Haptic sensation producing device, information terminal, haptic sensation producing method, and computer-readable recording medium

• US 9,323,371 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2012
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Norieda, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Merkoulova, Olga
• Application Number:
  US14/360,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20140327642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A haptic sensation producing device (10) for presenting a haptic sensation to a user is equipped with a panel-like haptic sensation producing member (11) that is disposed on the front face side of a display panel (20), wires (12) for holding the haptic sensation producing member (11), wire tensile units (13) that are provided for the respective wires and pull the corresponding wires, and a control unit (14) that controls the wire tensile units (13) to move the haptic sensation producing member (11) and generate the haptic sensation. If a change occurs in an object in a content as a result of a touch by the user, the control unit (14) calculates tensile forces such that the haptic sensation conforming to the change can be generated and the tensile forces are optimized, and controls the wire tensile units (13) based on the calculated tensile forces.

Claims

1. A haptic sensation producing device for presenting a haptic sensation to a user in accordance with a content displayed on a display panel, comprising:

a panel-like haptic sensation producing member;

a plurality of wires for holding the haptic sensation producing member;

wire tensile units that are provided for the respective wires and pull the corresponding wires; and

a control unit that controls the wire tensile units and moves the haptic sensation producing member along a front face of the display panel to generate the haptic sensation,

wherein if a change occurs in an object included in the content as a result of the user touching the haptic sensation producing member, the control unit calculates tensile forces for the respective wire tensile units such that the haptic sensation conforming to the change of the object can be generated and such that the tensile forces are optimized, and controls the wire tensile units based on the calculated tensile forces,

wherein the control unit calculates the tensile forces so as to satisfy conditions that;

(a) a resultant force of the tensile forces coincides with a force generated on the object in a virtual space;

(b) a moment generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces coincides with a moment generated on the object in the virtual space;

(c) each of the calculated tensile forces is within a range from a minimum tensile force with which the wires are not loosened to a set maximum tensile force; and

(d) a total value of the tensile forces is a lowest value in a range within which the conditions (a) to (c) are satisfied,

wherein when each of the plurality of wires is pulled with a same tensile force, connection points of the plurality of wires with the haptic sensation producing member result in no movement of the haptic sensation producing member.

2. The haptic sensation producing device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit detects a position of the haptic sensation producing member based on a distance from each wire tensile unit to a point where the wire corresponding thereto is connected to the haptic sensation producing member, and if the detected position is a position at which a limitation is placed on the haptic sensation due to a positional relationship between the wire tensile units, the control unit uses the tensile forces as set values and controls the wire tensile units based on the set values.

3. The haptic sensation producing device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit calculates the tensile forces such that a moment force generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces is zero.

4. The haptic sensation producing device according to claim 1,

wherein the haptic sensation producing member is disposed on a front face side of the display panel.

5. The haptic sensation producing device according to claim 1,

wherein the haptic sensation producing member includes the display panel.

6. An information terminal equipped with a display panel that displays a content, a touch sensor that detects a position that is touched by a user, an information processing unit that changes an object included in the content in accordance with the position detected by the touch sensor, and a haptic sensation producing device capable of presenting a haptic sensation to the user in accordance with the content,

the haptic sensation producing device comprising:

a panel-like haptic sensation producing member;

a plurality of wires for holding the haptic sensation producing member;

wire tensile units that are provided for the respective wires and pull the corresponding wires; and

a control unit that controls the wire tensile units and moves the haptic sensation producing member along a front face of the display panel to generate the haptic sensation,

wherein if the user touches the haptic sensation producing member and the information processing unit changes the object included in the content in accordance with the position detected by the touch sensor, the control unit calculates tensile forces for the respective wire tensile units such that the haptic sensation conforming to the change of the object can be generated and such that the tensile forces are optimized, and controls the wire tensile units based on the calculated tensile forces,

wherein the control unit calculates the tensile forces so as to satisfy conditions that;

(a) a resultant force of the tensile forces coincides with a force generated on the object in a virtual space;

(b) a moment generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces coincides with a moment generated on the object in the virtual space;

(c) each of the calculated tensile forces is within a range from a minimum tensile force with which the wires are not loosened to a set maximum tensile force; and

(d) a total value of the tensile forces is a lowest value in a range within which the conditions (a) to (c) are satisfied,

wherein when each of the plurality of wires is pulled with a same tensile force, connection points of the plurality of wires with the haptic sensation producing member result in no movement of the haptic sensation producing member.

7. The information terminal according to claim 6,

wherein when changing the object, the information processing unit detects a magnitude and a direction of a force generated on the object in a virtual space, and outputs data for specifying the detected magnitude and direction to the control unit, and

the control unit calculates the tensile forces based on the data.

8. The information terminal according to claim 7,

wherein the control unit calculates the tensile forces so as to satisfy conditions that:

(a) a resultant force of the tensile forces coincides with a force generated on the object in a virtual space;

(b) a moment generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces coincides with a moment generated on the object in the virtual space;

(c) each of the calculated tensile forces is within a range from a minimum tensile force with which the wires are not loosened to a set maximum tensile force; and

(d) a total value of the tensile forces is a lowest value in a range within which the conditions (a) to (c) are satisfied.

