PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

• US 20110163991A1
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: TOUT, Nigel David
• Application Number:
  US12/651,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20110163991A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A method includes applying, utilizing an actuator of a portable electronic device, a force of a magnitude to a touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device, measuring a value resulting from the force at a force sensor, and calibrating the force sensor based on the value and the magnitude of the force.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

applying, utilizing an actuator of a portable electronic device, a force on a touch-sensitive display of the portable electronic device;

measuring a value resulting from the force at a force sensor;

calibrating the force sensor based on the value and a magnitude of the force.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein measuring the value comprises measuring values at a plurality of force sensors and calibrating comprises calibrating the plurality of force sensors based on the values resulting from the force and the magnitude of the force.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the force sensor comprises a force-sensing resistor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein calibrating comprises adjusting a gain for the force sensor.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising calibrating the force sensor when the actuator is not actuated.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising adjusting an offset for the force sensor when the actuator is not actuated.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising adjusting an offset for the force sensor such that the magnitude of the force from the force sensor is zero when the actuator is not actuated.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising adjusting a gain for the force sensor such that the magnitude of the force from the force sensor is equivalent to an expected force at the force sensor when the actuator is actuated.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises at least one piezoelectric device utilized to provide tactile feedback through the touch-sensitive display.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a vibrator motor utilized to provide tactile feedback.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to perform the method of claim 1.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

an actuator configured to apply a force to the touch-sensitive display; and

a force sensor configured to determine a value resulting from the force; and

at least one processor operably connected to the touch-sensitive display, the actuator, and the force sensor and configured to calibrate the force sensor based on the value and a magnitude of the force.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the force sensor comprises a force-sensing resistor.

14. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator.

15. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the actuator comprises a vibrator motor.

16. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the force sensor is calibrated by adjusting an offset such that the magnitude of the force determined from the force sensor is zero when the actuator is not actuated.

17. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the force sensor is calibrated by adjusting a gain such that the magnitude of the force determined from the force sensor is substantially equivalent to an expected force at the force sensor when the actuator is actuated.