HAPTIC SYSTEM

• US 20130154984A1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seidensha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Seidensha Corporation
• Inventors: Gondo, Masahiko
• Application Number:
  US13/817,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20130154984A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• 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

This haptic system is constituted by being provided with a liquid crystal display or other panel-type display device (15), an information selection haptic panel (contact panel (18) etc.) which is set on the top surface of the panel-type display device (15), a wire-shaped shape memory alloy (23) which contracts upon electrification and heating to make the information selection haptic panel move, and an insulating heat conductor (24 etc.) which releases the heat generated by the wire-shaped shape memory alloy (23). This haptic system is built into a display and operating part of a smartphone (10) etc. When this display and operating part is operated by being contacted by a finger of an operator, the operator is given a clear click sensation based on the contraction and extension action of the wire-shaped shape memory alloy (23).

Claims

1. A haptic system comprising:

a panel-type display device (15),

an information selection haptic panel (18) which is set on a top surface of said panel-type display device,

a shape memory alloy (23) which contracts upon electrification and heating to make said information selection haptic panel move, and

an insulating heat conductor (24, 41, 52, 61, 71A, 71B, 82A, 82B, 103A, 103B) which disperses heat which was generated by said shape memory alloy.

2. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said information selection haptic panel is made to move by:

said information selection haptic panel which slides with respect to a display surface of said panel-type display device,

said insulating heat conductor (24) which is provided at a back surface side of said panel-type display device and which has a curved surface with which said shape memory alloy comes in contact when contracting,

wire links (25a, 25b) which are connected to said information selection haptic panel, and the contraction of said shape memory alloy.

3. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulating heat conductor (24, 41, 52) which has a curved shape in a direction vertical to a direction of movement of said information selection haptic panel is connected to said information selection haptic panel, and said shape memory alloy comes in contact with said insulating heat conductor (24, 41, 52) at said curved surface when it contracts.

4. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulating heat conductor includes:

a first insulating heat conductor (61A) which has a plurality of relief curved shapes in a direction of movement of said information selection haptic panel, the first insulating heat conductor being connected to said information selection haptic panel, and

a second insulating heat conductor (61B) which has a plurality of relief curved shapes facing said first insulating heat conductor (61A) across an interval, said shape memory alloy being laid between said first insulating heat conductor and said second insulating heat conductor so as to contact projecting parts of said first and second insulating heat conductors.

5. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said information selection haptic panel slides in parallel with respect to a display surface of said panel-type display device,

said insulating heat conductor includes first and second insulating heat conductors, said first insulating heat conductor (71A) is connected to said information selection haptic panel, said second insulating heat conductor (71B) is overlaid facing the first insulating heat conductor, and said shape memory alloy is arranged between said first and second insulating heat conductors and makes said first insulating heat conductor and said information selection haptic panel move in parallel when said shape memory alloy contracts.

6. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said information selection haptic panel slides with respect to a display surface of said panel-type display device,

said insulating heat conductor includes first and second insulating heat conductors, said first insulating heat conductor (82B) having a substantially round rod shape and being connected to said information selection haptic panel, and said second insulating heat conductor (82A) having a substantially round rod shape and being arranged in parallel with said first insulating heat conductor, and

said shape memory alloy being wound around said first and second insulating heat conductors.

7. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said information selection haptic panel is elastically supported slanted in direction with respect to a display surface of said panel-type display device,

said insulating heat conductor includes first and second insulating heat conductors, said first insulating heat conductor (82B) having a substantially round rod shape, and said second insulating heat conductor (82A) having a substantially round rod shape which is arranged in parallel with said first insulating heat conductor in a slanted direction when viewed from a cross-sectional direction, and

said shape memory alloy is wound around said first and second insulating heat conductors.

8. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said information selection haptic panel is elastically supported so as to move in a direction vertical to a display surface of said panel-type display device,

said insulating heat conductor includes first and second insulating heat conductors, said first insulating heat conductor (103B) having a substantially round rod shape which is connected to said information selection haptic panel, and said second insulating heat conductor (103A) having a substantially round rod shape which is arranged in parallel with said first insulating heat conductor, and

said shape memory alloy is wound around said first and second insulating heat conductors.

9. The haptic system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said shape memory alloy is wound in a spiral or a figure eight shape.

10. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said insulating heat conductor includes first and second insulating heat conductors, said first and second insulating heat conductors (82A, 82B, 103A, 130B) have cross-sectional surface shapes of substantially circular or semicircular shapes.

12. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said information selection haptic panel is a contact panel or a panel which is comprised of said contact panel and a touch panel (16).

14. The haptic system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said panel-type display device is fastened to said information selection haptic panel and moves simultaneously with movement of said information selection haptic panel.

11. A haptic system comprising:

a panel-type display device (15),

an information selection haptic panel which is arranged on a top surface of said panel-type display device and which has a touch panel (16) for selection of information and a contact panel (18) which is touched by a finger of an operator,

a shape memory alloy (23) which contracts upon electrification and heating to make said information selection haptic panel displace, and

an insulating heat conductor (24, 41, 52, 61, 71A, 71B, 82A, 82B, 103A, 103B) which disperses heat generated by said shape memory alloy,

wherein approach of the finger of the operator to said touch panel causing said shape memory alloy to be electrified and heated and causing said information selection haptic panel to displace.

13. The haptic system as set forth in claim 11, wherein at said information selection haptic panel, between said touch panel and said contact panel, only said contact panel is made to displace by said shape memory alloy.