MULTI-DIMENSIONAL TRACKPAD

• US 20140354568A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC, NextInput Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.), NextInput Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Andrews, David, Campbell, Ian, Diestelhorst, Ryan, Lisseman, Jason Carl, Metzger, Don
• Granted Patent: US 10,067,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/111 for controlling multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/146 Instrument input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/111 for controlling multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1446 Touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/146 Input by gesture
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/158 Haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/782 on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/25 using haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L

Abstract

A multi-dimensional track pad is described that acts as human-machine interface (HMI). Inputs to the HMI can be made not only using the tradition two-dimensional (X-Y) inputs of a track pad, but also a third dimension, force, and even a fourth dimension, time. Tactile or audible feedback to the inputs can be provided. Methods of using the HMI to control a system are described as well as a track pad system that utilizes the HMI in communication with a processor.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a system using a track pad comprising:

receiving, by a touch interface positioned over an array of force sensors that are arranged to have a width and a length, a touch force;

passing at least a portion of said touch force through the touch interface to one or more force sensors of the array of force sensors;

transmitting, by the one or more force sensors of the array of force sensors, force information to a processor in communication with the array of force sensors;

determining, by the processor, from the force information a force position along the width and length and a corresponding force magnitude; and

sending, by the processor, a control message to a system, wherein the control message is selected depending upon one or more of the force position along the width and length and the corresponding force magnitude.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by a feedback generator, at least one of a tactile or audible feedback.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing, by the feedback generator, at least one of a tactile or audible feedback, comprises the feedback generator providing tactile or audible feedback that is proportional to at least one of the force position and the force magnitude.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the at least one of a tactile or audible feedback by the feedback generator comprises providing the tactile or audible feedback by a haptic generator that generates the at least one of a tactile or audible feedback.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the haptic generator is a coneless coil and magnet assembly.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the control message to the system, wherein the control message is selected depending upon one or more of the force position along the width and length and the corresponding force magnitude, further comprises selecting the system from a plurality of systems and selecting the control message from a plurality of control messages, said selections made depending upon one or more of the force position along the width and length and the corresponding force magnitude.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the system is selected from the plurality of systems depending upon the force magnitude and the control message is selected from the plurality of control messages depending at least partially upon the force position along the width and length.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the force magnitude has at least two thresholds and the system is selected from the plurality of systems depending upon the force magnitude exceeding one or more of the thresholds.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a different system is selected for each threshold.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing, by a feedback generator, at least one of a tactile or audible feedback, wherein the feedback generator is configured to provide an audible tick when the control message is selected from the plurality of control messages depending at least partially upon the force position along the width and length and provide the tactile feedback for each selection made depending on the force magnitude.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein sending, by the processor, the control message to the system, wherein the control message is selected depending upon one or more of the force position along the width and length and the corresponding force magnitude comprises selecting the control message depending upon the force magnitude exceeding a threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the force magnitude has at least two thresholds and the control message is selected depending upon the force magnitude exceeding one or more of the thresholds.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a different control message is selected for each threshold.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the touch interface positioned over the array of force sensors arranged to have a width and a length, the touch force comprises receiving the touch force by the touch interface positioned over an array of MEMS sensors.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the MEMS sensors are structure-based piezo-resistive sensors.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing, by a feedback generator, at least one of a tactile or audible feedback, wherein providing the at least one of a tactile or audible feedback by the feedback generator comprises providing the tactile or audible feedback by a feedback generator that is a structural part of the structure-based piezo-resistive sensors.

17. A track pad system comprising:

a two-dimensional array of force sensors arranged to have a width and a length;

a touch interface positioned over the array, wherein the touch interface passes touch forces through to one or more force sensors of the array of force sensors;

a processor in communication with a memory, wherein the processor executes computer-readable instructions stored on the memory, said instructions cause the processor to;

receive force information from the array of force sensors; and

determine a force position along the width and length and a corresponding force magnitude; and

a feedback generator that generates at least one of a tactile or audible feedback.

18. The track pad system of claim 17, wherein the tactile or audible feedback is proportional to at least one of the force position and the force magnitude.

19. The track pad system of claim 17, wherein the force sensors are MEMS sensors.

20. The track pad system of claim 19, wherein the MEMS sensors are structure-based piezo-resistive sensors.

21. The track pad system of claim 20, wherein the feedback generator is a structural part of the structure-based piezo-resistive sensors.

22. The track pad system of claim 17, wherein the feedback generator is a haptic generator used to generate the tactile and audible feedback.

23. The track pad system of claim 22, wherein the haptic generator is a coneless coil and magnet assembly.

24. The track pad system of claim 17, wherein said instructions further cause the processor to send a control message to a system selected from a plurality of systems and wherein the control message is selected from a plurality of control messages by the processor depending upon one or more of the force position along the width and length and the corresponding force magnitude.

25. The track pad system of claim 24, wherein the system is selected from the plurality of systems depending upon the force magnitude and the control message is selected from the plurality of control messages depending at least partially upon the force position along the width and length.

26. The track pad system of claim 25, wherein the force magnitude has at least three thresholds and the system is selected from the plurality of systems depending upon the force magnitude exceeding one or more of the thresholds.

27. The track pad system of claim 26, wherein a different system is selected for each threshold.

28. The track pad system of claim 26, wherein the force thresholds are in increments of 1 N or 1 ounce.

29. The track pad system of claim 25, wherein the feedback generator is configured to provide an audible tick when the control message is selected from the plurality of control messages depending at least partially upon the force position along the width and length and provide the tactile feedback for each selection made depending on the force magnitude.

30. The track pad system of claim 17, wherein the width or length is 8 mm or larger.

31. The track pad system of claim 17, having a 0.5 mm or less thickness.

32. A track pad system integrated into a steering mechanism of a vehicle comprising:

a two-dimensional array of force sensors arranged to have a width and a length, the two-dimensional array of force sensors embedded into a steering mechanism of a vehicle;

a touch interface positioned over the array, wherein the touch interface passes touch forces through to one or more force sensors of the array of force sensors;

a processor in communication with a memory, wherein the processor executes computer-readable instructions stored on the memory, said instructions cause the processor to;

receive force information from the array of force sensors;

determine a force position along the width and length and a corresponding force magnitude; and

send a control message to a system, wherein the control message is selected from a plurality of control messages and the system is selected from a plurality of systems depending upon one or more of the force position along the width and length and the corresponding force magnitude.

33. The system of claim 32 further comprising a feedback generator that generates at least one of a tactile or audible feedback.