Method and apparatus for controlling the operation of a vibro output system and / or the operation of an input sensor system

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for controlling the operation of a vibration output system and / or the operation of an input sensor system, wherein the controller is for use in an apparatus including the vibration output system and the input sensor system. A controller includes: an input configured to receive an indication of activation or deactivation of an output of the vibration output system; and an adjustment module configured to adjust the operation of the vibration output system and / or the operation of the input sensor system based on the indication to reduce interference with the input sensor system that is expected to be caused by the output of the vibration output system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure describes methods and apparatus for reducing or preventing interference (e.g., tactile crosstalk) to an input sensing system that is expected to be caused by the output of a vibration output system. The input sensing system may include, for example, a force sensing input system that provides a virtual button, or other input sensing systems such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, or microphone. Background Art

[0002] Linear resonant actuators (LRAs) and other vibration actuators (e.g., rotary actuators, vibration motors, etc.) are increasingly used in mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones, personal digital assistants, video game controllers, etc.) or other systems to generate vibration feedback for user interaction with such devices. Typically, a force / pressure sensor detects user interaction with the device (e.g., a finger pressing a virtual button of the device), and in response thereto, the linear resonant actuator vibrates to provide feedback to the user. For example, a linear resonant actuator may vibrate in response to a force to simulate the feel of a mechanical button click to the user.

[0003] One disadvantage of existing haptic systems is that existing methods of processing signals from force sensors and generating haptic responses thereto typically have a longer than desired latency, such that the haptic response may be significantly delayed from a user's interaction with the force sensor. Thus, in applications where the haptic system is used for mechanical button replacement, capacitive sensor feedback, or other applications, the haptic response may not effectively mimic the feel of a mechanical button click. Therefore, systems and methods are desired that minimize the latency between a user's interaction with a force sensor and a haptic response to that interaction.

[0004] Furthermore, the signals driving the linear resonant actuator may need to be carefully designed and generated in order to produce an appropriate and comfortable tactile sensation for the user. In a mechanical button replacement application, the desired tactile response may be one in which the vibration pulse generated by the linear resonant actuator should be strong enough to give the user noticeable notification as a response to his / her finger pressing and / or releasing, and the vibration pulse should be short, fast, and have a clean resonant tail to provide a "sharp" and "crisp" feeling to the user. Optionally, different control algorithms and stimuli may be applied to the linear resonant actuator to vary the performance to provide alternating tactile feedback—perhaps indicative of certain user patterns in the device—to give a more "soft" and "resonant" tactile response. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to some embodiments, a controller for controlling the operation of a vibration output system and / or the operation of an input sensor system is provided, wherein the controller is used in a device including the vibration output system and the input sensor system. The controller comprises: an input terminal configured to receive an indication of activation or deactivation of an output of the vibration output system; and an adjustment module configured to adjust the operation of the vibration output system and / or the operation of the input sensor system based on the indication to reduce interference with the input sensor system expected to be caused by the output of the vibration output system.

[0006] According to some embodiments, a device is provided, comprising: an input sensor system; a vibration output system; a controller configured to control the operation of the vibration output system and / or the input sensor system, wherein the controller comprises: an input terminal configured to receive an indication indicating activation or deactivation of an output of the vibration output system; and an adjustment module configured to adjust the operation of the vibration output system and / or the input sensor system based on the indication to reduce interference to the input sensor system expected to be caused by the output of the vibration output system.

[0007] According to some embodiments, an integrated circuit for use in a device including an input sensor system and a vibration output system is provided. The integrated circuit includes a controller configured to control the operation of the vibration output system and / or the input sensor system, wherein the controller includes: an input terminal configured to receive an indication of whether the output of the vibration output system is active; and an adjustment module configured to adjust the operation of the vibration output system and / or the operation of the input sensor system based on the indication.

[0008] According to some embodiments, a method for use in a device including a vibration output system and an input sensor system for controlling the operation of the vibration output system and / or the input sensor system is provided. The method comprises: receiving an indication of whether the output of the vibration output system is active; and adjusting the operation of the vibration output system and / or the operation of the input sensor system based on the indication to reduce interference with the input sensor system expected to be caused by the output of the vibration output system.

[0009] According to some embodiments, a controller is provided for use in a device including a vibration output system and an input sensor system for outputting an output signal to the vibration output system. The controller includes: an input end for receiving an input signal; and a filter for filtering the input signal to provide the output signal; wherein the filter is configured to filter the input signal based on an operating frequency or a carrier frequency associated with the input sensor system. In some embodiments, the controller also includes: an input end configured to receive an indication of an operating frequency or a carrier frequency of the input sensor system; and an adjustment module configured to dynamically adjust the filtering of the filter based on the indication of the operating frequency or the carrier frequency of the input sensor system.

[0010] According to some embodiments, a controller for use in a device including a vibration output system and an input sensor system for outputting an output signal to the vibration output system is provided. The controller includes a processing block configured to output the output signal, wherein the processing block is configured so that the integer harmonic tones of the output signal fall outside a frequency band associated with the operation of the input sensor system. In some embodiments, the processing block includes an output pulse width modulation (PWM) amplifier. In some embodiments, the controller further includes: an input terminal configured to receive an indication of a frequency band associated with the operation of the input sensor system; and an adjustment module configured to dynamically adjust the operation of the processing block based on the received indication so that the integer harmonic tones of the output signal fall outside a frequency band associated with the operation of the input sensor system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] For a better understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and in order to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating selected components of an exemplary mobile device;

[0013] Figure 2 A block diagram illustrating selected components of an exemplary integrated haptic system is shown;

[0014] Figure 3 An exemplary inductive sensing system is shown;

[0015] Figure 4 shows that using Figure 3 A virtual button implemented by the inductive sensing system of the system shown;

[0016] Figure 5 A human-machine interface (HMI) system including an integrated haptic system is shown;

[0017] Figure 6 An example of an inductive sensing system is shown;

[0018] Figure 7 The frequency band of interest BWc for the inductive sensing subsystem is shown;

[0019] Figure 8 A controller for controlling the operation of a vibration output system and / or the operation of an input sensor system according to some embodiments is shown;

[0020] Fig. 9 illustrates a controller in an HMI system according to some embodiments;

[0021] Fig.10 shows an example of an adjustment module according to some embodiments;

[0022] Fig.11 A method for use in a device including a vibration output system and an input sensor system for controlling the operation of the vibration output system and / or the input sensor system according to some embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following description sets forth exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure. Other exemplary embodiments and implementations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various equivalent technologies may be applied in place of or in conjunction with the embodiments discussed below, and all such equivalents shall be deemed to be included in the present disclosure.

[0024] The methods described herein may be implemented in a wide range of devices and systems, such as mobile phones, audio players, video players, mobile computing platforms, gaming devices, remote control devices, toys, machines, or home automation controllers or household appliances. However, for ease of explanation of one embodiment, the present invention will be described in detail in detail in the following sections. Figure 1 An illustrative example is described in , where implementation occurs in mobile device 102 .

[0025] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram showing selected components of an exemplary mobile device 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1As shown, the mobile device 102 may include: an enclosure 101, a controller 103, a memory 104, an input sensor system 105 (which includes a force sensor in this example), a microphone 106, a vibration output system 107 (which includes a linear resonant actuator (LRA) in this example), a radio transmitter / receiver 108, a speaker 110, and an integrated haptic system 112. It should be understood that any suitable vibration actuator (e.g., a rotary actuator (such as an ERM), a vibration motor, etc.) arranged to provide a tactile vibration effect may be used as an alternative or in addition to the LRA 107.

[0026] The enclosure 101 may include any suitable case, housing, or other enclosure for housing the various components of the mobile device 102. The enclosure 101 may be constructed of plastic, metal, and / or any other suitable material. Furthermore, the enclosure 101 may be adapted (e.g., sized and shaped) to allow the mobile device 102 to be easily transported on the person of a user of the mobile device 102. Thus, the mobile device 102 may include, but is not limited to, a smartphone, a tablet computing device, a handheld computing device, a personal digital assistant, a notebook computer, a video game controller, or any other device that may be easily transported on the person of a user of the mobile device 102. Although Figure 1 A mobile device is shown, but it should be understood that the system shown may be used in other device types, such as user-interactive display technology, automotive computing systems, etc.

