FILM HAPTIC SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE OPERATION POINTS

• US 20140015777A1
• Filed: 04/19/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: PARK, Suntak, KYUNG, KI-UK, YUN, Sung Ryul, KIM, Young Sung, PARK, Bong Je, LEE, Jong-uk
• Granted Patent: US 9,996,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 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

Provided is a thin film type actuator having multi-operation points, capable of various feels of touch or sounds. The film type actuator includes an upper plate and a lower plate, formed of a single plate. Between the upper plate and the lower plate, pairs of electrode parts capable of attracting one another via an electrostatic force. Since each of the pairs of electrode parts functions as an operation point and the upper plate and the lower plate are formed of the single plate, movements of the respective operation points in such a way that a new physical movement different from an original individual movement is generated to generate a haptic feel or a sound. It is possible to generate various haptic feels or sounds by modulating and combining amplitudes and frequencies of the respective operation points.

Claims

1. An actuator comprising:

at least two or more first plate electrode parts disposed on a first plate in a first direction to be electrically separate from one another; and

at least two or more second plate electrode parts disposed on a second plate separate from the first plate in a second direction, facing the first plate electrode parts corresponding to the first plate electrode parts, respectively, to form pairs of electrode parts,

wherein the pairs of electrode parts facing one another independently perform physical movements when an electric signal is inputted.

2. The actuator of claim 1, wherein, when the first plate is an upper plate, the second plate is a lower plate having a thickness as the same as a thickness of the upper plate or more or having a higher strength than the upper plate.

3. The actuator of claim 1, wherein performing of the physical movements result in generating one of a touch and a sound.

4. The actuator of claim 1, where in the first and second plates and the first and second plate electrode parts are substantially formed of a transparent material.

5. The actuator of claim 1, where in the first and second plates and the first and second plate electrode parts are substantially formed of a flexible material.

6. The actuator of claim 1, wherein a movement amount of one of the first plate and the second plate is amplified by inputting the electric signal to allow all the physical movements of the pairs of the electrode parts to be the same.

7. The actuator of claim 1, wherein one of an amplitude of a movement reiteratively generated one of the first plate and the second plate and frequency properties are used to give a touch feedback or a sound playback by inputting the electric signal to allow all the physical movements of the pairs of the electrode parts to be different from one another.

8. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the physical movements of the pairs of electrode parts have the same amplitude but have different frequencies from one another, thereby using a beat wave obtained a reiteration effect at one of the first plate and the second plate to give a touch feedback or a sound playback.

9. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the physical movements of the pairs of electrode parts are generated only in an area in contact with a human body, thereby providing a local touch feedback for each of a plurality of movement areas.

10. The actuator of claim 9, wherein the pairs of electrode parts are four pairs and the local touch feedback is provided for each of four movement areas when keyboard-inputting.

11. The actuator of claim 1, wherein operation strength of the pairs of electrode parts is sequentially changed, thereby transferring a sense that a vibration is transferred on a space.

12. An actuator comprising:

first and second plates formed in a thin-film shape, disposed separately from one another with a certain distance and installed parallel to one another;

a plurality of first plate electrode parts disposed separately from one another on one side of the first plate in a first direction to be electrically separated from one another; and

a plurality of second plate electrode parts disposed on one side of the second plate, formed to face the plurality of first plate electrode parts one another to form pairs of electrode parts corresponding to the plurality of first plate electrode parts, respectively,

wherein the pairs of electrode parts facing one another independently perform physical movements when an electric signal is inputted.

13. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the plurality of first and second plate electrode parts are one of an application layer and an attachment layer, formed of a conductive material forming a planar-polygonal shape.

14. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the plurality of first plate electrode parts is coated as an insulating material to prevent an electric short-circuit between the pairs of electrode parts according to the physical movements.

15. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the plurality of second plate electrode parts is coated as an insulating material to prevent an electric short-circuit between the pairs of electrode parts according to the physical movements.

16. The actuator of claim 12, further comprising a spacer formed of an elastic material on an edge part between the first and second plates to prevent an electric short-circuit between the pairs of electrode parts according to the physical movements.

17. The actuator of claim 13, wherein, when the first plate is an upper plate having 1 GPa or more of Young'"'"'s modulus, the second plate is a lower plate thicker than the upper plate.

18. The actuator of claim 13, wherein performing of the physical movements is for generating a touch or generating a sound.

19. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the first and second plates and the plurality of first and second plate electrode parts are substantially formed of a transparent material.

20. The actuator of claim 19, wherein the first and second plates and the plurality of first and second plate electrode parts are substantially formed of a flexible material.

21. The actuator of claim 12, wherein a movement amount of one of the first plate and the second plate is amplified by inputting the electric signal to allow all the physical movements of the pairs of the electrode parts to be the same.

22. The actuator of claim 12, wherein one of an amplitude of a movement reiteratively generated one of the first plate and the second plate and frequency properties are used to give a touch feedback or a sound playback by inputting the electric signal to allow all the physical movements of the pairs of the electrode parts to be different from one another.

23. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the physical movements of the pairs of electrode parts have the same amplitude but have different frequencies from one another, thereby using a beat wave obtained a reiteration effect at one of the first plate and the second plate to give a touch feedback or a sound playback.

24. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the physical movements of the pairs of electrode parts are generated only in an area in contact with a human body, thereby providing a local touch feedback for each of a plurality of movement areas.

25. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the pairs of electrode parts are four pairs and the local touch feedback is provided for each of four movement areas when keyboard-inputting.

26. The actuator of claim 12, wherein operation strength of the pairs of electrode parts is sequentially changed, thereby transferring a sense that a vibration is transferred on a space.

27. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the actuator is used as one of a haptic feedback device and a transparent speaker, capable of being coupled with a touch screen.

28. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the one side of the first plate is a lower surface of the first plate.

29. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the one side of the second plate is an upper surface of the second plate.

30. The actuator of claim 12, wherein inputting of the electric signal is independently applied with respect to the pairs of electrode parts facing one another.

31. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the plurality of first and second plate electrode parts is formed of carbon nano-tubes.

32. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the plurality of first and second plate electrodes is formed of a stronger and solider than a material of the first and second plates.