METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HAPTIC VIBRATION RESPONSE PROFILING AND FEEDBACK

• US 20120249462A1
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: FLANAGAN, Adrian, CONWAY, Mel J., ENGLISH, Eoin E., PRATT, Susan Michelle, MOLONEY, Eoghan
• Granted Patent: US 8,937,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a device to adaptively generate a haptic effect. The device may include a controller to generate a haptic command associated with a haptic profile and a haptic driver to generate a drive signal based on the haptic command, wherein the drive signal causes an actuator to produce vibrations corresponding to a haptic effect. Further, the device may include a sensor, coupled mechanically to the actuator, to measure at least one property of the vibrations. The controller may adjust the haptic command according to the measured at least one property. Therefore, the device may continuously tune haptic effect generation according to vibration measurements.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a controller to generate a haptic command associated with a haptic profile;

a haptic driver to generate a drive signal based on the haptic command, wherein the drive signal causes an actuator to produce vibrations corresponding to a haptic effect; and

a sensor, coupled mechanically to the actuator, to measure the vibrations;

wherein the controller is configured to adjust the haptic command according to a property of the measured vibrations.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprises a housing, wherein the controller, haptic driver, and actuator are provided inside the housing, and wherein the sensor measures vibrations generated inside the housing.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer sensor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one property includes an amplitude level of the vibrations.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one property includes a resonant frequency of the vibrations.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises

a memory to store the haptic profile, the haptic profile including data representing an ideal property of the vibrations;

and

a processor to compare the estimated property and the ideal property, and based on the comparison, adjust the haptic command.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor updates the associated haptic profile according to the adjustment.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprises a gyroscope.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjusted haptic command is applied to the haptic effect before the haptic effect concludes.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjusted haptic command is applied to a subsequent haptic effect.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of actuators, wherein each actuator generates vibration waves that through wave interference with each other to produce the haptic effect.

12. A method to generate a haptic effect, comprising:

generating a haptic command based on a haptic effect profile;

converting the haptic command to a drive signal that causes vibrations in an actuator producing a haptic effect;

receiving a mechanical measurement value corresponding to the vibrations; and

adjusting the haptic command based on the mechanical measurement value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the mechanical measurement value relates to an amplitude of the vibrations.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the mechanical measurement value relates to a resonant frequency of the vibrations.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprises comparing the mechanical measurement value with an ideal value in the haptic effect profile, and based on the comparison, adjusting the haptic command.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprises updating the haptic effect profile according to the adjusting.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the adjusted haptic command is applied to the haptic effect before the haptic effect concludes.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the adjusted haptic command is applied to a subsequent haptic effect.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the drive signal excites a plurality of actuators to generate corresponding vibration waves and the haptic effect is generated from interference of vibration waves.

20. A controller to generate haptic effects, comprising:

a memory to store at least one haptic profile,

an interface to receive mechanical sensor data corresponding to vibration properties; and

a processor to generate a haptic effect command based on the at least one haptic profile and the mechanical sensor data.

21. The controller of claim 20, wherein the interface is an I2C interface.

22. The controller of claim 20, wherein the interface is a general purpose input/output interface.

23. The controller of claim 20, wherein the at least one haptic profile is iteratively updated with the sensor data.

24. A method to generate a haptic effect, comprising:

generating a first drive signal to cause a first actuator to produce a first vibration wave;

generating a second drive signal to cause a second actuator to produce a second vibration wave, wherein interference of the vibration waves generate the haptic effect; and

controlling the frequency or phase of at least one of the drive signals to control location and severity of the interference.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the controlling is based on a mechanical sensor measurement.