ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND VIBRATION CONTROL METHOD

• US 20160274665A1
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: WAKUDA, Hiroshi, SUZUKI, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0207 Driving circuits specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/02 with armatures moved one way by energisation of a single coil system and returned by mechanical force, e.g. by springs

Abstract

Disclosed is controlling a vibration of a vibration generating device configured to reciprocatively vibrate an operating body movably supported in a first direction and a second direction which are opposite to each other, a driving signal being transmitting to a first interval and a second interval in which vibration frequencies of acceleration during movement of the operating body are different from each other, the first interval being an initial motion interval when the operating body moves toward the first direction, the second interval being an initial motion interval when the operating body moves toward the second direction. The vibration frequency of the second interval is smaller than the vibration frequency of the first interval which is equal to or smaller than 250 Hz, and the vibration frequency of the second interval is greater than the vibration frequency of the first interval which is equal to or greater than 250 Hz.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an operating body movably supported on a base, the operating body being moveable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;

a vibration generating unit configured to generate vibration, the vibration generating unit including a transmission member movable in the first and second directions and configured to apply the vibration therethrough to the operating body to vibrate, an initial time period for accelerating the transmission member in the first direction being a first period, and an initial time period for accelerating the transmission member in the second direction being a second period; and

a vibration control unit configured to supply a driving signal to the vibration generating unit and control the vibration thereof such that the vibration has a first frequency during the first period and a second frequency during the second period, wherein the first and second frequencies satisfy one of the following Expressions (1) and (2);

The second frequency<

the first frequency≦

250 Hz 

 

(1)

250 Hz≦

the first frequency<

the second frequency 

 

(2)

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating unit further includes:

an actuator configured to drive the transmission member in the first direction; and

a first elastic member configured to be compressed when the transmission member is driven by the actuator in the first direction.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a movement of the transmission member in the second direction.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the vibration generating unit further includes:

a second elastic member configured to be compressed in the second direction when the transmission member moves in the second direction.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the actuator is activated when the sensor detects that the second elastic member is pressed in the second direction by the transmission member.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the vibration generating unit further includes:

a third elastic member configured to bias the transmission member in the second direction.

4. A method of controlling a vibration generating unit configured to apply vibration to an operating body movably supported on a base, the operation body moving in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, the vibration generating unit including a transmission member movable in the first and second directions and configured to apply the vibration to the operating body, the method comprising:

accelerating the transmission member in the first direction during a first time period;

transmitting a driving signal to the vibration generating unit in the first time period such that the vibration has a first frequency in the first time period;

accelerating the transmission member in the second direction during a second time period; and

transmitting the driving signal to the vibration generating unit in the second time period such that the vibration has a second frequency in the second time period the operating body,

wherein the first frequency and the second frequency satisfy one of the following Expressions (1) and (2);

The second frequency<

the first frequency≦

250 Hz 

 

(1)

250 Hz≦

the first frequency<

the second frequency 

 

(2)

8. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting the vibration having the first frequency to the operating body via a first elastic member provided between the transmission member and the operating body in the first time period, followed by transmitting the vibration having the second frequency to the operating body via the first elastic member in the second time period.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the accelerating the transmission member in the first direction includes:

detecting a movement of the transmission member in the second direction via a second elastic member compressed by the transmission member; and

activating an actuator to accelerate the transmission member in the first direction in response to the detection of the compression of the second elastic member.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the accelerating the transmission member in the first direction further includes:

biasing the transmission member in the first direction by the second elastic member which has been compressed in the second direction.

11. The method according to claim 4, wherein the accelerating the transmission member in the second direction includes:

biasing the transmission member in the second direction by a third elastic member.