Actuator detection

• US 9,448,613 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phan, Hanh Thuy, Liljegren, Edward Albert, Buuck, David Charles, Zarraga, John Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, William
• Application Number:
  US13/891,016
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/18 Prevention or correction of operating errors G08B29/02, G08B29/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A voltage control circuit in an electronic device receives an actuator identification signal from a personality module of an actuator in the electronic device. The voltage control circuit determines, based on the actuator identification signal, an operating voltage for the actuator and providing a drive signal at the operating voltage to the actuator.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an actuator to generate an actuator identification signal to identify the actuator as a first actuator type and to indicate an operational characteristic of the actuator;

a voltage control circuit coupled to the actuator, wherein the voltage control circuit comprises;

a feedback resistor network; and

a switch coupled to the feedback resistor network, the switch to change an effective resistance of the feedback resistor network based on the actuator identified by the actuator identification signal, wherein a first effective resistance corresponds to the first actuator type and a second effective resistance corresponds to a second actuator type; and

a haptic controller coupled to the actuator and the voltage control circuit, the haptic controller configured to provide a boost voltage to the feedback resistor network of the voltage control circuit, wherein the first effective resistance of the feedback resistor network adjusts the boost voltage to generate an actuator drive signal at a voltage that satisfies the operational characteristic of the actuator, and wherein the haptic controller is configured to provide the actuator drive signal to the actuator.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a multi-pin connector, wherein a first pin and a second pin of the multi-pin connector comprise actuator outputs and a third pin of the multi-pin connector provides the actuator identification signal, and wherein the third pin is floating when the actuator comprises the first actuator type and is coupled to a ground node when the actuator comprises the second actuator type.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the voltage control circuit further comprises a pull-up resistor to pull a value of the actuator identification signal to a haptic pull-up voltage when the third pin of the multi-pin connector is floating.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the feedback resistor network comprises a first resistor and a second resistor arranged as a voltage divider, wherein the voltage divider receives the boost voltage as an input and provides a feedback voltage to the haptic controller as an output.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein when the switch is activated by the actuator identification signal, the switch adds a third resistor to the feedback resistor network, the third resistor coupled to the voltage divider in parallel with the second resistor.

6. A method comprising:

receiving an actuator identification signal from an actuator in an electronic device, the actuator identification signal to identify the actuator as a first actuator type and to indicate an operational characteristic of the actuator;

control circuit based on the actuator identification signal, controlling, by a voltage control circuit, an effective resistance of a feedback resistor network based on the actuator identification signal to determine a first operating voltage for the actuator, the feedback resistor network configured to adjust a boost voltage received as an input to the first operating voltage, wherein the first operating voltage corresponds to the first actuator type and wherein a second operating voltage corresponds to a second actuator type; and

providing a drive signal at the first operating voltage to the actuator.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the actuator identification signal comprises receiving a floating signal when the actuator comprises the first actuator type, the method further comprising:

pulling the floating signal to a haptic pull-up voltage using a pull-up resistor.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the actuator identification signal comprises receiving a ground signal when the actuator comprises the second actuator type.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the actuator identification signal comprises receiving the actuator identification signal over a serial interface, the actuator identification signal comprising a specific voltage and waveform for controlling the actuator.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the feedback resistor network comprises a first resistor and a second resistor arranged as a voltage divider, wherein the voltage divider receives the boost voltage as the input and provides a feedback voltage as an output.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein controlling the effective resistance comprises activating a switch to add a third resistor to the feedback resistor network when the actuator identification signal identifies the actuator as the first actuator type, wherein the third resistor is coupled to the voltage divider in parallel with the second resistor.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the drive signal at the operating voltage to the actuator comprises setting the operating voltage based on the feedback voltage received from the feedback resistor network.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the voltage control circuit based on the actuator identification signal, a waveform for the actuator; and

providing the drive signal having the determined waveform to the actuator.

14. An electronic device comprising:

an actuator to provide an actuator identification signal, the actuator identification signal to identify the actuator as a first actuator type and to indicate an operational characteristic of the actuator;

an application processing device coupled to the actuator, the application processing device configured to receive the actuator identification signal from the actuator;

a voltage control circuit coupled to the application processing device, the voltage control circuit comprising a feedback resistor network controlled by the application processing device, wherein the application processing device is configured to change an effective resistance of the feedback resistor network based on the actuator identification signal, wherein a first effective resistance corresponds to the first actuator type and a second effective resistance corresponds to a second actuator type; and

a haptic controller coupled to the actuator, the application processing device and the voltage control circuit, the haptic controller configured to provide an actuator drive signal to the actuator based on the first effective resistance of the feedback resistor network in the voltage control circuit.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the actuator comprises a three pin connector, wherein a first pin and a second pin of the three pin connector comprise actuator outputs and a third pin of the three pin connector provides the actuator identification signal, and wherein the third pin is floating when the actuator comprises the first actuator type and is tied to a ground when the actuator comprises the second actuator type.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the actuator comprises a four pin connector, wherein a first pin and a second pin of the four pin connector comprise actuator outputs, a third pin of the three pin connector provides the actuator identification signal, and a fourth pin of the four pin connector is grounded, and wherein the third pin is floating when the actuator comprises the first actuator type and is tied to the fourth pin when the actuator comprises the second actuator type.

17. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein to change the effective resistance of the feedback resistor network based on the actuator identification signal, the application processor configured to activate a subset of resistors in the feedback resistor network to set the effective resistance to a value to cause an output of the feedback resistor network to produce an operating voltage of the actuator.

18. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the actuator drive signal provided by the haptic controller comprises the operating voltage of the actuator.

19. An electronic device comprising:

an actuator to provide an actuator identification signal, the actuator identification signal to identify the actuator as a first actuator type and to indicate an operational characteristic of the actuator;

a voltage control circuit coupled to the actuator, the voltage control circuit comprising a feedback resistor network controlled by the actuator identification signal, wherein the voltage control circuit is configured to change an effective resistance of the feedback resistor network based on the actuator identification signal, wherein a first effective resistance corresponds to the first actuator type and a second effective resistance corresponds to a second actuator type; and

a haptic controller coupled to the actuator and the voltage control circuit, the haptic controller configured to provide an actuator drive signal to the actuator based on the effective resistance of the feedback resistor network in the voltage control circuit.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the feedback resistor network comprises a first resistor and a second resistor arranged as a voltage divider, wherein the voltage divider receives a boost voltage from the haptic controller as an input and provides a feedback voltage to the haptic controller as an output.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein to change the effective resistance of the feedback resistor network, the voltage control circuit is configured to add a third resistor to the feedback resistor network, the third resistor coupled to the voltage divider in parallel with the second resistor.