Integrated circuit with single wire haptic vibration control and selective open loop operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016155305-A1
Application number	US-201514955553-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed examples include methods and circuits to drive a haptic actuator, in which a single input signal from a host device has a first state representing a command to drive the actuator and a second state representing a command to stop the actuator. A control circuit provides a drive control signal to a driver circuit to drive the haptic actuator in response to the control signal transitioning to the first state, and to stop the haptic actuator in response to the control signal transitioning to the second state. A timer circuit places the circuit in a low power mode a predetermined time after the control signal transitions to the second state, or the control circuit places the circuit in the low power mode in response to a feedback signal indicating that the actuator has reached a stopped condition.

First claim

The following is claimed:

1 . An integrated circuit (IC) to drive a haptic actuator, comprising:
a driver circuit, including an input to receive a drive control signal, and an output to provide a driver output signal to drive a connected haptic actuator according to the drive control signal; an input pin to receive a control signal from an external host circuit, the control signal having a first control signal state representing a command from the external host circuit to begin driving the haptic actuator, and a second control signal state representing a command from the external host circuit to stop the haptic actuator; an amplitude control circuit, including an input to receive the control signal from the input pin, and an amplitude control output to provide an amplitude signal in a first amplitude signal state representing a command to drive the haptic actuator at a non-zero amplitude in response to receiving the control signal in the first control signal state, the amplitude control output operative to provide the amplitude signal in a second amplitude signal state representing a brake command to drive the haptic actuator to a rest condition in response to receiving the control signal in the second control signal state; a timer circuit, including a timer input to receive the control signal, and a timer output to provide a timer signal in a first timer signal state for a predetermined time responsive to the control signal changing to the second control signal state, and to otherwise provide the timer signal in a second timer signal state; a logic circuit, including a first input to receive the control signal, a second input to receive the timer signal, and a logic circuit output to provide an enable signal in a first enable signal state when the control signal is in the first control signal state or when the timer signal is in the first timer signal state, the logic circuit output to provide the enable signal in a different second enable signal state when the control signal is in the second control signal state and the timer signal is in the second timer signal state; and a control circuit, including a first input to receive the amplitude signal, a second input to receive the enable signal, and an output to provide the drive control signal to the driver circuit when the enable signal is in the first enable signal state at least partially according to the amplitude signal, and to refrain from providing the drive control signal when the enable signal is in the second enable signal state.

2 . The IC of claim 1 , comprising:
a feedback circuit ( 126 ), including a feedback circuit input coupled with the output of the driver circuit to sense an operating condition of the haptic actuator, and a feedback circuit output to provide a feedback signal to the control circuit; and a loop control circuit to selectively command the control circuit to provide the drive control signal in a closed loop control mode according to the amplitude signal and the feedback signal, or in an open loop control mode according to the amplitude signal.

3 . The IC of claim 2 , wherein the loop control circuit includes:
a first input to receive the control signal; a second input to receive a loop select signal; a first circuit with an output to provide a loop control signal in a first loop control signal state representing a command for open loop control in response to receiving the loop select signal in a first state, the first circuit operative to provide the loop control signal in a different second loop control signal state representing a command for closed loop control in response to receiving the loop select signal in a different second state; and a second logic circuit, including a first input to receive the loop control signal, a second input to receive the control signal, and a second logic circuit output to provide a control loop signal to the control circuit in a first state to command the control circuit to provide the drive control signal in the open loop control mode according to the amplitude signal when the loop control signal is in the first loop control signal state and the control signal is in the first control signal state, the second logic circuit output being operative to provide the control loop signal in a second state to command the control circuit to provide the drive control signal in the closed loop control mode according to the amplitude signal and the feedback signal when the loop control signal is in the second loop control signal state or the control signal is in the second control signal state.

4 . The IC of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is operative to place the IC in a low power mode responsive to the enable signal is in the second enable signal state.

5 . The IC of claim 2 , wherein the loop control circuit is operative to selectively command the control circuit to operate in the closed loop control mode responsive to the control signal changing from the first control signal state to the second control signal state.

6 . The IC of claim 5 , wherein the control circuit is operative to place the IC in a low power mode responsive to the enable signal is in the second enable signal state.

7 . The IC of claim 6 ,
wherein the control circuit is operative to selectively provide the drive control signal with a host selected waveform shape selected by the external host circuit when the enable signal is in the first enable signal state and when the loop control circuit commands the control circuit to provide the drive control signal in the open loop control mode according to the amplitude signal; and wherein the control circuit is operative to provide the drive control signal with a default waveform shape when the enable signal is in the first enable signal state responsive to the control signal changing from the first control state to the second control signal state.

8 . The IC of claim 5 ,
wherein the control circuit is operative to selectively provide the drive control signal with a host selected waveform shape selected by the external host circuit when the enable signal is in the first enable signal state and when the loop control circuit commands the control circuit to provide the drive control signal in the open loop control mode according to the amplitude signal; and wherein the control circuit is operative to provide the drive control signal with a default waveform shape when the enable signal is in the first enable signal state responsive to the control signal changing from the first control state to the second control signal state.

9 . The IC of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is operative to place the IC in a low power mode responsive to the enable signal is in the second enable signal state.

10 . The IC of claim 2 ,
wherein the control circuit is operative to selectively provide the drive control signal with a host selected waveform shape selected by the external host circuit when the enable signal is in the first enable signal state and when the loop control circuit commands the control circuit to provide the drive control signal in the open loop control mode according to the amplitude signal; and wherein the control circuit is operative to provide the drive control signal with a default waveform shape when the enable signal is in the first enable signal state responsive to the control signal changing from the first control state to the second control signal state.

11 . The IC of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is operative to selectively provide the drive control signal in the open loop control mode according to an arbitrary waveform.

12 . The IC of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is operative to place the IC

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Barsilai Mandy
• Hernandez David
• Toth Mark Stephen

Classifications

• G08B6/00 Primary

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• G06F3/016

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