Complex mass trajectories for improved haptic effect
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A haptic actuator comprising:
- an electrical power source;
an electric motor portion;
a controller coupled between said electrical power source and said electric motor portion, said controller being adapted to control a supply of electrical power from said electrical power source to said electric motor portion;
an inertial mass;
a transmission portion mechanically coupled between said electric motor portion and said inertial mass, said transmission portion being adapted and configured to urge said inertial mass along a J-shaped trajectory in response to mechanical input power received from said electric motor portion.
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Abstract
A haptic actuator includes mechanical links defining a first J-trajectory and mechanical links defining a second J-trajectory as well as a motor coupled to the mechanical links so as to synchronously accelerate a first mass over the first J-trajectory and a second mass over the second J-trajectory. During a first time interval, reactive forces of the first mass accelerating substantially balance reactive forces of the second mass accelerating and during a second time interval reactive forces of the first mass accelerating do not substantially balance reactive forces of the second mass accelerating. This un-balanced condition results in a tap signal being produced.
36 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A haptic actuator comprising:
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an electrical power source; an electric motor portion; a controller coupled between said electrical power source and said electric motor portion, said controller being adapted to control a supply of electrical power from said electrical power source to said electric motor portion; an inertial mass; a transmission portion mechanically coupled between said electric motor portion and said inertial mass, said transmission portion being adapted and configured to urge said inertial mass along a J-shaped trajectory in response to mechanical input power received from said electric motor portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of signaling a smartphone user comprising:
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providing an electric motor coupled to an internal surface of said smart phone; providing a first inertial mass coupled through a first transmission portion to said electric motor; providing a second inertial mass coupled through a second transmission portion to said electric motor; activating said electric motor over a first time period to supply mechanical power through said first transmission portion to said first inertial mass and through said second transmission portion to said second inertial mass, whereby said first and second masses are urged into respective substantially equal and opposite first accelerations over said first time period; and activating said electric motor over a second time period to supply mechanical power through said first transmission portion to said first inertial mass and through said second transmission portion to said second inertial mass, whereby said first and second inertial masses are urged into respective substantially parallel second accelerations over said second time period, whereby a portion of said electric motor is accelerated in a manner substantially opposite in direction to said second accelerations over said second time period, thereby producing a haptic signal at said internal surface of said smart phone and thereby signaling said smart phone user during said second time period. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification