Haptic feedback for touchpads and other touch controls

• US 7,777,716 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B., Riegel, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdulselam; Abbas I
• Application Number:
  US11/340,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 345/173, 345/161, 345/169, 345/179, 345/184, 463/30, 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 715/701, 715/702, 434/45, 244/221, 244/223
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/10 characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 : the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 : the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 : Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 : Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 : Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 : with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 : Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 : Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 : Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 : with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 : Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 : Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 : Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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: H01H 2215/052 : piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch surface that inputs a position signal to a processor of the computer based on a location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphical environment based at least in part on the position signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate from the computer'"'"'s display screen, or can be a touch screen. Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can include pulses, vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a housing;

a compliant suspension coupled to the housing;

a touch input element coupled to the compliant suspension, the touch input element configured to generate a position signal; and

an actuator coupled to at least one of the touch input element and the housing, the actuator configured to output haptic feedback via the touch input element based on the position signal, the compliant suspension configured to amplify the haptic feedback.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to receive the position signal from the touch input element and to provide a control signal to the actuator, the control signal being associated with the position signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the compliant suspension is one compliant suspension from a plurality of compliant suspensions coupled to the touch input element.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a rotary actuator configured to provide a rotary output force, the rotary output force being configured to be converted to a linear force.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to output an inertial force based on a movement of an inertial mass coupled to the actuator.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch input element includes a plurality of regions, each region from the plurality of regions being uniquely associated with a haptic feedback.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch input element includes a sensor, the sensor being configured to output the position signal, the position signal being associated with a contact of the touch input element by an external member.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch input element includes a sensor, the sensor being configured to output a movement signal associated with a movement of an external member in contact with the touch input element.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the compliant suspension is at least one of a helical spring, a leaf spring, a foam and a flexure.

10. A device, comprising:

a housing;

a touch input element configured to generate a position signal, the touch input element having a boundary;

an actuator coupled to at least one of the touch input element and the housing, the actuator configured to provide haptic feedback to the touch input element based on the position signal; and

a compliant suspension, the compliant suspension coupled substantially adjacent to the boundary of the touch input element and the housing, the compliant suspension configured to amplify the haptic feedback.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising a processor configured to receive the position signal from the touch input element and to provide a control signal to the actuator, the control signal being associated with the position signal.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the compliant suspension is one compliant suspension from a plurality of compliant suspensions coupled to the touch input element.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the actuator is a rotary actuator configured to provide a rotary output force, the rotary output force being configured to be converted to a linear force.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the actuator is configured to output an inertial force based on a movement of an inertial mass coupled to the actuator.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the touch input element includes a plurality of regions, each region from the plurality of regions being uniquely associated with a haptic feedback.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the touch input element includes a sensor, the sensor being configured to output the position signal, the position signal being associated with a contact of the touch input element by an external member.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the touch input element includes a sensor, the sensor being configured to output a movement signal associated with a movement of an external member in contact with the touch input element.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the compliant suspension is at least one of a helical spring, a leaf spring, a foam and a flexure.