Bodily sensed vibration generator system

• US 7,005,811 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kawauchi, Takahiro, Wakuda, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, JUDSON
• Application Number:
  US10/717,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 318/114, 318/126, 318/127, 318/128, 318/129
• US Class Current: 318/128
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0215 for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/045 using vibrating magnet, armature or coil system
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/16 with polarised armatures moving in alternate directions by reversal or energisation of a single coil system

Abstract

A vibration generator system is capable of generating vibrations of a frequency that can be bodily sensed by humans, notwithstanding a small size, and making setting of a configuration of vibrations easy. When a drive signal composed of a set of an accumulation signal and a damping signal is given as a natural frequency of a movable body, a vibrational waveform of the movable body makes an envelope. Since a frequency of the envelope is in a lower frequency band than the natural frequency of the movable body, humans can surely sense vibrations. When the number of and a current quantity of excitation signals and reverse excitation signals included in the accumulation signal are changed and the number of and a current quantity of inhibition signals and reverse inhibition signals included in the damping signal are changed, the envelope can be changed in frequency and amplitude, so that it becomes possible to generate a variety of vibrations.

Claims

1. A vibration generator system for vibrating a movable body according to a drive signal, wherein accumulation signals for excitation of the movable body to vibrations are included in the drive signal at intervals, and when the accumulation signals are given, the movable body perform motions to be excited, to damp thereafter, and to repeat such excitation and damping, and that changes in an envelope, which connects peaks of amplitude of the movable body when the vibrations are excited and damped, are obtained as vibrations of a lower frequency than a frequency of the vibrations, wherein the accumulation signals include excitation signals intermittently giving to the movable body a driving force in the same direction as the motions to be excited.

2. The vibration generator system according to claim 1, wherein the accumulation signals include reverse excitation signals provided between the excitation signals to give a driving force in a reverse direction to that of the driving force by the excitation signals.

3. The vibration generator system according to claim 1, wherein the drive signal includes damping signals for damping of the movable body, which has been excited with the accumulation signals, after the excitation.

4. The vibration generator system according to claim 3, wherein the damping signals include inhibition signals giving to the vibrating movable body a driving force in a reverse direction to a move direction of the movable body.

5. The vibration generator system according to claim 4, wherein the damping signals include reverse inhibition signals provided between the inhibition signals to give a driving force in a reverse direction to that of the driving force by the inhibition signals.

6. The vibration generator system according to claim 1, wherein control means can produce intervals of the accumulation signals in different patterns and can generate accumulation signals having different numbers of the excitation signals and different patterns.

7. The vibration generator system according to claim 1, wherein position detection means is provided to detect that the movable body has reached a predetermined position of detection during vibration and cycles of the excitation signals are determined on the basis of detection signals from the position detection means.

8. The vibration generator system according to claim 4, wherein position detection means is provided to detect that the movable body has reached a predetermined position of detection during vibration and cycles of the inhibition signals are determined on the basis of detection signals from the position detection means.

9. The vibration generator system according to claim 1, wherein the movable body is supported on a support to be able to reciprocate in a range of a predetermined stroke, and further comprising energizing means for energizing the movable body toward a middle point of the stroke, magnetic drive means comprising a magnet provided on one of the movable body and the support and a coil provided on the other of the movable body and the support and for giving to the movable body a driving force in a direction along the stroke, and control means for giving a drive signal to the coil to cause the movable body to generate vibrations of natural frequency.

10. The vibration generator system according to claim 9, wherein the movable body is movable along an axis, and the energizing means comprises a coil spring for biasing the movable body in different directions from both sides in the stroke direction.

11. The vibration generator system according to claim 9, wherein the support comprises a cylindrical casing and the axis is positioned on a central axis of the cylindrical casing, and wherein one of the magnet and the coil is provided on the support and the other of the magnet and the coil is provided on the cylindrical casing.

12. A vibration generator system for vibrating a movable body according to a drive signal,

wherein accumulation signals for excitation of the movable body to vibrations are included in the drive signal at intervals, and when the accumulation signals are given, the movable body perform motions to be excited, to damp thereafter, and to repeat such excitation and damping, and that changes in an envelope, which connects peaks of amplitude of the movable body when the vibrations are excited and damped, are obtained as vibrations of a lower frequency than a frequency of the vibrations,

wherein the drive signal includes damping signals for damping of the movable body, which has been excited with the accumulation signals, after the excitation,

wherein the damping signals include inhibition signals giving to the vibrating movable body a driving force in a reverse direction to a move direction of the movable body, and

wherein the damping signals include reverse inhibition signals provided between the inhibition signals to give a driving force in a reverse direction to that of the driving force by the inhibition signals.

13. The vibration generator system according to claim 12, wherein position detection means is provided to detect that the movable body has reached a predetermined position of detection during vibration and cycles of the inhibition signals are determined on the basis of detection signals from the position detection means.