Handheld device having localized force feedback

• US 20060028428A1
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sadler, Daniel J., Oliver, Manuel, Dai, Xunhu, Fu, Chia-Yu
• Application Number:
  US10/912,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20060028428A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

An electronic device (100) for performing intelligent operations includes a housing (112), a manually operable input (118, 122) for providing information to the electronic device, and a material (124) positioned between the manually operable input and the housing. An electromechanical transducer (218, 220) has a mechanical connection consisting of to the manually operable input and an electrical connection for receiving power, wherein substantially all of a mechanical output from the electromechanical transducer is provided to the manually operable input, the material preventing the mechanical output from being transmitted from the manually operable input to the housing. An electric circuit (210) is coupled mechanically to the housing and electronically to the electromechanical transducer for driving the electromechanical transducer in response to the intelligent operations so as to cause the electromechanical transducer to generate a tactile response that can be felt by a user through the manually operable input.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a manually operable input for providing information to the electronic device wherein intelligent operations are being preformed;

an electromechanical transducer having a mechanical connection consisting of the manually operable input, and an electrical connection for receiving power, wherein substantially all of a mechanical output from the electromechanical transducer is provided to the manually operable input; and

an electric circuit coupled mechanically to the housing and electronically to the manually operable input and the electromechanical transducer for driving the electromechanical transducer in response to the intelligent operations so as to cause the electromechanical transducer to generate a tactile response that can be felt by a user through the manually operable input, wherein substantially none of the mechanical output is provided to the housing.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein the manually operable input is a key.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electromechanical transducer causes the key to move in one of the x, y, and z directions or some combination thereof.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein the manually operable input is a plurality of keys.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein the manually operable input is a navigational key.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein the manually operable input is a touch screen.

7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 wherein the manually operable input comprises one or more locations on a touch screen.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the mechanical output comprises one or more types, each type representing different information provided by the intelligent operations.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the mechanical output representing different types is previously defined by the user.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the electric circuit comprises one or more of a phone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, and a gaming device.

11. An electronic device for performing intelligent operations, comprising:

a housing;

a manually operable input for providing information to the electronic device;

a material positioned between the manually operable input and the housing;

an electromechanical transducer having a mechanical connection consisting of the manually operable input and an electrical connection for receiving power, wherein substantially all of a mechanical output from the electromechanical transducer is provided to the manually operable input and the material preventing the mechanical output from being transmitted from the manually operable input to the housing; and

an electric circuit coupled mechanically to the housing and electronically to the electromechanical transducer for driving the electromechanical transducer in response to the intelligent operations so as to cause the electromechanical transducer to generate an tactile response that can be felt by a user through the manually operable input.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 wherein the manually operable input is a key.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 12 wherein the electromechanical transducer causes the key to move in one of the x, y, and z directions.

14. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 wherein the manually operable input is a plurality of keys.

15. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 wherein the manually operable input is a navigational key.

16. The electronic apparatus of claim 11 wherein the manually operable input is a touch screen.

17. The electronic apparatus of claim 16 wherein the mechanical output is provided in a direction in a plane to the touch screen.

18. The electronic apparatus of claim 16 wherein the manually operable input comprises one or more locations on the touch screen.

19. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the mechanical output comprises one or more types, each type representing different information provided by the intelligent operations.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 wherein the mechanical output representing different types is previously defined by the user.

21. The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the electric circuit comprises one or more of a phone, a personal digital assistant, a pager, and a gaming device.