Handheld devices using tactile feedback to deliver silent status information

• US 9,360,937 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US11/927,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,144 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/161, 345/163, 345/166, 345/168, 345/173, 345/175, 345/179, 463 30- 39, 715/701, 715/702, 200512-522
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Handheld weapons using tactile feedback to deliver silent status information are described. One embodiment comprises a handheld weapon 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. A handheld device comprising:

a user graspable housing comprising a user contactable region;

a tactile element coupled to the user contactable region;

a fingerprint sensor configured to detect a fingerprint and transmit a first signal associated with the fingerprint;

a sensor configured to detect data and transmit a second signal associated with the data, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic detector;

a processor coupled to the fingerprint sensor and the sensor, the processor configured to;

receive the first signal from the fingerprint sensor;

receive the second signal from the sensor;

determine whether a user is a known user based in part on the first signal;

determine a haptic signal based in part on the first signal and the second signal; and

an actuator assembly positioned within the housing and coupled to the tactile element, the actuator assembly configured to receive the haptic signal and output a silent haptic sensation localized to the tactile element, the actuator assembly comprising a piezoelectric transducer, the piezoelectric transducer comprising a metal diaphragm, the metal diaphragm comprising an added mass configured to lower the natural frequency of the diaphragm.

2. The handheld 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 handheld 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 handheld device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a solid state element.

5. The handheld device of claim 4, wherein the piezoelectric transducer comprises a piezoelectric ceramic transducer.

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

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

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

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

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

11. The handheld 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 handheld 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 and transmit a third signal to the processor.

13. The handheld device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the haptic effect based in part on the third signal.

14. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint sensor comprises a user input device.

15. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect is a confirmation effect associated with an identification of the user.

16. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a sensor configured to detect a wireless electromagnetic signal.

17. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a bar code scanner.

18. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the silent haptic sensation comprises a frequency of less than 500 Hz.

19. A handheld device comprising:

a user graspable housing comprising a user contactable region;

a tactile element coupled to the user contactable region;

a fingerprint sensor configured to detect a fingerprint and transmit a first signal associated with the fingerprint;

a sensor configured to detect data and transmit a second signal associated with the data, wherein the sensor comprises a bar code scanner;

a processor coupled to the fingerprint sensor and the sensor, the processor configured to;

receive the first signal from the fingerprint sensor;

receive the second signal from the sensor;

determine whether a user is a known user based in part on the first signal;

determine a haptic signal based in part on the first signal and the second signal; and

an actuator assembly positioned within the housing and coupled to the tactile element, the actuator assembly configured to receive the haptic signal and output a silent haptic sensation localized to the tactile element, the actuator assembly comprising a piezoelectric transducer, the piezoelectric transducer comprising a metal diaphragm, the metal diaphragm comprising an added mass configured to lower the natural frequency of the diaphragm.