[0027] The controller 103 may be contained within the enclosure 101 and may include any system, device or apparatus configured to interpret and / or execute program instructions and / or process data, and may include, but is not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other digital or analog circuit configured to interpret and / or execute program instructions and / or process data. In some embodiments, the controller 103 interprets and / or executes program instructions and / or processes data stored in the memory 104 and / or other computer-readable media accessible to the controller 103.

[0028] The memory 104 may be housed within the enclosure 101, communicatively coupled to the controller 103, and may include any system, device, or apparatus (e.g., a computer-readable medium) configured to retain program instructions and / or data for a period of time. The memory 104 may include any suitable selection and / or array of random access memory (RAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) card, flash memory, magnetic storage, optical-magnetic storage, or volatile or non-volatile memory (which retains data after power to the mobile device 102 is turned off).

[0029] Microphone 106 may be at least partially housed within enclosure 101, communicatively coupled to controller 103, and may include any system, device, or apparatus configured to convert sound incoming at microphone 106 into electrical signals that may be processed by controller 103, wherein such sound is converted into electrical signals using a diaphragm or membrane having a capacitance that varies according to acoustic vibrations received at the diaphragm or membrane. Microphone 106 may include an electrostatic microphone, a condenser microphone, an electret microphone, a micro-electromechanical system (MEMs) microphone, or any other suitable condenser microphone.

[0030] The radio transmitter / receiver 108 may be housed within the enclosure 101, communicatively coupled to the controller 103, and may include any system, device, or apparatus configured to generate and transmit radio frequency signals with the aid of an antenna, and to receive radio frequency signals and convert information carried by such received signals into a form usable by the controller 103. The radio transmitter / receiver 108 may be configured to transmit and / or receive various types of radio frequency signals, including, but not limited to, cellular communications (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, etc.), short-range wireless communications (e.g., Bluetooth), commercial radio signals, television signals, satellite radio signals (e.g., GPS), Wi-Fi, etc.

[0031] The speaker 110 may be at least partially contained within the enclosure 101 or may be external to the enclosure 101, communicatively coupled to the controller 103, and may include any system, device, or apparatus configured to produce sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. In some embodiments, the speaker may include a dynamic speaker that employs a lightweight diaphragm mechanically coupled to a rigid frame via a flexible suspension that limits the axial movement of the voice coil through a cylindrical magnetic gap. When an electrical signal is applied to the voice coil, the current in the voice coil generates a magnetic field, making it a variable electromagnet. The magnetic systems of the coil and the driver interact to generate a mechanical force that moves the coil (and therefore the attached cone) back and forth, thereby reproducing sound under the control of the applied electrical signal from the amplifier.

[0032] The input sensor system 105 may be housed within, located on, or forming a part of the enclosure 101 and may be communicatively coupled to the controller 103. In this example, the input sensor system 105 includes a force sensor system, and each force sensor of the force sensor system 105 may include any suitable system, device, or apparatus for sensing force, pressure, or touch (e.g., interaction with a person's finger) and for generating an electrical or electronic signal in response to such force, pressure, or touch. In some embodiments, such an electrical or electronic signal may be a function of the amplitude of the force, pressure, or touch applied to the force sensor. In these and other embodiments, such an electronic or electrical signal may include a general purpose input / output signal (GPIO) associated with the input signal to which tactile feedback is given.

[0033] An exemplary force sensor may include or comprise:

[0034] Capacitive displacement sensor,

[0035] Inductive force sensor,

[0036] Strain gauges,

[0037] Piezoelectric force sensor,

[0038] Force sensing resistors,

[0039] Piezoresistive force sensor,

[0040] Thin film force sensors, and

[0041] Force sensor based on quantum tunneling composite materials.

[0042] In some arrangements, other types of sensors may be employed.For purposes of clarity and explanation in this disclosure, the term "force" as used herein may refer not only to force, but also to physical quantities indicative of force or similar to force, such as, but not limited to, pressure and touch.

[0043] In this example, the vibration output system 107 includes a linear resonant actuator 107, which can be contained within the enclosure 101 and can include any suitable system, device or apparatus for generating an oscillating mechanical force on a single axis. For example, in some embodiments, the linear resonant actuator 107 can rely on an AC voltage to drive a voice coil pressed against a moving mass connected to a spring. When the voice coil is driven at the resonant frequency of the spring, the linear resonant actuator 107 can vibrate with a perceptible force. Therefore, the linear resonant actuator 107 can be used for tactile applications within a specific frequency range. Although for the purpose of clarity and explanation, the present disclosure is described with respect to the use of the linear resonant actuator 107, it should be understood that one or more other types of vibration actuators (e.g., eccentric rotating mass actuators) can be used to replace or supplement the linear resonant actuator 107. In addition, it should also be understood that an actuator arranged to generate oscillating mechanical forces on multiple axes can be used to replace or supplement the linear resonant actuator 107. As described elsewhere in this disclosure, based on signals received from the integrated haptic system 112 , the linear resonant actuator 107 can provide tactile feedback to a user of the mobile device 102 for at least one of mechanical button replacement and capacitive sensor feedback.

[0044] The integrated haptic system 112 may be housed within the enclosure 101, may be communicatively coupled to the input sensor system 105 and the vibration output system 107, and may include any system, device, or apparatus configured to receive a signal from the input sensor system 105 indicating a force applied to the mobile device 102 (e.g., a force applied by a human finger to a virtual button of the mobile device 102) and generate an electronic signal for driving the linear resonant actuator 107 in response to the force applied to the mobile device 102.

[0045] Although specific exemplary components are described above as being integrated into the mobile device 102 (e.g., controller 103, memory 104, input sensor system 105, microphone 106, radio transmitter / receiver 108, speaker 110), the mobile device 102 according to the present disclosure may include one or more components not specifically listed above. Figure 1 Certain user interface components are depicted, but the mobile device 102 may include one or more other user interface components (including but not limited to buttons, touch screens, and displays) in addition to those depicted in the above-mentioned figures, thereby allowing a user to interact with and / or otherwise manipulate the mobile device 102 and its associated components.

[0046] Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the input sensor system 107 may include additional or alternative input sensor devices or transducers, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, or other sensor devices.

[0047] Figure 2 A block diagram of selected components of an exemplary integrated haptic system 112A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, the integrated haptic system 112A may be used to implement Figure 1 The integrated tactile system 112. Figure 2 As shown, the integrated haptic system 112A may include a controller (which in this example includes a digital signal processor (DSP)) 202 , a memory 204 , and an amplifier 206 .

[0048] DSP 202 may include any system, device, or apparatus configured to interpret and / or execute program instructions and / or process data. In some embodiments, DSP 202 may interpret and / or execute program instructions and / or process data stored in memory 204 and / or other computer-readable media accessible to DSP 202. DSP 202 functions as a controller for integrated haptic system 112A.

[0049] The memory 204 may be communicatively coupled to the DSP 202 and may include any system, device, or apparatus (e.g., a computer-readable medium) configured to retain program instructions and / or data for a period of time. The memory 204 may include any suitable selection and / or array of random access memory (RAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) card, flash memory, magnetic storage, optical-magnetic storage, or volatile or non-volatile memory that retains data after power to the mobile device 102 is turned off.

[0050] Amplifier 206 may be electrically coupled to DSP 202 and may include any suitable electronic system, device, or apparatus configured to increase the power of an input signal VIN (e.g., a time-varying voltage or current) to generate an output signal VOUT. For example, amplifier 206 may use electrical power from a power supply (not explicitly shown) to increase the amplitude of the signal. Amplifier 206 may include any suitable class of amplifier, including, but not limited to, a Class D amplifier.

[0051] In operation, memory 204 can store one or more haptic playback representations. A haptic playback representation can include a waveform. In some examples, a haptic playback representation can include one or more parameters, such as frequency amplitude and duration, thereby allowing a haptic waveform to be determined based on the parameters. In some embodiments, each of the one or more haptic playback representations can define a haptic response a(t) as a desired acceleration of a linear resonant actuator (e.g., linear resonant actuator 107) as a function of time.

