Tactile touch panel actuator mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9715280-B2
Application number	US-201614986667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2007
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A method and apparatus of actuator mechanisms for a multi-touch tactile touch panel are disclosed. The tactile touch panel includes an electrical insulated layer and a tactile layer. The top surface of the electrical insulated layer is capable of receiving an input from a user. The tactile layer includes a grid or an array of haptic cells. The top surface of the haptic layer is situated adjacent to the bottom surface of the electrical insulated layer, while the bottom surface of the haptic layer is situated adjacent to a display. Each haptic cell further includes at least one piezoelectric material, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (“MEMS”) element, thermal fluid pocket, MEMS pump, resonant device, variable porosity membrane, laminar flow modulation, or the like. Each haptic cell is configured to provide a haptic effect independent of other haptic cells in the tactile layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tactile touch panel comprising:
a display;
a piezoelectric layer having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface of the piezoelectric layer is configured to receive inputs and the second surface of the piezoelectric layer is disposed adjacent to the display,
wherein the piezoelectric layer comprises a plurality of piezoelectric cells with each piezoelectric cell of the plurality of piezoelectric cells having a cantilever spring made of a piezoelectric material and being configured to provide a haptic effect independent of other piezoelectric cells of the plurality of piezoelectric cells;

an electrical insulated layer having a third surface and a fourth surface that is opposite the third surface, wherein the third surface of the electrical insulated layer is configured to receive the inputs, and the fourth surface of the electrical insulated layer is disposed adjacent to the first surface of the piezoelectric layer; and
a control circuit configured to cause each piezoelectric cell of the plurality of piezoelectric cells that receives one of the inputs to generate a haptic effect by vibrating the cantilever spring of the piezoelectric cell, wherein the cantilever spring of each of the plurality of piezoelectric cells has two parallel beams connected at first ends thereof by a third beam that is perpendicular to the two parallel beams, and wherein the two parallel beams are connected at second and opposite ends thereof to the piezoelectric cell.

2. The tactile touch panel of claim 1 , wherein multiple adjacent or neighboring piezoelectric cells of said plurality of piezoelectric cells simultaneously generate multiple unique haptic effects in response to multiple substantially simultaneous inputs.

3. The tactile touch panel of claim 2 , wherein the multiple substantially simultaneous inputs are configured to be generated in response to detecting a signal indicative of a touch of a digit of a user.

4. The tactile touch panel of claim 2 , wherein the multiple substantially simultaneous inputs are configured to be generated in response to detecting signals indicative of a respective touch of each of multiple digits of a user.

5. The tactile touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect generated by each piezoelectric cell of the plurality of piezoelectric cells is a unique haptic effect in response to a specific input, and wherein the third surface is a top surface of the electrical insulated layer, and the fourth surface is a bottom surface of the electrical insulated layer.

6. The tactile touch panel of claim 5 , wherein the piezoelectric material of each piezoelectric cell of said plurality of piezoelectric cells is a unique piezoelectric material for providing the unique haptic effect.

7. The tactile touch panel of claim 5 , wherein the control circuit is configured to cause each piezoelectric cell that receives one of the inputs to generate a haptic effect by vibrating the cantilever spring of the piezoelectric cell at a resonant frequency of the cantilever spring, wherein the cantilever springs of the plurality of piezoelectric cells have different respective resonant frequencies.

8. The tactile touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to use signals from the plurality of piezoelectric cells to sense which piezoelectric cells of the plurality of piezoelectric cells are receiving input.

9. The tactile touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of piezoelectric cells are separated by a plurality of borders, and wherein the control circuit is configured to accept an input if the input is received at a piezoelectric cell of the plurality of piezoelectric cells, and is further configured to reject the input if the input is received at one of the plurality of borders separating the plurality of piezoelectric cells.

10. The tactile touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the display is a flexible display.

11. The tactile touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the electrical insulated layer is capable of transmitting the inputs to the first surface of the piezoelectric layer.

12. The tactile touch panel of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric layer covers less than the entire surface of the tactile touch panel.

Assignees

• Immersion Corp

Inventors

• Ullrich Christopher J
• Steger Ryan
• Gomez Daniel H

Classifications

• G06F2203/04104

  Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G09B21/004

  Details of particular tactile cells, e.g. electro-mechanical or mechanical layout · CPC title

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title