Elastomer suspension with actuation functionality or sensing functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10572021-B2
Application number	US-201916448232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A haptic-enabled user interface device comprising a user input component, an elastomer suspension, a signal generating circuit, a signal sensing circuit, one or more switches, and a control unit is presented. The elastomer suspension is formed by at least one stack that includes an elastomeric layer, wherein the at least one stack forms at least one capacitor. The control unit is configured, in an actuation mode, to cause the one or more switches to electrically connect the signal generating circuit to the at least one capacitor and to electrically disconnect the signal sensing circuit from at least one capacitor, and to cause the signal generating circuit to apply a drive signal to the at least one capacitor. The control unit is further configured, in a sensing mode, to cause the one or more switches to electrically connect the signal sensing circuit to the at least one capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A haptic-enabled user interface device, comprising:
a user input component;
a base for supporting the user input component;
an elastomer suspension for suspending the user input component on the base, such that the user input component does not directly contact the base, wherein the elastomer suspension is formed by at least one stack that includes an elastomeric layer of an elastomer material and includes a pair of electrodes on opposite sides of the elastomeric layer, wherein the at least one stack forms at least one capacitor;
a signal sensing circuit; and
a control unit in communication with the signal sensing circuit, wherein the control unit is configured
to determine, based on a signal sensed by the signal sensing circuit, whether a touch input has been received by the user input component of the haptic-enabled user interface device.

2. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the touch input has been received by determining, based on the signal sensed by the signal sensing circuit, whether a capacitance of the at least one capacitor has changed from a defined or measured baseline capacitance by at least a defined threshold.

3. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine that the touch input is a pressure-based touch input that has been received at the user input component in response to a determination that there is a change in the capacitance of the at least one capacitor.

4. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine that non-contact proximity of an object to the user input component has been detected in response to detecting the change in capacitance of the at least one capacitor, wherein the pressure-based touch input is associated with the change in capacitance being in a first defined range relative to the defined or measured baseline capacitance, and wherein the non-contact proximity of an object is associated with the change in capacitance being in a second defined range relative to the defined or measured baseline capacitance.

5. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer material includes rubber, and wherein each of the pair of electrodes is formed from a stretchable conductive material.

6. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic-enabled user interface device is a mobile phone or a tablet computer, and the user input component is a button of the mobile phone or tablet computer.

7. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic-enabled user interface device is a mobile phone or a tablet computer, and the user input component is a touch screen of the mobile phone or tablet computer.

8. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one capacitor of the elastomer suspension comprises a plurality of stacks that form a plurality of respective capacitors, and wherein the signal sensing circuit is configured to receive respective signals from the plurality of respective capacitors, and is configured to determine location-based information for the touch input on a surface of the user input component based on the respective signals.

9. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer suspension forms a seal between the user input component and the base.

10. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer suspension further includes a piezoelectric layer of ceramic piezoelectric material in contact with at least one electrode of the pair of electrodes, and wherein the piezoelectric layer is configured to vibrate in response to a drive signal.

11. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 1 , further comprising a signal generating circuit configured to cause relative movement of the pair of electrodes toward each other.

12. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 11 , further comprising one or more switches configured to electrically connect and to disconnect the signal sensing circuit and the signal generating circuit from the at least one capacitor, and
wherein the control unit is configured, when determining whether the touch input has been received by the user input component, to control the one or more switches to electrically connect the signal sensing circuit to the at least one capacitor, and
wherein the control unit is configured, when causing a haptic effect, to control the one or more switches to electrically connect the signal generating circuit to the at least one capacitor such that the signal generating circuit is able to provide a drive signal to the at least one capacitor to cause the relative movement of the pair of electrodes toward each other, wherein the relative movement of the pair of electrodes generates the haptic effect.

13. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 12 , wherein the control unit is further configured, when causing the haptic effect, to control the one or more switches to electrically disconnect the signal sensing circuit from the at least one capacitor.

14. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 12 , wherein the control unit is configured, when determining whether the touch input has been received by the user input component, to control the one or more switches to electrically disconnect the signal generating circuit from the at least one capacitor.

15. A haptic-enabled user interface device, comprising:
a user input component;
a base for supporting the user input component;
an elastomer suspension for suspending the user input component on the base, such that the user input component does not directly contact the base, wherein the elastomer suspension is formed by at least one stack that includes an elastomeric layer of an elastomer material and includes a pair of electrodes on opposite sides of the elastomeric layer, wherein the at least one stack forms at least one capacitor;
a signal generating circuit; and
a control unit in communication with the signal generating circuit, wherein the control unit is configured to cause the signal generating circuit to apply a drive signal to the at least one capacitor, wherein the drive signal causes relative movement of the pair of electrodes toward each other so as to generate a haptic effect.

16. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 15 , wherein the drive signal has an amplitude in a range of 500 V to 10 kV, and a frequency that is in a range of 10 Hz to 500 Hz.

17. The haptic-enabled user interface device of claim 15 , wherein the elastomer suspension has a resonance frequency that is less than 500 Hz.

18. A haptic-enabled user interface device, comprising:
a user input component;
a base for supporting the user input component;
an elastomer suspension for suspending the user input component on the base, such that the user input component does not directly contact the base, wherein the elastomer suspension is formed by at least one stack that includes a piezoelectric layer of piezoelectric material, a pair of electrodes on opposite sides of the piezoelectric layer, and an elastomeric layer of elastomer material in contact with at least one of the pair of electrodes;
a signal generating circuit;
a signal sensing circuit; and
a control unit in communication with the signal generating circuit and the signal sensing circuit, wherein the control unit is configured,
in an actuation mode, to cause the signal generating circ

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

• Khoshkava Vahid
• Cruz-Hernandez Juan Manuel
• Olien Neil T

Classifications

• G06F3/0338

  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 title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• H03K2217/96073

  Amplitude comparison · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title