Contracting and Elongating Materials for Providing Input and Output for an Electronic Device

• US 20160306423A1
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ow, Florence W., Wright, Derek W., McClure, Stephen R., Lobel, Inna, Uttermann, Erik A., Gibbs, Kevin D., Patel, Dhaval Chandrakant
• Granted Patent: US 10,481,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04144 using an array of force sensing means position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3827 Portable transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/20 with electrical input and mechanical output, e.g. functioning as actuators or vibrators
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/302 Sensors

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for providing haptic output on an electronic device. In some embodiments, the electronic device includes an actuator configured to move in a first direction. The electronic device also includes a substrate coupled to the actuator. When the actuator moves in the first direction, the substrate or a portion of the substrate, by virtue of being coupled to the actuator, moves in a second direction. In some implementations, the movement of the substrate is perpendicular to the movement of the actuator.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a first actuator configured to contract in response to an input; and

a substrate coupled to the first actuator, the substrate configured to bend in response to the first actuator contracting and thereby causing at least a portion of a surface of the electronic device to bend which provides a localized haptic output on the surface.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the surface is a cover glass of the electronic device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the surface is a housing of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a force-sensing element.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the force-sensing element is coplanar with the first actuator.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is a piezoelectric actuator.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a second actuator coupled to the substrate.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator bend substantially simultaneously.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are arranged in a pattern.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the second actuator dampens the localized haptic output.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the second actuator enhances the localized haptic output.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein an input signal provided to the first actuator is greater than an input signal provided to the second actuator.

13. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first actuator bends at a first time and the second actuator bends at a second time that is different than the first time.

14. A method for providing a localized haptic output for an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving an input;

in response to receiving the input, applying a first input signal to a first actuator, thereby moving first and second ends of the first actuator toward one another; and

in response to moving first and second ends of the first actuator toward one another, causing a substrate to which the first actuator is attached to deflect, thereby providing the localized haptic output on a surface of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

applying a second input signal to a second actuator to move the second actuator; and

in response to moving the second actuator, causing the substrate to which the second actuator is attached to deflect.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein moving the second actuator dampens the localized haptic output.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein moving the second actuator enhances the localized haptic output.

18. A haptic structure for providing a haptic output for an electronic device, the haptic structure comprising:

a piezoelectric material;

a first electrode coupled to a first side of the piezoelectric material;

a second electrode coupled to a second side of the piezoelectric material;

a first substrate coupled to a first surface of the piezoelectric material; and

a second substrate coupled to a second surface the piezoelectric material;

wherein the first substrate and the second substrate deflect to cause localized deflection of a surface of the electronic device when a stimulus is applied to the piezoelectric material.

19. The haptic structure of claim 18, wherein the deflection of the surface of the electronic device causes a haptic output.

20. The haptic structure of claim 18, wherein the surface of the electronic device is a cover glass.

21. An electronic device comprising:

a cover glass;

a force-sensing element operative to detect an amount of force provided on the cover glass; and

a haptic structure coupled to the cover glass, the haptic structure operative to bend at least a portion of the cover glass and provide a haptic output in response to the detected amount of force.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the haptic structure provides a first type of haptic output when the force-sensing element detects a first amount of force and provides a second type of haptic output when the force-sensing element detects a second amount of force.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the haptic structure is coupled to a portion of a display of the electronic device.

24. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the haptic structure is integrated with a portion of a display of the electronic device.