Dynamic surface deformation device and control method thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of human-computer interaction interfaces and haptic feedback technology, and discloses a dynamic surface deformation device and its control method, comprising a deformable surface layer; a functional layer located below the deformable surface layer, comprising a planar array of M×N micro-electromagnetic units; a control layer located below the functional layer, comprising a drive circuit and a control unit; and a power supply for supplying power to the device; wherein each micro-electromagnetic unit comprises a micro-electromagnetic coil and magnetizable soft microparticles disposed inside or above the coil. This invention achieves precise, dynamic, and reversible control of the macroscopic three-dimensional morphology of an elastic surface by constructing a functional layer composed of an independently programmable array of micro-electromagnetic units and driving the magnetizable soft microparticles within each unit to aggregate under the influence of a magnetic field to form microscopic "haptic pixels."

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of human-computer interaction interface and tactile feedback technology, specifically relating to a dynamic surface deformation device and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, mainstream haptic feedback technologies primarily rely on vibration motors (such as linear resonant actuators, LRAs) or piezoelectric actuators. These technologies are widely used in devices such as smartphones and game controllers, conveying simple notifications and status information to users by generating vibrations of different frequencies and patterns. Furthermore, in specific fields such as Braille displays, pin-lifting structures based on piezoelectric or electromagnetic drives are used to achieve the raising and lowering of Braille dots.

[0003] Existing vibration or piezoelectric technologies can only provide periodic vibration sensations and cannot generate static, tactile physical entities with specific three-dimensional shapes, such as buttons, sliders, or complex graphics. This prevents users from performing precise blind operations solely based on touch and necessitates visual assistance. For visually impaired users, existing Braille displays are typically bulky, expensive, and have low refresh rates and limited display areas (usually displaying only one line at a time) due to mechanical limitations, making it difficult to effectively display complex information such as graphics and charts. Existing physical button and keyboard layouts are fixed and cannot dynamically change their functions and layout according to different software applications or usage scenarios. This limits the flexibility and space utilization of the user interface.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a dynamic surface capable of generating arbitrary three-dimensional topological structures on demand in a two-dimensional plane to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dynamic surface deformation device and its control method to solve the problems of existing tactile feedback technology being unable to generate complex static three-dimensional shapes, having limited information display capabilities, and having fixed interactive interface functions, thereby achieving the effect of an adaptive human-computer interaction interface.

[0006] Based on the above concept, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows: According to a first aspect of the present invention, a dynamic surface deformation device is provided, comprising: Deformable surface layer; The functional layer, located below the deformable surface layer, comprises a planar array of M×N micro-electromagnetic units; The control layer, located below the functional layer, includes drive circuitry and control units; A power supply for supplying power to the device; Each of the micro-electromagnetic units includes a micro-electromagnetic coil and magnetizable soft microparticles disposed inside or above the coil.

[0007] In some embodiments, the deformable surface layer is composed of a highly elastic, transparent polymer film.

[0008] Optionally, the polymer film includes any one of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer film, silicone gel / elastomer film, and high-performance acrylate elastomer film.

[0009] Optionally, the magnetizable soft microparticles include ferrofluid or magnetic elastomer particles.

[0010] In some embodiments, the drive circuit is capable of providing an independently controllable current to each micro-electromagnetic unit.

[0011] In some embodiments, the control unit is used to execute a control algorithm and output control signals to the drive circuit.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling dynamic surface deformation is provided, comprising the following steps: S1. Receive the digital command that defines the surface topography of the target; S2. Calculate the current parameters required for each micro-electromagnetic unit according to the digital instructions; S3. Drive the corresponding micro-electromagnetic unit independently according to the current parameters; S4. Magnetizable soft microparticles are aggregated by the action of a magnetic field, which promotes the local bulging of the deformable surface layer to form tactile pixels; S5 coordinates and controls multiple tactile pixels to combine them into the target's three-dimensional shape.

[0013] In some embodiments, the current parameters include current intensity, polarity, and energizing timing.

[0014] In some embodiments, when the shape needs to disappear, the magnetic particles are dispersed and the surface is restored to flatness by changing or cutting off the current of the corresponding micro-electromagnetic unit.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. This invention constructs a micro-electromagnetic unit array that can be independently programmed and controlled as a functional layer, and drives the magnetizable soft particles in each unit to aggregate under the action of a magnetic field to form microscopic "tactile pixels", thereby achieving precise, dynamic and reversible control of the macroscopic three-dimensional morphology of the elastic surface.

[0016] 2. This invention transforms digital instructions into independent current control for each unit in a micro-electromagnetic array in real time, enabling the same physical surface to generate various tactile forms on demand, from buttons and sliders to Braille and graphics, thus realizing a fundamental shift in human-computer interaction interfaces from "fixed physical layout" to "software-defined form". Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This invention relates to a dynamic surface deformation device.

