Haptic notifications

• US 10,490,035 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Morrell, John B., Harley, Jonah A., Hoen, Storrs T., Degner, Brett W., Moussette, Camille, Guetta, Anthony, Weiss, Samuel B., Scott, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US15/800,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20180075715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a haptic actuator or a device having a haptic actuator that is capable of producing short, sharp and crisp pulses in a short amount of time.

Claims

1. A method of providing haptic output, the method comprising:

applying an input voltage waveform to a haptic actuator comprising an actuator mass wherein;

applying the input voltage waveform to the haptic actuator causes a momentum of the actuator mass to increase from zero to a peak intensity; and

wherein the increase in momentum from zero to the peak intensity occurs during a first time period of between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds, and wherein the first time period starts when the input voltage waveform is initially applied to the haptic actuator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the peak intensity is approximately 1500 gram millimeters per second or higher.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input voltage waveform further causes the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to change from the peak intensity to less than or equal to ten percent of the peak intensity between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds.

4. A method of moving an actuator mass of a haptic actuator, the method comprising:

applying an input atom to the haptic actuator, wherein the input atom;

causes the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to move in accordance with the input atom; and

causes a momentum of the actuator mass to increase from a first momentum of substantially zero in an output momentum waveform to a peak intensity of the output momentum waveform of approximately 1500 gram millimeters per second or higher between a first time period between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the input atom is represented as a substantially square input waveform.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the input atom further causes the momentum of the actuator mass to decrease from the peak intensity in the output momentum waveform to a second momentum of substantially zero in the output momentum waveform in a second time period between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the input atom causes the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output displacement waveform, wherein the output displacement waveform starts from a substantially zero displacement and reaches a peak displacement intensity during the first time period.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the input atom further causes the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to return to a displacement of substantially zero in the output displacement waveform during a second time period of between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds.

9. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processing units;

a memory comprising a library of haptic inputs; and

a haptic actuator, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to;

receive or identify an alert event or notification;

select from the library of haptic inputs, based on the alert event or notification, one or more haptic inputs to apply to the haptic actuator; and

generate each of the selected one or more haptic inputs to have one or more respective parameters, wherein;

the one or more respective parameters comprises a length of playback, an intensity level during playback, and a time period at which each of the one or more haptic inputs is to be played by the haptic actuator; and

for at least one alert or notification, there are at least two haptic inputs selected to apply to the haptic actuator.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processing units comprises a synthesizer engine.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the selected one or more haptic inputs comprise an input voltage waveform.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the alert event or notification is associated with a plurality of haptic inputs.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processing units is adapted to apply the selected one or more haptic inputs to the haptic actuator to cause the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the selected one or more haptic inputs.

15. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processing units;

a memory comprising a library of input waveforms; and

a haptic actuator, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to;

select at least one input waveform from the library of input waveforms based on a determined state of the electronic device, wherein the selected at least one input waveform is adapted to cause the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the input waveform; and

wherein;

adaptation of the input waveform comprises adapting at least one of a length of playback, an intensity level during playback, and a time period at which the input waveform is to be played by the haptic actuator; and

for at least one determined state of the electronic device, at least two input waveforms are selected from the library of input waveforms.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the determined state of the electronic device corresponds to an alert notification.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processing units comprises a synthesizer engine.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the one or more processing units is adapted to apply the selected input waveform to the haptic actuator to cause the electronic device to move in accordance with the output waveform associated with the input waveform.

20. A method for causing haptic output in an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving an alert event at the electronic device;

selecting, based on the alert event, one or more input atoms from a library of input atoms stored in a memory of the electronic device; and

generating a haptic input comprising the selected one or more input atoms to apply to a haptic actuator of the electronic device, wherein;

the haptic input is generated based on a length of playback, an intensity level during playback, and a time period at which the one or more input atoms are to be played by the haptic actuator; and

for at least one alert event, at least two input atoms are selected to apply to the haptic actuator.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the haptic input is generated by a synthesizer engine.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein an input voltage waveform for at least one of the selected one or more input atoms of the haptic input is a square wave.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the alert event is associated with a plurality of input atoms.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the library of input atoms is a predefined library.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising applying the haptic input to the haptic actuator to cause the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the haptic input.

27. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processing units to execute instructions;

a haptic actuator; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processing units to store instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to perform operations to generate an application programming interface (API) that allows an API-calling component to select, based on an alert event or notification, one or more haptic inputs to apply to the haptic actuator, wherein;

the one or more haptic inputs are selected from a library of haptic inputs stored in the memory;

each of the selected one or more haptic inputs is generated to have one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters comprises;

a length of playback,

an intensity level during playback, and

a time period at which each haptic input is to be played by the haptic actuator; and

for at least one alert event or notification, the API-calling component selects at least two or more haptic inputs to apply to the haptic actuator.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

29. The electronic device of claim 27, further comprising a synthesizer engine and wherein the one or more haptic inputs are generated by the synthesizer engine.

30. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein applying the one or more haptic inputs to the haptic actuator causes the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the one or more haptic inputs.

31. A data processing system, comprising:

one or more processing units to execute instructions;

a memory coupled with the one or more processing units to store instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to perform operations to generate an application programming interface implementing component that implements an application programming interface (API), wherein the API exposes one or more functions to an API-calling component, the API comprising;

a haptic alert function to define one or more types of haptic inputs to apply to a haptic actuator of an electronic device based on an alert event or notification, wherein;

each haptic input of the one or more types of haptic inputs is defined based on one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters comprises;

a length of playback,

an intensity level during playback, and

a time period at which each haptic input is to be played by the haptic actuators; and

for at least one alert event or notification, the haptic alert function defines at least two or more haptic inputs to apply to the haptic actuator.

32. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

33. The data processing system of claim 31, further comprising a synthesizer engine and wherein the one or more types of haptic inputs are generated by the synthesizer engine.

34. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein the one or more types of haptic inputs comprise an input voltage waveform.

35. The data processing system of claim 31, wherein applying the one or more haptic inputs to the haptic actuator causes the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the haptic inputs.