Patent Publication Number: US-7715789-B2

Title: Method and apparatus mechanically providing and/or using modulated audio effects into the interior of human flesh

Description:
CROSS-REFERNCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority to provisional application No. 60/645,881 filed Jan. 20, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   This invention relates to providing modulated audio effects into the interior of human flesh, in particular to methods and apparatus inducing modulated audio effects into the interior of human flesh, and their use. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   There are a large number of devices, which mechanically affect interior human flesh. In particular, there are various massage related devices, which act upon to push, pull and/or suction skin to affect human flesh. Most of these machines use an electric motor to repeatedly perform the same mechanical action. The effect of these machines is to induce a mechanical vibration on the affected human flesh whose frequency spectrum is essentially an unmodulated single carrier frequency. Such machines, while able to affect the interior human flesh to some extent, have some serious problems. Many people report the “buzzing” effect to grow increasingly annoying, in some cases, making the machines unacceptable for use. Some of these devices are used to as sex aids. Again, the “buzzing” is often a problem, leading these devices to tend to be used for arousal, but often being unable to bring sexual climax to the user. What is needed are devices which can effectively deliver modulated audio action to the interior of human flesh. 
   Some devices claim to be or have “vibro-acoustic speakers”, which purportedly have some special ability to deliver acoustic vibrations into flesh. However, these devices often rely upon fairly standard acoustic speaker technology, often woofer and/or sub-woofers, to deliver the acoustic vibrations to the skin. There are several problems with this approach. First, an acoustic wave crossing from air through skin to flesh experiences a large and varied attenuation. Some parts of the human body, such as bone conduct sound quite well, whereas several of the soft tissues absorb it for the most part. Second, there is little that can be done to control where the sound is delivered. By way of example, a woofer or sub-woofer may well be 30 centimeters (cm) or 12 inches across. This is far wider than even the largest muscles of the human leg or arm. Mechanisms and methods are needed which can deliver modulated audio actions to specific regions of the interior of human flesh. 
   There are a number of devices which deliver a mechanical vibration to skin which can induce an unmodulated carrier frequency in the acoustic or sub-acoustic frequency ranges. What is needed is a mechanism or method by which such devices could induce modulated audio action to interior human flesh. 
   Several devices provide pulse wave modulated actions to skin, for various stated reasons. These devices often feel as though someone is being tapped or hit repeatedly, and can grow quite irritating over a relatively short period of time. What is needed are mechanisms and methods which deliver a smoother modulation to the skin. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention includes a method of affecting the interior of human flesh, by providing a modulated power signal to at least one solenoid to create a modulated solenoid action, and the solenoid delivering the modulated solenoid action through a mechanical interface to the human flesh to create a modulated audio effect into the interior of the human flesh. 
   Providing the modulated power signal may include receiving an audio signal to create the modulated power signal. Receiving the audio signal may include fetching a down-converted audio signal and the audio signal from a memory device and/or frequency-down-converting the audio signal to create the down-converted audio signal. Receiving the audio signal may further include solenoid amplifying the down-converted signal to create the modulated power signal. Solenoid amplifying the down-converted signal may include gating at least one high power source by the down-converted audio signal to create at least one modulated power component signal, and providing that to at least one back ElectroMagnetic Force (EMF) snubbing circuit to create the modulated power signal and suppress back EMF from the solenoid. 
   The modulated audio effect into the interior of the human flesh is a product of this process. This effect is both pleasing and relaxing to the human, as it can vary with an audio signal being heard. The modulated power signal and the down-converted audio signal are also products of this method. The modulated power signal can drive apparatus including the solenoids to create the modulated audio effect. The down-converted audio signal can be readily calculated and efficiently stored in a memory device. By way of example, assume that the down-converted audio signal has a maximum frequency of 128 Herz (Hz) and that the signal is sample four times per Hz, for 512 samples per second. A typical audio channel is sampled about 48K times per second, roughly 96 times more frequently. The down-converted audio signal has less than one percent of the bandwidth of just one audio signal. Contemporary audio files often have two audio channels, so that an augmented audio file including the down-converted audio signal would gain less than one percent in size, but have a new and pleasurable effect which could be presented in not only hand held vibrating massagers, but also furniture, such as chairs, sofas, beds and cushions. 