[0052] Controller or DSP 202 is configured to receive a force signal VSENSE from force sensor system 105 indicating a force applied to at least one force sensor of force sensor system 105. In response to receiving the force signal VSENSE indicating the sensed force, or independently of such reception, DSP 202 may retrieve a tactile playback representation from memory 104, and may process the tactile playback representation to determine a processed tactile playback signal VIN. In an embodiment where amplifier 206 is a Class D amplifier, the processed tactile playback signal VIN may include a pulse width modulated signal. In response to receiving the force signal VSENSE indicating the sensed force, DSP 202 may cause the processed tactile playback signal VIN to be output to amplifier 206, and amplifier 206 may amplify the processed tactile playback signal VIN to generate a tactile output signal VOUT for driving linear resonant actuator 107.

[0053] In some embodiments, the integrated haptic system 112A can be formed on a single integrated circuit, thereby achieving lower latency than existing haptic feedback control methods. By providing the integrated haptic system 112A as part of a single monolithic integrated circuit, latency between various interfaces and system components of the integrated haptic system 112A can be reduced or eliminated.

[0054] For devices having an input transducer (e.g., a resistive or inductive force sensor) or other input sensor system (such as a microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, optical sensor, etc.), the system can be configured so that any effects or interference on the input sensor system expected to be caused by the vibration output is reduced. This can be achieved by controlling the operation of the vibration output, controlling the operation of the input sensor system, and / or controlling the processing of the signals generated by the input sensor system to reduce the effects of any vibration-related crosstalk.

[0055] Inductive Sensing in Human Machine Interface (HMI) Systems

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the input sensor system may include a system configured to measure changes in the inductance of a coil, which is referred to as an inductive sensing system. The inductive sensing system may form part of a human machine interface (HMI).

[0057] Figure 3An exemplary inductive sensing system is shown. The inductive sensing system includes a metal plate 301 and an inductor 302 positioned at a distance 303 apart. When a current (I) passes through the inductor 302, the magnetic field induces eddy currents in the metal plate 301. When a force F is applied to the metal plate, the force changes the distance 303 from the metal plate 301 to the inductor 302 and changes the coupling between the inductor 302 and the metal plate 301. In this case, the coupling coefficient k, the inductor L2, and the loss resistance RL in the model of the inductive sensing system change. The change in distance 303 in turn changes the effective impedance (ZL) observed in the inductor.

[0058] In this inductive sensing system, force or mechanical movement in a metal plate causes a change in inductance.

[0059] Figure 4 shows that using Figure 3 The inductive sensing system of the system shown implements the virtual button.

[0060] When such an inductive sensing system is used as part of an HMI system, tactile feedback may be included in the HMI system to provide the user with tactile feedback based on the amount / duration of pressure applied. Examples of such HMI interfaces may include, but are not limited to, virtual button systems, volume sliders, power / home buttons in electronic devices.

[0061] Figure 5 An HMI system 500 including an integrated haptic system 510 is shown. Figure 2 The integrated tactile system 112A may include an integrated tactile system 510. The HMI system 500 includes three main subsystems: an RLC sensor 501, an inductive sensing analog front end (AFE) 502 with post-processing, and a tactile amplifier 503 connected to the sensing subsystem. The tactile amplifier 503 provides tactile feedback to the user through a tactile module 504 (e.g., LRA, etc.). Figure 2 As described, the controller 505 (which may include a DSP) may be configured to control the operation of the tactile amplifier 503. In particular, the DSP 505 may be configured to receive a force signal V from the IS AFE 502 indicating the force applied to the inductive sensor 501. 感测 In response to receiving a force signal V indicative of the sensed force 感测 Alternatively, and independently of such receipt, DSP 505 may retrieve the haptic playback representation from memory 506 and may process the haptic playback representation to determine a processed haptic playback signal V IN .

[0062] In systems such as those described above, it may be advantageous to ensure that any vibration output system (e.g., tactile amplifier and module, or surface audio system) does not interfere with or affect the functionality of the inductive sensing system. For example, when actively vibrating, energy can be coupled from the vibration output system back to the inductive sensing system or sensor, thereby affecting the detection accuracy of the inductive sensing system or sensor. It should be understood that the general structure of the above-described smart tactile amplifier with an integrated inductive force sensing front end can be applied to systems with an integrated input sensor system (e.g., resistive force sensing) front end.

[0063] It should also be understood that the vibration output system may have similar interfering effects on other types of input sensor systems (eg, camera systems, optical systems, microphones, etc.).

[0064] Inductive Sensing

[0065] Figure 6 An example of an inductive sensing system 600 that measures a phase shift that is proportional to the inductance of a coil (hereinafter referred to as a phase detector) is shown. Figure 5 The IS AFE 502 shown may include Figure 6 An inductive sensing system 600 is shown.

[0066] Inductive sensing system 600 may be coupled to sensor (sensor) 603, wherein sensor 603 comprises a resistor-inductor-capacitor (RLC) circuit. (This may be equivalent to Figure 5 Inductive sensor 501 shown).

[0067] ●The inductor in an RLC circuit can include a coil and a metal plate,

[0068] • The voltage across the sensor 603 may be generated based on the RLC circuit response to the current driven into the sensor 603 .

[0069] ● Note that the resistor component R of sensor 603 is not Figure 6 , but should be understood to exist as intentional or parasitic circuit components.

[0070] In this example, the inductive sensing system 600 includes the following:

[0071] (1) A digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) 601, wherein:

[0072] The DCO 601 outputs a clock at the carrier frequency (Fc), which is referred to as the 0 degree output; and

[0073] • DCO 601 outputs a second square wave clock conceptually offset 90 degrees relative to the main output, which is referred to as the 90 degree output.

[0074] (2) Driving circuit (driver) 602, wherein:

[0075] The output of DCO 601 is coupled to the input of driver 602;

[0076] The drive circuit 602 drives a pseudo-sinusoidal current at a frequency and phase alignment with a 0 degree clock input; and

[0077] • The driving circuit 602 drives a current with a fixed amplitude.

[0078] • It should be understood that the driving circuit 602 can drive a constant current at a driving frequency of 0 Hz.

[0079] (3) an IQ receiving path, which receives the voltage on the sensor, and includes:

[0080] ● Low noise input amplifier (amplifier) ​​604;

[0081] An I path coupled to the output of the amplifier, the I path comprising:

[0082] o Analog multiplier 605, the input of which is coupled to:

[0083] ■DCO 601 output, which is phase aligned with the current delivered by the driver circuit, and

[0084] ■The output of amplifier 604;

[0085] o a low pass filter 606 coupled to the output of the analog multiplier 605; and

[0086] o ADC 607, coupled to the output of the low pass filter to digitize the I path voltage signal.

[0087] A Q path coupled to the output of amplifier 604, the Q path comprising:

[0088] o Analog multiplier 608, the input of which is coupled to:

[0089] ■DCO 601 output, which is 90 degrees phase-shifted relative to the signal transmitted by the driver circuit, and

[0090] ■The output of amplifier 604;

[0091] o a low pass filter 609 coupled to the output of the analog multiplier 608; and

[0092] o ADC 610, which is coupled to the output of the low pass filter 609 to digitize the Q path voltage signal.

[0093] (4) A processing block (post-processing) 611 that generates amplitude and phase information from the IQ path, where:

[0094] The output of the I-path ADC 607 is coupled as an input into the processing block; and

[0095] - The output of the Q-path ADC 610 is coupled as input into the processing block.

[0096] The DSP 505 may then include a button press detection block 612 that observes the phase information to determine whether to interpret a shift in the phase recorded by the IQ detection path as a button press.

[0097] In the exemplary inductive sensing system 600, to perform one scan of the RLC sensor 603, the following operations may be performed:

[0098] • Activate DCO 601 and drive circuit 602.

[0099] • After the low pass filters 609, 606 have settled, the ADCs 610, 607 are activated and one or more ADC samples are captured at the capture frequency, preferably at approximately 500 kHz.

[0100] ○ The duration of capturing ADC samples is called conversion time.

[0101] ○ Each ADC sample contains a certain amount of noise due to analog and digital factors, including but not limited to:

[0102] ■Circuit thermal noise

[0103] ■Circuit flicker noise

[0104] ■Digital quantization noise

[0105] ●Filter one or more ADC samples to attenuate noise.

[0106] ●Processing converts I and Q signals into phase and amplitude information.

[0107] It should be understood that although Figure 6 The filtering in is shown as occurring at the output of the ADCs 609, 606, but filtering may occur at a number of different locations in the processing path. In addition, it should be understood that for the above described system, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) may be used in place of the DCO 601.

