Haptic Notifications

• US 20180075715A1
• Filed: 11/01/2017
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Morrell, John B., Harley, Jonah A., Hoen, Storrs T., Degner, Brett W., Moussette, Camille, Guetta, Anthnoy, Weiss, Samuel B., Scott, Douglas A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,490,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a haptic actuator or a device having a haptic actuator that is capable of producing short, sharp and crisp pulses in a short amount of time.

Claims

1-100. -100. (canceled)

101. A method of providing haptic output, the method comprising:

applying an input voltage waveform to a haptic actuator comprising an actuator mass wherein;

applying the input voltage waveform to the haptic actuator causes a momentum of the actuator mass to increase from substantially zero to a peak intensity; and

wherein the increase in momentum from substantially zero to the peak intensity occurs during a first time period of between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds, and wherein the first time period starts when the input voltage is initially applied to the haptic actuator.

102. The method of claim 101, wherein the peak momentum is approximately 1500 gram millimeters per second or higher.

103. The method of claim 101, wherein the input voltage waveform further causes the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to change from the peak intensity to less than or equal to ten percent of the peak intensity between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds.

104. A method of moving an actuator mass of a haptic actuator, the method comprising:

applying an input atom to the haptic actuator, wherein the input atom;

causes the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to move in accordance with the atom; and

causes a momentum of the actuator mass to increase from a first momentum of substantially zero in an output momentum waveform to a peak intensity of in an output momentum waveform of approximately 1500 gram millimeters per second or higher between a first time period between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds.

105. The method of claim 104, wherein the input atom is represented as a substantially square input waveform.

106. The method of claim 104, wherein the input atom further causes the momentum of the actuator mass to decrease from the peak intensity in the output momentum waveform to a second momentum of substantially zero in the output momentum waveform in a second time period between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds.

107. The method of claim 104, wherein the input atom causes the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output displacement waveform, wherein the output displacement waveform starts from a substantially zero displacement and reaches a peak displacement intensity during the first time period.

108. The method of claim 107, wherein the input atom further causes the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to return to a displacement of substantially zero in the output displacement waveform during a second time period of between approximately three milliseconds and approximately twenty milliseconds.

109. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processing units;

a memory; and

a haptic actuator, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to;

receive or identify an alert event or notification;

determine, based on the alert event or notification, one or more types of haptic inputs to apply to the haptic actuator; and

generate each type of haptic input, based on one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters comprises a length of playback, an intensity level during playback, and a time period at which each haptic input is to be played by the haptic actuator.

110. The electronic device of claim 109, wherein the one or more processing units comprises a synthesizer engine.

111. The electronic device of claim 109, wherein the haptic input comprises an input voltage waveform.

112. The electronic device of claim 109, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

113. The electronic device of claim 109, wherein the alert event or notification is associated with a plurality of input atoms.

114. The electronic device of claim 109, wherein the type of haptic input is stored in a predefined library.

115. The electronic device of claim 109, wherein the one or more processing units is adapted to apply the haptic input to the haptic actuator to cause the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the haptic input.

116. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processing units;

a memory; and

a haptic actuator, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to;

generate an input waveform based on a determined state of the electronic device, wherein the input waveform is adapted to cause a haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the input waveform and wherein the input waveform comprises a length of playback, an intensity level during playback, and a time period at which each haptic input is to be played by the haptic actuator.

117. The electronic device of claim 116, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

118. The electronic device of claim 116, wherein the determined state of the electronic device corresponds to an alert notification.

119. The electronic device of claim 116, wherein the one or more processing units comprises a synthesizer engine.

120. The electronic device of claim 116, wherein the one or more processing units is adapted to apply the input waveform to the haptic actuator to cause the electronic device to move in accordance with a device output waveform associated with the input waveform.

121. A method for causing haptic output, the method comprising:

receiving an alert event;

determining, based on the alert event, a type of input atom to apply to a haptic actuator; and

generating a first type of haptic input, wherein the first type of haptic input comprises a length of playback, an intensity level during playback, and a time period at which each haptic input is to be played by the haptic actuator.

122. The method of claim 121, wherein the first type of haptic input is generated by a synthesizer engine.

123. The method of claim 121, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

124. The method of claim 123, wherein an input voltage waveform for the haptic input is substantially square.

125. The method of claim 121, wherein the alert event is associated with a plurality of input atoms.

126. The method of claim 121, wherein the type of haptic input is stored in a predefined library.

127. The method of claim 121, further comprising applying the haptic input to the haptic actuator to cause the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the haptic input.

128. The method of claim 121, further comprising applying the haptic input to the haptic actuator to cause an electronic device associated with the haptic actuator to move in accordance with a device output waveform associated with the haptic input.

129. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processing units to execute instructions;

a haptic actuator; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processing units to store instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to perform operations to generate an application programming interface (API) that allows an API-calling component to determine, based on an alert event or notification, one or more types of haptic input to apply to the haptic actuator, wherein each haptic input is defined based on one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters comprises;

a length of playback,

an intensity level during playback, and

a time period at which each haptic input is to be played by the haptic actuator.

130. The electronic device of claim 129, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

131. The electronic device of claim 129, further comprising a synthesizer engine and wherein the one or more types of haptic input is generated by the synthesizer engine.

132. The electronic device of claim 129, wherein the one or more types of haptic input are stored in a library.

133. The electronic device of claim 129, wherein applying the one or more types of haptic input to the haptic actuator to cause the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the haptic input.

134. A data processing system, comprising:

one or more processing units to execute instructions;

a memory coupled with the processor to store instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the one or more processing units to perform operations to generate an application programming interface (API) implementing component that implements an API, wherein the API exposes one or more functions to an API-calling component, the API comprising;

a haptic alert function to define one or more types of haptic inputs to apply to the haptic actuator based on an alert event or notification, wherein each haptic input of the one or more types of haptic inputs is defined based on one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters comprises;

a length of playback,

an intensity level during playback, and

a time period at which each haptic input is to be played by the haptic actuator.

135. The data processing system of claim 134, wherein the intensity level can be based on a maximum amplitude, a default amplitude, or a default power output.

136. The data processing system of claim 134, further comprising a synthesizer engine and wherein the one or more types of haptic inputs are generated by the synthesizer engine.

137. The data processing system of claim 134, wherein the one or more types of haptic inputs comprise an input voltage waveform.

138. The data processing system of claim 134, wherein applying the one or more types of haptic inputs to the haptic actuator to cause the haptic actuator to move in accordance with an output waveform associated with the haptic inputs.