd to ch a nge to a crum pled s h a pe
wh en th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er is s tres s ed.
8. Th e m ood-a ctua ted device a s recited in cla im 1, wh erein
th e ? ex ible m a teria l com pris es one of felt, cloth , pla s tic, or
m eta l.
9 . A m eth od, com pris ing:
receiving m ood inform a tion corres ponding to a current
m ood of a us er;
Ma r. 27 , 2014
determ ining a n em otiona l s ta te of th e us er ba s ed a t lea s t in
pa rt on th e m ood inform a tion; a nd
ca us ing a m ood-a ctua ted device to rea ct ba s ed on th e em o
tiona l s ta te of th e us er.
10. Th e m eth od a s recited in cla im 9 , wh erein th e m ood
inform a tion is received from one or m ore bio s ens ors .
11. Th e m eth od a s recited in cla im 10, wh erein th e one or
m ore bio s ens ors com pris e a t lea s t one of a h ea rt ra te m onitor,
a n electroca rdiogra ph y m onitor, or a ga lva nic s k in res pons e
m onitor.
12. Th e m eth od a s recited in cla im 9 , wh erein th e m ood
inform a tion is received from a m ood-ra ting s ervice th a t
ena bles a us er to ra te th e us er s current m ood.
13 . Th e m eth od a s recited in cla im 9 , wh erein th e m ood
a ctua ted device includes a ? ex ible m a teria l.
14. Th e m eth od a s recited in cla im 13 , wh erein th e ? ex ible
m a teria l is controlled to rea ct by ch a nging to a s h a pe th a t
indica tes th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
15. Th e m eth od a s recited in cla im 13 , wh erein th e ? ex ible
m a teria l is controlled to rea ct by ch a nging to a s h a pe th a t
vis ua lly m irrors th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
16. Th e m eth od a s recited in cla im 1, wh erein th e ? ex ible
m a teria l is controlled to rea ct by ch a nging to a s h a pe th a t is
con? gured to h elp ch a nge th e em otiona l s ta te of th e us er.
17 . Com puter-rea da ble s tora ge m edia h a ving ins tructions
s tored th ereon th a t, wh en ex ecuted by a proces s or, perform a
m eth od com pris ing:
ca us ing dis pla y of a us er interfa ce on a s creen of a com
puting device th a t ena bles a us er to ra te a current m ood
of th e us er;
receiving input indica ting th e current m ood of th e us er; a nd
providing m ood inform a tion, ba s ed on th e input, to a con
troller effective to ca us e a m ood-a ctua ted device to rea ct
ba s ed on th e m ood inform a tion.
18. Th e com puter-rea da ble s tora ge m edia a s recited in
cla im 17 , wh erein th e us er interfa ce includes a grid th a t
ena bles th e us er to ra te th e current m ood of th e us er between
two oppos ite m oods a long a ? rs t a x is a nd between two dif
ferent oppos ite m oods a long a s econd a x is perpendicula r to
th e ? rs t a x is .
19 . Th e com puter-rea da ble s tora ge m edia a s recited in
cla im 17 , wh erein th e us er interfa ce includes a grid th a t
ena bles th e us er to ra te th e current m ood of th e us er from
nega tive va lence to pos itive va lence a long a ? rs t a x is a nd
from ex cited to rela x ed a long a s econd a x is perpendicula r to
th e ? rs t a x is .
20. Th e com puter-rea da ble s tora ge m edia a s recited in
cla im 17 , wh erein th e providing furth er com pris es providing
th e m ood inform a tion to th e controller effective to ca us e th e
m ood-a ctua ted device to rea ct by ch a nging to a s h a pe th a t
vis ua lly m irrors th e current m ood of th e us er.
* * * * *