[0108] The power in the inductive sensing system 600 may vary based on a number of factors, such as:

[0109] • Scan rate: If more scans are performed in a certain measured time, power will be increased compared to performing fewer scans.

[0110] ●Conversion time: Longer conversion times require the circuit to be active for a longer period of time, thereby increasing power consumption.

[0111] Back to Figure 5 , inductive sensing system V 感测 The output of may be used by DSP 505 to trigger haptic amplifier 503, which may play back any one of the haptic representations stored in memory 506 to haptic module 504 based on the type of haptic feedback desired. Haptic amplifier 503 may be implemented as a Class D system, and thus may have significant out-of-band content up to tens of megahertz (e.g., outside the 0-20Khz frequency band used to transmit the signal).

[0112] One example of a haptic amplifier output is a pulse width modulated (PWM) stream which, in addition to signal power in the 0-20Khz band, has harmonics and out-of-band noise up to 50Mhz or higher.

[0113] In such a system, the tactile amplifier output may have noise or tonal content in the same operating frequency range as the inductive sensor itself (i.e., in the range of the carrier frequency Fc). This may add noise to the inductive sensing phase calculation, thereby affecting accuracy, functionality, or both accuracy and functionality.

[0114] To solve this problem, the HMI system 500 may be configured as follows.

[0115] The sensor 501 described in the system may include a resistance-inductance-capacitance (RLC) circuit whose inductive component includes a metal coil that is nominally an antenna and is therefore able to detect electromagnetic fields external to the system.

[0116] IS AFE 502 includes Figure 6 In the example of the inductive sensing system 600 described, the inductive sensing subsystem 600 includes an IQ receive path that includes an analog mixer and a low pass filter. Once the analog-to-digital conversion is completed, digital filtering may also be applied to the signal. There is a frequency band of interest for the input signal that the inductive sensing subsystem is trying to detect, and therefore the IQ receive path may be designed to inherently reject signals outside of this frequency band. The amount of rejection varies with the frequency of the applied signal and its proximity to the frequency band of interest (the frequency band around the carrier frequency Fc). External interference located within this frequency band may reduce the signal-to-noise ratio and cause the accuracy of the inductive sensing subsystem to be reduced.

[0117] In a system where an input sensor system (such as the inductive sensing system 600) and a vibration output system (such as a tactile amplifier and a tactile module) co-reside, a portion of the noise or distortion generated by the vibration output system may fall directly within (or near) the frequency band of interest (BWc) of the input sensor system and may degrade phase or amplitude measurement accuracy.

[0118] Figure 7 The frequency band of interest BWc of the inductive sensing subsystem is shown.

[0119] It should be understood that the output energy of the vibration output system may be coupled to the input sensor system, thereby causing inaccuracies - especially when the output energy is close to the carrier frequency Fc of the input sensor system. The coupling mechanism may include, but is not limited to, electrical coupling, mechanical coupling, or vibration coupling. It should also be understood that the output energy of the vibration output system may cause some thermal effects. For example, if the input sensor system is temperature dependent, or the output of the input sensor system varies with temperature in some way, the vibration output system may couple to the input sensor system by heating the input sensor system when the vibration output system is active.

[0120] One example of electrical coupling may occur when there is a trace or parasitic capacitance between, for example, the tactile amplifier output of a vibration output system and the sensor input (or output) of an input sensor system. Out-of-band (e.g., PWM) content output by the vibration output system may couple onto the sensor signal path as external interference. Other coupling mechanisms may include power coupling, inductive or electromagnetic coupling, or IC substrate coupling.

[0121] Figure 8 A controller 800 for controlling the operation of a vibration output system and / or the operation of an input sensor system according to some embodiments is shown. The controller is for use in an apparatus including a vibration output system and an input sensor system. For example, an apparatus may include Figure 1 The device 101 shown, and Figure 1 The integrated haptic system 112 (or Figure 2 112A) shown may include Figure 8 The controller 800 shown. In particular, Figure 2 DSP 202 or Figure 5 The DSP 505 may include a reference Figure 8 Controller 800 is described.

[0122] The controller 800 includes an input 801 configured to receive an indication of activation or deactivation of an output of the vibration output system. For example, the indication may include an indication from Figure 2 The signal V of the force sensor 105 is shown 感测 When the signal V感测 Indicates that when a force is sensed at the force sensor 105, the signal V 感测 The activation of the output of the vibration output system may be indicated because, as described above, the controller may be configured to respond to the signal V 感测 A vibration output signal is output to a vibration output system indicating that a force has been sensed at the force sensor.

[0123] In some embodiments, the indication may include a haptic playback signal V 输入 In these instances, a delay may be applied to the haptic playback signal V before the signal is output to the haptic module. 输入 , in order to account for any delays in the processing provided by the controller 800. The haptic playback signal V 输入 Activation of an output of a vibration output system may be indicated, for example, when the haptic playback signal is non-zero or has an amplitude above a predetermined threshold.

[0124] The controller 800 also includes an adjustment module 802 configured to adjust the operation of the vibration output system and / or the operation of the input sensor system based on the indication to reduce interference with the input sensor system expected to be caused by the output of the vibration output system. For example, the controller 800 can be configured to output a control signal CTRL to one or both of the output vibration system and the input sensor system.

[0125] In some examples, the indication may be processed by the processing block 803 before being input into the adjustment module 802. For example, when the indication includes the signal V 感测 In the case of, the controller may include a button press detection block 803, such as Figure 6 The button press detection block 612 is shown. The button press detection block 612 can then output an indication signal V to the adjustment module. 感测 However, in some examples, the button press detection block may form part of an input sensor system, and the controller 800 may receive the signal V 感测 Whether to indicate an indication of a button press.

[0126] It should be understood that processing block 803 performs different processing depending on the nature of the input sensor system. For example, if the input sensor system includes a camera sensor system, processing block 803 can be configured to determine whether the camera is being used.

[0127] Given an input sensor system and a vibration output system, one or more of the following methods may be used to ensure optimal efficiency and co-design with zero or minimal loss of sensitivity, accuracy, and functionality. It should be understood that the described methods may be implemented by a controller 800 provided as part of an input sensor system and / or as part of an integrated haptic system or smart haptic amplifier as described above.

[0128] For example, the input sensor system 902 may include Figure 6 The inductive sensing system 600 shown. The inductive sensing system 600 may have several programmable / variable parameters that can be adjusted by the adjustment module 802 in response to the indication. For example, the filtering applied by the inductive sensing (e.g., the time and bandwidth used in analog filtering or digital filtering (post-ADC)) can be variable. The longer the time (and the lower the BW), the narrower the resulting BWc. The drive amplitude of the inductive sensing system 600 can also be adjusted. For example, the amplitude of the signal driven to the sensor 603 can be variable. By changing the drive signal to the sensor 603, the adjustment module 802 can change the SNR by changing the "signal" portion of the SNR. Reference will be made to Fig. 9 These examples (and others) are described in more detail.

[0129] Fig. 9 The controller 800 in the HMI system 900 is shown. The HMI system 900 may form a part of a device. The HMI system 900 includes a vibration output system 901, an input sensor system 902, and the controller 800.

[0130] The vibration output system 901 may also include any suitable vibration output system, such as a tactile output system or a surface audio output system.

[0131] In this example, the vibration output system 901 comprises a tactile output system, and the input sensor system 902 comprises a force sensor system.

[0132] The controller 800 is configured to receive the output of the inductive sensing analog front end 502. The detection block 803 may then determine whether the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502 represents a button press. It should be understood that in embodiments where the input sensor system includes another type of sensor (e.g., a camera), the detection block 803 may be configured to detect when the input sensor system outputs a signal (during which the device is expected to output a vibration output to a user of the device).

[0133] The adjustment module 802 may then be configured to output a control signal CTRL to one or both of the vibration output system 901 and the input sensor system 902 based on the output of the detection block 803 .

[0134] For example, the adjustment module 802 may be configured to increase the drive amplitude or power level of the input sensor system 902 in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibration output system 901. Because the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502 can be used to determine whether the tactile amplifier needs to be activated, the drive amplitude (or power level) to the input sensor 501 can be temporarily increased for the duration of the vibration output system activity. In this way, the overall signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal output by the input sensor 501 can still meet the minimum threshold. In other words, although the noise or interference caused by the vibration output system can remain the same as if no adjustment was made by the adjustment module 802, the amplitude of the sensor signal is increased to compensate.

