Apparatus and method for providing a user interface to an information processing system

• US 9,752,568 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Aarts, Ronaldus Maria, Nieuwendijk, Joris Adelbert Maria, Ouweltjes, Okke, Kooijman, Gerben
• Primary Examiner(s): COMLEY, ALEXANDER BRYANT
• Application Number:
  US13/139,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,828 Days
• Field of Search: 463 30, 463 46, 4174131, 381370, 381309
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 35/04 the means being electric
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 45/04 having plate-like flexible members, e.g. diaphragms F04B45/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/005 changing the phase relationship of two working pistons in one working chamber or the phase-relationship of a piston and a driven distribution member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

An apparatus for use as an output device of a user interface to an information processing system includes at least one device for generating a synthetic jet. The device is capable of producing outputs with different modalities. Examples of different modalities that are possible include airflows, vibration and sound.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an output device comprising first and second spaced apart transducers coupled to a cavity enclosed within a housing, said output device being adapted to produce a plurality of different perceptible output modalities for conveying information to a user in response to respective drive signals applied to at least one of said transducers, said method comprising:

applying a first drive signal having a frequency range effective for forcing a synthetic fluid jet through an opening in communication with the cavity to operate said transducers in anti-phase with respect to each other to effect production of an adjustable airflow modality; and

applying a second drive signal to operate said transducers in-phase with respect to each other to produce a vibration modality.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration modality comprises sound.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first drive signal comprises a component having a carrier frequency that is amplitude modulated in accordance with an envelope signal.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second drive signals are applied simultaneously to the first and second transducers to effect said first output modality simultaneously with said second output modality.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the output according to the vibration modality is adjustable independently of the output according to the airflow modality.

6. A computer program embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing a computer, executing the computer program, to perform a method of controlling an output device comprising first and second spaced apart transducers both coupled to a cavity enclosed within a housing, said output device being adapted to produce a plurality of different perceptible output modalities for conveying information to a user in response to respective drive signals applied to at least one of said first and second transducers, said method comprising:

applying a first drive signal having a frequency range effective for forcing a synthetic fluid jet through an opening in communication with the cavity to operate said first and second transducers in anti-phase with respect to each other to effect production of an adjustable airflow modality; and

applying a second drive signal to operate said transducers in-phase with respect to each other to produce a vibration modality.