Notifying device using alternating drive signals

• US 6,255,937 B1
• Filed: 12/20/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamaguchi, Toshihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TWEEL JR, JOHN ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/446,267
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 340/384.7, 340/384.71, 340/384.72, 340/407.1, 340/692, 340/311.1, 340/825, 340/46, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 340/384.7
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0215 for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/55 Piezoelectric transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/70 Specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 9/12 electrically operated

Abstract

A notifying device adapted to give notification with both sound and vibration includes a notifying unit 2 which comprises a first vibrator drivable at an audio-frequency with a first drive signal for producing sound waves, and a second vibrator drivable with a second drive signal at a frequency, up to several hundred of hertz, lower than the driving frequency of the first vibrator for producing a perceivable vibration. A notifying signal generating circuit 5 is connected to the unit 2 via a switch 59. The circuit 5 comprises a sound signal generating circuit 57 for producing an intermittent first signal repeating on and off states with a predetermined period, a vibration signal generating circuit 58 for producing an intermittent second signal repeating on and off states with the same period as the first drive signal, and a synchronization circuit 56 for causing the respective circuits 57, 58 to produce the first drive signal and the second drive signal without any overlap between the on periods of these signals. This construction obviates marked increases in the power consumption of the device.

Claims

1. A notifying device which comprises a first vibrator drivable at an audio-frequency with a first drive signal for producing sound waves, a second vibrator drivable with a second drive signal at a frequency lower than the driving frequency of the first vibrator for producing a perceivable vibration, and a signal generator circuit for producing the first drive signal and the second drive signal, the notifying device being characterized in that the signal generator circuit comprises a first drive signal generating circuit for producing the first drive signal, a second drive signal generating circuit for producing the second drive signal, and timing control means for feeding a timing control signal, and timing control means for feeding a timing control signal to the first drive signal generating circuit and the second drive signal generating circuit so as to output the first drive signal and the second drive signal at times different from each other.

2. A notifying device according to claim 1 wherein the timing control means produces as the timing control signal a synchronizing signal having a leading edge and a trailing edge alternately, the first drive signal generating circuit being operable to bring the first drive signal to an on state at one of the edges of the synchronizing signal, the second drive signal generating circuit being operable to bring the second drive signal to an on state at the other edge of the synchronizing signal, the first drive signal generating circuit being operable to bring the first drive signal to an off state upon lapse of a predetermined period of time shorter than the time difference after turning on the first drive signal, the second drive signal generating circuit being operable to bring the second drive signal to an off state upon lapse of a predetermined period of time shorter than the time difference after turning on the second drive signal.

3. A notifying device according to claim 1 wherein the first vibrator and the second vibrator are housed in a common casing, the first vibrator comprising a coil attached by a first diaphragm to the casing, the second vibrator comprising a magnet attached by a second diaphragm to the casing, the magnet being formed with a magnetic gap having the coil of the first vibrator accommodated therein.

4. A notifying device according to claim 3 wherein the signal generator circuit prepares a combined drive signal comprising the first drive signal and the second drive signal superposed thereon with no overlap between their on periods and feeds the combined drive signal to the coil.

5. A notifying device according to claim 4, wherein the signal generator circuit comprises a signal selecting means for preparing the combined control signal by alternately selecting the first drive signal and the second drive signal.