[0135] For example, refer to Figure 6 , the adjustment module 802 can be configured to control the drive circuit 602 so that the drive amplitude to the sensor is increased in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibration output system 901.

[0136] In some examples, the adjustment module 802 is configured to adjust a bandwidth or a transition time associated with the operation of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating activation of an output of the vibration output system.

[0137] For example, the bandwidth associated with the operation of the input sensor system may include a filter bandwidth applied to an output signal of the input sensor system, and wherein the adjustment module is configured to reduce the filter bandwidth in response to the indication indicating activation of an output of the vibration output system. For example, the adjustment module 802 may be configured to adjust the filter bandwidth applied by the filters 609 and / or 606 in the inductive sensing system 502.

[0138] For example, when the haptic amplifier is activated, the filter bandwidth (BW) or the switching time in the inductive sensing AFE 502 can be adapted. For example, the filter BW can be adjusted by the adjustment module 802 to be at the carrier frequency F c By narrowing the filter bandwidth, the signal V 感测 A higher proportion of interfering vibration output signals are filtered out, thereby reducing the interference to the input sensing system that is expected to be caused by the output of the vibration output system.

[0139] Adjustment of the filter bandwidth or switching time may be further optimized by calibration. Calibration may be performed during the initial manufacturing or assembly phase of the device or in real time. To perform calibration, a zero signal may be driven into the input sensor 501 while the vibration output system 901 is activated, and the output (e.g., phase and / or amplitude) of the inductive sensing AFE 502 may be measured. In this way, only disturbances caused by the vibration output signal are being measured from the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502.

[0140] To calibrate the system, the filter bandwidth of the inductive sensing AFE 502 and / or the conversion time of the inductive sensing AFE 502 may be changed (e.g., iteratively) until the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502 drops below a predetermined noise threshold. The filter BW and / or conversion time settings that caused the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502 to drop below the predetermined noise threshold may then be stored in an on-device memory or in a local memory.

[0141] The adjustment module 802 may then be configured (e.g., during normal operation of the device) to: obtain the bandwidth or transition time setting from the memory; and apply the bandwidth or transition time setting to the input sensor system 902 when the indication indicates activation of the output of the vibration output system. In other words, during normal operation of the system (e.g., where the signal driven into the input sensor 501 may be non-zero), when the vibration output system is activated (or to be activated), the stored filtering BW and / or transition time setting may be retrieved from the memory and applied to the inductive sensing AFE 502, such that the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502 is effectively set to noise.

[0142] Once the indication indicates that the vibration output system 901 is no longer active, the inductive sensing AFE 502 may be returned to the original filtering and / or conversion time settings for normal sensor operation.

[0143] In some examples, the adjustment module can be configured to apply digital post-compensation. In this example, the system can be calibrated. The calibration can be performed during the initial manufacturing or assembly stage or in real time. To perform the calibration, a zero signal can be driven into the input sensor 501 while the vibration output system 901 is activated, and the output (e.g., phase and / or amplitude) of the inductive sensing AFE 502 can be measured.

[0144] For example, when a particular output signal is output through the vibration output system 901, the controller 800 may measure the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502. A compensation waveform may then be determined for the particular output signal, where the compensation waveform is the inverse of the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502 during the output of the output signal through the vibration output system 901. Compensation signals may be determined for a plurality of predetermined output signals (e.g., haptic playback signals) that are expected to be output through the vibration output system during normal operation of the device. Each compensation signal may be stored in association with a corresponding associated output signal.

[0145] The adjustment module 802 may then be configured to: in response to the indication indicating activation of an output of the vibration output system, obtain a compensation signal from a memory including one or more stored compensation signals, wherein the compensation signal is associated with an output signal output by the vibration output system; and apply the compensation signal to a sensor signal (e.g., V) output by the input sensor system when the output signal is output by the vibration output system. 感测 ). For example, the adjustment module 802 can be configured to add a compensation signal to the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502. By applying the compensation signal to the sensor signal output by the inductive sensing AFE 502 during the output of the associated output signal, the expected interference of the output signal on the input sensor system 902 can be offset. In this example, the compensation waveform can be applied to the sensor signal, and then the controller 800 processes the output of the inductive sensing AFE 502 to determine, for example, whether a button press has occurred at the input sensor system 902.

[0146] When the indication indicates that vibration output system 901 is no longer active, adjustment module 802 can be configured to no longer apply the compensation signal to the sensor signal.

[0147] In some examples, when the output vibration system 901 is activated, the operating frequency of the input sensor system 902 can be adjusted. For example, in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibration output system, the adjustment module 802 can be configured to select the operating frequency of the input sensor system (e.g., carrier frequency F) based on the output signal being output by the vibration output system. C ).

[0148] Consider an example where the vibration output system 901 includes a tactile output system. If the harmonic tones of the tactile amplifier 503 fall at or near the operating frequency or carrier frequency Fc of the input sensor system 902, such that they cannot be effectively filtered by the inductive sensing AFE 502, the carrier frequency (or operating frequency) Fc can be adjusted so that the harmonic tones can be filtered at this time. Since the carrier frequency Fc can typically be on the order of tens of MHz, changing Fc by the order of 100Khz will not substantially change the sensitivity of the input sensor system 902, but can allow interference caused by the harmonic tones to be filtered because the harmonic tones can be forced out of the filtering bandwidth applied by the inductive sensing AFE 502. Therefore, the adjustment module 802 can be configured to select the operating frequency of the input sensor system 902 so that the output signal output by the vibration output system 901 or the harmonic tones generated during the output of the output signal are not within the filtering bandwidth of the input sensor system 902.

[0149] In some examples, a similar effect can be achieved using an exclusion zone with factory calibration or real-time calibration. For example, a zero signal can be driven into the input sensor system 902, and the output vibration system 901 can be activated. The output of the input sensor system 902 can then be measured during the activation of the output vibration system 901. In this way, only the interference caused by the activation of the vibration output system 901 is being measured. During the measurement of the interference, the operating frequency (Fc) of the input sensor system 902 can be swept across a series of frequencies, and the IS AFE 502 output (phase and / or amplitude) is recorded. The frequency values ​​associated with these situations can then be stored, and the exclusion zone including these frequency values ​​can be determined. In this example, when the vibration output system 901 is activated (or to be activated), the carrier frequency Fc can be selected by the adjustment module 802 so that it does not fall into any exclusion zone. For example, the adjustment module 802 can be configured to select the operating frequency of the input sensor system (e.g., carrier frequency Fc) in response to information indicating the activation of the output of the vibration output system. c ), so that the operating frequency is not within the predefined exclusion zone.

[0150] Once the vibration output system 901 is no longer activated, the original settings may be restored without applying an exclusion zone to the operating frequency of the input sensor system 902 .

[0151] In some examples, the adjustment module is configured to: when the vibration output system 901 is activated, blank the output signal of the input sensor system 902, for example, by setting the output of the input sensor system 902 to zero, or cause the HMI system 900 to ignore the output of the input sensor system 902. For example, the adjustment module 802 can be configured to blank the output signal of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating the activation of the output of the vibration output system. For example, the adjustment module can be configured to power off the IS AFE 502 or put the IS AFE 502 in standby, or the adjustment module can be configured to cause the controller 800 to simply ignore the data during the activation of the vibration output system 901.

[0152] For example, the adjustment module 802 can be configured to blank the output signal when the indication indicates activation of the output of the vibration output system by one or more of: placing the input sensor system 902 in a low power mode, placing the input sensor system 902 in an inactive mode, or ignoring the output signal of the input sensor system 902.

