VIBRATION ASSEMBLY, INPUT DEVICE USING THE VIBRATION ASSEMBLY, AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT USING THE INPUT DEVICE

• US 20080216578A1
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SAS (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Tsutomu, Sawada, Takashi, Shimizu, Yukiko, Kayama, Shun, Takashima, Kouichiro, Okii, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 7,671,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/658
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/045 using vibrating magnet, armature or coil system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/06 Loudspeakers

Abstract

A vibration assembly includes a container, a vibration member containing a hollow portion with a bottom, at least two support members, a magnetic body, a coil having a spool axis, and a diaphragm that is attached to the container. Each of the support members has a flat and corrugated configuration. An end of the one of the support members is bonded to a portion of an edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the one of the support members is fixed to a portion of an upper edge of the container. An end of the other support member is bonded to the other portion of the edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the other support member is fixed to the other portion of the upper edge of the container.

Claims

1. A vibration assembly comprising:

a container;

a vibration member containing a hollow portion with a bottom, the vibration member being movably positioned within the container;

at least two support members that support the vibration member movably within the container;

a magnetic body that is fixed to the bottom in the hollow portion of the vibration member movably supported within the container;

a coil having a spool axis, the coil being movably positioned around the magnetic body; and

a diaphragm that is attached to the coil at a side of the spool axis of the coil and attached to the container,

wherein one of the support members has a flat and corrugated configuration, an end of the one of the support members is bonded to a portion of an edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member, and the other end of the one of the support members is fixed to a portion of an upper edge of the container; and

wherein other support member has a flat and corrugated configuration, an end of the other support member is bonded to the other portion of the edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member, and the other end of the other support member is fixed to the other portion of the upper edge of the container.

2. The vibration assembly according to claim 1 wherein the vibration member contains a resonance frequency fo given by an expression, fo=½

π

×

{√

{square root over (n(3E(bh³/12))/Ml³)}} where l indicates a length of each of the support members, h indicates a thickness of each of the support members, b indicates a width of each of the support members, n indicates number of the support members, M indicates a load that is imposed on the support members, and E indicates Young'"'"'s modulus.

3. The vibration assembly according to claim 1 wherein the support members convert a direction of a vibration generated along the spool axis of the coil to a direction perpendicular to the spool axis of the coil.

4. Input device that presents feedback of a vibration to a user by the user'"'"'s sense of touch when the user inputs information to the device, the input device comprising:

input-detecting unit that detects an input manipulation by the user; and

a vibration assembly that presents feedback of the vibration to the user by the user'"'"'s sense of touch based on the user'"'"'s manipulation on the input-detecting unit,

wherein the vibration assembly contains;

a container;

a vibration member containing a hollow portion with a bottom, the vibration member being movably positioned within the container;

at least two support members that support the vibration member movably within the container;

a magnetic body that is fixed to the bottom in the hollow portion of the vibration member movably supported within the container;

a coil having a spool axis, the coil being movably positioned around the magnetic body; and

a diaphragm that is attached to the coil at a side of the spool axis of the coil and attached to the container,

wherein one of the support members has a flat and corrugated configuration, an end of the one of the support members is bonded to a portion of an edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member, and the other end of the one of the support members is fixed to a portion of an upper edge of the container; and

wherein other support member has a flat and corrugated configuration, an end of the other support member is bonded to the other portion of the edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member, and the other end of the other support member is fixed to the other portion of the upper edge of the container.

5. The input device according to claim 4 further comprising a display unit that displays an input selection item on a display screen manipulated by the user through the input-detecting unit,

wherein the input-detecting unit detects a touch position on the display screen by a user who performs input manipulation;

and

wherein the vibration assembly vibrates the display unit or the input-detecting unit along a lateral direction thereof based on positional information given by the input-detecting unit.

6. The input device according to claim 5 wherein the vibration assembly contacts a side surface of any one of the input-detecting unit and the display unit.

7. Electronic equipment that presents feedback of a vibration to a user by the user'"'"'s sense of touch when the user inputs information to the equipment, the electronic equipment comprising input device,

wherein the input device includes:

input-detecting unit that detects an input manipulation by the user; and

a vibration assembly that presents feedback of the vibration to the user by the user'"'"'s sense of touch based on the user'"'"'s manipulation on the input-detecting unit, and wherein the vibration assembly contains;

a container;

a vibration member containing a hollow portion with a bottom, the vibration member being movably positioned within the container;

at least two support members that support the vibration member movably within the container;

a magnetic body that is fixed to the bottom in the hollow portion of the vibration member movably supported within the container;

a coil having a spool axis, the coil being movably positioned around the magnetic body; and

a diaphragm that is attached to the coil at a side of the spool axis of the coil and attached to the container,

wherein one of the support members has a flat and corrugated configuration, an end of the one of the support members is bonded to a portion of an edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member, and the other end of the one of the support members is fixed to a portion of an upper edge of the container; and

wherein other support member has a flat and corrugated configuration, an end of the other support member is bonded to the other portion of the edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member, and the other end of the other support member is fixed to the other portion of the upper edge of the container.