Method of using tactile feedback to deliver silent status information to a user of an electronic device

• US 20030076298A1
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,567,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention use haptic feedback to deliver status information to users in environments and situations where sight and/or sound is too overt from a privacy perspective. In one embodiment, localized haptic sensations can be delivered to a user through a tactile element that is positioned on a region of a housing of the electronic device that is engaged by a user.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising a user contactable region;

a tactile element coupled to the user contactable region; and

an actuator coupled to the tactile element and capable of outputting a haptic sensation localized to the tactile element.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the actuator outputs a force to the tactile element to laterally move the tactile element substantially along a plane of a contact surface of the tactile element.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the actuator outputs a force to the tactile element to move the tactile element substantially orthogonal to a contact surface of the tactile element.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the actuator is a solid state element.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric ceramic actuator.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a driving mechanism that is coupled to the actuator to control a delivery of the localized haptic sensation.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a hand-held metal detector, a remote control, a bar code scanner, or a handheld weapon.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the user contactable region of the housing is a handle or a grip.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the haptic sensation is a controlled pulse.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the haptic sensation is a periodic force sensation.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the periodic force sensation comprises a sine wave, a square wave, a saw-toothed-up wave, a saw-toothed down, or a triangle wave.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a detector coupled to the tactile element that is configured to detect when a user is contacting the tactile element.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the detector is configured to prevent outputting of the haptic sensation when the detector detects that the user is not contacting the tactile element.

19. The haptic feedback assembly of claim 1 wherein the electronic device comprises a hand-held metal detector, a remote control, a bar code scanner, or a handheld weapon.

14. A haptic feedback assembly comprising:

a user contactable region including a tactile element; and

an actuator coupled to the tactile element in a way that allows outputting a haptic sensation localized to the tactile element.

15. The haptic feedback assembly of claim 14 comprising a driving mechanism to generate a drive signal to drive the actuator.

16. The haptic feedback assembly of claim 14 wherein the actuator outputs a force to the tactile element to move the tactile element substantially orthogonal to a plane of a contact surface of the tactile element.

17. The haptic feedback assembly of claim 14 wherein the actuator is a solid state element.

18. The haptic feedback assembly of claim 14 wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric ceramic actuator.

20. The haptic feedback assembly of claim 14 further comprising a driving mechanism, wherein the driving mechanism is coupled to the actuator to control a delivery of the localized haptic sensation.

21. An electronic device for delivering a localized haptic sensation to a user, the device comprising:

a housing;

tactile means for delivering the localized haptic sensation to the user, wherein the tactile means are coupled to a region of the housing that is contacted by a user; and

actuation means for outputting the localized haptic sensation to the user contacting the tactile means.

22. The electronic device of claim 21 wherein the region of the housing that is contacted by a user is a handle or a grip.

23. The electronic device of claim 21 further comprising driving means for generating a drive signal.