[0153] In some examples, the adjustment module 802 is configured to adjust the operation of the input sensor system 902 in response to the indication indicating the activation of the output of the vibration output system 901, so that the input sensor system 902 performs sensing only during one or more time intervals, during which the output signal being output to the vibration output system has a vibration amplitude lower than a predetermined threshold amplitude. For example, the output signal to be output to the vibration output system 901 can be designed so that there are small time intervals (or silent periods) in the vibration mode of tactile feedback, wherein the amplitude of the output signal is lower than a predetermined threshold. In other words, during these time intervals, due to the lower amplitude of the output signal, any interference caused by the vibration output system to the input sensor system will be reduced. Therefore, when there is no interference associated with the vibration output system 901 or there is reduced interference associated with the vibration output system, the input sensing system 902 can perform sensing during these time intervals. This embodiment can also ensure that no input data is lost (e.g., no button presses are missed at the input sensing system 902), which may be the case in an extended blanking interval. In some examples, the adjustment module 802 can be configured to adjust the control unit 800 (or the button press detection block 803) by ignoring the sensing signal V outside the time interval. 感测 to adjust the operation of the input sensor system 902. Alternatively, the input sensing system 902 may be disabled by the adjustment module 802 during the time interval.

[0154] In some examples, the adjustment module 802 is configured to trigger a desensitization window to be applied to the output of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating the activation of the output of the vibration output system. For example, when the vibration output system 901 is activated, such as in the case where the output signal caused by the vibration output system outputs a vibration, the adjustment module 802 can be configured to trigger the desensitization window so that the output of the input sensor system 902 is desensitized to compensate for possible interference caused by the activation of the vibration output system 901. The adjustment module 802 can be configured to trigger the desensitization window by adjusting the operation of the input sensor system 902, such as by adjusting the threshold used by the input system 902 to detect events, so as to reduce the sensitivity of the input sensor system 902 to such events. Therefore, in this example, the input sensor system 902 can be considered to include a button press detection block 803. The adjustment module 800 can then be configured to increase the threshold used by the button press detection block 803 to determine whether the force indicated by the output of the ISAFE 502 indicates a button press. By increasing the threshold, the adjustment module reduces the sensitivity of the button press detection block 803 to the button press event.

[0155] In some examples, the adjustment module can be configured to trigger the desensitization window by applying a negative gain to the output of the sensor 501 or to the output of the input sensor system 902. This can be thought of as similar to increasing the threshold at which the button press detection block 803 will detect a button press event by reducing the gain of the signal.

[0156] By effectively reducing the sensitivity of the input sensor system 902 during the desensitization window, the adjustment module 802 can mitigate the impact of the activated vibration output system 901 on the input sensor system 902 or on any other system that relies on the output of the input sensor system 902. In some examples, the desensitization window can have a variable duration, which can be based on, for example, the duration of the vibration output signal and / or the likelihood of "ringing" after the vibration output. In addition, the adjustment module can be configured to reduce the gain of the output of the input sensor system 902 or increase the factor of the threshold applied by the button press detection block 803 based on the amplitude of the output of the vibration output system 901. As another aspect, it should be understood that the desensitization window can be separate, for example, the factor can vary within the duration of the desensitization window.

[0157] It should be understood that some of the above-described functions of the adjustment module 802 may not be applicable to all types of input sensor systems 902. For example, if the adjustment module is configured to blank the output signal of the input sensor system, this may result in significant dropouts or distortion in the case where the input sensor system includes a microphone sensor system (e.g., during a voice call), or in the case where the input sensor system includes a gyroscope or accelerometer sensor system (e.g., when the motion of the device is used as input for, for example, a gaming application). In examples such as these (or in the case of suitable input sensor systems), the adjustment module 802 may be configured as follows: Fig.10 shown.

[0158] Fig.10 An example of an adjustment module 802 is shown according to some embodiments.

[0159] In this embodiment, adjustment module 802 may be configured to predict the output impact of vibration output system 901 on input sensor system 902 and determine the nature of any filtering that may be performed to mitigate the impact of the vibration output signal on input sensor system 902 .

[0160] In particular, modeling can be performed for the vibration output system 901, the mechanical environment of the device, and the input sensor system 902. For example, the collective parts listed above can be viewed as linear systems that can be modeled by adaptive filters.

[0161] Therefore, in this embodiment, the adjustment module 802 includes an adaptive filter 1001 .

[0162] exist Fig.10 , the transfer function h(n) represents the actual transfer function of the unknown system including the vibration output system 901, the mechanical environment of the device, and the input sensor system 902. For example, h(n) may represent the coupling effect between the vibration output system and the device frame, the input sensor system on the vibration output system (and any other mechanical factors).

[0163] Signal x(n) comprises the vibration output signal. Signal y(n) then represents the vibration output signal after coupling with the input sensor system and any other mechanical factors of the device.

[0164] The signal v(n) represents the expected input sensor signal received at the input sensor system, in other words, the signal that would be received at the controller if the transfer function h(n) had no effect on the input sensor system. The signal d(n) then represents the signal actually output by the input sensor system, which is affected by the vibration output system of the device and other mechanical effects according to h(n). The signal d(n) may be received by the adaptive filter 1001.

[0165] The model h^(n) of the adaptive filter 1001 (which may be a model in the electrical domain) replicates the actual transfer function h(n). The model h^(n) can then be continuously adapted to track changes in the actual system. When there is no input sensor signal v(n), the adaptation of the model h^(n) may be performed, and / or the adaptation rate may be a different rate than the signal v(n) (e.g., if v(n) is a fast signal, h^(n) may be slowly adapted). Therefore, the signal y^(n) may represent the signal y(n), such that when the model h^(n) matches the actual transfer function h(n), the signal e(n) is equivalent to the input sensor signal v(n).

[0166] The adaptive filter may include a linear filter, such as a finite impulse response (FIR) or infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, which may be updated using a suitable adaptive filtering method, such as recursive least mean square (LMS), Kalman filter, or the like.

[0167] In some instances, when the interference is too high or the filter h^(n) cannot track the actual transfer function h(n), the output e(n) may be limited. This may be referred to as a nonlinear canceller.

[0168] In some examples, the input sensor system and / or the vibration output system may be preconfigured to operate in conjunction with one another.

[0169] For example, a controller (e.g., controller 800) for use in a device including a vibration output system and an input sensor system for outputting an output signal to the vibration output system may be provided. The controller may include: an input terminal for receiving an input signal; and a filter for filtering the input signal to provide an output signal; wherein the filter is configured to filter the input signal based on an operating frequency or carrier frequency associated with the input sensor system. In other words, the controller may be pre-configured with an operation of the carrier frequency of the input sensor system so that the output signal output by the vibration output system is filtered by the input sensor system, and thus interference caused by the vibration output system may be reduced or avoided.

[0170] In some instances, the filter may include one or more filter poles (or notches) such that attenuation is provided in a narrow frequency band based on where the poles are located in the frequency domain. In some instances, the one or more filter poles or notches may be programmable. For example, the controller 800 may include an input configured to receive an indication of an operating frequency or carrier frequency of the input sensor system, and the adjustment module 802 may be configured to dynamically adjust the filtering of the filter based on an indication of the operating frequency or carrier frequency of the input sensor system. In this way, if the carrier frequency Fc (or operating frequency) of the input sensor system is dynamically changed or reset for operational reasons, the notch or pole may also be appropriately changed.

[0171] One example of implementing a filter may be to implement a finite infinite response (FIR) filter in one stage of the vibration output system. With proper placement, the notch (or pole) may help attenuate the output signal of the vibration output system and any noise or harmonics of the output signal that fall within the same frequency band as the input sensor system operating frequency.

[0172] In some examples, a controller (e.g., controller 800) for use in an apparatus including a vibration output system and an input sensor system for outputting an output signal to the vibration output system can be provided. The controller can include a processing block configured to output the output signal, wherein the processing block is configured such that integer harmonic tones of the output signal fall outside a frequency band associated with operation of the input sensor system. The processing block can include an output pulse width modulation (PWM) amplifier. For example, once the set of sensor operating frequencies (Fc) is known, the fundamental PWM frequency of the tactile amplifier can be selected such that none of its integer harmonic tones fall within a predetermined frequency band of Fc.

[0173] In some examples, the controller 800 may include an input configured to receive an indication of a frequency band associated with the operation of the input sensor system. The adjustment module 802 may then be configured to dynamically adjust the operation of the processing block based on the received indication so that the integer harmonic tones of the output signal fall outside the frequency band associated with the operation of the input sensor system. In some examples, the controller may be configured to change the marginal rate of the PWM waveform to change its harmonic content so that the harmonic tones of the output signal fall outside the frequency band associated with the operation of the input sensor system.

