PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROL

• US 20100156824A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Weber, Arnett Ryan, Paleczny, Todd Robert, Faubert, Perry Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a housing, a touch-sensitive display movable with respect to the housing, and at least one piezoelectric actuator arranged to provide tactile feedback to the touch-sensitive display in response to an actuation signal by moving the touch-sensitive display. The at least one piezoelectric actuator may move the touch-sensitive display, resulting in vibration or a single movement of the touch-sensitive display.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a touch-sensitive display movable with respect to the housing;

at least one piezoelectric actuator arranged to provide tactile feedback to the touch-sensitive display in response to an actuation signal by moving the touch-sensitive display.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one piezoelectric actuator moves the touch-sensitive display in opposing directions, resulting in vibration of the touch-sensitive display.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the provision of tactile feedback results in a single movement of the touch-sensitive display.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive display moves in an inward direction with respect to the housing.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive display moves in an outward direction with respect to the housing.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to generate the actuation signal.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a force sensor disposed between the piezoelectric actuator and the touch-sensitive display.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a force sensor, wherein the force sensor is arranged such that depression of the touch-sensitive display causes the force sensor to generate a force signal.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a processor configured to generate the actuation signal based at least in part on the force signal.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the actuation signal comprises at least one of duration, magnitude or intensity, and frequency of the tactile feedback.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive display is biased toward the at least one piezoelectric actuator to preload the at least one piezoelectric actuator.

12. A method comprising:

generating an actuation signal that includes tactile feedback information;

providing tactile feedback to a touch-sensitive display in response to the actuation signal, wherein at least one piezoelectric actuator moves the touch-sensitive display relative to a housing to provide the tactile feedback.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the provision of tactile feedback results in vibration of the touch-sensitive display.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the provision of tactile feedback results in a single movement of the touch-sensitive display.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch-sensitive display moves in an inward direction with respect to the housing.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch-sensitive display moves in an outward direction with respect to the housing.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating the actuation signal based at least in part on a force signal.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the actuation signal comprises at least one of duration, magnitude or intensity, and frequency of the tactile feedback.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein a force sensor is arranged such that depression of the touch-sensitive display causes the force sensor to generate a force signal.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the actuation signal is generated in response to detecting a depression of the touch-sensitive display that meets a force condition.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the actuation signal is generated in response to receiving a wireless communication.