Haptic feedback for touchpads and other touch controls

• US 7,944,435 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2006
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Riegel, James R., Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang; Regina
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheng; Tom V
• Application Number:
  US11/525,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20070013677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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;

an input device coupled to the housing, the input device comprising a substantially planar surface configured to receive user input, wherein the input device is configured to generate an input signal based on the user input;

a first actuator coupled to the input device at a first position, wherein the first actuator is configured to impart a first haptic force to the input device at the first position based on the input signal; and

a second actuator coupled to the input device at a second position, wherein the first position is different from the second position, and wherein the second actuator is configured to impart a second haptic force to the input device at the second position based on the input signal, and

wherein the first actuator or the second actuator is selectively actuated to provide the first haptic force or the second haptic force to the input device based on the first position and the second position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a cellular telephone.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a personal digital assistant (PDA).

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a pager.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a game controller.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a touch pad, the device further including an electronic display distinct from the touch pad and configured to provide visual information.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a touch screen.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said first haptic force is in a direction substantially orthogonal to the substantially planar surface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said first haptic force is in a direction substantially parallel to the substantially planar surface.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said first actuator is a linear actuator.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said first actuator is a rotary actuator.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein said first actuator includes a piezo-electric component.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein said first actuator includes a voice coil.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said first actuator includes a pager motor.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein said first actuator includes a solenoid.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are actuated at substantially the same time to cause a third haptic force.

17. A device comprising:

a housing;

an input device coupled to the housing, the input device comprising a substantially planar surface configured to receive user input, wherein the input device is configured to generate an input signal based on the user input;

a first actuator coupled to the input device at a first position and configured to impart a haptic force to the input device at the first position based on the input signal; and

a second actuator coupled to the input device at a second position and configured to impart the haptic force to the input device at the second position based on the input signal, and

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are actuated to provide the haptic force to the input device based on the first position and the second position.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the device is a remote control configured to communicate with another device.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the device is a cellular telephone.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the device is a pager.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the device is a game controller.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein the input device comprises a touch pad, the device further comprising an electronic display distinct from the touch pad and configured to provide visual information.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the input device comprises a touch screen.

25. The device of claim 17, wherein the input device is a keypad.

26. The device of claim 17, wherein the input device is a button.

27. The device of claim 17, wherein said haptic force imparted by the first actuator is in a direction substantially orthogonal to a surface of the input device to which the first actuator is coupled.

28. The device of claim 17, wherein said haptic force imparted by the first actuator is in a direction substantially parallel to a surface of the input device to which the first actuator is coupled.

29. The device of claim 17, wherein at least one of said first or second actuators is a linear actuator.

30. The device of claim 17, wherein at least one of said first or second actuators is a rotary actuator.

31. The device of claim 17, wherein at least one of said first or second actuators includes a piezo-electric component.

32. The device of claim 17, wherein at least one of said first or second actuators includes a voice coil.

33. The device of claim 17, wherein at least one of said first or second actuators includes a pager motor.

34. The device of claim 17, wherein at least one of said first or second actuators includes a solenoid.