MULTI-COIL VOICE COIL MOTOR AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING HAPTAL FEEDBACK - Patent application

Abstract

A multi-coil voice coil motor (VCM) may be configured to be used as a haptic actuator for providing haptic feedback to a user. When implemented in a handheld controller having one or more controls, the multi-coil VCM may be configured to provide haptic feedback to a user of the controller. The multi-coil VCM may include a housing, a plurality of concentric coils, and a magnet coupled to the housing. The plurality of concentric coils may include a first coil disposed on a first support coupled to the housing and a second coil disposed on a second support coupled to the housing, and the plurality of concentric coils may have different diameters to enable concentricity of the coils. The system may include one or more haptic actuators, such as the multi-coil VCM, configured to provide haptic feedback by vibrating at least a portion of the finger-operated control.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a PCT application which claims priority to co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 306,393, filed February 3, 2022, entitled "MULTI-COIL VOICE COIL MOTOR AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING HAPTIC FEEDBACK," and U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 105,099, filed February 2, 2023, entitled "MULTI-COIL VOICE COIL MOTOR AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING HAPTIC FEEDBACK," each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] Handheld controllers are used in an array of architectures, for example, to provide input to local or remote computing devices. For example, handheld controllers are utilized in the gaming industry to allow players to interact with personal computing devices that run gaming applications, such as game consoles, game servers, the handheld controller itself, etc. Additionally, to simulate touch and movement, some handheld controllers are configured to provide haptic feedback to the user.

[0003] Using conventional haptic actuators, it can be difficult to provide a wide variety of types of haptic feedback, especially in small form factor devices where space is limited. This is because the dynamic range of the output of conventional haptic actuators available in small form factor devices is limited. For example, conventional linear resonant actuators (LRAs) may be suitable for providing high-precision "ticks" felt by a user's finger on a controller's control, but still cannot provide double-ring type haptic feedback, since LRAs tend to work better at higher frequencies than lower frequencies. Thus, because space is limited in small form factor devices, controller manufacturers may be forced to choose one type of haptic feedback, but not both. Needless to say, each additional haptic actuator increases the component cost of the device. Furthermore, with the increasing complexity of controls such as trackpads that include highly accurate sensors for detecting touch, pressure, and other types of user input, positioning haptic actuators in close proximity to these sensitive components may be impossible due to spatial constraints and / or such positioning may cause the sensors to misinterpret the output of the haptic actuators as pseudo user input provided to the control. The disclosure made herein is presented with respect to these and other considerations. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0004] The detailed description is now set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the leftmost digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same or similar reference numbers in different drawings indicate similar or identical items.

[0005] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary multi-coil voice coil motor (VCM) that can be used as a haptic actuator. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional side view of the exemplary multi-coil VCM depicted in FIG. 1A taken along section line AA. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram depicting multiple coils and magnets of an exemplary multi-coil VCM from a top view. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of supporting multiple coils of an exemplary multi-coil VCM from a side view. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram depicting a side view of another example of supporting multiple coils of an exemplary multi-coil VCM. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram depicting a side view of another example of supporting multiple coils of an exemplary multi-coil VCM. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an exemplary handheld controller, partially including one or more haptic actuators for providing haptic feedback to a user of the handheld controller. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting a haptic actuator coupled to a finger-operated control via one or more members configured to transmit forces generated by the haptic actuator to at least a portion of the control. [Figure 8] Illustrated are exemplary functional components of an exemplary handheld controller, including, among other suitable components, one or more haptic actuators for providing haptic feedback to a user of the handheld controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0006] As mentioned above, handheld controllers are used in a variety of environments and include a variety of functions, however, handheld controllers implementing conventional haptic actuators and / or configurations thereof may be limited in functionality with respect to the range of haptic feedback that they can provide to a user.

[0007] Described herein, among other things, is a multi-coil voice coil motor (VCM) configured to be used as a haptic actuator (sometimes referred to herein as a "haptic transducer") for providing haptic feedback to a user. When implemented in a handheld controller having one or more controls, such as a handheld controller used to play video games and / or control other types of applications and / or programs, the multi-coil VCM can be configured to provide haptic feedback to a user of the controller.

[0008] In some cases, the handheld controller may include controls for controlling a game or application running on the handheld controller itself (e.g., a handheld gaming system substantially built into the controller). In some cases, the handheld controller may include controls for controlling a remote device (e.g., a television, an audio system, a personal computing device, a game console, etc.). The handheld controller may include one or more controls, including one or more front controls on a front side of the controller body of the handheld controller, one or more top controls on a top side of the controller body, one or more back controls on a back side of the controller body, and / or one or more controls on other surfaces of the controller body. In some cases, a multi-coil VCM (and / or another type of haptic actuator) may be coupled to at least one of these controls. In this manner, the multi-coil VCM (and / or another type of haptic actuator) may be configured to provide haptic feedback by vibrating at least a portion of the control. Additionally or alternatively, multi-coil VCMs (and / or other types of haptic actuators) can be configured to provide global haptic feedback that is not specific to a particular control by moving (e.g., vibrating, rotating, etc.) mass within the controller body.

