Devices using tactile feedback to deliver silent status information

• US 8,739,033 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US11/926,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,402 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/161, 345/163, 345/167, 345/168, 345/173, 345/179, 715/701, 715/702, 463 30- 37, 200/512, 200/518, 310/126, 310/345, 400/489
• US Class Current: 715/702
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 17/06 Electric or electromechanical safeties F41A17/04, F41A17/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 15/04 with electric stunning-means ejecting electrically charged liquid jets F41B9/00; electric shock creating harpoons F42B30/14; electric circuits or apparatus for killing or stunning H05C
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0012 Electrical discharge weapons, e.g. for stunning
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0018 for nearby electrical discharge, i.e. the electrodes being positioned on the device and the device brought manually or otherwise into contact with a nearby target batons with electric discharge capability F41B15/04; electric shock devices for animals A01K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

Devices using tactile feedback to deliver silent status information are described. One embodiment includes an electronic device comprising a housing comprising a user contactable region, a tactile element coupled to the user contactable region, and an actuator coupled to the tactile element and capable of outputting a haptic sensation localized to the tactile element.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising a user contactable region;

a tactile element coupled to the user contactable region, wherein the tactile element comprises an added mass configured to have a natural frequency of oscillation of less than 500 Hz; and

an actuator coupled to the tactile element and capable of outputting a silent haptic sensation localized to the tactile element.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the actuator outputs a force to the tactile element to laterally move the tactile element substantially along a plane of a contact surface of the tactile element.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the actuator outputs a force to the tactile element to move the tactile element substantially orthogonal to a contact surface of the tactile element.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a solid state element.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric ceramic actuator.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a driving mechanism that is coupled to the actuator to control a delivery of the haptic sensation.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a gun or a stun-gun.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user contactable region of the housing is a handle or a grip.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the haptic sensation is a controlled pulse.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the haptic sensation is a periodic force sensation.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the periodic force sensation comprises a sine wave, a square wave, a saw-toothed-up wave, a saw-toothed down wave, or a triangle wave.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a detector coupled to the tactile element that is configured to detect when a user is contacting the tactile element.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the detector is configured to prevent outputting of the haptic sensation when the detector detects that the user is not contacting the tactile element.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user contactable region comprises a handle or a grip.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the silent haptic sensation is configured to provide status information associated with an amount of ammunition, the status of a safety switch, or an acknowledgement of identification of the user.