Haptic feedback device

Abstract

The invention relates to a tactile feedback device. The tactile feedback device comprises an actuator and an elastic suspension supporting module, the actuator provides vibration force, the vibration force has a vibration direction, the elastic suspension supporting module is provided with a plurality of elastic suspension supporting pieces, and each elastic suspension supporting piece is provided with a first end fixed to a touch panel and a second end fixed to a shell. The plurality of elastic suspension supporting pieces are respectively provided with a buffer reset displacement freedom degree of which the displacement direction is parallel to the vibration direction, and the plurality of elastic suspension supporting pieces are symmetrically distributed to support the touch panel. Therefore, due to the fact that the vibration direction of the vibration force is the same as the displacement direction of the buffer reset displacement freedom degree, a structural fulcrum can be prevented from interfering with vibration transmission, the vibration force of the actuator can be evenly transmitted to the touch panel, and an operator can obviously feel the tactile feedback vibration of the actuator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an auxiliary device for a touch panel, and more particularly to a tactile feedback device for a touch panel. Background Art

[0002] Touch panels are buttonless human-machine interfaces that allow for customizable touch areas or virtual buttons to meet diverse user needs. They can meet the demands of a wide variety of application configurations and are easy to clean and aesthetically pleasing. They are widely used in devices such as smartphones, tablets, information guide machines, ticket vending machines, and ATMs.

[0003] The operator cannot accurately determine whether the touch area or virtual button of the touch panel has been selected and whether the touch has been completed. To facilitate the operator to confirm whether the touch has been completed, a conventional touch panel is provided with an actuator on the housing. The actuator serves as a tactile feedback device. When the operator clicks the correct location and completes the touch, the actuator vibrates to generate tactile feedback, so that the operator can confirm that the touch has been completed.

[0004] Traditional actuators are mounted on the touch panel housing. Therefore, the vibration force transmitted from the actuator to the touch panel is significantly attenuated. This is especially true for large touch panels, where the attenuation is even greater. Consequently, the operator cannot clearly feel the tactile feedback (vibration force). In other words, the operator cannot confirm whether a touch has been completed, causing user frustration.

[0005] Therefore, as shown in the "Display Device" patent No. I796967B published in Taiwan, China, it utilizes multiple actuators and an extension of the back frame to allow a large-sized touch display panel to generate multiple partitioned vibration effects, thereby enabling the vibration feedback effect of the large-sized touch display panel to meet the needs of use.

[0006] However, the more actuators used, the higher the manufacturing, control, and maintenance costs will be. There will also be problems with energy consumption and weight increase, which obviously does not meet the demand for lightweight and miniaturized equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The main purpose of the present invention is to disclose a tactile feedback device that allows an operator to clearly feel feedback, which can significantly reduce the number of actuators required and achieve the same tactile feedback effect.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention is a tactile feedback device installed on a touch device having a touch panel and a housing. The tactile feedback device includes an actuator and an elastic suspension support module. The actuator is fixed to the touch device and provides a vibration force having a vibration direction. The elastic suspension support module has a plurality of elastic suspension support members, each of which has a first end and a second end. The first end is fixed to the touch panel, and the second end is fixed to the housing. The plurality of elastic suspension support members each have a buffer reset displacement degree of freedom, and the displacement direction of the buffer reset displacement degree of freedom is parallel to the vibration direction. The plurality of elastic suspension support members are symmetrically distributed to support the touch panel.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the actuator is fixed on the touch panel.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first support member fixed to the touch panel is further provided, and the actuator is fixed on the first support member.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first support member fixed to the touch panel is further provided, and the first ends of the plurality of elastic suspension support members are fixed to the first support member.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, a second support member is further provided which is fixed to the housing, and the second ends of the plurality of elastic suspension support members are fixed to the second support member.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, a control module for controlling the actuator is further included.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control module drives the actuator according to real tactile data.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the control module drives the actuator according to sensing data.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sensing data is generated by a sensing device disposed on the touch panel.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the sensing device is any one of an infrared pressure sensor and a multi-axis accelerometer.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the actuator is selected from any one of an eccentric motor, a piezoelectric actuator, and a linear resonator.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of elastic suspension support members are plastic structures, metal structures or foam structures.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of elastic suspension support members are leaf springs.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the actuator is fixed to the housing.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the actuator is fixed to the housing via a hook.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the touch panel has a normal direction, and the vibration direction is perpendicular to the normal direction.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the touch panel has a normal direction, and the vibration direction is parallel to the normal direction.