[0018] Figure label: 1. Deformable surface layer, 2. Functional layer, 3. Control layer, 4. Power supply. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0020] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application should be understood in their ordinary sense by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The words “a” or “one” and similar terms used in this application specification and claims do not indicate a limitation of quantity, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. “A plurality” means two or more. The words “comprising” or “including” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding “comprising” or “including” covers the element or object listed following “comprising” or “including” and its equivalents, and does not exclude other elements or objects. The words “connected” or “linked” and similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections and can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The words “above” and / or “below” and similar terms are for ease of description only and are not limited to a location or spatial orientation. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this application specification and appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0021] The technical concept of this invention stems from the systemic problem of insufficient tactile feedback and dynamic information presentation capabilities in current human-computer interaction interfaces. Existing technologies generally rely on physical mechanisms such as vibration, linear motors, or mechanical bumps. Their inherent limitation is that they can only provide periodic or simple static tactile sensations, and cannot generate and maintain complex, programmable three-dimensional physical forms on two-dimensional interactive surfaces in real time. Furthermore, it is difficult to achieve large-area, high-refresh-rate tactile graphical displays, which severely restricts the information carrying capacity, functional adaptability, and richness of user experience of interactive interfaces.

[0022] To overcome the aforementioned limitations, the core concept of this solution is to construct a digital deformation system based on a micro-electromagnetic unit array. This concept combines micro-electromagnetic actuation with magnetizable smart materials, enabling each micro-unit to aggregate its internal magnetic particles under control signals, forming supportive "tactile pixels." This achieves precise local bulging and shape retention of the elastic surface on a macroscopic scale. The advantage of this mechanism lies in its unprecedented combination of software-defined dynamic graphics capabilities with real, tactile physical deformation. It can simulate various tactile forms, from buttons and sliders to complex topographic maps, and also enables real-time reconstruction of interface layouts and tactile rendering of graphic information, thus providing an unprecedented solution for fields such as Braille displays and adaptive interactive interfaces.

[0023] Therefore, the overall technical approach of this invention can be summarized as a "software-hardware collaborative dynamic physical interface generation method." Its fundamental purpose is to transform the traditionally fixed physical interface into a "digital-physical" medium that can be defined in real time by a program through integrated innovation across materials, microelectronics, and control algorithms, ultimately promoting human-computer interaction towards a more natural, inclusive, and higher-dimensional direction. This concept not only solves the prominent problem of the current singular form of haptic feedback technology.

[0024] This application provides a dynamic surface deformation device, including Deformable surface layer; The functional layer, located below the deformable surface layer, comprises a planar array of M×N micro-electromagnetic units; The control layer, located below the functional layer, includes drive circuitry and control units; A power supply for supplying power to the device; Each of the micro-electromagnetic units includes a micro-electromagnetic coil and magnetizable soft microparticles disposed inside or above the coil.

[0025] This invention constructs a micro-electromagnetic unit array as a functional layer, and drives the magnetizable soft particles in each unit to aggregate under the action of a magnetic field to form microscopic "tactile pixels," thereby achieving precise, dynamic, and reversible control over the macroscopic three-dimensional morphology of an elastic surface. By converting digital instructions into independent current control for each unit in the micro-electromagnetic array in real time, the same physical surface can generate various tactile forms on demand, ranging from buttons and sliders to Braille and graphics, realizing a fundamental transformation of the human-computer interaction interface from "fixed physical layout" to "software-defined form."

[0026] The dynamic surface deformation control method described in this application includes the following steps: S1. Receive the digital command that defines the surface topography of the target; S2. Calculate the current parameters required for each micro-electromagnetic unit according to the digital instructions; S3. Drive the corresponding micro-electromagnetic unit independently according to the current parameters; S4. Magnetizable soft microparticles are aggregated by the action of a magnetic field, which promotes the local bulging of the deformable surface layer to form tactile pixels; S5 coordinates and controls multiple tactile pixels to combine them into the target's three-dimensional shape.

[0027] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 This application provides a detailed description of a dynamic surface deformation device and its control method.

[0028] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, the dynamic surface deformation device is designed as a laminated intelligent interactive module. Its shape can be customized into a rectangle, circle, or other regular shapes according to integration requirements, and its overall thickness can be controlled between 3 mm and 10 mm. The core of the device lies in its top-down functional integration: the top layer is the deformable surface layer that the user directly contacts; immediately following is the functional layer responsible for generating local mechanical forces; the third layer is the control layer that provides intelligent control; and the bottom layer is a compact power module. The layers are assembled using a precise alignment process and bonded with low-modulus, high-transmittance optical adhesive (OCA) to ensure that mechanical deformation can be transferred seamlessly from the functional layer to the surface layer while maintaining overall optical uniformity. This design is suitable for under-screen integration where light transmittance is required.

