Haptic device with indirect haptic feedback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9804724-B2
Application number	US-201514820191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2006
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

An indirect haptic device having a substrate having a touch surface, a position sensor of a user's clothed appendage relative to the touch surface, a friction modulator associated with the substrate, a control device connected to the position sensor and the friction modulator, wherein a coefficient of friction on the touch surface is modulated in response to a sensed position of a user's clothed appendage relative to the touch surface and/or a derivative thereof.

First claim

We claim:

1. An indirect haptic device comprising: a substrate having a touch surface, a position sensor that senses a position of a user's clothed appendage relative to the touch surface, a friction modulator associated with the substrate, a control device connected to the position sensor and the friction modulator, wherein a coefficient of friction on the touch surface is modulated in response to a sensed position of a user's clothed appendage relative to the touch surface and/or a derivative thereof, and wherein the friction modulator does not alter the contour of the touch surface in a manner that is perceptible to a user's sight or touch.

2. The haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of friction is modulated in response to a change in an excitation voltage.

3. The haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the user's appendage comprises a finger or thumb.

4. The haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of friction of the touch surface is modulated in response to a sensed motion of the user's clothed appendage.

5. The haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of friction of the touch surface is modulated to generate a virtual texture sensation felt by the user's clothed appendage.

6. The haptic device of claim 1 , wherein relative to a sensed position of a user's clothed appendage the coefficient of friction of the touch surface is modulated in real time.

7. The haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the derivatives of the sensed position of a user's clothed appendage further comprise velocity, acceleration, or direction of motion of the user's clothed appendage.

8. The combination of a touch screen and an indirect haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the indirect haptic device provides an interface with the touch screen.

9. The combination of claim 8 , wherein the indirect haptic device is disposed on a surface other than the touch screen.

10. The combination of claim 9 , wherein the indirect haptic device further comprises components made of transparent materials.

11. The combination of an interior surface or an exterior surface of a motor vehicle and an indirect haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the indirect haptic device is disposed on the interior surface or the motor vehicle.

12. The combination of claim 11 , further comprising a touch screen.

13. The combination of a consumer electronic device and an indirect haptic device of claim 1 , wherein the indirect haptic device is disposed on a surface of the consumer electronics device.

14. An indirect haptic device comprising: a substrate having a touch surface, a pressure sensor, a friction modulator associated with the substrate, a control device connected to the pressure sensor and the friction modulator, wherein a coefficient of friction on the touch surface is modulated in response to a sensed force of a user's clothed appendage on the touch surface, and wherein the friction modulator does not alter the contour of the touch surface in a manner that is perceptible to a user's sight or touch.

15. The indirect haptic device of claim 14 , wherein the coefficient of friction of the touch surface is modulated in response to force from a pushing motion of the user's clothed appendage against the touch surface.

16. The indirect haptic device of claim 15 , wherein the modulation of the coefficient of friction of the touch surface simulates a pushbutton haptic feedback.

17. An apparatus comprising a plurality of indirect haptic devices arranged in a pattern, each of the indirect haptic devices including a substrate having a touch surface, a friction modulator associated with the substrate, and a control device connected to the friction modulator, wherein a coefficient of friction of each respective touch surface is modulated based on a time or in response to movement of a user's clothed appendage relative to the respective touch surface and/or a derivative thereof, and wherein the friction modulator does not alter the contour of the touch surface in a manner that is perceptible to a user's sight or touch.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the user's appendage comprises a finger or thumb.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of indirect haptic devices is arranged in a grating pattern that is linear, arcuate or circular.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the user's clothed appendage comprises at least clothed two fingers and modulation of the coefficient of friction of plurality of indirect haptic devices is responsive to movement of one or more of the at least two clothed fingers.

Assignees

• Univ Northwestern

Inventors

• Colgate James Edward
• Peshkin Michael A
• Glassmire John
• Alexander Laura Winfield

Classifications

• G06F3/0362

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G06F3/0421

  by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen · CPC title

• 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