[0174] Fig.11 A method for use in an apparatus including a vibration output system and an input sensor system for controlling the operation of the vibration output system and / or the input sensor system is shown. The method may be performed by a controller (e.g. Figure 8 , Fig. 9 and Fig.10 In some examples, the method may be performed by a DSP (such as Figure 2 The DSP 202 shown or Figure 5 DSP 505) is implemented.

[0175] In step 1101, the method includes receiving an indication of whether an output of a vibration output system is active. For example, the indication may include an indication from Figure 2 The signal V of the force sensor 105 is shown 感测 When the signal V 感测 Indicates that when a force is sensed at the force sensor 105, the signal V 感测 The activation of the output of the vibration output system may be indicated because, as described above, the controller may be configured to respond to the signal V 感测 A vibration output signal is output to a vibration output system indicating that a force has been sensed at the force sensor.

[0176] In some embodiments, the indication may include a haptic playback signal V 输入 In these instances, a delay may be applied to the haptic playback signal V before the signal is output to the haptic module. 输入 , in order to account for any delays in the processing provided by the controller 800. The haptic playback signal V 输入 Activation of an output of a vibration output system may be indicated, for example, when the haptic playback signal is non-zero or has an amplitude above a predetermined threshold.

[0177] In step 1102, the method includes adjusting the operation of the vibration output system and / or the operation of the input sensor system based on the indication to reduce interference with the input sensor system that is expected to be caused by the output of the vibration output system. Figure 8 and Fig. 9As described, step 1102 may include any functional operations described as being performed by adjustment module 802. However, it should be understood that the functional operations may be performed by different functional blocks.

[0178] It should be understood that the above methods described for inductive sensing systems can also be used for other sensing systems when appropriate. For example, a smart tactile amplifier with a resistive force sensing front end can be configured to implement appropriate sensor compensation, blanking windows, and / or adaptive tactile output as described above. Similar methods can be used for any other suitable sensor system in the device, such as the output of an accelerometer, gyroscope, etc., which can also use sensor compensation, blanking windows, and / or adaptive tactile output as described above.

[0179] In another aspect, the input sensor system may include a camera or other type of optical sensor, wherein the controller 800 is arranged to control the camera or optical sensor itself, and / or is arranged to perform compensation on the output of the camera or optical sensor to reduce the effect of tactile or other vibration output signals on the sensor system. The controller 800 may perform image stabilization based at least in part on the vibration output.

[0180] It should be understood that the above-described systems and methods can also be used to reduce or eliminate crosstalk from surface audio-based systems, in which at least one actuator is used to drive oscillations or vibrations of a surface of a device (e.g., a screen or housing of a mobile phone) to produce sound output. Since such systems utilize mechanical vibrations of a portion of the device to produce device audio, the vibrations can interact with existing input sensors or transducers similar to tactile crosstalk as described above. In such cases, it should be understood that a surface audio amplifier can be used in place of the tactile amplifier described above.

[0181] It will be appreciated that the above method may be implemented in a dedicated control module, such as a processing module or DSP as shown in the above figures. The control module may be provided as an integrated part of the sensor system, or may be provided as part of a centralized controller such as a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP). It will be appreciated that the control module may be provided with a suitable memory storage module for storing the measured and calculated data used in the process.

[0182] The skilled person will recognize that some aspects of the above-described apparatus and methods may be embodied as, for example, processor control code on a non-volatile carrier medium such as a disk, CD- or DVD-ROM, a program memory such as a read-only memory (firmware) or a data carrier such as an optical or electrical signal carrier. For many applications, embodiments of the present invention will be implemented on a DSP (digital signal processor), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). Thus, the code may comprise conventional program code or microcode, or, for example, code for setting up or controlling an ASIC or FPGA. The code may also comprise code for dynamically configuring a reconfigurable device such as a reprogrammable logic gate array. Similarly, the code may comprise code for a hardware description language such as Verilog TM or VHDL (very high speed integrated circuit hardware description language). As the skilled person will appreciate, the code may be distributed between multiple coupled components that communicate with each other. Where appropriate, embodiments may also be implemented using code running on a field (re)programmable analog array or similar device to configure analog hardware.

[0183] It should be noted that as used herein, the term "module" or the term "block" will be used to refer to a functional unit or block that may be implemented at least in part by dedicated hardware components (such as custom circuits) and / or at least in part by one or more software processors or appropriate code running on a suitable general-purpose processor. A module may itself include other modules or functional units. A module may be provided by multiple components or sub-modules that need not be co-located and may be provided on different integrated circuits and / or run on different processors.

[0184] Embodiments may be implemented in a host device, particularly a portable and / or battery-powered host device, such as a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop or tablet computer), a game console, a remote control device, a home automation controller including a home temperature or lighting control system or a home appliance, a toy, a machine (such as a robot), an audio player, a video player, or a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone). A host device incorporating the above system is also provided.

[0185] It should be understood—especially by those of ordinary skill in the art given the benefit of this disclosure—that the various operations described herein (particularly in conjunction with the accompanying drawings) may be implemented by other circuits or other hardware components. The order in which each operation of a given method is performed may be changed, and the various elements of the systems shown herein may be added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc. This disclosure is intended to encompass all such modifications and changes, and therefore, the above description should be regarded in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense.

[0186] Similarly, although the present disclosure refers to specific embodiments, certain modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope and coverage of the present disclosure. In addition, any benefits, advantages, or solutions to problems described herein with respect to specific embodiments are not intended to be interpreted as critical, required, or essential features or elements.

[0187] Likewise, other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, and such embodiments are deemed to be included herein.

[0188] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the present invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in the claims, "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality, and a single feature or other unit may perform the functions of several units described in the claims. Any reference signs or numbers in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0189] Aspects of the system can be defined by the following statements:

[0190] A device, comprising:

[0191] Input sensor system;

[0192] a vibration output system driven to provide a vibration output;

[0193] A controller is arranged to monitor the vibration output system and adjust operation of the vibration output system and / or operation of the input sensor system to minimize the effect of the vibration output on the input sensor system.

[0194] Preferably, the vibration output system comprises a tactile output system arranged to provide a tactile vibration output. Additionally or alternatively, the vibration output system comprises a surface audio output system.

[0195] Preferably, the input sensor system comprises a force sensing system.

[0196] Preferably, the force sensing system comprises at least one force sensor selected from one or more of the following:

[0197] Capacitive displacement sensor,

[0198] Inductive force sensor,

[0199] Strain gauges,

[0200] Piezoelectric force sensor,

[0201] Force sensing resistors,

[0202] Piezoresistive force sensor,

[0203] Thin film force sensors, and

[0204] Force sensor based on quantum tunneling composite materials.

[0205] Additionally or alternatively, the input sensor system comprises at least one of: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a microphone transducer, a camera, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor.

[0206] In one aspect, the controller adjusts the vibro output system such that a transfer function of the vibro output system includes a notch or pole approximately at an operating frequency of the input sensor system.

[0207] Preferably, the controller is configured to dynamically adjust the vibro output system such that the presence of notches or poles in the transfer function of the vibro output system is updated if characteristics of the vibro output system and / or the input sensor system change.

[0208] In an additional or alternative aspect, the controller is configured to adjust an operating point of the input sensor system based on an output of the vibration output system.

[0209] Preferably, the controller is configured to increase the power level or drive amplitude of the input sensor system to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the input sensor system.

[0210] In an additional or alternative aspect, the controller is configured to adjust a bandwidth of operation of the input sensor system based on an output of the vibration output system.

[0211] Preferably, the controller is arranged to adjust a filter bandwidth of the input sensor system, preferably to reduce the filter bandwidth to filter out interfering signals from the vibration output system.

[0212] Additionally or alternatively, the controller is configured to adjust a switching time of the input sensor system based on an output of the vibration output system.

[0213] In another aspect, the apparatus comprises:

[0214] a memory storage device arranged to store a plurality of sensor system profiles defining system characteristics such as filter bandwidth, conversion time, power level or drive amplitude;

[0215] Wherein the controller is configured to select a sensor system profile based on the vibration output system to adjust operation of the input sensor system.

[0216] Preferably, the plurality of sensor system profiles are defined as different configurations of the input sensor system selected to minimize an effect of the vibration output on the input sensor system.