[0029] In this embodiment, the deformable surface layer is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film that has undergone special cross-linking modification, with a preferred thickness of 0.25 mm. Key parameters of this material include: visible light transmittance greater than 92% and haze less than 2%, ensuring excellent visual clarity; its elongation at break exceeds 500%, and its Young's modulus is adjustable within the range of 5 to 50 MPa, thereby enabling large-amplitude, reversible elastic deformation without plastic fatigue or cracking. The lower surface of the surface layer can be pre-textured with microstructures using a micro / nano imprinting process to enhance its mechanical coupling with the magnetic particle aggregates in the functional layer and reduce deformation delay.

[0030] In this embodiment, the functional layer is the core physical carrier for the device to achieve dynamic deformation. It consists of a highly integrated planar array of micro-electromagnetic units, the array size of which can be designed, for example, to be 64x48 units, depending on the resolution requirements. Each micro-electromagnetic unit is an independent micro-actuator with a lateral dimension of 1.5 mm x 1.5 mm and a center-to-center spacing of 1.7 mm, thereby providing approximately 600 independently addressable "haptic pixels" per square inch. Each unit consists of a precision-wound planar micro-electromagnetic coil (wound approximately 100 turns using 50-micrometer diameter enameled copper wire) and magnetizable soft microparticles encapsulated in a micro-cavity above it. These microparticles are carbonyl iron powder with an average particle size between 10 and 50 micrometers, coated with a flexible polymer shell, dispersed in a silicone oil carrier to form a quasi-fluid state. The top of the cavity is sealed by an ultra-thin (approximately 20 micrometers) flexible polymer membrane to prevent microparticle leakage while allowing effective transmission of magnetic force.

[0031] In this embodiment, the control layer is manufactured using a rigid-flex PCB process to achieve high-density wiring and a thin profile. This layer integrates two main subsystems: a drive circuit and a control unit. The drive circuit consists of multiple application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) driver chips, each capable of independently controlling a block of micro-electromagnetic units. Each channel supports drive currents up to ±500 mA, with a pulse width modulation frequency adjustable from 1 kHz to 10 kHz and an 8-bit current resolution, enabling precise control of current intensity, polarity, and timing for each unit. The core of the control unit is a microcontroller (MCU) operating at 400 MHz, with built-in proprietary topology mapping and control firmware. This MCU communicates with the driver chips via a high-speed serial peripheral interface and receives digital topology commands from a host device (such as a personal computer, smartphone, or in-vehicle system) via USB or Bluetooth.

[0032] In this embodiment, the power module uses a high-performance lithium polymer battery or accepts external DC power via a connector. The power management unit is responsible for converting the input voltage into multiple regulated power supplies required by the various units inside the device, and providing the drive circuit with high-current instantaneous discharge capability to meet the peak power requirements when multiple micro-electromagnetic units are activated simultaneously, ensuring rapid deformation response.

[0033] In this embodiment, the device's workflow begins with a complete topography generation cycle. First, the control unit receives a digital instruction file describing the topography of the target's three-dimensional surface via a communication interface. This file can be a standard three-dimensional model file or a "haptic description language" file specifically designed for haptic displays, which defines the desired height or stiffness properties of each "haptic pixel" on the target surface.

[0034] In this embodiment, upon receiving the digital command, the topography analysis algorithm within the control unit begins operation. This algorithm first performs voxelization on the target's three-dimensional topography, discretizing it into data grids that correspond one-to-one with the underlying micro-electromagnetic unit array. Subsequently, using a physical model-based inverse solving algorithm, it calculates the steady-state current value or dynamic current waveform required by the corresponding micro-electromagnetic unit to achieve the target height at each grid point. This algorithm fully considers the coupling interference between the magnetic fields of adjacent units and the nonlinear elasticity of the surface material, generating an optimal driving parameter table through iterative calculation.

[0035] In this embodiment, after the parameter calculation is completed, the control unit distributes the drive parameter table to each drive chip via the SPI bus. The drive circuit then applies a pre-calculated current sequence to each micro-electromagnetic unit according to the table. When the coil of a unit is energized, a strong gradient magnetic field is instantly generated inside it. The magnetic particles dispersed in the chamber are rapidly magnetized under the action of the magnetic field and move and aggregate along the direction of the magnetic field lines, forming chain-like or columnar aggregates extending from the bottom of the chamber to the top diaphragm in a very short time (usually within 10 to 50 milliseconds). These dense magnetic chains have significant mechanical stiffness, thereby generating a vertically upward pushing force on the upper diaphragm and the deformable surface layer bonded together.

