Vibrating substrate for haptic interface

• US 20090284485A1
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northwestern University
• Original Assignee: Northwestern University
• Inventors: Schirru, Mario, Alexander, Laura Winfield, Colgate, James Edward, Peshkin, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/145 Instrument input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/126 Rotatable input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/143 Touch sensitive input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/145 Input by combination of touch screen and hardware input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/06 of controls, e.g. controls knobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

A haptic device is provided having a substrate with a touch surface and one or more actuators for vibrating the substrate in a multiplicity of higher resonant modes, each of which has a high enough frequency to be inaudible and high enough amplitude to create a friction reduction effect at a plurality of vibrating regions on the substrate touch surface.

Claims

1. A haptic device having a substrate with a touch surface and one or more actuators for vibrating the substrate in a multiplicity of higher resonant modes, each of which has a high enough frequency to be inaudible and high enough amplitude to create a friction reduction effect at a plurality of vibrating regions on the substrate touch surface.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the higher mode of oscillation forms nodal lines that define vibrating regions on the substrate surface.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the one or more actuators is/are disposed between nodal lines.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the one or more actuators is/are disposed at the center of a respective vibrating region.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the substrate is transparent.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more actuators is/are attached to the substrate.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more actuators is/are disposed between the substrate and a graphical display.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein the one or more actuators is/are located at one or more peripheral locations of the substrate so as not to cover the entire surface of the substrate.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the one or more actuators is/are located at a peripheral edge or corner of the substrate.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more actuators comprise a piezoelectric vibrator or electromagnetic actuator.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more actuators is/are alternately vibrated in one of a plurality resonant frequency modes of the substrate.

12. The device of claim 11 further including a position sensor and a control device to change the resonant frequency mode of oscillation in response to a sensed position of a user'"'"'s appendage.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein two or more actuators are concurrently vibrated at different resonant frequency modes of the substrate.

14. The device of claim 1 comprising a transparent substrate and a bezel housing overlying the transparent substrate in a manner to hide the one or more actuators from view.

15. The device of claim 1 that includes a mounting structure on which the substrate is supported by mounting elements proximate multiple locations corresponding to ends of the nodal lines where there is little or no substrate displacement.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the mounting elements comprise flexure elements that can twist about their long axis.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the flexure elements provide support of the substrate proximate at least three locations corresponding to ends of the nodal lines where there is little or no substrate displacement.

18. The device of claim 1 that includes an inner mounting frame that is disposed about the periphery of the substrate, an outer mounting frame, and flexure elements between the frames that can twist about their long axis.

24. The device of claim 11 that includes an inner mounting frame that is disposed about the periphery of the substrate, an outer mounting frame, and flexure elements between the frames that can twist about their long axis.

19. A haptic device having a substrate with a touch surface and one or more actuators for vibrating the substrate in one or more higher resonant modes in a manner to establish an “

n×

m”

multimodal pattern on the substrate surface wherein n is greater than 1 and m is greater than 1, wherein some of the nodal lines of the pattern intersect, and wherein the resonant frequency is high enough to be inaudible and the amplitude is high enough to create a friction reduction effect at a plurality of vibrating regions defined by nodal lines.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the one or more actuators comprise piezoelectric actuators.

21. A haptic device having a substrate with a touch surface and one or more actuators for vibrating the substrate in combination with a mounting structure having mounting elements for supporting the haptic device proximate multiple locations corresponding to ends of nodal lines.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the mounting elements comprise flexure elements that can twist about their long axis.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the flexure elements provide support of the substrate at least three locations corresponding to ends of the nodal lines where there is little or no substrate displacement.

25. A method of controlling a haptic device that includes imparting vibration (oscillation) to a substrate in a multiplicity of higher resonant modes in sequential manner or concurrently wherein each mode has a high enough frequency to be inaudible and high enough amplitude to create a friction reduction effect at a plurality of vibrating regions on the substrate touch surface.

26. The method of claim 25 including supporting the substrate by mounting elements at certain selected locations corresponding to ends of the nodal lines where there is little or no substrate displacement.

27. The method of claim 25 including supporting the substrate using flexure elements that twist about their long axis.

28. The method of claim 25 including supporting the substrate about its periphery by an inner mounting frame connected to an outer mounting frame by the flexure elements therebetween that twist along axis thereof.

29. A method of controlling a haptic device that includes imparting vibration (oscillation) to a substrate in one or more higher resonant modes in a manner to establish an “

n×

m”

multimodal pattern on the substrate surface wherein n is greater than 1 and m is greater than 1 so as to establish a nodal pattern with some intersecting nodal lines. The resonant frequency is controlled high enough to be inaudible and the amplitude is controlled high enough to create a friction reduction effect at a plurality of vibrating regions defined by the nodal lines imparting vibration to a substrate at an amplitude and resonant frequency of higher mode greater than a first mode effective to establish a plurality of distinct vibrating regions on a surface of the substrate defined by nodal lines.

30. A method of supporting a haptic device having a substrate with a touch surface and one or more actuators for vibrating the substrate, comprising supportively connecting mounting elements of a mounting structure to the substrate proximate multiple locations corresponding to ends of nodal lines.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the mounting elements comprise flexure elements that can twist about their long axis.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the flexure elements provide support of the substrate at least three locations corresponding to ends of the nodal lines where there is little or no substrate displacement.

33. The method of claim 30 that includes an inner mounting frame that is disposed about the periphery of the substrate, an outer mounting frame, and flexure elements between the frames that can twist about their long axis.