A hearing user's device for communicating with a hearing impaired assisted user using an assisted user's device that includes a speaker and a display screen for broadcasting a hearing user's voice signal and presenting captioned text associated with the hearing user's voice signal to the assisted user, respectively, the hearing user's device comprising a microphone for receiving the hearing user's voice signal as spoken by the hearing user, a display screen and a processor linked to the microphone and the display screen, the processor transmitting the hearing user's voice signal to the assisted users device, the processor presenting a quality indication of the captioned text presented to the assisted user via the assisted users device for consideration by the hearing user.

A hearing user's device for communicating with a hearing impaired assisted user using an assisted user's device that includes a speaker and a display screen for broadcasting a hearing user's voice signal and presenting captioned text associated with the hearing user's voice signal to the assisted user, respectively, the hearing user's device comprising a microphone for receiving the hearing user's voice signal as spoken by the hearing user, a display screen and a processor linked to the microphone and the display screen, the processor transmitting the hearing user's voice signal to the assisted users device, the processor presenting a quality indication of the captioned text presented to the assisted user via the assisted users device for consideration by the hearing user.

A haptic communication device includes an array of cutaneous actuators to generate haptic sensations corresponding to actuator signals received by the array. The haptic sensations include at least a first haptic sensation and a second haptic sensation. The array includes at least a first cutaneous actuator to begin generating the first haptic sensation at a first location on a body of a user at a first time. A second cutaneous actuator begins generating the second haptic sensation at a second location on the body of the user at a second time later than the first time.

A haptic communication device includes an array of cutaneous actuators to generate haptic sensations corresponding to actuator signals received by the array. The haptic sensations include at least a first haptic sensation and a second haptic sensation. The array includes at least a first cutaneous actuator to begin generating the first haptic sensation at a first location on a body of a user at a first time. A second cutaneous actuator begins generating the second haptic sensation at a second location on the body of the user at a second time later than the first time.

A haptic device comprises a signal generator that is configured to receive an input word that is a unit of a language. The signal generator converts the input word into one or more phonemes of the input word. The signal generator further converts the one or more phonemes into a sequence of actuator signals. The sequence of actuator signals is formed from a concatenation of sub-sequences of actuator signals. Each phoneme corresponding to a unique sub-sequence of actuator signals. The haptic device further comprises a two dimensional array of cutaneous actuators configured to receive the sequence of actuator signals from the signal generator, each of the actuator signals mapped to a cutaneous actuator of the two dimensional array of cutaneous actuators.

A haptic device comprises a signal generator that is configured to receive an input word that is a unit of a language. The signal generator converts the input word into one or more phonemes of the input word. The signal generator further converts the one or more phonemes into a sequence of actuator signals. The sequence of actuator signals is formed from a concatenation of sub-sequences of actuator signals. Each phoneme corresponding to a unique sub-sequence of actuator signals. The haptic device further comprises a two dimensional array of cutaneous actuators configured to receive the sequence of actuator signals from the signal generator, each of the actuator signals mapped to a cutaneous actuator of the two dimensional array of cutaneous actuators.

Embodiments relate to enhancing haptic communication by using two or more cutaneous actuators to create constructive or destructive interference patterns on the receiving user's skin. The actuator signals for the two or more cutaneous actuators are shaped and generated so that the two or more cutaneous actuators cause vibrations on the receiving user's patch of skin to increase or decrease. In this way, various enhancement to haptic communication can be achieved.

Embodiments relate to enhancing haptic communication by using two or more cutaneous actuators to create constructive or destructive interference patterns on the receiving user's skin. The actuator signals for the two or more cutaneous actuators are shaped and generated so that the two or more cutaneous actuators cause vibrations on the receiving user's patch of skin to increase or decrease. In this way, various enhancement to haptic communication can be achieved.

A method for providing information to a user, the method including: receiving an input signal from a sensing device associated with a sensory modality of the user; generating a preprocessed signal upon preprocessing the input signal with a set of preprocessing operations; extracting a set of features from the preprocessed signal; processing the set of features with a neural network system; mapping outputs of the neural network system to a device domain associated with a device including a distribution of haptic actuators in proximity to the user; and at the distribution of haptic actuators, cooperatively producing a haptic output representative of at least a portion of the input signal, thereby providing information to the user.

A method for providing information to a user, the method including: receiving an input signal from a sensing device associated with a sensory modality of the user; generating a preprocessed signal upon preprocessing the input signal with a set of preprocessing operations; extracting a set of features from the preprocessed signal; processing the set of features with a neural network system; mapping outputs of the neural network system to a device domain associated with a device including a distribution of haptic actuators in proximity to the user; and at the distribution of haptic actuators, cooperatively producing a haptic output representative of at least a portion of the input signal, thereby providing information to the user.