Portable device for outputting virtual vibration using vibrators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9911291-B2
Application number	US-201514928323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A portable device for outputting virtual vibration is provided. The portable device includes a controller configured to generate a control signal corresponding to a detected event. The portable device also includes vibrators configured to output virtual vibration based on the control signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable device, comprising:
a controller configured to generate a control signal corresponding to a detected event; and
vibrators configured to output virtual vibration based on the control signal,
wherein the vibrators comprises a first vibrator and a second vibrator
and the detected event comprising an event of a first type and an event of a second type, and
wherein in respose to the event of the first type detected, the first vibrator outputs a first vibration having a gradually decreasing amplitude based on the control signal, and the second vibrator outputs a second vibration having a gradually increasing amplitude, during the first vibration outputted by the first vibrator, based on the control signal, so that virtual vibration moving from the first vibrator to the second vibrator, in the portable device, is formed by the first vibration and the second vibration, and
wherein in response to the event of the second type detected, the first vibrator outputs the second vibration based on the control signal, and the second vibrator outputs the first vibration, during the second vibration outputed by the first vibrator, based on the control signal, so that virtual vibration moving from the second vibrator to the first vibrator, in the portable device, is formed by the first vibration and the second vibration, and wherein the event of the second type indicates an opposite event of the first type.

2. The portable device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first vibrator and the second vibrator output the virtual vibration by outputting different patterns of vibration based on the control signal.

3. The portable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a strap,
wherein the vibrators are configured to output virtual vibration moving along the strap, based on the control signal.

4. The portable device of claim 3 , wherein the virtual vibration rotates along the strap.

5. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the portable device comprises a body and a strap, and
wherein, based on the control signal, the vibrators are configured to output virtual vibration moving from the body to the strap.

6. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein, based the detected event, the virtual vibration is identified by at least one of an output position, a moving direction, and a moving speed.

7. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein, based on a control signal corresponding to a signal reception event, the vibrators are configured to output virtual vibration moving from a first point to a second point, and, based on a control signal corresponding to a signal transmission event, the vibrators are configured to output virtual vibration moving from the second point to the first point.

8. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein, based on a control signal corresponding to a drag event, the vibrators are configured to output virtual vibration moving in a drag direction.

9. The portable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage configured to store a vibration pattern matched to the event,
wherein the controller is configured to generate the control signal based on the vibration pattern.

10. The portable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensing processor configured to sense a user input to an input area, the input area being at least a portion of an area adjacent to the portable device; and
an event detector configured to detect the event based on the user input.

11. The portable device of claim 10 , wherein the user input comprises at least one of a tap input, a touch-and-hold input, a double tap input, a drag input, a panning input, a flick input, a drag-and-drop input, a swipe input, and a pinch input, which are performed by a user on the input area.

12. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the virtual vibration corresponding to a signal reception event and a virtual vibration corresponding to the signal transmission event move in opposite directions.

13. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein in response to a number of vibrators increasing, the portable device changes at least one of a position, a direction, and a speed of the virtual vibration.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lim Soochul
• Park Joonah
• Kim Seungchan
• Shin Jungsoon

Classifications

• G08B6/00 Primary

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• G06F3/016

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

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title