TOUCH INTERFACE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR APPLYING LATERAL FORCES ON A HUMAN APPENDAGE

• US 20120326999A1
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northwestern University
• Original Assignee: Northwestern University
• Inventors: Colgate, J. Edward, Peshkin, Michael, Dai, Xiaowei, Ware, John, Marchuk, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 10,007,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 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

Abstract

A touch interface device includes a touch surface configured to be engaged by an object, first and second actuator assemblies operably connected to the touch surface, and a controller operably connected with the first and second actuator assemblies. The first actuator assembly displaces the touch surface in one or more lateral directions along the touch surface at a first frequency. The second actuator assembly displaces the touch surface in an angled direction that is one of at least obliquely or perpendicularly angled to the touch surface at a second frequency. The controller operates the first and second actuator assemblies so that the touch surface varies in engagement with the object to impart a force on the object that is along the touch surface.

Claims

1. A method for applying force from a surface to an object, the method comprising:

moving the surface in one or more lateral directions of the surface, wherein the moving in one or more lateral directions is performed periodically at a frequency of at least about 1 kiloHertz;

periodically moving at least a portion of the surface in at least one angled direction that is at least one of obliquely or perpendicularly angled to the surface such that the surface articulates into and out of contact with the object or varies in a degree of engagement with the object; and

controlling the moving of the surface in the one or more lateral directions and the moving the at least a portion of the surface in the at least one angled direction to impart a force on the object, the force being oriented along the surface, wherein the force is configured to provide a haptic output to an operator of a device that includes the surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the moving in one or more lateral directions and moving in the at least one angled direction are performed at substantially the same frequency.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a direction of the imparted force is varied by varying a phase relationship between the moving in one or more lateral directions and moving in the at least one angled direction.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the moving in one or more lateral directions and moving in the at least one angled direction is performed at a harmonic frequency of the other.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the moving in one or more later directions is performed periodically at a frequency substantially above a frequency at which vibrations are tactilely perceived by humans.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the moving in one or more lateral directions is performed periodically at a frequency of at least about 20 kiloHertz.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the moving in one or more lateral directions is performed periodically at a frequency of at least about 30 kiloHertz.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising modulating a frictional force experienced by the object concurrently with the moving in the at least one angled direction.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the frictional force is modulated by varying an electrostatic attraction between the object and the surface.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the electrostatic attraction has a different amplitude or phase at a plurality of points distributed about the surface, whereby a plurality of objects contacting the surface experience different imparted forces.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface is generally planar and the one or more lateral directions of the surface are substantially co-planar with the surface.

12. A touch interface device comprising:

a touch surface configured to be engaged by an object;

a first actuator assembly operably connected to the touch surface, the first actuator assembly configured to displace the touch surface in one or more lateral directions along the touch surface, the first actuator assembly displacing the touch surface at a first frequency that is at least about 1 kiloHertz; and

a second actuator assembly operably connected to the touch surface, the second actuator assembly configured to displace the touch surface in an angled direction that is at least one of obliquely or perpendicularly angled to the touch surface, the second actuator assembly configured to displace the touch surface at a second frequency; and

a controller operably connected with the first and second actuator assemblies, the controller configured to operate the first and second actuator assemblies so that the touch surface varies in engagement with the object to impart a force on the object that is along the touch surface.

13. The touch interface device of claim 12 wherein the first actuator assembly is configured to displace the touch surface at a frequency substantially above a frequency at which vibrations are tactilely perceived by humans.

14. The touch interface device of claim 12 wherein the first actuator assembly is configured to displace the touch surface at a first frequency that is at least about 20 kiloHertz.

15. The touch interface device of claim 12 wherein the first actuator assembly is configured to displace the touch surface at a first frequency that is at least about 30 kiloHertz.

16. The touch interface device of claim 12 wherein the first frequency and the second frequency are substantially the same.

17. The touch interface device of claim 12 wherein the controller is further configured to vary a direction of the imparted force by varying a phase relationship between a first oscillation in the one or more lateral directions and a second oscillation in the angled direction.

18. The touch interface device of claim 12 further comprising:

a first massive system associated with the first actuator assembly, the first massive system comprising at least one of a first mounting or a first reactive mass; and

a second massive system associated with the second actuator assembly, the second massive system comprising at least one of a second mounting or a second reactive mass; and

wherein the resonances of the first massive system and the second massive system are substantially the same.

19. The touch interface device of claim 12 wherein the surface is generally planar and the one or more lateral directions of the surface are substantially co-planar with the surface.

20. A tangible and non-transitory computer readable storage medium for a system that includes a processor, the computer readable storage medium including one or more sets of instructions configured to direct the processor to:

control a first actuator assembly to move a touch surface in one or more lateral directions along the touch surface, wherein the first actuator assembly moves the generally planar surface in the one or more lateral directions periodically at a frequency of at least about 1 kiloHertz;

control a second actuator assembly to move at least a portion of the touch surface in one or more angled directions that are at least one of obliquely or perpendicularly angled to the touch surface, wherein the second actuator assembly moves the generally planar surface periodically; and

control motion of the touch surface in the one or more lateral directions and motion of the touch surface in the one or more angled directions to impart a force on the object along the touch surface, wherein the force is configured to provide haptic output to an operator of a device that includes the touch surface.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the motion in one or more lateral directions and motion in the one or more angled directions are performed at substantially the same frequency.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein a direction of the imparted force is varied by varying a phase relationship between the motion in one or more lateral directions and motion in the one or more angled directions.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the processor is further configured to modulate a frictional force experienced by the object concurrently with the motion in the one or more angled directions.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the frictional force is modulated by varying an electrostatic attraction between the object and the touch surface.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24 wherein the electrostatic attraction has a different amplitude at a plurality of points distributed about the touch surface, whereby a plurality of objects contacting the touch surface experience different imparted forces.