Multi-dimensional trackpad

• US 10,067,567 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.), NextInput Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.), NextInput Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andrews, David, Campbell, Ian, Diestelhorst, Ryan, Lisseman, Jason Carl, Metzger, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Adediran, Abdul-Samad A
• Application Number:
  US14/291,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 310331, 3404071, 3403846, 345156, 345168, 345173, 701 48
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/111 for controlling multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/25 using haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L

Abstract

A multi-dimensional track pad is described that acts as human-machine interface (HMI). Inputs to the HMI can be made not only using the tradition two-dimensional (X-Y) inputs of a track pad, but also a third dimension, force, and even a fourth dimension, time. Tactile or audible feedback to the inputs can be provided. Methods of using the HMI to control a system are described as well as a track pad system that utilizes the HMI in communication with a processor.

Claims

1. A method of selecting and controlling a system using a track pad that is not connected to any display device, the track pad comprising:

receiving, by a touch interface positioned over an array of force sensors that are arranged to have a width and a length, a touch force, wherein said touch interface is integrated into a steering mechanism of a vehicle;

passing at least a portion of said touch force through the touch interface to one or more force sensors of the array of force sensors;

transmitting, by the one or more force sensors of the array of force sensors, force information to a processor in communication with the array of force sensors;

determining, by the processor, from the force information a force position along the width and length and a corresponding force magnitude; and

sending, by the processor, a control message to a system, wherein the control message is selected from among a plurality of control messages depending upon the force position along the width and length and the system is selected from among a plurality of systems based on the corresponding force magnitude, wherein the force magnitude has at least two thresholds and a first system is selected from the plurality of systems when the force magnitude exceeds a first threshold of the at least two thresholds and a second system is selected from the plurality of systems when the force magnitude exceeds a second threshold of the at least two thresholds.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by a feedback generator, at least one of a tactile or audible feedback.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing, by the feedback generator, at least one of a tactile or audible feedback, comprises the feedback generator providing tactile or audible feedback that is proportional to at least one of the force position and the force magnitude.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the at least one of a tactile or audible feedback by the feedback generator comprises providing the tactile or audible feedback by a haptic generator that generates the at least one of a tactile or audible feedback.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the haptic generator is a coneless coil and magnet assembly.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system and the second system each comprise a different system of the plurality of systems.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by a feedback generator, at least one of a tactile or audible feedback, wherein the feedback generator is configured to provide an audible tick when the control message is selected from the plurality of control messages depending at least partially upon the force position along the width and length and provide the tactile feedback for each selection made depending on the force magnitude.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending, by the processor, the control message to the system, wherein the control message is selected depending upon one or more of the force position along the width and length and the corresponding force magnitude comprises selecting the control message depending upon the force magnitude exceeding a threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the force magnitude has at least two thresholds and the control message is selected depending upon the force magnitude exceeding one or more of the thresholds.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a different control message is selected for each threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the touch interface positioned over the array of force sensors arranged to have a width and a length, the touch force comprises receiving the touch force by the touch interface positioned over an array of MEMS sensors.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the MEMS sensors are structure-based piezo-resistive sensors.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing, by a feedback generator, at least one of a tactile or audible feedback, wherein providing the at least one of a tactile or audible feedback by the feedback generator comprises providing the tactile or audible feedback by a feedback generator that is a structural part of the structure-based piezo-resistive sensors.

14. A track pad system for selecting and controlling a system using a track pad that is not connected to any display device, the track pad comprising:

a two-dimensional array of force sensors arranged to have a width and a length;

a touch interface positioned over the array, wherein the touch interface passes touch forces through to one or more force sensors of the array of force sensors and said touch interface is integrated into a steering mechanism of a vehicle;

a processor in communication with a memory, wherein the processor executes computer-readable instructions stored on the memory, said instructions cause the processor to;

receive force information from the array of force sensors; and

determine a force position along the width and length and a corresponding force magnitude;

provide, by a feedback generator, at least one of a tactile or audible feedback; and

send a control message to a system selected from a plurality of systems and wherein the control message is selected from among a plurality of control messages by the processor depending upon the force position along the width and length and the system is selected from among a plurality of systems based on the corresponding force magnitude, wherein the force magnitude has at least two thresholds and a first system is selected from the plurality of systems when the force magnitude exceeds a first threshold of the at least two thresholds and a second system is selected from the plurality of systems when the force magnitude exceeds a second threshold of the at least two thresholds.

15. The track pad system of claim 14, wherein the tactile or audible feedback provided by the feedback generator is proportional to at least one of the force position and the force magnitude.

16. The track pad system of claim 14, wherein the force sensors are MEMS sensors.

17. The track pad system of claim 16, wherein the MEMS sensors are structure-based piezo-resistive sensors.

18. The track pad system of claim 17, wherein the feedback generator is a structural part of the structure-based piezo-resistive sensors.

19. The track pad system of claim 14, wherein the feedback generator comprises a haptic generator.

20. The track pad system of claim 19, wherein the haptic generator is a coneless coil and magnet assembly.

21. The track pad system of claim 14, wherein the force magnitude has at least three thresholds and the first system is selected from the plurality of systems depending upon the force magnitude exceeding the first threshold of the at least two thresholds the second system is selected from the plurality of systems when the force magnitude exceeds the second threshold of the at least two thresholds, and a third system is selected from the plurality of systems when the force magnitude exceeds a third threshold of the at least two thresholds.

22. The track pad system of claim 21, wherein the at least three thresholds are in increments of 1 N or 1 ounce.

23. The track pad system of claim 14, wherein the feedback generator is configured to provide an audible tick when the control message is selected from the plurality of control messages depending at least partially upon the force position along the width and length and provide the tactile feedback for each selection made depending on the force magnitude.

24. The track pad system of claim 14, wherein the width or length is 8 mm or larger.

25. The track pad system of claim 14, having a 0.5 mm or less thickness.

26. A track pad system integrated into a steering mechanism of a vehicle for selecting and controlling a vehicle system using a track pad that is not connected to any display device, the track pad comprising:

a two-dimensional array of force sensors arranged to have a width and a length, the two-dimensional array of force sensors embedded into a steering mechanism of a vehicle;

a touch interface positioned over the array, wherein the touch interface passes touch forces through to one or more force sensors of the array of force sensors;

a processor in communication with a memory, wherein the processor executes computer-readable instructions stored on the memory, said instructions cause the processor to;

receive force information from the array of force sensors;

determine a force position along the width and length and a corresponding force magnitude; and

send a control message to a system, wherein the control message is selected from among a plurality of control messages by the processor depending upon the force position along the width and length and the system is selected from among a plurality of systems depending upon the corresponding force magnitude, wherein the force magnitude has at least two thresholds and a first system is selected from the plurality of systems when the force magnitude exceeds a first threshold of the at least two thresholds and a second system is selected from the plurality of systems when the force magnitude exceeds a second threshold of the at least two thresholds.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising a feedback generator, wherein the feedback generator is controlled by the processor and the processor causes the feedback generator to generate at least one of a tactile or audible feedback.