VIBRATION IN PORTABLE DEVICES

• US 20120286943A1
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rothkopf, Fletcher, Dabov, Teodor, Lynch, Stephen Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,218,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems

Abstract

One embodiment may take the form of a method of reducing noise from vibration of a device on a hard surface. The method includes activating a haptic device to indicate an alert and sensing an audible level during activation of the haptic device. Additionally, the method includes determining if the audible level exceeds a threshold and initiating mitigation routines to reduce the audible level to a level below the threshold if the threshold is exceeded.

Claims

1. A method of reducing noise from vibration of a device on a hard surface, the method comprising:

activating a haptic device to indicate an alert;

sensing an audible level during activation of the haptic device;

determining if the audible level exceeds a threshold using a processor; and

initiating mitigation routines to reduce the audible level to a level below the threshold, if the threshold is exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold level corresponds to a volume level setting for an audible alert.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold level corresponds to a noise level expected when the device is located on a hard surface.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sensing an audible level prior to activation of the haptic device; and

comparing the audible levels of prior to activation of the haptic device to the audible level during activation of the haptic device to determine a change in audible level.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating mitigation routines comprises at least one of reducing the speed of the haptic device, reducing the frequency of the haptic device, reducing the amplitude of the haptic device, gradually increasing the speed of the haptic device, and stopping the haptic device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of thresholds are provided and wherein further the initiation of a particular mitigation routine corresponds with exceeding a particular threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising actuating at least one of a visual or audible alert.

8. A method of mitigating locomotion of a device due to haptic devices, the method comprising:

activating a haptic device;

sensing movement of the device when the haptic device is activated;

determining, using a processor, if the movement is due to the haptic device activation; and

initiating mitigation routines to reduce the movement of the device due to activation of the haptic device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining if the movement exceeds a threshold, if the movement is due to the haptic device activation; and

only initiating mitigation routines if the threshold is exceeded.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein determining if the movement is due to activation of the haptic device comprises determining if the movement exceeds a threshold distance.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining an orientation of the device; and

based on the orientation determination, determining if the device is at risk of locomotion.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining if the device is near an edge; and

stopping the haptic device if the device is near the edge.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising activating an edge alert if the device is near the edge.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the mitigation routines comprise at least one of stopping the haptic device;

slowing the haptic device, ramping up the haptic device; and

reversing direction of operation for the haptic device.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising actuating at least one of a visual or audible alert if the movement is due to actuation of the haptic device.

16. A method of reducing reverberation of a linear vibrator in an electronic device, the method comprising:

sensing movement of the linear vibrator;

determining if the linear vibrator is activated;

providing feedback signals via a feedback control system if the linear vibrator is not activated, the feedback signals reducing the movement of the linear vibrator.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein sensing movement of the linear vibrator comprises sensing back electromagnetic force (EMF) induced by movement of a magnet of the linear vibrator.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the feedback signal corresponds in amplitude with the sensed EMF.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the movement of the linear vibrator is sensed by an accelerometer and wherein further the feedback signal is generated based on the signals from the accelerometer.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the feedback signal is out of phase with the sensed movement of the linear vibrator.

21. A portable electronic device comprising:

at least one haptic actuator;

a processor coupled to haptic actuator configured to control the operation of the at least one haptic actuator;

one or more sensors configured to sense movement of the device, wherein the processor is configured to determine if movement of the device is attributable to actuation of the haptic actuator and implement mitigation routines to reduce the movement; and

at least one acoustic sensor, wherein the processor is configured to determine if actuation of the haptic actuator generates sound at a level that exceeds a threshold and, if so, control the operation of the haptic actuator to reduce the sound to a level below the threshold.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a GPS, and a camera.

23. The device of claim 21 further comprising a haptic controller configured to control the operation of the haptic actuator.

24. A method of reducing reverberation of a linear vibrator in an electronic device, the method comprising:

sensing movement of the device using a sensor of the electronic device;

generating a feedback signal based on the sensed movement;

providing the feedback signal via a feedback control system to the linear vibrator, the feedback signals reducing the movement of the linear vibrator.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.