ELECTRO-VIBROTACTILE DISPLAY

• US 20120268412A1
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Grant, Danny A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,448,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A system for generating a haptic effect with an electrostatic device, alone or in combination with actuators or other devices configured to generate a haptic effect. The system may generate the haptic effect to simulate a coefficient of friction or texture on the surface of a user interface, such as a display screen or touchpad. The simulated coefficient of friction may be adjusted to convey other properties on the user interface surface. The system may also include sensors that measure the simulated coefficient of friction and the impedance at the surface.

Claims

1. An interface device for providing an overall haptic effect, the interface device comprising:

a surface configured to output the overall haptic effect;

an electrostatic device coupled to the surface and configured to create a first haptic effect at the surface; and

an actuator configured to create a second haptic effect at the surface, the overall haptic effect comprising the first haptic effect and the second haptic effect.

2. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the overall haptic effect comprises a change in a simulated coefficient of friction, a vibration, a change in a surface relief at the surface, a texture, or any combination thereof.

3. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to simulate a coefficient of friction or texture by generating the first haptic effect.

4. The interface device of claim 3, wherein the texture is roughness, bumpiness, stickiness, fineness, coarseness, smoothness, or any combination thereof.

5. The interface device of claim 3, wherein the actuator is configured to change the overall haptic effect by generating the second haptic effect as a vibration or a change in a surface relief of the surface.

6. The interface device of claim 5, further comprising a sensor configured to receive an input from the surface that is correlated to the simulated coefficient of friction and the surface relief of the surface.

7. The interface device of claim 6, wherein the input correlates to a surface pressure or changes in the surface pressure over time and over locations on the surface.

8. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to simulate height or depth at the surface by generating the first haptic effect to simulate a coefficient of friction.

9. The interface device of claim 8, wherein the actuator is configured to change the simulated height or depth at the surface by generating the second haptic effect to change a surface relief of the surface.

10. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to simulate height or depth at the surface by generating the first haptic effect that simulates a coefficient of friction.

11. The interface device of claim 10, wherein the second haptic effect is a vibration that corresponds to an edge crossing.

12. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to change the first haptic effect based on a location of an input at the surface.

13. The interface device of claim 12, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to change the first haptic effect based on time.

14. The interface device of claim 12, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to change the first haptic effect based on a change of the location of the input at the surface.

15. The interface device of claim 14, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to recognize an input of a gesture based on the change of the location of the input at the surface.

16. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to change the first haptic effect based on pressure on the surface, size of a surface contact area, humidity, temperature, amount of ambient light, or any combination thereof.

17. The interface device of claim 1, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to create the first haptic effect based on a trigger selected from velocity of the interface device, an acceleration of the interface device, visual content displayed at the surface, and sound at the surface, or any combination thereof.

18. The interface device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to measure an impedance at the surface.

19. The interface device of claim 18, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to change the first haptic effect based on the impedance at the surface.

20. The interface device of claim 18, wherein the sensor is configured to measure the impedance by applying a pulse to the surface.

21. The interface device of claim 1, wherein at least part of the surface is a nondisplay surface, and wherein the electrostatic device is configured to create the first haptic effect at the nondisplay surface and the actuator is configured to create the second haptic effect at the nondisplay surface.

22. The interface device of claim 21, wherein the nondisplay surface is part of a switch, knob, trackpad, remote control, or dashboard.

23. The interface device of claim 21, further comprising a slide bar on the nondisplay surface.

24. The interface device of claim 21, further comprising a second surface configured as a display surface, wherein the electrostatic device is configured to create the first haptic effect at the nondisplay surface based on visual or audio content displayed at the second surface.

25. The interface device of claim 1, further comprising a thermal device configured to provide a third haptic effect at the surface.

26. A method of providing an overall haptic effect, the method comprising:

generating with an electrostatic device a first haptic effect at a surface of an interface device; and

generating with an actuator a second haptic effect at the surface, the overall haptic effect comprising the first haptic effect and the second haptic effect.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the overall haptic effect comprises a change in a simulated coefficient of friction, a vibration, a change in a surface relief at the surface, a texture, or any combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first haptic effect simulates a coefficient of friction or texture at the surface.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the texture is roughness, bumpiness, stickiness, fineness, coarseness, smoothness, or any combination thereof.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the second haptic effect is a vibration or a change of a surface relief of the surface.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising changing the first haptic effect with the electrostatic device or the second haptic effect with the actuator to change the simulated coefficient of friction.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising measuring an impedance at the surface.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the measuring the impedance comprises applying a pulse to the surface.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the generating the first haptic effect is based on the impedance at the surface.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the generating the first haptic effect is based on pressure on the surface, size of a surface contact area, humidity, temperature, amount of ambient light, or any combination thereof.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the changing the first haptic effect with the electrostatic device is based on a location of an input received at the surface or a change in the location of the input at the surface.

37. The method of claim 30, further comprising simulating a height or depth with the electrostatic device based on the location of an input received at the surface.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the simulating the height or depth is based on a topographical profile.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising changing the simulated height or depth with the actuator based on generating the second haptic effect to change the surface relief of the surface.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the second haptic effect is a vibration that corresponds to an edge crossing.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising changing with the actuator the simulated crossing of the edge based on generating the second haptic effect to generate a vibration.

42. The method of claim 31, wherein the changing the first haptic effect with the electrostatic device is based on visual content displayed at the surface.

43. The method of claim 31, wherein the changing the first haptic effect with the electrostatic device is based on pressure on the surface or changes in the pressure on the surface over time and over locations on the surface.

44. The method of claim 26, further comprising generating with a thermal device a third haptic effect at the surface.

45. The method of claim 26, wherein the surface is a nondisplay surface.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the generating the first haptic effect with the electrostatic device is based on visual or audio content displayed at a second surface.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the generating the first haptic effect with the electrostatic device is based on the visual content displayed at a location on the second surface corresponding to a location of an input at the surface.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the nondisplay surface is part of a switch, knob, trackpad, remote control, or dashboard.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the generating the first haptic effect with the electrostatic device comprises generating the haptic effect on a slide bar on the nondisplay surface.