   The invention includes apparatus implementing the solenoid amplifying, receiving the audio signal, frequency-down-converting the audio signal in a variety of configurations. The various means for frequency down-converting may be implemented with finite state machines and/or computers. The finite state machines may be further made by use of programmable logic devices, application specific integrated circuits, and memory devices. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1A to 13B  show examples of mechanisms implementing various aspects of the invention&#39;s method of affecting the interior of human flesh; 
       FIGS. 14 to 16  show examples of hand held vibrating massagers including the solenoid and mechanical interface used to affect human flesh, as discussed in the previous Figures; and 
       FIGS. 17A to 17E  show examples of furniture including the solenoid and mechanical interface used to affect human flesh, as discussed in the previous Figures. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   This invention relates to providing modulated audio effects into the interior of human flesh, in particular to methods and apparatus inducing modulated audio effects into the interior of human flesh, and their use. 
   The invention includes a method affecting the interior of human flesh, by providing a modulated power signal  10  to at least one solenoid  310  to create a modulated solenoid action  312 . The solenoid delivers the modulated solenoid action through a mechanical interface  314  to the human flesh  2 . 
   The invention&#39;s method of affecting the interior of human flesh will be described through its implementation mechanisms. The invention includes implementations of a number of mechanisms supporting this method, including the means for providing  100  the modulated power signal  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and further developed in  FIGS. 1C to 13B , a hand held vibrating massager including the solenoid  310  delivering the modulated solenoid action  312  to the mechanical interface  314 , as shown in  FIGS. 14 to 16 , and pieces of furniture including the solenoid and mechanical interface  314 , as shown in  FIGS. 17A to 17E . 
   Turning first to implementations based upon the means for providing  100  the modulated power signal  10 , it may include a means for receiving  110  an audio signal  20  to create the modulated power signal, as shown in  FIG. 1B . The means for solenoid amplifying  120  receives the down-converted audio signal  30  to create the modulated power signal  10 .  FIG. 1C  shows an example of the means for receiving including a means for fetching  112  communicatively coupled to a memory device  114  to provide the audio signal  20  and the down-converted audio signal  30 . 
   The memory device  114  may include an augmented audio file  116  from which both the audio signal and the down-converted audio signal used to affect the interior of human flesh  2 . The memory device may include at least one instance of at least one of the following shown in  FIG. 2B : a non-volatile memory device  114 -N, a volatile memory device  114 -V, a hard disk drive  114 -HD, an optical disk drive  114 -OD, and a network storage device  114 -NS communicating across a network, including at least one physical transport layer. The physical transport layer may be a wireline physical transport or a wireless physical transport. The invention includes both the augmented audio file and the memory device containing augmented audio file. 
     FIG. 2C  shows an example of the means for solenoid amplifying  120  of  FIG. 1B , including the down-converted audio signal  30  presented to a means for gating  122 , which also receives a high power source  124  to create at least one modulated power component signal  12 , and at least one back EMF snubbing circuit  126  receiving the at least one modulated power component signal to create the modulated power signal  10  through suppressing the back electromagnetic force from the solenoid  310  of  FIG. 1A . 
     FIG. 3A  shows a refinement of  FIG. 2C  including a power supply  128  providing the high power source  124 . The power supply is shown in  FIG. 3B  to include at least one instance of at least one of the following: a battery  128 -B to create a first high power source  124 - 1 , a direct current source  128 -DC driven by an Alternating Current line (AC line) to create a second high power source  124 - 2 , a fuel cell  128 -FC to create a third high power source  124 - 3 , and a battery charger  128 -BC providing a fourth high power source  124 - 4  electrically coupled with the battery to support creating the first high power source. 
   The means for gating  122  include at least one instance of any of the following examples shown in  FIGS. 3C to 4C . An amplifier  122 -A with an OPerating Frequency response (OPF) including at least twenty Herz (Hz) to at most 70 Hz, as shown in  FIG. 4D . A semi-conducting device  128 -S with the operating frequency response. A vacuum tube  128 -VT with the operating frequency response. A silicon rectifier  128 -SCR with the operating frequency response. A triac  128 -Tr with the operating frequency response. 
   The operating frequency response may further include at least ten Hz to at most one hundred twenty eight Hz shown as OPF  2  in  FIG. 4D . The operating frequency response may further, preferably, include at least eight Hz to at most one hundred sixty Hz shown as OPF  3 . 