[0036] In this embodiment, the magnitude of the pushing force generated by each micro-electromagnetic unit can be independently adjusted by precisely controlling the current of each unit. This pushing force acts on the deformable surface, causing a localized elastic bulge in the corresponding area, forming a tactile pixel. The bulge height of a single tactile pixel is linearly related to the driving current intensity within a certain range; in this embodiment, the height can be continuously adjusted from completely flat to approximately 1.5 mm. Since the shape of the magnetic particle aggregate can be finely adjusted according to the magnetic field distribution, the top shape of the tactile pixel (such as a pointed tip, dome, or plateau) can also be controlled to a certain extent, thereby simulating different tactile edge features.

[0037] In this embodiment, to achieve complex macroscopic three-dimensional shapes, the device performs coordinated spatial and temporal control on hundreds or thousands of tactile pixels in the array. Spatially, by simultaneously activating multiple units with a specific spatial distribution, multiple independent tactile pixels can be connected to form a continuous raised region with a complex topological structure, such as a curved tactile guide line, a raised square button graphic, or a Braille dot matrix map. Temporally, by programming the current timing, the deformation pattern can be dynamically refreshed, for example, allowing the pattern of a raised button to move smoothly across the surface, or displaying different parts of a complex graphic step by step for dynamic Braille reading or interactive guidance.

[0038] In this embodiment, when it is necessary to undo or change the existing morphology, the control unit issues a new command. For areas that need to be restored to flatness, the current of the corresponding micro-electromagnetic unit is cut off or a brief reverse demagnetizing pulse is applied. After the current disappears or weakens, the magnetic coupling force between the magnetic particles decreases sharply. At this time, the elastic recovery potential energy accumulated in the deformable surface becomes the dominant force, pushing the surface to rebound downwards, while simultaneously dispersing the magnetic particle aggregates. Under the viscous resistance of the carrier liquid, the particles gradually return to a uniformly dispersed state. The entire reset process is typically completed within 100 milliseconds, achieving efficient and reversible switching of deformation, providing a basis for dynamic interface refresh.

[0039] In this embodiment, to enhance the intelligence and responsiveness of the interaction, the device optionally integrates a high-resolution tactile sensing layer. This sensing layer can employ a transparent sensor grid based on projected capacitive sensing technology, embedded between the deformable surface layer and the functional layer. The sensor grid can detect and locate the user's finger touch, press, or even swipe gestures in real time at a density higher than that of a tactile pixel array (e.g., one sensing point per millimeter), and can estimate the pressure intensity. The sensing data is fed back to the control unit in real time, and the interaction processing algorithm in the control unit responds accordingly. For example, when the user presses a dynamically generated virtual button, the sensing layer detects the pressure, and the control unit can immediately fine-tune the driving current in the corresponding area to simulate the micro-motion travel of a real button or provide pulse feedback for click confirmation, forming a closed-loop tactile interaction of "perception-computation-actuation".

[0040] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. The invention is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0041] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dynamic surface deformation device, characterized in that, include: Deformable surface layer; Functional layer; located below the deformable surface layer, comprising a planar array of M×N micro-electromagnetic units; Control layer; Located below the functional layer, it includes drive circuitry and control unit; Power supply; used to power the device; Each of the micro-electromagnetic units includes a micro-electromagnetic coil and magnetizable soft microparticles disposed inside or above the coil.

2. The dynamic surface deformation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformable surface layer is composed of a highly elastic, transparent polymer film.

3. The dynamic surface deformation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetizable soft microparticles include ferrofluids or magnetic elastomer particles.

4. The dynamic surface deformation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive circuit can provide an independently controllable current for each micro-electromagnetic unit.

5. The dynamic surface deformation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit is used to execute the control algorithm and output control signals to the drive circuit.

6. A method for controlling dynamic surface deformation, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Receive the digital command that defines the surface topography of the target; S2. Calculate the current parameters required for each micro-electromagnetic unit according to the digital instructions; S3. Drive the corresponding micro-electromagnetic unit independently according to the current parameters; S4. Magnetizable soft microparticles are aggregated by the action of a magnetic field, which promotes the local bulging of the deformable surface layer to form tactile pixels; S5 coordinates and controls multiple tactile pixels to combine them into the target's three-dimensional shape.

7. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The current parameters include current intensity, polarity, and energizing sequence.

8. The control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the desired shape disappears, the magnetic particles are dispersed by changing or cutting off the current of the corresponding micro-electromagnetic unit, and the surface is restored to a flat state.

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