Tactile presentation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12596436-B2
Application number	US-202219099477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2022
Priority date	Aug 3, 2022
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a tactile presentation device that includes a tactile presentation knob placed on an operation screen and for presenting a tactile sense to a user via the tactile presentation knob. The tactile presentation knob includes a conductive elastic portion that includes a surface layer facing the operation screen and an inner layer located on the side opposite to the operation screen, and an operation part that fixes the conductive elastic portion. The surface layer is set to be subjected to greater shear deformation than the inner layer by an operation of the tactile presentation knob, to generate vibrations by a change in the frictional force, and to be subjected to greater compressive deformation than the inner layer by a press of the tactile presentation knob. The inner layer is set to have higher vibration transmissibility than the surface layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A tactile presentation device including a tactile presentation knob placed on an operation screen and for presenting a tactile sense to a user via the tactile presentation knob, the tactile presentation device comprising:
a tactile electrode that includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes provided inside the operation screen of the tactile presentation device; a dielectric layer that covers the tactile electrode and has one surface serving as the operation screen; and a voltage generation circuit that generates a first voltage signal of a first frequency and a second voltage signal of a second frequency different from the first frequency, the first voltage signal being applied to at least one of the first electrodes that is located in a region of at least part of the operation screen of the tactile presentation device, the second voltage signal being applied to at least one of the second electrodes that is located in a region of at least part of the operation screen, wherein the tactile sense is presented by supplying the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal to generate a frictional force between the operation screen and the tactile presentation knob, the tactile presentation knob includes: a conductive elastic portion that includes a surface layer facing the operation screen and an inner layer located on a side opposite to the operation screen; and an operation part that fixes the conductive elastic portion, the surface layer is set to be subjected to greater shear deformation than the inner layer by an operation of the tactile presentation knob, to generate a vibration by a change in the frictional force, and to be subjected to greater compressive deformation than the inner layer by a press of the tactile presentation knob, and the inner layer is set to have higher vibration transmissibility than the surface layer.

2 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the surface layer has an uneven shape including a projection and a depression, the operation of the tactile presentation knob includes a horizontal displacement or an in-plane rotation, the uneven shape is subjected to shear deformation by the horizontal displacement or the in-plane rotation of the tactile presentation knob and subjected to compressive deformation by a press of the tactile presentation knob to generate the vibration, and the inner layer propagates the vibration generated in the surface layer to the operation part.

3 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein
a pitch of arrangement of the first electrodes and the second electrodes of the tactile electrode is set to be smaller than a width of the projection of the surface layer of the conductive elastic portion.

4 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein
when the horizontal shift of the tactile presentation knob is in one direction, the depression in the uneven shape of the surface layer is provided as a slit extending in a direction at an right angle to the one direction.

5 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein
when the horizontal displacement of the tactile presentation knob is in a plurality of directions, the depression in the uneven shape of the surface layer is provided as a lattice in plan view.

6 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein
in the in-plane rotation of the tactile presentation knob, the conductive elastic portion forms a sector in plan view, and the depression in the uneven shape of the surface layer is formed in a shape in which a radial groove intersects with an annular groove in plan view.

7 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the operation of the tactile presentation knob includes a horizontal displacement or an in-plane rotation, the surface layer is subjected to shear deformation by the horizontal displacement or the in-plane rotation of the tactile presentation knob and subjected to compressive deformation by a press of the tactile presentation knob to generate the vibration, the surface layer being configured by a conductive material that is more prone to the shear deformation and the compressive deformation than the inner layer, and the inner layer propagates the vibrations generated in the surface layer to the operation part.

8 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the surface layer has an uneven shape including a projection and a depression, the operation of the tactile presentation knob includes a horizontal displacement or an in-plane rotation, the uneven shape is subjected to shear deformation by the horizontal displacement or the in-plane rotation of the tactile presentation knob and subjected to compressive deformation by a press of the tactile presentation knob to generate the vibration, the depression is filled with a conductive material that is more prone to the shear deformation and the compressive deformation than the projection and the inner layer, and the inner layer propagates the vibration generated in the surface layer to the operation part.

9 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 8 , wherein
a pitch of arrangement of the first electrodes and the second electrodes of the tactile electrode is set to be smaller than a width of the projection of the surface layer of the conductive elastic portion.

10 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 8 , wherein
when the horizontal shift of the tactile presentation knob is in one direction, the depression in the uneven shape of the surface layer is provided as a slit extending in a direction at an right angle to the one direction.

11 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 8 , wherein
when the horizontal displacement of the tactile presentation knob is in a plurality of directions, the depression in the uneven shape of the surface layer is provided as a lattice in plan view.

12 . The tactile presentation device according to claim 8 , wherein
in the in-plane rotation of the tactile presentation knob, the conductive elastic portion forms a sector in plan view, and the depression in the uneven shape of the surface layer is formed in a shape in which a radial groove intersects with an annular groove in plan view.

13 . A tactile presentation device that includes a tactile presentation knob placed on an operation screen and for presenting a tactile sense to a user via the tactile presentation knob, the tactile presentation device comprising:
a tactile electrode that includes a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes provided inside the operation screen of the tactile presentation device: a dielectric layer that covers the tactile electrode and that has one surface serving as the operation screen; and a voltage generation circuit that generates a first voltage signal of a first frequency and a second voltage signal of a second frequency different from the first frequency, the first voltage signal being applied to at least one of the first electrodes that is located in a region of at least part of the operation screen of the tactile presentation device, the second voltage signal being applied to at least one of the second electrodes that is located in a region of at least part of the operation screen, wherein the tactile sense is presented by supplying the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal to generate a frictional force between the operation screen and the tactile presentation knob, and the tactile presentation knob includes an air space having a thi

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Ide Chigusa
• Orita Tae

Classifications

• G06F3/041 Primary

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F3/038

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/0393

  Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads · CPC title

• G06F3/0446

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• G06F3/0362

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title