   The amplifier  122 -A is preferably at least one the following: a Class A amplifier, a Class B amplifier, a Class C amplifier, a Class D amplifier, an operational amplifier, a linear amplifier, and a differential amplifier. 
   The semi-conducting device  122 -S preferably includes at least one instance of at least one of the following: a bipolar semiconductor, a Field Effect Transistor (FET), and an amorphous semiconductor. 
   The back EMF snubbing circuit  126  of  FIG. 2C  includes at least one instance of any of the following examples shown in  FIGS. 4E to 5B .
         A hexfet  126 -H receiving the modulating power component signal  12  and driving at least one terminal of the solenoid  310  by providing a low resistance on-path, a high resistance off-path to create the modulated power signal  10  and suppresses the back electromagnetic force from the solenoid as in  FIG. 4E .   A bipolar transistor  126 -BP receiving the modulating power component signal and driving the at least one terminal of the solenoid by providing a low resistance on-path, a high resistance off-path to create the modulated power signal, and both the on-path and the off-path coupling to a schottky diode  126 -SD suppressing the back electromagnetic force from the solenoid as in  FIG. 4F .   A silicon rectifier  126 -SCR receiving the modulating power component signal and driving the at least one terminal of the solenoid by providing a low resistance on-path, a high resistance off-path to create the modulated power signal, both the on-path and the off-path coupling to the schottky diode suppressing the back electromagnetic force from the solenoid as in  FIG. 5A .   A triac  126 -Tr receiving the modulating power component signal and drives at least one terminal of the solenoid by providing a low resistance on-path, a high resistance off-path to create the modulated power signal, both the on-path and the off-path coupling to the schottky diode suppressing the back electromagnetic force from the solenoid as in  FIG. 5B .       

   The means for solenoid amplifying  120  may further include at least one instance of the following examples shown in  FIGS. 5C to 6A . An electric coupling  128 -C providing the down-converted audio signal  30 . The electrical coupling includes at least two contacts, and in certain preferred implementations, more than two contacts. The electrical coupling driving an impedance matching transformer  128 -IT to provide the down-converted audio signal. And, the electrical coupling in parallel with the two resistive inputs  128 -RI of a potentiometer  128 -POT providing a proportioned output  128 -PO to the impedance matching transformer to provide the down-converted audio signal. 
   Alternatively, the means for receiving  110  may include the audio signal  20  received by a means for frequency down converting  130  to create down-converted audio signal  30  as in  FIG. 2A . The means for receiving may include the means for fetching  112  communicatively coupled to the memory device  114 , as in  FIG. 6B . The means for fetching may include the memory device as in  FIG. 6C . The means for providing  100  may include the memory device  114  presenting the audio signal  20  to the means for frequency down converting, as in  FIG. 6D . 
     FIG. 7  shows a preferred example of the means for providing  100 , in particular, the means for receiving  110 .
         The means for solenoid amplifying  128  includes the electrical coupling  128 -EC, in parallel with the two resistive inputs  128 -RI of a potentiometer  128 -POT providing a proportioned output  128 -PO to an impedance matching transformer  128 -IT to provide the down-converted audio signal  30 .   The means for gating  122  includes the amplifier  122 -A.   The electrical coupling is preferably a female RCA ⅛ inch plug. The potentiometer is preferably a 10K Ohm potentiometer.   The impedance matching transformer matches an eight Ohm output impedance, typical of a personal computer or portable music player, to a ten thousand Ohm input impedance of the amplifier.   The amplifier is a TL072 integrated circuit amplifier.   The modulated power signal  10  includes a first modulated power signal  10 - 1  and a second modulated power signal  10 - 2 , which are collectively provided to the two terminals of the solenoid  310 .   The capacitors in this Figure are rated in terms of Farads, with the exception of C 1  refers to 2 micro-Farads at 200 Volts, and C 2  refers to 470 micro-Farads at 200 Volts.   The resistors are rated in Ohms, with the exception of R 1  refers to a 10 Ohm 2 Watt resistor, and R 2  refers to an 18 Ohm 5 Watt resistor.   The Zener diode is rated for 15 Volts.   The power supply  128  provides the V+, as well as ground (GND) and 15 Volt signals, and through an RC network, drives the second modulated power signal  10 - 2 .       
   The back EMF snubbing circuit  126  of  FIG. 7  is further shown in  FIG. 8A , including two instances of a hexfet  126 -H of  FIG. 4E , the first instance hexfet  126 -H 1 , and the second instance hexfet  126 -H 2 . Both instances receive the modulating power component signal  12  across a resistor at their gate G. Both instances have their Source S tied to ground GND. And both instances have their Drain D tied to the first modulated power signal  10 - 1 . 
