Vibration control device and method

• US 8,928,258 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Young-joon, Yoon, Yeo-jun, Cheon, Ka-won, Kuk, Sung-bin, Eun, Dong-jin
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDA, RINA I
• Application Number:
  US13/091,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 318/135, 318/114, 318/119, 318/687
• US Class Current: 318/135
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/162 Making use of masses with adjustable amount of eccentricity
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 31/00 Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors not provided for in groups H02P1/00 - H02P5/00, H02P7/00 or H02P21/00 - H02P29/00

Abstract

A vibration control device and method, wherein the vibration control device includes a first driving unit for vibrating the vibration control device up and down, a second driving unit for moving the vibration control device left or right, and a control unit for controlling the first driving unit and the second driving unit, upon an occurrence of an event. The controller controls the second driving unit to move the vibration control device at a time when the first driving unit vibrates the vibration control device off of a surface.

Claims

1. A vibration control device comprising:

a first driving unit for vibrating the vibration control device up and down;

a second driving unit for moving the vibration control device left or right; and

a control unit for controlling the first driving unit and the second driving unit, upon an occurrence of an event,

wherein the control unit controls the second driving unit to move the vibration control device at a time when the first driving unit vibrates the vibration control device off of a surface and when a frictional force of the vibration control device is at a minimum.

2. The vibration control device of claim 1, wherein the first driving unit moves the vibration control device in a same plane as the second driving unit, in a first direction perpendicular to the left and the right, or in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

3. The vibration control device of claim 2, wherein a control signal determines a driving direction of at least one of the first driving unit and the second driving unit.

4. The vibration control device of claim 1, wherein the first driving unit generates a force that moves the vibration control device according to torque.

5. The vibration control device of claim 4, wherein the first driving unit comprises a rotation axis, and the first driving unit and the second driving unit are positioned such that the rotation axis lies in parallel with a vibration direction of the second driving unit.

6. The vibration control device of claim 1, wherein the second driving unit comprises a linear vibrator.

7. The vibration control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls at least one of the first driving unit and the second driving unit using an accelerometer.

8. The vibration control device of claim 7, wherein the control unit uses the accelerometer to determine that the first driving unit vibrates the vibration control device off of the surface.

9. The vibration control device of claim 1, wherein the event comprises at least one of:

a signal generated in the vibration control device;

a signal received from outside of the vibration control device; and

a signal generated by a user input.

10. The vibration control device of claim 9, wherein the control unit outputs a control signal corresponding to the event to at least one of the first driving unit and the second driving unit using a parameter input from a user or a predetermined value.