HAPTIC DEVICE WITH LINEAR RESONANT ACTUATOR

• US 20140247227A1
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: JIANG, Li, CRUZ-HERNANDEZ, Juan Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,489,047 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: H10N 30/204 using bending displacement, e.g. unimorph, bimorph or multimorph cantilever or membrane benders

Abstract

A haptic output device including an actuator configured to generate a haptic effect, and a processor configured to communicate a driving signal to the actuator and to communicate a braking signal to the actuator before or at the same time the driving signal is terminated to generate the haptic effect. The braking signal has a frequency substantially the same as a resonant frequency of the actuator and at a reverse phase of the driving signal.

Claims

1. A haptic output device, comprising:

an actuator configured to generate a haptic effect; and

a processor configured to communicate a driving signal to the actuator and to communicate a braking signal to the actuator before or at the same time the driving signal is terminated to generate the haptic effect, the braking signal having a frequency substantially the same as a resonant frequency of the actuator and at a reverse phase of the driving signal.

2. The haptic output device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is a linear resonant actuator.

3. The haptic output device according to claim 2, wherein the actuator is a piezoelectric linear resonant actuator.

4. The haptic output device according to claim 3, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric bender.

5. The haptic output device according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a signal generator configured to generate the driving signal and the braking signal.

6. The haptic output device according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a lookup table comprising optimal braking parameters for different driving signals at different frequencies.

7. The haptic output device according to claim 6, wherein the optimal braking parameters comprise an optimal starting time of the braking signal and an optimal amplitude of the braking signal.

8. A method of producing a haptic effect with a haptic output device comprising a processor and an actuator, the method comprising:

generating a driving signal with the processor;

communicating the driving signal to the actuator to drive the actuator;

generating a braking signal with the processor, the braking signal having a frequency substantially the same as the resonant frequency of the actuator and at a reverse phase of the driving signal; and

communicating the braking signal to the actuator to brake the actuator before or at the same time communication of the driving signal is terminated.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein if the driving signal has a frequency less than the resonant frequency of the actuator, the braking signal is communicated before said communicating the driving signal is terminated.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein if the driving signal has a frequency equal to the resonant frequency of the actuator, the braking signal is communicated at substantially the same time said communicating the driving signal is terminated.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising determining optimal braking parameters for different driving signals at different frequencies before said generating the braking signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the optimal braking parameters comprise an optimal starting time of the braking signal and an optimal amplitude of the braking signal.

13. A electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen device configured to receive an input from a user; and

a haptic device configured to generate a haptic effect in response to the input from the user, the haptic device comprising

an actuator, and

a processor configured to communicate a driving signal to the actuator and to communicate a braking signal to the actuator before or at the same time the driving signal is terminated to generate the haptic effect, the braking signal having a frequency substantially the same as a resonant frequency of the actuator and at a reverse phase of the driving signal.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the actuator is a linear resonant actuator.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the actuator is a piezoelectric linear resonant actuator.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric bender.

17. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the processor comprises a signal generator configured to generate the driving signal and the braking signal.

18. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the processor comprises a lookup table comprising optimal braking parameters for different driving signals at different frequencies.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18, wherein the optimal braking parameters comprise an optimal starting time of the braking signal and an optimal amplitude of the braking signal.