Electronic device and method for providing information thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9880624-B2
Application number	US-201514589132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2015
Priority date	Feb 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device includes a pressure providing part, a fluid, and a tactile sensation providing layer. The pressure providing part generates an initial pressure by an electrical signal. The fluid generates a fluidic pressure by the initial pressure in each of active regions partitioned from each other. The tactile sensation providing layer is configured to protrude by the fluidic pressure. The pressure providing layer may include piezoelectric elements mechanically modified by the electrical signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a pressure provider which generates an initial pressure in response to an electrical signal;
a fluid material which generates fluidic pressure corresponding to the initial pressure in each of active regions partitioned from each other;
a tactile sensation providing layer configured to protrude by the fluidic pressure;
a hydrogen storage alloy which absorbs or releases hydrogen according to pressure applied thereto; and
a partition wall disposed on a substrate and defining the active regions, and which comprises:
a first partition wall disposed between the substrate and the hydrogen storage alloy to form a first space that is sealed; and
a second partition wall disposed between the hydrogen storage alloy and the tactile sensation providing layer to form a second space that is sealed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure provider comprises a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed in the active regions, and
each of the piezoelectric elements is mechanically modified by the electrical signal.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising a first electrode connected to one terminal of each of the piezoelectric elements, and a second electrode connected to another terminal of each of the piezoelectric elements.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first electrode is disposed on a top surface of each of the piezoelectric elements, and
wherein the second electrode is disposed opposite to the first electrode with each of the piezoelectric elements therebetween.

5. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first electrode is disposed at a side of each of the piezoelectric elements,
wherein the second electrode is disposed at another side of each of the piezoelectric elements, and
wherein each of the piezoelectric elements is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

6. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the piezoelectric elements are comprised of aluminum orthophosphate (AlPO 4 ), quartz, Rochelle salt, topaz, gallium orthophosphate (GaPO 4 ), lanthanum-gallium silicate (La 3 Ga 5 SiO 14 ), barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ), bismuth titanate (Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 ), lead titanate (PbTiO 3 ), zinc oxide (ZnO), zirconium-lead titanate (Pb[Zr x Ti 1−x ]O 3 , 0<x<1; PZT), lanthanum-bismuth titanate ([Bi 4−x La x ]Ti 3 O 12 , 0<x<1; BLT), tin oxide (SnO 2 ), potassium niobate (KNbO 3 ), lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ), lithium tantalate (LiTaO 3 ), sodium tungstate (Na 2 WO 3 ), sodium-barium niobate (Ba 2 NaNb 5 O 5 ), potassium-lead niobate (Pb 2 KNb 5 O 15 ), sodium-potassium niobate (KNaNb 5 O 5 ), bismuth ferrite (BiFeO 3 ) or a combination thereof.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen storage alloy are comprised of a magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloy of Mg 2 Cu or Mg 2 Ni, a rare-earth metal-based hydrogen storage alloy of LaNi 5 or MnNi 5 , a titanium-based hydrogen storage alloy of TiFe, TiCo, TiMn, or TiCr 2 , a zirconium-based hydrogen storage alloy of ZrMn 2 or a combination thereof.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises:
an inert gas which fills the first space;
hydrogen which fills the second space or is stored in the hydrogen storage alloy.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the inert gas applies a pressure to the hydrogen storage alloy by volume variation of the piezoelectric element,
wherein the hydrogen storage alloy releases the hydrogen by the pressure of the inert gas, and
wherein the hydrogen applies a pressure to the tactile sensation providing layer.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising
a driving unit which receives image data, converts the image data into tactile sensation data, and outputs the tactile sensation data to an expressing unit,
wherein the expressing unit expresses tactile sensation information corresponding to the tactile sensation data, and comprises the pressure providing part, the fluid, and the tactile sensation providing layer.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the driving unit comprises a mode selecting part which selects at least one of shape information, color information, or gradation information which is included in the image data.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the driving unit further comprises:
a height calculator which determines heights of regional elements, respectively corresponding to the active regions, of the tactile sensation providing layer;
a texture calculator which determines a number of protruding regional elements among the regional elements of the tactile sensation providing layer to determine a texture of the tactile sensation providing layer; and
a tactile sensation data generator which generates the tactile sensation data on the basis of the heights and the texture of the tactile sensation providing layer.

13. A method for providing information on an electronic device, the method comprising:
selecting at least one of shape information, color information, or gradation information included in image data; and
expressing tactile sensation information corresponding to the selected information by protruding at least a portion of an outer surface of the electronic device,
wherein expressing the tactile sensation information comprises expressing the tactile sensation information by protruding a predetermined number of regional elements among a plurality of regional elements, calculated on the basis of density information defined as expressing the color information or the gradation information if selecting at least of one of the shape information, the color information, or the gradation information is selecting the color information or the gradation information.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electronic device comprises the plurality of regional elements protruded by signals applied thereto,
wherein expressing the tactile sensation information comprises expressing the tactile sensation information further using heights of the regional elements.

15. An electronic device comprising:
a pressure provider which generates an initial pressure in response to an electrical signal;
a fluid material which generates fluidic pressure corresponding to the initial pressure in each of active regions partitioned from each other;
a tactile sensation providing layer configured to protrude by the fluidic pressure; and
a protrusion disposed between a surface of the fluid material and the tactile sensation providing layer,
wherein the protrusion floats on the fluid material and is moved by the fluidic pressure to protrude the tactile sensation providing layer.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the pressure provider comprises a plurality of piezoelectric elements disposed in the active regions, and
each of the piezoelectric elements is mechanically modified by the electrical signal.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the fluid material is a liquid.

18. The electronic device of claim 15 , further comprising
a partition wall disposed on a substrate and defining the active regions,
wherein the partition wall comprises a region of which a width becomes progressively smaller toward a bottom of the region.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein an area of a region exposed by a top of the partition wall is smaller than an area of a region exposed by the bottom of the partition wall when viewed from a plan view.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bae Jongsung
• Park Chan Young
• Lee Donghyeon
• Lee Jusuck
• Jeong Heesoon
• Cho Seongmin
• Han Eunsil
• Hong Jeongjin

Classifications

• G09B21/004

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

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

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