   Returning to the discussion of the means for frequency down-converting  130  of  FIG. 2A , examples of this means are shown in  FIGS. 8B to 13B . The invention includes the means for frequency down-converting receiving the audio signal  20  and generating the down-converted audio signal  30  for presentation to the means for solenoid amplifying  120 . These examples each show the audio signal feeding an input First In First Out (FIFO)  132 -IF. An input window  134 -IW provides access to the first out end of the input FIFO without altering the input FIFO by the access. These examples also show an output window  134 -OW feeding an output FIFO  134 -OF, where the output window can be accessed without altering the output FIFO. When an output window value or values are completely calculated, they are sent to the output FIFO. 
   Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filtering may be used to create the down-converted audio signal. The means for frequency down-converting  130  includes a means for FIR filtering  132 -FIR of the input window  134 -IW to alter the output window  134 -OW is shown in  FIGS. 8B and 9B . 
   An output control  14 -FIR for the means for FIR filtering may be provided. In certain implementations, the output control may preferably indicate the number of tones of frequency down conversion are to be implemented. By way of example, in western music there are typically twelve tones in an octave, which spans one binary power of two in frequency from its lowest tone to its highest tone. Often these tones are equally distributed on a logarithmic scale between the lowest tone and the highest. 
     FIG. 9B  shows a refinement of the means for frequency down-converting  130  of  FIG. 8B , where the output control  14 -FIR is used to control addressing of a coefficient table  134 -CT. The coefficient  134 -CF is selected in part based upon the output control, so that the FIR filter coefficients for each tone&#39;s down-conversion are stored in the table and used when appropriate. The coefficients may be stored as fixed point or floating point numbers, or may represented by their logarithms. 
   Pattern recognition may be used to control an output generator to implement the means for frequency down-converting  130 , as shown in  FIG. 9A , which may include means for recognizing  132 -RC at least one pattern based upon the input window  134 -IW to create a pattern classification  132 -PC driving an output generator  134 -OG to alter the output window  134 -OW. 
   An output control  14 -REC may direct the means for recognizing  132 -RC and an output control  14 -OG may direct the output generator  132 -OG. By way of example, the output control  14 -REC may indicate an input octave, and the means for recognizing may be directed to recognize the strength of each tone in that octave from the input window  134 -IW on the input FIFO  134 -IF of the audio signal  20 . The pattern classification  132 -PC may include those tone strengths. The output control  14 -OG may indicate the target output octave that the output generator will use to alter the output window based upon the tone strengths. 
     FIGS. 10 and 11  show two examples of the means for frequency down-converting  130  using both FIR filtering and pattern recognition to drive an output generator. In either Figure the stage nearest the input window can be used to do the frequency down-converting, and the stage closest to the output window can be used to remove undesirable artifacts such as sudden attacks and sudden decays in the down-converted signal, which may feel harsh to the human flesh  2 . 
   In  FIG. 10 , the first stage includes the means for recognizing  132 -RC generating the pattern classification  132 -PC to drive the output generator  132 -OG, which alters a second input window  134 -IW 2 , which may act in part as a FIFO. The second stage includes the means for FIR filtering  132 -FIR using the second input window and the coefficient  132 -CF from the coefficient table  134 -CT to alter the output window  134 -OW. 
   In  FIG. 11 , the first stage includes the means for FIR filtering  132 -FIR, which alters the second input window  134 -IW 2 . The second stage includes the means for recognizing  132 -RC patterns in the second input window to create the pattern classification  132 -PC, which drives the output generator  132 -OG. 
   The means for frequency down-converting  130  may include a computer  150  accessibly coupled  152  to a memory  154  and directed by a program system  200 , as shown in the examples of  FIGS. 12A and 13A . 
   Some of the following figures show flowcharts of at least one method of the invention, which may include arrows with reference numbers. These arrows signify a flow of control, and sometimes data, supporting various implementations of the method. These include at least one the following: a program operation, or program thread, executing upon a computer; an inferential link in an inferential engine; a state transition in a finite state machine; and/or a dominant learned response within a neural network. 
