Piezoelectric User Interface

• US 20100315370A1
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juhani Tuovinen
• Original Assignee: Juhani Tuovinen
• Inventors: Tuovinen, Juhani
• Granted Patent: US 8,953,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0215 for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/00 Devices in which sound is produced by vibrating a diaphragm or analogous element, e.g. fog horns, vehicle hooters or buzzers loudspeakers or like acoustic electromechanical transducers H04R
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/12 electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/121 Flextensional transducers
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/122 using piezoelectric driving means G10K9/121 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/125 with a plurality of active elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/84 characterised by ergonomic functions, e.g. for miniature keyboards; characterised by operational sensory functions, e.g. sound feedback legends H01H13/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/052 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/96 Touch switches specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96062 with tactile or haptic feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/02 providing ringing current or supervisory tones, e.g. dialling tone or busy tone
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like

Abstract

An apparatus includes a touchscreen keypad and one or more devices that generate a tactile response to a user of the apparatus when a key in the keypad is pressed. In order accomplish a simple construction requiring a minimum of space, the one or more devices that generate that tactile response may include at least one piezoelectric element configured to generate vibration which is forwarded to the user in response to a key of the touchscreen keypad being pressed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a touchscreen keypad;

at least one piezoelectric element configured to generate a vibration which is forwarded to a user of the apparatus via the touchscreen keypad; and

a controller coupled to the touchscreen keypad and the at least one piezoelectric element, the controller configured to cause the apparatus to;

detect the user pressing a selected key of the touchscreen keypad; and

in response, generate a tactile response via the at least one piezoelectric element that causes only a region close to the selected key to vibrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one piezoelectric element comprises a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to:

determine a selected one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements that is closest to the selected key; and

generate the tactile response via the selected piezoelectric element.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to generate two or more kinds of vibration by synchronizing vibrations of the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen keypad comprises a display circuit configured to display both user display information and keys of the keypad.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to generate an alerting vibration independent of keypad events via the at least one piezoelectric element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the apparatus to generate a sound via the at least one piezoelectric element.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alerting vibration independent of keypad events via the at least one piezoelectric element.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a sound via the at least one piezoelectric element.

7. A method comprising:

detecting a user pressing a selected key of a touchscreen keypad, wherein the touchscreen keypad is coupled to at least one piezoelectric element configured to generate a vibration which is forwarded to the user via the touchscreen keypad; and

in response to the user pressing the selected key, generating a tactile response via at least one piezoelectric element that causes only a region close to the selected key to vibrate.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one piezoelectric element comprises a plurality of piezoelectric elements, the method further comprising:

determining a selected one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements that is closest to the selected key; and

generating the tactile response via the selected piezoelectric element.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising causing the apparatus to generate two or more kinds of vibration by synchronizing vibrations of the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a programmable controller configured to be coupled to a touchscreen keypad and at least one piezoelectric element, wherein the at least one piezoelectric element is configured to generate a vibration which is forwarded to a user of the apparatus via the touchscreen keypad; and

wherein the programmable controller is programmed to cause the apparatus to;

detect the user pressing a selected key of the touchscreen keypad; and

in response, generate a tactile response via the at least one piezoelectric element that causes only a region close to the selected key to vibrate.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one piezoelectric element comprises a plurality of piezoelectric elements, and wherein the programmable controller is further programmed to cause the apparatus to:

determine a selected one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements that is closest to the selected key; and

generate the tactile response via the selected piezoelectric element.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the programmable controller is further programmed to cause the apparatus to generate two or more kinds of vibration by synchronizing vibrations of the plurality of piezoelectric elements.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the programmable controller is further programmed to cause the apparatus to generate an alerting vibration independent of keypad events via the at least one piezoelectric element.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the programmable controller is further programmed to cause the apparatus to generate a sound via the at least one piezoelectric element.