Input device, input system, electronic apparatus, and sense presentation method

• US 9,489,041 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Tohoku University National Universities Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Tohoku University National Universities Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Osamu, Kawabe, Hideo, Konyo, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sun, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/962,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042

Abstract

An input device includes an operation portion configured to receive an input operation made by a user, a vibration portion configured to vibrate the operation portion, a detection portion configured to detect the input operation, and a controller configured to determine a vibration condition of the vibration portion based on the input operation detected by the detection portion and present an elastic sense to the user by driving the vibration portion under the determined vibration condition.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

an operation portion configured to receive an input operation made by a user;

a vibration portion configured to vibrate the operation portion;

a detection portion configured to detect the input operation; and

a controller configured to change a vibration condition of the vibration portion based on the input operation detected by the detection portion and present an elastic sense to the user by driving the vibration portion under the changing vibration condition;

wherein the controller controls a movement of an operation target displayed on a screen based on the input operation,

wherein the controller changes the vibration condition when a shape of an object displayed on the screen is changed by the operation target so as to present the elastic sense to the user, and

wherein a frequency change of the vibration condition is based on a function f=pv+q, wherein;

f is a frequency of the vibration portion, p and q are predetermined constants, v is a movement velocity of the operation target.

2. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the object is an image that can be deformed according to a relative position with respect to the operation target.

3. The input device according to claim 2,

wherein the object is an image representing an elastic body that can be elastically deformed.

4. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to change the vibration condition using a function based on a distance between the operation target and the object.

5. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to change the vibration condition using a function based on a distance between a predetermined first position and the operation target.

6. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller sets at least one of an amplitude and frequency of the vibration portion to become larger as the operation target causes at least a part of the object to move from a first position to a second position.

7. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller sets at least one of an amplitude and frequency of the vibration portion to become larger as the operation target moves farther away from a predetermined first position than a second position different from the first position.

8. The input device according to claim 1,

wherein the controller attenuates an amplitude of the vibration portion after the operation target stops.

9. The input device according to claim 1, wherein an amplitude change of the vibration condition is based on a function:

A=k*|a−

x|²+1, wherein;

A is an amplitude of the vibration portion, k and l are predetermined constants, a is a natural length of the object, x is a current length of the object and |a−

x| is a displacement of the object.

10. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic sense is presented while the operation target is in contact with the object displayed on the screen.

11. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to interactively change the vibration condition based on a relative position of the operation target with respect to the object displayed on the screen at predetermined times.

12. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency change of the vibration condition is further associated with an acceleration value of the operation target.

13. An input system, comprising:

an input device including an operation portion that receives an input operation made by a user and a vibration portion that vibrates the operation portion;

a detection portion configured to detect the input operation; and

a controller configured to change a vibration condition of the vibration portion based on the input operation detected by the detection portion and present an elastic sense to the user by driving the vibration portion under the changing vibration condition,

wherein the controller changes the vibration condition when a shape of an object displayed on the screen is changed by an operation target so as to present the elastic sense to the user, and

wherein a frequency change of the vibration condition is based on a function;

f=pv+q, wherein f is a frequency of the vibration portion, p and q are predetermined constants, v is a movement velocity of the operation target.

14. The input system according to claim 13,

wherein the detection portion is integrated with the input device.

15. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

an operation portion configured to receive an input operation made by a user;

a vibration portion configured to vibrate the operation portion;

a detection portion configured to detect the input operation;

a display portion including a screen for displaying an image; and

a controller configured to control a movement of an operation target displayed on the screen based on the input operation, change a vibration condition of the vibration portion when a shape of an object displayed on the screen is changed by the operation target, and present an elastic sense to the user by driving the vibration portion under the changing vibration condition,

wherein a frequency change of the vibration condition is based on a function;

f=pv+q, wherein f is a frequency of the vibration portion, p and q are predetermined constants, v is a movement velocity of the operation target.

16. A sense presentation method, comprising:

detecting an input operation of a user with respect to an operation portion;

changing a vibration condition of the operation portion when a shape of an object displayed on a screen is changed by an operation target displayed on a screen; and

presenting an elastic sense to the user by vibrating the operation portion under the changing vibration condition,

wherein a frequency change of the vibration condition is based on a function;

f=pv+q, wherein f is a frequency of the vibration portion, p and q are predetermined constants, v is a movement velocity of the operation target.