Electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016162113-A1
Application number	US-201615047060-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 13, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device capable of presenting appropriate tactile feeling in various use situations is provided. The electronic device according to one exemplary embodiment includes: a touch panel on which a user touches; touch detector that detects the touch of the user on the touch panel; vibrator that vibrates the touch panel; driver that drives the vibrator with a first drive signal within a first frequency band and a second drive signal within a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band; vibration detector that detects a vibration of the touch panel that vibrates due to a drive with the second drive signal and outputs a detection signal; and drive frequency determinator that determines a frequency of the first drive signal based on the detection signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a panel on which a user touches; a touch detector configured to detect the touch of the user on the panel; a vibrator configured to vibrate the panel; a driver configured to drive the vibrator with a first drive signal within a first frequency band, and a second drive signal within a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band; a vibration detector configured to detect a vibration of the panel that vibrates due to a drive with the second drive signal and to output a detection signal; and a drive frequency determinator configured to determine a frequency of the first drive signal based on the detection signal.

2 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the driver:
drives the vibrator with the second drive signal based on a detection by the touch detector; and drives the vibrator with the first drive signal based on a determination by the drive frequency determinator.

3 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the second drive signal is a variable frequency signal that sweeps the second frequency band.

4 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive frequency determinator determines the frequency of the first drive signal from at least two frequencies different from each other based on the detection signal.

5 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band is a frequency tangible to the user.

6 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the second frequency band is 15 kHz or higher.

7 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein
the vibrator includes a first piezoelectric element, and the vibration detector includes a second piezoelectric element.

8 . The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the second piezoelectric element functions also as the vibrator, and is driven by the vibrator based on the first drive signal.

9 . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrator and the vibration detector are formed of one piezoelectric element.

10 . A method for vibrating a panel of an electronic device, the method comprising:
detecting a touch of a user on the panel; driving the panel with a second drive signal within a second frequency band higher than a first frequency band; detecting vibration of the panel that vibrates due to a drive with the second drive signal; and determining a frequency within the first frequency band based on the detection signal, and driving the panel with a first drive signal having the determined frequency.

11 . A computer program for causing an electronic device to execute a vibration operation, the computer program comprising:
detecting a touch of a user on a panel; driving the panel with a second drive signal within a second frequency band higher than a first frequency band; detecting a vibration of the panel that vibrates due to a drive with the second drive signal; and determining a frequency within the first frequency band based on the detection signal, and driving the panel with a first drive signal having the determined frequency.

12 . An apparatus comprising:
a panel configured to receive a touch input; and a processor configured to control vibration of the panel by driving a vibrator with a first drive signal within a first frequency band and a second drive signal within a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band, wherein the processor detects a vibration of the panel driven with the second drive signal, and determines a frequency of the first drive signal based on the detected vibration of the panel.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Araki Shoichi
• Hirose Yoshifumi

Classifications

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G06F2203/014

  Force feedback applied to GUI · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title