[0025] In summary, the present invention can avoid structural support points interfering with vibration transmission by making the vibration direction of the vibration force the same as the displacement direction of the buffer reset displacement freedom, so that the vibration force of the actuator is evenly transmitted to the touch panel, allowing the operator to clearly feel the tactile feedback vibration to meet usage requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 , is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 , is a schematic diagram of the disassembly of the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 , is a schematic side view of a partial structural assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 , is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 , is a schematic diagram of a partial structural combination of a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 , is a schematic diagram of the partial structure disassembly of the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 , is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 , is a schematic diagram of the partial structure disassembly of the third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The detailed description and technical contents of the present invention are now described as follows with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0035] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of the present invention, which discloses a tactile feedback device installed on a touch device 10. The touch device 10 includes a touch panel 11 and a housing 12. In this embodiment, the size of the touch device 10 is 7 inches. In one embodiment, the housing 12 includes a frame 121 and a back cover 122. The touch panel 11 is disposed at the front end of the frame 121, and the back end of the frame 121 covers the back cover 122. The touch panel 11 has a normal direction N.

[0036] The tactile feedback device includes an actuator 20 and an elastic suspension support module 30. The actuator 20 is fixed to the touch device 10, more specifically, to the touch panel 11. In one embodiment, the present invention further includes a first support member 40, which is fixed to the touch panel 11 of the touch device 10. The actuator 20 is fixed to the first support member 40, that is, the actuator 20 is fixed to the touch panel 11 of the touch device 10 via the first support member 40. The first support member 40 is attached to the touch panel 11 over a large area to protect the touch panel 11. The actuator 20 provides a vibration force having a vibration direction 21. In this embodiment, the vibration direction 21 is perpendicular to the normal direction N. In one embodiment, the actuator 20 is selected from any one of an eccentric motor, a piezoelectric actuator, and a linear resonator. After being driven, the eccentric motor, the piezoelectric actuator, and the linear resonator can all generate the vibration force having the vibration direction 21.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the elastic suspension support module 30 has a plurality of elastic suspension support members 31, each of which has a first end 311 and a second end 312. The first ends 311 of the plurality of elastic suspension support members 31 are fixed to the first support member 40. In other words, the first ends 311 are fixed to the touch panel 11 through the first support member 40. In one embodiment, the present invention further includes a second support member 50, which is fixed to the housing 12. The second ends 312 of the plurality of elastic suspension support members 31 are fixed to the second support member 50. In other words, the second ends 312 are fixed to the housing 12 through the second support member 50. The design of the second support member 50 can reduce the difficulty of assembly in practice.

[0038] The multiple elastic suspension supports 31 each have a buffering reset displacement degree of freedom, the displacement direction of which is parallel to the vibration direction 21. The multiple elastic suspension supports 31 support the touch panel 11 symmetrically via the first support member 40, allowing the touch panel 11 to also have the buffering reset displacement degree of freedom parallel to the vibration direction 21. The multiple elastic suspension supports 31 are elastic structures made of plastic, metal, or foam, or are leaf springs. In this embodiment, since the touch device 10 is 7 inches in size, which is a smaller model, two of the multiple elastic suspension supports 31 are provided, and leaf springs are selected. They are also provided on both sides of the longer side of the touch panel 11 and symmetrically support the touch panel 11.

[0039] In addition, the present invention further includes a control module 60 , which controls the actuator 20 . More specifically, the control module 60 can control the vibration mode, vibration time, or vibration force of the actuator 20 .

[0040] In one embodiment, the control module 60 drives the actuator 20 based on real tactile data, where the real tactile data is vibration feedback data of a specific texture. More specifically, when the touch area of the touch panel 11 displays the specific texture and is touched by the operator, if the control module 60 drives the actuator 20 based on the real tactile data, the vibration of the touch panel 11 will allow the operator to realistically feel the specific texture being touched, that is, the operator will feel the sensation of touching the specific texture in a realistic manner.

[0041] In another embodiment, the control module 60 drives the actuator 20 based on a sensing data. The sensing data is generated by a sensing device 70, and the sensing device 70 is disposed on the touch panel 11. The sensing device 70 can be any one of an infrared pressure sensor and a multi-axis accelerometer. The sensing device 70 can sense the force and speed of the operator's touch and generate the corresponding sensing data, so that the control module 60 can drive the actuator 20 based on the sensing data and generate corresponding tactile feedback. For example, when the operator presses the touch panel 11 hard, the control module 60 will control the actuator 20 to generate a larger vibration, and when the operator presses the touch panel 11 lightly, the control module 60 will control the actuator 20 to generate a smaller vibration.

