Sculpted waveforms with no or reduced unforced response

• US 9,652,040 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Westerman, Wayne C., Kerr, Duncan, Kessler, Patrick, Martinez, Melisa Orta, Gu, Zhiqiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Snyder, Adam J
• Application Number:
  US14/910,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20160195929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 715701
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

An electronic device may generate a canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response for a base waveform applied to a component haptic output device of the electronic device. The electronic device may create a sculpted waveform that has no or reduced unforced response and may store the created sculpted waveform. The electronic device may apply the sculpted waveform to the component haptic output device. In one embodiment, a space of at least possible parameters may be defined. Canceling component corresponding to points in the space may be iteratively tested. A heat map may be generated based on the unforced response cancellation or elimination of the canceling components corresponding to the points. Based at least on the heat map, a canceling component may be selected. A sculpted waveform may then be generated by combining the base waveform with the canceling component.

Claims

1. A method for creating a sculpted waveform with no or reduced unforced response, comprising:

generating a canceling component, utilizing at least one processing unit, that reduces an unforced response of a base waveform that causes at least one forced response and the unforced response when applied to a haptic output device by;

defining a space of possible parameters for the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response;

iteratively testing points in the space utilizing at least one sensor; and

selecting a canceling component as the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response based on the iterative testing; and

creating the sculpted waveform, utilizing the at least one processing unit, by combining the selected canceling component and the base waveform;

wherein

said operation of iteratively testing comprises;

selecting one of a first plurality of points on an edge of a first region defined around a beginning point in the space, the one of a first plurality of points corresponding to a first canceling component that has unforced response reduction or elimination over a beginning canceling component corresponding to the beginning point;

testing unforced response reduction or elimination of first vector canceling components based on first vector points along a first vector defined by the beginning point and the selected one of the first plurality of points until unforced response reduction or elimination of a first of the first vector canceling components corresponding to one of the first vector points is indistinguishable from a second of the first vector canceling components corresponding to a previous first vector point;

when a second canceling component corresponding to one of a second plurality of points on an edge of a second region defined around the previous first vector point has improved unforced response reduction or elimination over the second of the first vector canceling components, testing unforced response reduction or elimination of second vector canceling components based on second vector points along a second vector defined by the previous first vector point and the one of the second plurality of points on the edge of the second region; and

when canceling components corresponding to any of the second plurality of points on the edge of the second region does not have improved unforced response reduction or elimination over the second of the first vector canceling components, selecting the second of the first vector canceling components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said testing unforced response reduction or elimination of the second vector canceling components based on the second vector paints along the second vector is performed until unforced response reduction or elimination of a first of the second vector canceling components corresponding to one of the second vector points is indistinguishable from a second of the second vector canceling components corresponding to a previous second vector point, further comprising:

when a third canceling component corresponding to one of a third plurality of points on an edge of a third region defined around the previous second vector point has improved unforced response reduction or elimination over the second of the second vector canceling components, testing unforced response reduction or elimination of third vector canceling components based on third vector points along a third vector defined by the previous second vector point and the one of the third plurality of points on the edge of the third region; and

when canceling components corresponding to any of the third plurality of points on the edge of the third region does not have improved unforced response reduction or elimination over the second of the second vector canceling components, selecting the second of the second vector canceling components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a size of at least one of the first region is proportional to an error of the at least one sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a size of at least one of the second region matches that of the first region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the possible parameters for the canceling component comprises at least one of times between an amplitude of the base waveform and an amplitude of the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response or a duration of the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the base waveform has a same waveform shape as the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic output device comprises a haptic track pad.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the haptic output device is a component of a track pad.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one output comprises at least one lateral movement of the track pad.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the base waveform and the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response overlap in time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the base waveform and the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response are separated in time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the base waveform has a different waveform shape from the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the base waveform has a greater amplitude than the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response.

15. A method for creating a sculpted waveform with no or reduced unforced response, comprising:

generating a canceling component, utilizing a processing unit, that reduces an unforced response of a base waveform that causes a forced response and the unforced response when applied to a haptic output device by;

defining a space of possible parameters for the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response;

iteratively testing points in the space utilizing a sensor; and

selecting a canceling component as the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response based on the iterative testing by generating a heat map based on the iterative testing and utilizing the heat map to select the canceling component; and

creating the sculpted waveform, utilizing the processing unit, by combining the selected canceling component and the base waveform.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein heat map comprises a greyscale heat map wherein greyscale values correspond to unforced response reduction or elimination of canceling components corresponding to points represented in the greyscale heat map.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein darker of the greyscale values represent less unforced response and lighter of the greyscale values represent more unforced response.

18. A method for creating a sculpted waveform with no or reduced unforced response, comprising:

generating a canceling component, utilizing a processing unit, that reduces an unforced response of a base waveform that causes a forced response and the unforced response when applied to a haptic output device by;

defining a space of possible parameters for the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response;

iteratively testing points in the space utilizing a sensor; and

selecting a canceling component as the canceling component that reduces or eliminates the unforced response based on the iterative testing by determining that multiple canceling components corresponding to multiple points in the space have equal improved unforced response reduction or elimination over other canceling components corresponding to other points in the space and selecting among the multiple canceling components by comparing relationships between a plurality of factors for which the multiple points each have a factor rating; and

creating the sculpted waveform, utilizing the processing unit, by combining the selected canceling component and the base waveform.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of factors include haptic response performance, energy consumption performance, time, frequency, or sound performance.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein comparing the relationships between the plurality of factors uses a multiple axes chart.