Self adapting haptic device

• US 9,934,661 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hill, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US15/583,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20170236388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 3404071, 3404072, 340514, 340540, 340541, 340635, 340638, 340 585, 340 102, 4555501, 455567, 455574, 4555753, 455566
• 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: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that allow an electronic device to autonomously adapt one or more user alerts of the electronic device. For example, some embodiments may include a method for operating a haptic device including driving a haptic device using a control signal, measuring a frequency related to the operation of the haptic device and comparing the measured frequency with a target frequency. A control signal is adjusted based on the comparison to drive the haptic device to the target frequency.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an alert device;

a sensor that determines an operating environment of the electronic device; and

a processing unit that;

determines an initial reference value with which to control the alert device to produce an alert;

determines whether to optimize the initial reference value based on data from the sensor regarding the operating environment;

if the processing unit determines not to optimize the initial reference value, controlling the alert device using the initial reference value; and

if the processing unit determines to optimize the initial reference value;

producing multiple control signals using the initial reference value;

selecting an optimized reference value using comparison of sensor data from monitoring control of the alert device using each of the multiple control signals.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises an audio alert.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the audio alert is associated with an incoming call received by the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit determines the initial reference value based on the data from the sensor regarding the operating environment.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit produces multiple control signals using the initial reference value by producing:

a first control signal with a higher frequency than a frequency associated with the initial reference value; and

a second control signal with a lower frequency than the frequency associated with the initial reference value.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit produces multiple control signals using the initial reference value by stepping through reference values incrementally.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit selects the optimized reference value because the optimized reference value results the alert device producing alerts closer to a target frequency than the initial reference value.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a haptic actuator;

a sensor; and

a processing unit that;

determines an initial reference value with which to actuate the haptic actuator; and

when the processing unit determines to optimize the initial reference value based on information from the sensor regarding the operating environment of the electronic device;

producing a first control signal by increasing the initial reference value;

producing a second control signal by decreasing the initial reference value;

monitoring actuating of the haptic actuator using each of the first and second control signals;

storing an optimized reference value using one of the first control signal or the second control signal if the monitoring indicates the respective control frequency results in haptic output closer to a target frequency than the initial reference value.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the optimized reference value compensates for aging or wear of the haptic actuator.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the optimized reference value compensates for haptic actuator variations resulting from the operating environment of the electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processing unit actuates the haptic actuator using the optimized reference value.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processing unit actuates the haptic actuator using the optimized reference value at a later time when the sensor detects a similar operating environment of the electronic device to that indicated in the information from the sensor regarding the operating environment of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the processing unit determines to omit optimizing the initial reference value when the processing unit determines the initial reference value achieves a frequency that is within a threshold of a target.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

an alert device;

a sensor; and

a processing unit that;

determines an initial reference value with which to control the alert device;

determines whether to optimize the initial reference value using data regarding the operating environment determined using the sensor; and

when the processing unit determines to optimize the initial reference value;

generating multiple control signals using the initial reference value;

using an optimized reference value corresponding to a control signal of the multiple control signals that results in the alert device producing an alert closer to a target frequency than the initial reference value.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein generating multiple control signals using the initial reference value includes generating the multiple control signals with different frequencies.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein generating multiple control signals using the initial reference value includes generating the multiple control signals with different duty cycles.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein generating multiple control signals using the initial reference value includes generating the multiple control signals with different voltage amplitudes.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processing unit determines an initial reference value consulting a lookup table entry corresponding to the operating environment.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processing unit triggers a repair or diagnostic history upon determining to optimize the initial reference value.