9. The information terminal according to claim 6,

wherein the control unit detects a position of the haptic sensation producing member based on a distance from each wire tensile unit to a point where the wire corresponding thereto is connected to the haptic sensation producing member, and if the detected position is a position at which a limitation is placed on the haptic sensation due to a positional relationship between the wire tensile units, the control unit uses the tensile forces as set values and controls the wire tensile units based on the set values.

10. The information terminal according to claim 6,

wherein the control unit calculates the tensile forces such that a moment force generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces is zero.

11. A haptic sensation producing method for presenting a haptic sensation to a user in accordance with a content displayed on a display panel, comprising:

a step (X) in which, in a device equipped with a panel-like haptic sensation producing member, a plurality of wires for holding the haptic sensation producing member, and wire tensile units that are provided for the respective wires and pull the corresponding wires, if a change occurs in an object included in the content as a result of the user touching the haptic sensation producing member, tensile forces for the respective wire tensile units are calculated such that the haptic sensation conforming to the change of the object can be generated by moving the haptic sensation producing member along a front face of the display panel, and such that the tensile forces for the wire tensile units are optimized; and

a step (Y) of controlling the wire tensile units based on the calculated tensile forces,

wherein a control unit calculates the tensile forces so as to satisfy conditions that;

(a) a resultant force of the tensile forces coincides with a force generated on the object in a virtual space;

(b) a moment generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces coincides with a moment generated on the object in the virtual space;

(c) each of the calculated tensile forces is within a range from a minimum tensile force with which the wires are not loosened to a set maximum tensile force; and

(d) a total value of the tensile forces is a lowest value in a range within which the conditions (a) to (c) are satisfied,

wherein when each of the plurality of wires is pulled with a same tensile force, connection points of the plurality of wires with the haptic sensation producing member result in no movement of the haptic sensation producing member.

12. The haptic sensation producing method according to claim 11, wherein in the step (X), the tensile forces are calculated so as to satisfy conditions that:

(a) a resultant force of the tensile forces coincides with a force generated on the object in a virtual space;

(b) a moment generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces coincides with a moment generated on the object in the virtual space;

(c) each of the calculated tensile forces is within a range from a minimum tensile force with which the wires are not loosened to a set maximum tensile force; and

(d) a total value of the tensile forces is a lowest value in a range within which the conditions (a) to (c) are satisfied.

13. The haptic sensation producing method according to claim 11 further comprising:

a step (Z) of detecting a position of the haptic sensation producing member based on a distance from each wire tensile unit to a point where the wire corresponding thereto is connected to the haptic sensation producing member, and if the detected position is a position at which a limitation is placed on the haptic sensation due to a positional relationship between the wire tensile units, using the tensile forces as set values and controlling the wire tensile units based on the set values.

14. The haptic sensation producing method according to claim 11,

wherein in the step (X), the tensile forces are calculated such that a moment force generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces is zero.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for a device that is equipped with a panel-like haptic sensation producing member, a plurality of wires for holding the haptic sensation producing member, wire tensile units that are provided for the respective wires and pull the corresponding wires, and a computer, and that presents a haptic sensation to a user in accordance with a content displayed on a display panel, the computer-readable recording medium storing a program containing a command for causing the computer to execute:

a step (X) in which if a change occurs in an object included in the content as a result of the user touching the haptic sensation producing member, tensile forces for the respective wire tensile units are calculated such that the haptic sensation conforming to the change of the object can be generated by moving the haptic sensation producing member along a front face of the display panel, and such that the tensile forces for the wire tensile units are optimized; and

a step (Y) of controlling the wire tensile units based on the calculated tensile forces,

wherein the control unit calculates the tensile forces so as to satisfy conditions that;

(a) a resultant force of the tensile forces coincides with a force generated on the object in a virtual space;

(b) a moment generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces coincides with a moment generated on the object in the virtual space;

(c) each of the calculated tensile forces is within a range from a minimum tensile force with which the wires are not loosened to a set maximum tensile force; and

(d) a total value of the tensile forces is a lowest value in a range within which the conditions (a) to (c) are satisfied,

wherein when each of the plurality of wires is pulled with a same tensile force, connection points of the plurality of wires with the haptic sensation producing member result in no movement of the haptic sensation producing member.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein in the step (X), the tensile forces are calculated so as to satisfy conditions that:

(a) a resultant force of the tensile forces coincides with a force generated on the object in a virtual space;

(b) a moment generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile force coincides with a moment generated on the object in the virtual space;

(c) each of the calculated tensile forces is within a range from a minimum tensile force with which the wires are not loosened to a set maximum tensile force; and

(d) a total value of the tensile forces is a lowest value in a range within which the conditions (a) to (c) are satisfied.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the computer is further caused to execute:

a step (Z) of detecting a position of the haptic sensation producing member based on a distance from each wire tensile unit to a point where the wire corresponding thereto is connected to the haptic sensation producing member, and if the detected position is a position at which a limitation is placed on the haptic sensation due to a positional relationship between the wire tensile units, using the tensile forces as set values and controlling the wire tensile units based on the set values.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15,

wherein in the step (X), the tensile forces are calculated such that a moment force generated on the haptic sensation producing member by the tensile forces is zero.