Touch sensor with tactile feedback

• US 7,893,922 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wernersson, Mats, Klinghult, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeung; Matthew
• Application Number:
  US11/623,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20080169911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

An input organ, being provided with means for detecting the touch of a fingertip, where said organ is provided with means for providing a tactile feedback to said fingertip to acknowledge an activation of said input organ, and where said means for providing a tactile feedback comprises an elongate object of shape memory metal.

Claims

1. An input organ, comprising

means for detecting the touch of a fingertip,

a key stem movable in response to detecting the touch of a fingertip by the means for detecting,

a switch arranged to be operated in response to movement of the key stem,

means for providing a tactile feedback to the fingertip to acknowledge an activation of said input organ, and

wherein said means for providing a tactile feedback comprises elongate shape memory metal;

wherein the elongate shape memory metal comprises a first muscle wire arranged to be energised when the organ is touched by a fingertip to such an extent that said first muscle wire contracts and tactile feedback in the form of mechanical energy resulting from said contraction is mediated to a touch surface of said means for detecting arranged to make contact with the fingertip;

wherein the elongate shape memory metal comprises a second muscle wire,

said first and a second muscle wires being independently controllable,

wherein the first muscle wire is arranged to convey a motion of said touch surface towards the fingertip, and

the second muscle wire is arranged to convey a motion of said touch surface away from said fingertip; and

wherein said conveying of a motion is achieved by the first muscle wire being arranged under and generally parallel to the touch surface as a taut string between two supports in position for the key stem contacting the first muscle wire approximately at the middle of its length whereby the increased tension in the first muscle wire is conveyed toward the touch surface, and

wherein said conveying of a motion is achieved by the second muscle wire being arranged under and generally parallel to the touch surface as a taut string between two supports in position for the key stem contacting the second muscle wire approximately at the middle of its length whereby increased tension in the second muscle wire is conveyed away from the touch surface.

2. The input organ according to claim 1, wherein a touch sensor is connected to touch determination device configured to decide when the input organ is touched, the touch determination device is further connected to an input of, and provides control signals to, a muscle wire heating unit having an output connected to at least one of the muscle wires for providing suitable heating current to the muscle wire.

3. The input organ according to claim 1 where tactile feedback in the form of mechanical energy is mediated to a touch surface of said means for detecting as a mechanical energy selected from a tactile feedback patterns group consisting of:

one short twitch, two or more short twitches, vibration of one or different frequencies, and vibration of rising and falling amplitude, and combinations thereof.

4. A device controlled from a keypad provided with tactile feedback from an input organ according to claim 1, wherein different events resulting from pressing the keypad give rise to different tactile feedback patterns.

5. The input organ according to claim 1, wherein the key stem includes a pin, and wherein the first muscle wire runs under the pin to convey a motion of said touch surface towards the fingertip and the second muscle wire runs over the pin to convey a motion of said touch surface away from the fingertip.

6. The input organ according to claim 1, wherein the first and second muscle wires do not physically touch each other.

7. The input organ according to claim 1, wherein the first and second muscle wires are spaced apart from each other.

8. The input organ according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanical switch configured to be engaged by the key stem when the key stem is moved in response to a detected touch.

9. The input organ according to claim 1, further comprising a protrusion extending from the key stem.

10. The input organ according to claim 9, wherein the protrusion comprises a pin.

11. The input organ according to claim 9, wherein the key stem has respective opposite ends and the protrusion is approximately half way between the opposite ends of the key stem.

12. The input organ according to claim 9, wherein one of the muscle wires extends relatively above the protrusion and the other of the muscle wires extends relatively beneath the protrusion.

13. The input organ according to claim 12, wherein the protrusion has respective portions that extend in generally opposite directions from the key stem, and wherein one muscle wire engages the protrusion that extends in one direction and the other muscle wire engages the protrusion that extends in the relatively opposite direction from the one direction.

14. The input organ according to claim 12, wherein the muscle wires engage the protrusion and in response to contracting of a respective muscle wire such contracting muscle wire interacts with the protrusion to convey motion to the key stem via the protrusion.