Control device and vibration presenting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12424367-B2
Application number	US-202318369508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2023
Priority date	Sep 20, 2022
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a control device controlling an electromagnetic actuator that drives an operation device, supported in an elastically vibratable manner by an elastic support part, in one direction of a vibration direction of the operation device to vibrate the operation device. The control device includes a circuit that applies a main driving signal to a coil of the electromagnetic actuator to start vibration of the operation device in response to a touch operation on the operation device, then applies a sub-driving signal to the coil to adjust an attenuation period of the vibration. The sub-driving signal has a variable voltage varying with an offset voltage, as a center value, offset from a zero voltage, and a waveform that indicates a variation in the variable voltage is a sine function curve or a cosine function curve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control device that controls an electromagnetic actuator, the electromagnetic actuator driving an operation device in one direction of a vibration direction of the operation device to vibrate the operation device, the operation device being supported in an elastically vibratable manner by an elastic support part, wherein
the control device includes a circuit, the circuit applying a main driving signal to a coil of the electromagnetic actuator to start vibration of the operation device in response to a touch operation on the operation device, the circuit then applying a sub-driving signal to the coil to adjust an attenuation period of the vibration,
the sub-driving signal has a variable voltage, the variable voltage varying with an offset voltage as a center value, the offset voltage being offset from a zero voltage, a waveform that indicates a variation in the variable voltage being a sine function curve or a cosine function curve, and
the circuit stops application of the offset voltage during at least one of a period between the main driving signal and the sub-driving signal and/or a period between a plurality of the sub-driving signals.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the circuit supplies a sub-driving current to the coil by applying the sub-driving signal, and
the sub-driving current is a variable current changing in response to a variation in the variable voltage, a waveform that indicates a change in the variable current being a sine function curve or a cosine function curve.

3. A control device that controls an electromagnetic actuator, the electromagnetic actuator driving an operation device in one direction of a vibration direction of the operation device to vibrate the operation device, the operation device being supported in an elastically vibratable manner by an elastic support part, wherein
the control device includes a circuit, the circuit applying a main driving signal to a coil of the electromagnetic actuator to start vibration of the operation device in response to a touch operation on the operation device, the circuit then applying a sub-driving signal to the coil to adjust an attenuation period of the vibration,
the sub-driving signal has a variable voltage, the variable voltage varying with an offset voltage as a center value, the offset voltage being offset from a zero voltage, a waveform that indicates a variation in the variable voltage being a sine function curve or a cosine function curve, and
the sub-driving signal is a sine wave or a cosine wave, the sine wave or the cosine wave having the variable voltage that varies in a range in which a polarity of the variable voltage does not change.

4. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein one cycle of the sub-driving signal is 0.7 times or more and 1.3 times or less a vibration cycle of the operation device.

5. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein a position of a maximum value in one period of a sub-driving current or a magnetic attraction force is simultaneous or substantially simultaneous with a positive peak position of a velocity at a time of the vibration of the operation device, the sub-driving current flowing through the coil due to the sub-driving signal, the magnetic attraction force occurring in the electromagnetic actuator due to the sub-driving signal.

6. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein a position of a maximum value in one period of a sub-driving current or a magnetic attraction force is simultaneous or substantially simultaneous with a negative peak position of a velocity at a time of the vibration of the operation device, the sub-driving current flowing through the coil due to the sub-driving signal, the magnetic attraction force occurring in the electromagnetic actuator due to the sub-driving signal.

7. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein the sub-driving signal is a sine wave starting from an initial phase of 3/2π or a cosine wave starting from an initial phase of π.

8. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein the sub-driving signal is a half sine wave starting from an initial phase of 0 to a phase of π.

9. A vibration presenting apparatus, comprising:
an electromagnetic actuator that drives an operation device in one direction of a vibration direction of the operation device to vibrate the operation device, the operation device being supported in an elastically vibratable manner by an elastic support part; and
the control device according to claim 1 .

10. The vibration presenting apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein:
the electromagnetic actuator includes an electromagnet and a yoke, the electromagnetic including the coil, the yoke being formed of a magnetic material, and
the electromagnetic actuator drives the operation device in the one direction with magnetic attraction between the electromagnet and the yoke, the magnetic attraction being generated by application of a driving signal to the coil.

Assignees

• Dan Toru
• Nguyen Thi Hong Thu
• Mitsumi Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Dan Toru
• Nguyen Thi Hong Thu

Classifications

• H01F7/081

  Magnetic constructions · CPC title

• B06B1/045

  using vibrating magnet, armature or coil system · CPC title

• B06B2201/53

  with vibrating magnet or coil · CPC title

• B06B1/0215

  for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes · CPC title

• G10K11/002

  Devices for damping, suppressing, obstructing or conducting sound in acoustic devices (G10K1/06 - G10K1/10 take precedence; for electro-mechanical transducers for communication H04R3/002) · CPC title