System for providing sensor and actuation functionality for touch input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018275810-A1
Application number	US-201815902745-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 23, 2017
Publication date	Sep 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A touch input system comprising a touch input device and an actuation and sensing system is presented. The actuation and sensing system has a transfer structure adjacent to a first surface of the touch input device, the transfer structure having a first portion and a beam extending from an edge of the first portion. The actuation and sensing system further has a transducer patch disposed on the beam. The transfer structure is configured to transfer forces between the touch input device and the transducer patch, such that movement of the touch input device by an external force causes deformation of the beam and of the transducer patch, and such that actuation output by the transducer patch causes movement of the touch input device. The transducer patch has a layer of transducer material that is configured to act as a sensor, and is configured to act as an actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A touch input system, comprising:
a touch input device for receiving a touch input; and an actuation and sensing system having:
a transfer structure disposed adjacent to a first surface of the touch input device, the transfer structure having a first portion and a beam extending from an edge of the first portion,
a transducer patch disposed on the beam,
wherein the transfer structure is configured to transfer forces between the touch input device and the transducer patch, such that movement of the touch input device by an external force exerted by the touch input causes deformation of the beam and of the transducer patch disposed on the beam, and such that actuation output by the transducer patch causes movement of the touch input device, and wherein the transducer patch has a layer of transducer material that is configured to act as a sensor by outputting a first electrical signal when the transducer patch and the beam are deformed by the external force, and is configured to act as an actuator by outputting movement that actuates the beam when a second electrical signal is applied to the transducer material.

2 . The touch input system of claim 1 , wherein the beam is a resilient beam configured as a beam spring, wherein the deformation of the beam in response to the force exerted by the touch input comprises bending of the beam, and wherein the bending of the beam causes bending of the transducer patch.

3 . The touch input system of claim 2 , wherein the transfer structure is a transfer layer, wherein the touch input device and the transfer layer are both flat and parallel with each other when no touch input has been received at the touch input device.

4 . The touch input system of claim 3 , wherein the transfer layer is disposed at a rear surface of the touch input device, wherein the rear surface is an opposite surface to an input surface of the touch input device.

5 . The touch input system of claim 4 , wherein:
the first portion of the transfer layer is a central portion thereof, the beam is a first beam extending from a first edge of the central portion, the transfer layer further comprises a second beam extending from a second and opposite edge of the central portion, the transducer patch is a first transducer patch, the actuation and sensing system having a second transducer patch disposed on the second beam, the second transducer patch also having a layer of the transducer material, and movement of the touch input device by the external force causes bending movement of at least one of the first beam and of the second beam, which causes bending movement of at least one of the first transducer patch and of the second transducer patch, respectively.

6 . The touch input system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a spacer layer disposed between the rear surface of the touch input device and both the first beam and the second beam; and a rigid mounting support directly attached to the central portion to configure the central portion as a substantially fixed portion of the transfer layer relative to the rigid mounting support, wherein the rigid mounting support is configured to mount the touch input system to a mounting surface.

7 . The touch input system of claim 2 , wherein the touch input device is curved, and wherein the transfer structure is a first transfer structure, and the beam is a first beam that supports the touch input device at a first edge thereof, the actuation and sensing system further comprising a second transfer structure having a second beam that supports the touch input device at a second and opposite edge thereof, and having a second transducer patch disposed on the second beam, wherein movement of the touch input device by the external force causes bending of at least one of the first beam and the second beam.

8 . The touch input system of claim 7 , further comprising a rigid mounting support, wherein the first transfer structure extends from the rigid mounting support to the first edge of the touch input device, and the second transfer structure extends from the rigid mounting support to the second edge of the touch input device, and wherein the first portion of the first transfer structure is a first base portion that is connected to the rigid mounting support, and the second transfer structure has a second base portion connected to the rigid mounting support, the second beam extending from an edge of the second base portion.

9 . The touch input system of claim 8 , wherein each of the first base portion of the first transfer structure and the second base portion of the second transfer structure forms an oblique angle with the rigid mounting support.

10 . The touch input system of claim 9 , wherein the first beam is one of a first set of beams of the first transfer structure that supports the touch input device at the first edge thereof, and the transducer patch is one of a first set of transducer patches disposed at the respective first set of beams, and wherein the second beam is one of a second set of beams of the second transfer structure that supports the touch input device at the second edge thereof, and the second transducer patch is one of a second set of transducer patches disposed at the respective second set of beams.

11 . The touch input system of claim 10 , wherein the touch input device has a curved display layer and a curved transparent cover, wherein an outer surface of the transparent cover is an input surface of the touch input device.

12 . The touch input system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer material includes a macrofiber composite (MFC) material disposed between two electrodes, the MFC material having a plurality of piezoceramic fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, or includes an electroactive polymer (EAP) material or an elastomer material disposed between two electrodes.

13 . The touch input system of claim 1 , wherein the touch input device comprises an internal capacitive sensor disposed at an input surface of the touch input device.

14 . A touch input system, comprising:
a touch input device having an input surface configured to receive a touch input and a rear surface that is an opposite surface to the input surface; and an actuation and sensing system having:
a transfer layer disposed on the rear surface of the touch input device, the transfer layer having a first portion that is a central portion of the transfer layer, and having and a first beam and a second beam, wherein the first beam extends from a first edge of the central portion, and the second beam extends from a second and opposite edge of the central portion,
a spacer layer disposed between the rear surface of the touch input device and each beam of the first beam and the second beam,
a first transducer patch disposed on the first beam, and
a second transducer patch disposed on the second beam,
wherein the transfer layer is configured to transfer forces between the touch input device and both the first transducer patch and the second transducer patch, such that movement of the touch input device by an external force causes deformation of the first and second beams and of the first and second transducer patches, and such that actuation output by the first transducer patch or the second transducer patch causes movement of the touch input device, wherein each transducer patch of the first transducer patch and the second transducer patch has a layer of transducer material that is configured to act as a sensor by outputting a first electrical signal when the respective transducer patch and the respective beam are deformed by the external force, and is configur

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/0414 Primary

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• B60K2350/1024

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic