Haptic feedback for touchpads and other touch controls

• US 7,148,875 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Louis B., Riegel, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US10/213,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20030038776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/179, 345/163, 345/169, 345/184, 345/157, 345/158, 345/161, 361/680, 361/681, 361/682, 361/683, 361/684, 361/685, 361/686, 361/687, 463/30, 463/36, 463/38, 463/37, 715/702, 715/701, 434/45, 318/568.1, 244/223, 244/221
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/218 using pressure sensors, e.g. generating a signal proportional to the pressure applied by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/10 characterized by input arrangements for converting player-generated signals into game device control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1056 involving pressure sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 : the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 : the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/013 : Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 : Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/015 : Force feedback applied to a joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 : Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 : with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 : Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 : Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 : Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 : with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 : Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 : Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 : Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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: H01H 2215/052 : piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch surface that inputs a position signal to a processor of the computer based on a location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphical environment based at least in part on the position signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate from the computer'"'"'s display screen, or can be a touch screen. Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can include pulses, vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a housing;

a compliant suspension coupled to the housing;

a touch input element coupled to the compliant suspension, the touch input element configured to generate a position signal; and

a rotary actuator coupled to at least one of the touch input element and the housing, the rotary actuator configured to output haptic feedback via the touch input element based on the position signal, the compliant suspension configured to amplify the haptic feedback, the haptic feedback being associated with a rotary output force provided by the rotary actuator, the rotary output force configured to be converted to a linear force.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a processor configured to receive the position signal from the touch input element and to provide a control signal to the rotary actuator, the control signal being associated with the position signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the compliant suspension is one compliant suspension from a plurality of compliant suspensions coupled to the touch input element.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to output an inertial force based on a movement of an inertial mass coupled to the rotary actuator.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch input element includes a plurality of regions, each region from the plurality of regions being uniquely associated with a haptic feedback.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch input element includes a sensor, the sensor being configured to output the position signal, the position signal being associated with a contact of the touch input element by an external member.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch input element includes a sensor, the sensor being configured to output a movement signal associated with a movement of an external member in contact with the touch input element.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the compliant suspension is at least one of a helical spring, a leaf spring, a foam and a flexure.

9. A device, comprising:

a housing;

a touch input element configured to generate a position signal, the touch input element having a boundary;

a rotary actuator coupled to at least one of the touch input element and the housing, the rotary actuator configured to provide haptic feedback to the touch input element based on the position signal; and

a compliant suspension, the compliant suspension coupled substantially adjacent to the boundary of the touch input element and the housing, the compliant suspension configured to amplify the haptic feedback, the haptic feedback being associated with a rotary output force provided by the rotary actuator, the rotary output force configured to be converted to a linear force.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a processor configured to receive the position signal from the touch input element and to provide a control signal to the rotary actuator, the control signal being associated with the position signal.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the compliant suspension is one compliant suspension from a plurality of compliant suspensions coupled to the touch input element.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to output an inertial force based on a movement of an inertial mass coupled to the rotary actuator.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the touch input element includes a plurality of regions, each region from the plurality of regions being uniquely associated with a haptic feedback.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the touch input element includes a sensor, the sensor being configured to output the position signal, the position signal being associated with a contact of the touch input element by an external member.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the touch input element includes a sensor, the sensor being configured to output a movement signal associated with a movement of an external member in contact with the touch input element.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the compliant suspension is at least one of a helical spring, a leaf spring, a foam and a flexure.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a position signal from a touch input element, the touch input element being coupled to a compliant suspension, the compliant suspension coupled to a housing; and

outputting haptic feedback via a rotary actuator coupled to the touch input element, the haptic feedback being based on the position signal, the haptic feedback being amplified by the compliant suspension, the haptic feedback being associated with a rotary output force provided by the rotary actuator, the rotary output force configured to be converted to a linear force.

18. A device, comprising:

a housing;

a touch input element configured to generate a position signal;

a rotary actuator coupled to at least one of the housing and the touch input element, the rotary actuator configured to receive a control signal based on the position signal, the rotary actuator configured to output haptic feedback based on the control signal; and

a compliant suspension coupled to the touch input element and the housing, the compliant suspension having a compliance such that the compliant suspension is configured to amplify the haptic feedback, the haptic feedback being associated with a rotary output force provided by the rotary actuator, the rotary output force configured to be converted to a linear force.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the haptic feedback is operative to impart a periodic vibration to the touch input element.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the compliant suspension includes at least one compliant suspension.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to output an inertial force based on a movement of an inertial mass coupled to the rotary actuator.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein the rotary actuator is a rotary motor and the compliant suspension is coupled between a housing of the rotary motor and the housing of the device.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein an eccentric mass is coupled to a rotating shaft of the motor and is configured to output an inertial force.

24. The device of claim 18, wherein the control signal is provided by a local controller.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the local controller is a microprocessor, and the microprocessor is configured to receive data from a host processor.

26. The device of claim 18, wherein the control signal is output by a host processor such that the host processor directly controls the haptic feedback.

27. The device of claim 18, wherein the haptic feedback has a first component associated with a frequency range and a second component associated with a frequency range different from the frequency range of the first component, and

the compliant suspension is configured to amplify the first component of the haptic feedback, the compliant suspension configured to impart the amplified haptic feedback including the amplified first component of the haptic feedback to the touch input element.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the frequency range of the first component includes a resonant frequency.

29. The device of claim 18, wherein the rotary actuator is configured to operate at a frequency below a resonance frequency associated with the rotary actuator, the compliance of the compliant suspension having a resonance frequency greater than the resonance frequency associated with the rotary actuator.