Force-applying input device

• US 20040164700A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hayasaka, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,922,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A force-applying input device has a controller which calculates a torque component of an actuator drive signal corresponding to a current position by multiplying the sum of the current position and the product of a current speed and a coefficient by an elastic modulus. In addition, the controller also calculates a torque component of the actuator drive signal corresponding to the current speed by multiplying the current speed by a coefficient of viscous friction.

Claims

1. A force-applying input device comprising:

an operating unit;

a position sensor which detects the operational state of the operating unit and outputs a position signal;

an actuator which applies an external force to the operating unit; and

a controller which outputs an actuator drive signal on the basis of the position signal to control the actuator,

wherein the controller calculates a current position and a current speed of the operating unit on the basis of the position signal and determines a first component of the actuator drive signal, the first component corresponding to the current position, by multiplying the sum of the current position and the product of the current speed and a coefficient by an elastic modulus.

2. A force-applying input device according to claim 1, wherein the controller calculates the actuator drive signal by adding the first component of the actuator drive signal and a second component of the actuator drive signal, the second component corresponding to the current speed and being determined by multiplying the current speed by a coefficient of viscous friction.

3. A force-applying input device comprising:

an operating unit;

a position sensor which detects the operational state of the operating unit and outputs a position signal;

an actuator which applies an external force to the operating unit; and

a controller which outputs an actuator drive signal on the basis of the position signal to control the actuator,

wherein the controller calculates a current position and a current speed of the operating unit on the basis of the position signal, determines a first component of the actuator drive signal, the first component corresponding to the current position, by multiplying the current position by an elastic modulus and a second component of the actuator drive signal, the second component corresponding to the current speed, by multiplying the sum of a coefficient of viscous friction and the product of the elastic modulus and a coefficient by the current speed, and calculates the actuator drive signal by adding the first component and the second component of the actuator drive signal.