[0217] In addition or in lieu thereof,

[0218] The vibration output system includes a haptic module configured to drive a haptic actuator using a haptic waveform,

[0219] wherein the controller is provided with a plurality of digital compensation waveforms based on inverted versions of the effects of individual tactile waveforms on the input sensor system, and

[0220] Wherein the controller is configured to apply a separate digital compensation waveform to the output of the input sensor system in parallel with a haptic actuator being driven by a corresponding haptic waveform.

[0221] In an additional or alternative aspect, the controller is configured to adjust an operating frequency of at least a portion of the input sensor system to minimize an effect of the vibration output on the input sensor system.

[0222] Preferably, the device comprises:

[0223] a memory storage device arranged to store a plurality of defined exclusion zones defining frequency bands susceptible to interference from a vibro output of the vibro output system,

[0224] Wherein, in response to the vibration output of the vibration output system, the controller is arranged to adjust the operating frequency of the input sensor system to be outside the defined exclusion zone.

[0225] In an additional or alternative aspect, the controller is configured to adjust operation of the vibration output system such that a tone produced by the vibration output of the vibration output system does not fall within a predetermined frequency band of the input sensor system.

[0226] Preferably, the vibration output system comprises an output PWM amplifier, wherein the amplifier is controlled so that none of the integer harmonic tones of the PWM amplifier falls within a predetermined frequency band of the input sensor system.

[0227] In an additional or alternative aspect, the controller is configured to blank an output of the input sensor system while the vibro output system is providing a vibro output.

[0228] Preferably, the controller is configured to place the input sensor system into a low power or inactive mode whilst the vibro output system is providing vibro output.

[0229] In an additional or alternative aspect, the controller is configured to control the output of the vibration output system such that the vibration output is provided with intervals of reduced vibration amplitude, and wherein the input sensor system is sampled input data by the controller during such intervals of reduced vibration amplitude.

[0230] In additional or alternative aspects, the controller is configured to apply a desensitization window to the input sensor system such that an operating threshold associated therewith is increased and / or to apply a negative gain to a sensor signal of the input sensor system to reduce an effect of vibration output on the input sensor system or on any system using the output of the input sensor system.

[0231] Preferably, the controller is configured to adjust the duration of the desensitization window and / or the desensitization factor.

[0232] In additional or alternative aspects, the controller is configured to implement an adaptive filter to model the effect that the vibration output has on the input sensor system and to derive an error signal for compensating the output of the input sensor signal.

[0233] In additional or alternative aspects, the input sensor signal comprises a camera or an optical sensor, wherein the controller is configured to perform image stabilization on an output of the camera or the optical sensor based at least in part on the vibration output.

[0234] In an alternative arrangement, there is provided an integrated haptic system comprising:

[0235] an input sensor module arranged to receive input from at least one sensor, preferably a force sensing module arranged to receive input from at least one force sensor;

[0236] a haptic driver module arranged to output a haptic driver signal to at least one haptic actuator; and

[0237] a control module arranged to control the haptic driver module such that the haptic driver signal is based at least in part on input received from the at least one sensor,

[0238] The control module is further arranged to monitor the haptic driver module and adjust the operation of the haptic driver module and / or the operation of the input sensor module to minimize the impact of the haptic vibration output on the input sensor module.

[0239] There is also provided a host device comprising at least one system or device as described in any one of the above statements.

[0240] In another aspect, a control method for a sensor system is provided, the method comprising the steps of:

[0241] (a) monitoring the tactile vibration output from the tactile module;

[0242] (b) controlling the operation of the haptic module and / or the operation of the input sensor system to minimize the effect of the haptic vibration output on the input sensor system.

Claims

1. A controller for controlling the operation of a vibration output system and / or the operation of an input sensor system, wherein the controller is used in a device including the vibration output system and the input sensor system, the controller comprising: an input configured to receive an indication of activation or deactivation of an output of the vibration output system; as well as an adjustment module configured to increase a drive amplitude or power level of the input sensor system and / or select an operating frequency of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibratory output system to reduce interference with the input sensor system expected to be caused by the output of the vibratory output system. 2 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the drive amplitude or the power level of the input sensor system is increased such that a signal-to-noise ratio of the input sensor system meets a minimum threshold.

3. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment module is configured to adjust a bandwidth or a transition time associated with operation of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibro output system.

4. The controller of claim 3, wherein the bandwidth associated with operation of the input sensor system comprises a filter bandwidth applied to an output signal of the input sensor system, and wherein the adjustment module is configured to reduce the filter bandwidth in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibration output system.

5. The controller of claim 3, wherein the adjustment module is configured to: Obtaining bandwidth or conversion time settings from memory; and The bandwidth or transition time setting is applied to the input sensor system when the indication indicates activation of the output of the vibro output system.

6. The controller of claim 1, wherein the adjustment module is configured to: in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibro output system, obtaining a compensation signal from a memory including one or more stored compensation signals, wherein the compensation signal is associated with an output signal output by the vibro output system; and The compensation signal is applied to a sensor signal output by the input sensor system when the output signal is output by the vibration output system.

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein the adjustment module is configured to: The operating frequency of the input sensor system is selected based on an output signal output by the vibration output system.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein the adjustment module is configured to: The operating frequency of the input sensor system is selected such that the operating frequency is not within a predefined exclusion zone.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the adjustment module is configured to blank an output signal of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibration output system.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the adjustment module is configured to blank the output signal when the indication indicates activation of the output of the vibration output system by one or more of: placing the input sensor system in a low power mode, placing the input sensor system in an inactive mode, or ignoring the output signal of the input sensor system.

11. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment module is configured to adjust the operation of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibration output system such that the input sensor system performs sensing only during one or more time intervals during which the output signal being output to the vibration output system has a vibration amplitude below a predetermined threshold amplitude.

12. The controller of claim 1, wherein the adjustment module is configured to trigger a desensitization window to be applied to the output of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibration output system.

13. The controller of claim 12, wherein the adjustment module is configured to trigger the desensitization window by one or more of: adjusting a threshold used by the input sensor system to detect an event to reduce the sensitivity of the input sensor system to the event; and A negative gain is applied to the output of a sensor in the input sensor system.

14. A controller as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the adjustment module comprises: An adaptive filter, the adaptive filter being configured to: modeling an effect of an output signal of the vibration output signal on an output signal of the input sensor system; as well as An error signal is output based on the modeling, wherein the error signal is used to compensate the output signal of the input sensor system.

15. A device for controlling the operation of a vibration output system and / or the operation of an input sensor system, the device comprising: Input sensor system; Vibration output system; a controller configured to control the operation of the vibration output system and / or the input sensor system, wherein the controller comprises: an input configured to receive an indication indicating activation or deactivation of an output of the vibration output system; as well as an adjustment module configured to increase a drive amplitude or power level of the input sensor system and / or select an operating frequency of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibratory output system to reduce interference with the input sensor system expected to be caused by the output of the vibratory output system.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the vibration output system comprises a tactile output system configured to provide a tactile output.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the vibration output system comprises a surface audio output system.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, 16 or 17, wherein the input sensor system comprises a force sensing system.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the force sensing system comprises at least one force sensor selected from one or more of the following: Capacitive displacement sensor; Inductive force sensor; Strain gauges; Piezoelectric force sensor; force resistance sensor; Piezoresistive force sensor; Thin film force sensors; and Force sensor based on quantum tunneling composite materials.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, 16 or 17, wherein the input sensor system comprises at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of: Accelerometer; Gyroscope; Microphone transducer; camera; Optical sensors; and Ultrasonic sensor.

21. An integrated circuit for use in a device comprising an input sensor system and a vibration output system, the integrated circuit comprising a controller configured to control the operation of the vibration output system and / or the input sensor system, wherein the controller comprises: an input configured to receive an indication of whether an output of the vibration output system is active; as well as an adjustment module configured to increase a drive amplitude or power level of the input sensor system and / or select an operating frequency of the input sensor system in response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibratory output system to reduce interference with the input sensor system expected to be caused by the output of the vibratory output system.

22. A method for use in an apparatus comprising a vibration output system and an input sensor system for controlling the operation of the vibration output system and / or the input sensor system, the method comprising: receiving an indication of whether an output of the vibration output system is active; as well as In response to the indication indicating activation of the output of the vibro output system, a drive amplitude or power level of the input sensor system is increased and / or an operating frequency of the input sensor system is selected to reduce interference with the input sensor system expected to be caused by the output of the vibro output system.

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