Display apparatus producing audio and haptic output

• US 9,389,688 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2010
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Tossavainen, Antero, Kajanus, Vesa, Soronen, Petri, Viita, Jarkko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Point, Rufus
• Application Number:
  US13/976,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20140145836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/007 using both tactile and audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/03 Transducers capable of generating both sound as well as tactile vibration, e.g. as used in cellular phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/04 Plane diaphragms

Abstract

An apparatus comprising; a first part configured to form at least part of the case of the apparatus; a second part configured to form at least part of the display for the apparatus; at least one actuator coupled to the second part and configured to apply a force to the second part to generate a displacement of the second part; drive circuitry coupled to the at least one actuator and configured to drive the actuator to produce both audio and haptic outputs; and a suspender configured to couple the first part and the second part.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first part configured to form at least part of a case of the apparatus;

a second part configured to form at least part of a display for the apparatus;

at least a first actuator and a second actuator coupled to the second part at different regions and configured to actuate the second part to generate a displacement of the second part wherein the displacement caused by the first actuator is substantially isolated from the displacement caused by the second actuator;

circuitry coupled to the at least first actuator and second actuator and configured to drive the at least first actuator and second actuator separately; and

suspension means comprising a flexible membrane configured to couple to the first part and the second part;

wherein the second part is configured to be substantially resiliently coupled to the first part at an area approximately at the center of the longest axis of the flexible membrane so as to damp the motion of the second part; and

wherein the coupling of the second part to the first part is such that the flexible membrane is configured to be more resilient at the center of the longest axis and less resilient at ends of the longest axis.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises:

an audio signal filter configured to receive an audio signal;

a vibration signal filter configured to receive a vibration signal; and

a combiner configured to combine an output of the audio signal filter and an output of the vibration signal filter.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the audio signal filter comprises a high pass filter.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vibration signal filter comprises a low pass filter.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises:

a first channel filter configured to receive a first actuator channel signal;

a second channel filter configured to receive a second actuator channel signal.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the circuitry further comprises a first combiner configured to combine a lower frequency component of the filtered first actuator channel signal and a lower frequency component of the filtered second actuator channel signal;

a first channel combiner configured to combine the combined lower frequency components of the filtered first actuator channel signal and the filtered second actuator channel signal and a higher frequency component of the filtered first actuator channel signal; and

a second channel combiner to combine the combined lower frequency components of the filtered first actuator channel signal and the filtered second actuator channel signal and a higher frequency component of the filtered second actuator channel signal.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the circuitry is configured to couple the first channel combiner output to the first actuator and the second channel combiner to the second actuator.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension means comprises the flexible membrane configured to have a higher degree of inertia at a first region than a second region of the flexible membrane.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first region of the flexible membrane is approximately located between the at least first actuator and second actuator.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension means is configured to be non uniform in profile and comprises a maximum thickness at an area approximately at the center of the longest axis of the flexible membrane.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second part is coupled to the first part by a substantially resilient member so as to substantially stop motion propagating transversely along the second part.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first part comprises:

a body part; and

a frame part, wherein the suspension means is configured to be attached between the body part and the frame part.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second part comprises at least one of:

a front window layer;

at least one display layer; and

at least one touch interface layer.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the suspension means is configured to be correspondingly coupled to the at least one of:

the front window layer, the at least one display layer, and the at least one touch interface layer.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension means comprises a suspension ring configured to be located within a recess of the first part, wherein the suspension ring and the recess of the first part form a first area of contact.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first actuator and second actuator is at least one of:

a piezoelectric actuator;

a dynamic eccentric mass actuator;

a moving coil actuator; and

a moving magnet actuator.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suspension means comprises at least one of:

an elastomer;

a silicone foil;

a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polyester film; and

a polycarbonate film.

18. A method of operating an apparatus comprising a first part configured to form at least part of the case of the apparatus and a second part configured to form at least part of the display for the apparatus, the method comprising:

coupling at least a first actuator and a second actuator to the second part at different regions;

applying a force, by the at least first actuator and second actuator, to the second part to generate a displacement of the second part, wherein the displacement caused by the first actuator is substantially isolated from the displacement caused by the other actuator;

coupling circuitry to the at least first actuator and second actuator for driving the at least first actuator and second actuator separately; and

coupling by a suspension means the first part and the second part, the suspension means comprising a. flexible membrane;

wherein the second part is configured to be substantially resiliently coupled to the first part at an area approximately at the center of a longest axis of the flexible membrane so as to damp the motion of the second part; and

wherein the coupling of the second part to the first part is such that the flexible membrane is configured to be more resilient at the center of the longest axis and less resilient at ends of the longest axis.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein driving the at least first actuator and second actuator comprises:

filtering an audio signal;

filtering a vibration signal; and

combining an output of the audio signal filtering and an output of the vibration signal filtering.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the flexible membrane is non-uniform in profile.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the second part is coupled to the first part using an adhesive layer.