Haptic notifications

• US 9,830,782 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Morrell, John B., Harley, Jonah A., Hoen, Storrs T., Degner, Brett W., Moussette, Camille, Guetta, Anthony, Weiss, Samuel B, Scott, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US14/841,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20160063826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 3404071, 340 76, 3404072, 345156, 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a haptic actuator or a device having a haptic actuator that is capable of producing short, sharp and crisp pulses in a short amount of time.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processing units;

a memory; and

a haptic actuator having an actuator mass and at least one electromotive component, wherein;

in response to receiving an input voltage waveform, the at least one electromotive component causes the actuator mass to move in order to produce an output momentum waveform; and

a momentum of the actuator mass increases from a momentum of approximately zero to a peak intensity in the output momentum waveform in three or fewer zero crossings.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromotive component causes the momentum of the actuator mass to decrease from the peak intensity in the output momentum waveform to a second momentum intensity in one additional zero crossing.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second momentum intensity is approximately zero.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the peak intensity in the output momentum waveform is approximately 1500 gram millimeters per second or higher.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the actuator mass weighs between approximately two grams and approximately three grams.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the movement of the actuator mass causes movement of the electronic device in accordance with the output momentum waveform.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the momentum of the electronic device increases from approximately zero momentum to a peak intensity in the output momentum waveform in three or fewer zero crossings.

8. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processing units;

a memory; and

a haptic actuator;

wherein

the memory is operative to store instructions for moving an actuator mass of the haptic actuator, the instructions;

causing the actuator mass to move in accordance with an output displacement waveform and an output momentum waveform in response to the haptic actuator receiving an input voltage waveform;

wherein the output displacement waveform and the output momentum waveform have a peak displacement intensity and a peak momentum intensity respectively, and wherein the peak displacement intensity and the peak momentum intensity are reached in three or fewer zero crossings from a time when the input voltage waveform is first applied to the haptic actuator.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising instructions for causing the movement of the actuator mass slow from the peak momentum intensity to a second momentum intensity.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the second momentum intensity is substantially zero.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the second momentum intensity is less than a threshold percentage of the peak momentum intensity.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the input voltage waveform further causes the movement of the actuator mass slow from the peak displacement intensity to a second displacement intensity.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the second displacement intensity is substantially zero.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the second displacement is less than a threshold percentage of the peak displacement.

15. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the peak momentum intensity is between approximately 1500 gram millimeters per second and approximately 2000 gram millimeters per second.

16. A method for providing haptic output, the method comprising:

initiating movement of an actuator mass of a haptic actuator by applying an input voltage waveform to the haptic actuator, the input voltage waveform causing the actuator mass to move in accordance with an output momentum waveform, wherein the input voltage waveform causes a momentum of the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to change from approximately zero momentum to a peak intensity; and

wherein the change in the momentum of the actuator mass from approximately zero momentum to the peak intensity occurs in three or fewer zero crossings.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the peak intensity is between approximately 1500 gram millimeters per second and approximately 2000 gram millimeters per second.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the input voltage waveform further causes the momentum of the actuator mass of the haptic actuator to change from the peak intensity to a second momentum intensity.

19. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processing units;

a memory; and

a haptic actuator having an actuator mass and at least one electromotive component, wherein the haptic actuator is adapted to receive an input voltage waveform that causes the at least one electromotive component to;

increase a momentum of the actuator mass from a first momentum of approximately zero to peak momentum intensity in an output momentum waveform during a first time period; and

decrease the momentum of the actuator mass from the peak momentum intensity to a second momentum intensity in the output momentum waveform in a second time period;

wherein a total time of the first time period and the second time period is between approximately six milliseconds and approximately forty milliseconds.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein a weight of the actuator mass is between approximately two grams and approximately three grams.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein a weight of the haptic actuator is between approximately forty grams and sixty grams.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the peak momentum intensity is between approximately 1500 gram millimeters per second and approximately 2000 gram millimeters per second.

23. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the input voltage waveform is substantially square.

24. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein input voltage waveform causes the electronic device to reach a peak momentum intensity in a device output momentum waveform between approximately six milliseconds and approximately forty milliseconds.

25. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processing units;

a memory; and

a haptic actuator having an actuator mass, wherein the haptic actuator is adapted to receive an input voltage waveform that causes;

an increase in a momentum of the actuator mass from a first momentum of approximately zero to peak intensity in an output momentum waveform; and

a decrease in the momentum of the actuator mass from the peak intensity to a second intensity in the output momentum waveform;

wherein the increase in the momentum and the decrease in the momentum occur between two and a half and three cycles.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the output momentum waveform is associated with an output velocity waveform.

27. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein a weight of the haptic actuator is between approximately forty grams and sixty grams.

28. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the peak momentum intensity is approximately 1500 gram millimeters per second or higher.

29. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the input voltage waveform is substantially square.

30. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein input voltage waveform causes the electronic device to reach a peak momentum intensity in a device output momentum waveform between within approximately two and a half cycles and approximately three cycles.