   The operation of starting a flowchart refers to at least one of the following. Entering a subroutine or a macro instruction sequence in a computer. Entering into a deeper node of an inferential graph. Directing a state transition in a finite state machine, possibly while pushing a return state. And triggering a collection of neurons in a neural network. The operation of starting a flowchart is denoted by an oval with the word “Start” in it. 
   The operation of termination in a flowchart refers to at least one or more of the following. The completion of those operations, which may result in a subroutine return, traversal of a higher node in an inferential graph, popping of a previously stored state in a finite state machine, return to dormancy of the firing neurons of the neural network. The operation of terminating a flowchart is denoted by an oval with the word “Exit” in it. 
   A computer as used herein will include, but is not limited to, an instruction processor. The instruction processor includes at least one instruction processing element and at least one data processing element. Each data processing element is controlled by at least one instruction processing element. 
     FIG. 12A  shows the computer accessing the input window  134 -IW of the input FIFO  134 -IF and altering the output window  134 -OW, which feeds the output FIFO  134 -OF. The pattern classification  134 -PC may reside in the memory  154 . 
     FIG. 13A  shows a variation on the example of  FIG. 12A , where the computer  150  receives the audio signal  20 , possibly the output controls  14 -FIR,  14 -REC and/or  14 -OG, and maintains the input FIFO  134 -IF, the input window  134 -IW, the output window  134 -OW, and the output FIFO  134 -OW, to drive the down-converted audio signal  30 . The memory  154  may contain the input FIFO, the input window, the output window and the output FIFO. 
   The program system  200  may preferably direct the computer  150  of  FIGS. 12A  and/or  13 A to support at least one of the operations shown in  FIG. 12B . Operation  202  supports FIR filtering the input window  134 -IW of the input FIFO  134 -IF to alter the output window  134 -OW feeding the output FIFO  134 -OF. Operation  204  supports recognizing the at least one pattern based upon the input window to create the pattern classification  134 -PC. Operation  206  supports performing the output generator  132 -OG based upon the pattern classification to alter the output window feeding the output FIFO. 
   The program system  200  may further preferably direct the computer  150  of  FIG. 13A  to support the operations shown in  FIG. 13B . Operation  210  supports the audio signal  20  feeding the input FIFO  134 -IF. Operation  212  supports the output FIFO  134 -OF creating the down-converted audio signal  30 . 
   The invention includes a hand held vibrating massager  300  including at least one of the solenoid  310  delivering the modulated solenoid action  312  to the mechanical interface  314 , as shown in  FIGS. 14 to 16 .  FIG. 16  is based upon a currently manufactured hand held vibrating massager. The invention includes using that currently manufactured hand held vibrating massager to deliver the modulated solenoid action  312  to human flesh  2 , to modify the interior of the human flesh. The invention include that modification of the human flesh as a product of the invention&#39;s process of affecting the human flesh. 
   The hand held vibrating massager  300  may further include a head section  306  containing the solenoid situated at an angle  320  to a handle  302 , as shown in  FIG. 16 . The inventors found that the angle  320  did not allow a single user easy access to several important parts of their own bodies. By way of example, it was difficult to massage the sides of the rib cage, the back of their neck, their genitals, their buttocks, or the back of their thighs. 
   The inventors found that the angle was preferred greater than ninety degrees. The invention includes the hand held massager  300  of  FIG. 16  where the angle  320  is greater than ninety degrees. Further preferred the angle is at least one hundred and sixty degrees and at most two hundred degrees. 
   The invention further includes the hand held vibrating massager  300 , including the head section  306  coupled through a mid section  304  to the handle  302 , as shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 . The angle  320  between the head section and the handle now includes a first angle  308 -A between the head section and the mid section, and a second angle  308 -B between the mid section and the handle. 
     FIG. 15  shows the mid section  304  being able to separate and support any of the following capabilities expanding the mid section, contracting the mid section, the capability to change the first angle  308 -A and the capability to change the second angle  308 -B. 
   The invention also includes pieces of furniture including the solenoid  310  and mechanical interface  314 , as shown in  FIGS. 17A to 17E , which includes an instance of a chair  330 , a sofa  332 , a bed  334 , and a cushion  336 . The piece of furniture may include more than one solenoid and mechanical interface, as shown in  FIG. 17E , where the sofa  332  which includes a second solenoid  310 - 2  driving a second mechanical interface  314 - 2 . 
   The preceding embodiments provide examples of the invention and are not meant to constrain the scope of the following claims.