Method for presenting tactile sensation and device therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9383822-B2
Application number	US-201314344772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2013
Priority date	Jun 29, 2012
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A tactile sense presentation method includes arranging a plurality of first electrodes covered with an insulating film on a plane; arranging a plurality of second electrodes on a plane with tops exposed to outside; and performing a first operation in parallel with a second operation. The first operation is for applying temporally changing first voltages to a part of the plurality of first electrodes to generate electric fields which are changed by the part of the plurality of first electrodes. The second operation is for applying temporally changing first electric currents to a part of the plurality of second electrodes to cause the electric currents to flow from the part of the plurality of second electrodes to second electrodes which are different from the part of the plurality of second electrodes via electric conductors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for presenting tactile sense to an object using a tactile sense presentation device including a plurality of first electrodes, an insulating film covering the plurality of first electrodes, and a plurality of second electrodes, respective tops of the plurality of second electrodes being uncovered by the insulating film, the method comprising:
(i) applying a temporally-changing first voltage to a first part of the plurality of first electrodes to generate a temporally-changing electric field in the object contacting the insulating film above the first part of the plurality of first electrodes across the insulating film;
(ii) applying a temporally-changing first electric current to a first part of the plurality of second electrodes to cause the first electric current to flow through the object contacting the first part of the plurality of second electrodes; and
(iii) applying a temporally-changing second voltage to a second part of the plurality of first electrodes, and detecting a voltage between the second part of the plurality of first electrodes and a third part of the plurality of first electrodes to detect position of the object.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step (i) and the step (iii) are performed in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first part of the plurality of first electrodes and the first part of the plurality of second electrodes are determined based on the position of the object which is detected in the step (iii).

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
(iv) applying a temporally-changing third voltage to a second part of the plurality of second electrodes, and detecting a voltage between the second part of the plurality of second electrodes and a third part of the plurality of second electrodes to detect a position of the object, wherein
the step (ii) and the step (iv) are performed in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first part of the plurality of first electrodes and the first part of the plurality of second electrodes are determined based on the position of the object which is detected in the step (iv).

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the step (i) and the step (iii) are performed in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the first part of the plurality of first electrodes and the first part of the plurality of second electrodes are determined based on the position of the object which is detected in the step (iii) and the step (iv).

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the tactile sense presentation device is located on an image display for displaying an image; and
the first voltage and the first electric current are applied in accordance with the image displayed on the image display.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein voltage strength, periods, and intervals of the first voltage, and current strength, periods, and intervals of the first electric current are determined in accordance with a tactile sense to be presented.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of first electrodes are arranged on a first plane; and
the plurality of second electrodes are arranged on a second plane.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the first plane is a same plane as the second plane.

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wakuda Daisuke
• Suzuki Takeshi
• Ogura Tetsuyoshi
• Hirano Koichi

Classifications

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G06F3/0488

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