[0042] See also Figure 4 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6FIG. 1 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, comprising a touch device 10A. The touch device 10A comprises a housing 12A and a touch panel 11A. The touch panel 11A is secured to the housing 12A via a first support member 40A. The housing 12A comprises a side frame 13A and a back plate 14A bonded together. The size of the touch device 10A in this embodiment is described using a 14-inch device as an example. When the present invention is applied to a larger touch device 10A, a larger number of elastic suspension support members 31 are required. In this embodiment, the elastic suspension support members 31 are four in number, symmetrically distributed, and are leaf springs. The first ends 311 of the elastic suspension support members 31 are secured to the first support member 40A, while the second ends 312 of the elastic suspension support members 31 are secured to the back plate 14A (the housing 12A). The multiple elastic suspension support members 31 support the first support member 40A in a symmetrically distributed manner. In this embodiment, the actuator 20A is fixed to the touch device 10A. More precisely, the actuator 20A is fixed to the back plate 14A (the housing 12A) through a hook 32, and the actuator 20A has a vibration force, which has a vibration direction 21A. In this embodiment, the vibration direction 21A is perpendicular to the normal direction N, and the displacement direction of the buffer reset displacement freedom of the multiple elastic suspension support members 31 is parallel to the vibration direction 21A.

[0043] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 FIG. 1 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, comprising a touch device 10B. The touch device 10B is also 14 inches in size. The touch device 10B comprises a housing 12B and a touch panel 11B. The touch panel 11B is fixed to the housing 12B via a first support member 40B. The housing 12B comprises a side frame 13B and a back plate 14B adhered together. In this embodiment, another type of elastic suspension support member 33 is provided, preferably four of the elastic suspension support members 33 are provided. The elastic suspension support member 33 has a first end 331 and four second ends 332. The first end 331 is fixed to the first support member 40B, and the four second ends 332 are fixed to the back plate 14B (the housing 12B). The four elastic suspension support members 33 support the first support member 40B in a symmetrically distributed manner. In this embodiment, the actuator 20B is fixed to the touch device 10B. More precisely, the actuator 20B is fixed to the back plate 14B (the housing 12B), and the actuator 20B has a vibration force with a vibration direction 21B. In this embodiment, the vibration direction 21B is parallel to the normal direction N, and the displacement direction of the buffer reset displacement degree of freedom of the multiple elastic suspension support members 33 is parallel to the vibration direction 21B.

[0044] In summary, the features of the present invention include at least:

[0045] 1. The actuator is fixed to the touch panel or housing of the touch device, and the vibration direction of the vibration force of the actuator is parallel to the displacement direction of the buffering and reset displacement freedom of the multiple elastic suspension support members. Because the vibration direction of the vibration force is the same as the displacement direction of the buffering and reset displacement freedom, it can avoid the interference of structural support points on vibration transmission, allowing the vibration force of the actuator to be evenly transmitted to the touch panel, so that the operator can clearly feel the tactile feedback vibration of the actuator.

[0046] 2. The actuator is controlled by the control module and driven by the real tactile data or the sensing data, so that the actuator can have different vibration modes, vibration times or vibration forces to meet different usage requirements.

[0047] 3. The plurality of elastic suspension support members are selected in appropriate number according to the size of the touch panel and are symmetrically distributed to support the touch panel to meet the use requirements of touch panels of different sizes.

Claims

1. A tactile feedback device, mounted on a touch device, the touch device having a touch panel and a housing, characterized in that: The tactile feedback device comprises: an actuator fixed to the touch device and providing a vibration force having a vibration direction; and An elastic suspension support module, which has a plurality of elastic suspension support members, each of which has a first end fixed to the touch panel and a second end fixed to the housing, each of which has a buffering and resetting displacement freedom with a displacement direction parallel to the vibration direction, and the plurality of elastic suspension support members are symmetrically distributed to support the touch panel.

2. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: The actuator is fixed on the touch panel.

3. The tactile feedback device according to claim 2, wherein: The device also has a first support member fixed to the touch panel, and the actuator is fixed on the first support member.

4. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: The touch panel further comprises a first support member fixed to the touch panel, and the first ends of the plurality of elastic suspension support members are fixed to the first support member.

5. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: A second support member is also provided which is fixed to the shell, and the second ends of the plurality of elastic suspension support members are fixed to the second support member.

6. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: The invention also includes a control module for controlling the actuator.

7. The tactile feedback device according to claim 6, wherein: The control module drives the actuator according to real tactile data.

8. The tactile feedback device according to claim 6, wherein: The control module drives the actuator according to sensing data.

9. The tactile feedback device according to claim 8, wherein: The sensing data is generated by a sensing device disposed on the touch panel.

10. The tactile feedback device according to claim 9, wherein: The sensing device is any one of an infrared light pressure sensor and a multi-axis accelerometer.

11. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: The actuator is any one selected from an eccentric motor, a piezoelectric actuator, and a linear resonator.

12. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of elastic suspension support members are plastic structures, metal structures or foam structures.

13. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of elastic suspension support members are plate springs.

14. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: The actuator is fixed on the housing.

15. The tactile feedback device according to claim 14, wherein: The actuator is fixed on the housing through a hook.

16. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: The touch panel has a normal direction, and the vibration direction is perpendicular to the normal direction.

17. The tactile feedback device according to claim 1, wherein: The touch panel has a normal direction, and the vibration direction is parallel to the normal direction.

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