[0009] The multiple coils of a multi-coil VCM allow a single VCM to provide an expanded dynamic range of output in the form of tactile feedback across a wider range of frequencies, since one coil may be configured to be driven within a first frequency range (e.g., a "high" frequency range at or near 500 Hertz (Hz)) and the other coil may be configured to be driven within a second frequency range different from the first frequency range (e.g., a "low" frequency range at or near 5 Hz). Thus, a multi-coil VCM may be configured to provide multiple types of tactile feedback, thereby providing a wider variety of tactile feedback compared to a conventional single coil VCM. For example, when the disclosed multi-coil VCM is implemented in a handheld controller, the multi-coil VCM may be configured to provide (i) a high-precision "tick" felt by a user's finger on a control coupled to the first coil via the first coil, and (ii) a multi-ring type of tactile feedback via the second coil coupled to a mass within the controller body. In other words, unlike conventional single coil VCMs traditionally used in small form factor devices, the disclosed multi-coil VCM can function well at both low and high frequencies. Furthermore, since magnets are a large cost driver of conventional VCMs, the disclosed multi-coil VCM is a more cost-effective solution than multiple single coil VCMs. Furthermore, the disclosed multi-coil VCM takes up less space than multiple single coil VCMs.

[0010] An exemplary multi-coil VCM configured for use as a haptic actuator may include a housing and a plurality of concentric coils and a magnet coupled to the housing. The plurality of concentric coils may include a first coil disposed on a first support coupled to the housing and a second coil disposed on a second support coupled to the housing. The plurality of concentric coils may have different diameters to allow for concentricity of the coils within the housing of the multi-coil VCM.

[0011] Another example multi-coil VCM configured for use as a haptic actuator may include a housing, a first coil disposed on a first support coupled to the housing, a second coil disposed on a second support coupled to the housing, and a magnet coupled to the housing, where the first coil may have a first diameter and the second coil may have a second diameter greater than the first diameter, the second coil surrounding the first coil and spaced radially from the first coil a distance.

[0012] An exemplary controller may include a controller body, a control disposed on a surface of the controller body, and a haptic actuator disposed within the controller body and coupled to the control. The control may be configured to be operated by a finger, and the haptic actuator may be configured to provide haptic feedback by vibrating at least a portion of the control. The haptic actuator may include a plurality of concentric coils including a first coil and a second coil having different diameters, and a magnet adjacent to the plurality of concentric coils.

[0013] Also disclosed herein are systems including one or more finger-operated controls controllable by one or more fingers of a user and one or more haptic actuators for providing haptic feedback by vibrating at least a portion of the finger-operated controls. In these disclosed haptic feedback systems, the haptic actuators may be laterally spaced apart from the finger-operated controls such that the haptic actuators are not disposed directly beneath the controls configured to vibrate. Instead, the haptic actuators may be positioned outside the periphery of the controls, such as outside the periphery of a trackpad. This lateral spacing of the haptic actuators relative to the controls mitigates the output of the haptic actuators from interfering with the ability of the sensors to detect correct user inputs to the controls (e.g., touch inputs, pressure inputs, etc.). In handheld controller implementations, the lateral spacing of the haptic actuators relative to the controls may also enable optimizing the weight distribution of the controller, since the haptic actuators are not restricted to being positioned directly beneath the controls configured to vibrate. Rather, the haptic actuators may be strategically placed at positions within the controller body to balance or distribute the weight of the controller in a desired manner. The laterally spaced haptic actuators may be coupled to an associated control via one or more members configured to transfer force generated by the haptic actuator to at least a portion of the control. The one or more members coupling the haptic actuator to the control may provide a mechanical advantage that enables the haptic actuator to provide relatively low frequency haptic feedback (e.g., a frequency range at or near 5 Hz).

[0014] The present disclosure provides a general understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the systems and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of the present disclosure are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the systems and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting embodiments. Features illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment may be combined with features of other embodiments, including between the systems and methods. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

[0015] FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary multi-coil voice coil motor (VCM) 100 that can be used as a haptic actuator (sometimes referred to herein as a "haptic transducer"). The multi-coil VCM 100 can include a housing 102. The housing 102 can provide a structure to which various components of the multi-coil VCM 100 are mounted. In some examples, the housing 102 surrounds one or more components of the multi-coil VCM 100. In some examples, one or more components of the multi-coil VCM 100 are visible and / or accessible externally to the housing 102, and in this sense, in some examples, the housing 102 may not surround all components of the multi-coil VCM 100. The housing 102 can act as a frame to which the various components of the multi-coil VCM 100 are mounted in any suitable configuration.

[0016] The housing 102 may be made of any suitable material or combination of materials, including, but not limited to, plastic (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic or another suitable polymeric material), metal, and the like. In some examples, the housing 102 is made of one or more pieces of injection molded plastic. Certain portions of the housing 102 may be rigid (or semi-rigid), while other portions of the housing 102 may be pliable or flexible to allow one or more components of the multi-coil VCM 100, such as the coils, to move relative to other components that remain fixed in place relative to the housing 102. For example, the housing 102 may include one or more arms 104 that are flexible in at least the Z direction (Cartesian coordinate system depicted in FIG. 1A ). 1A, housing 102 includes four arms 104(1), 104(2), 104(3), and 104(4), each extending longitudinally (e.g., in the X direction) along housing 102 and coupled to a coil of multi-coil VCM 100, thereby supporting the coil while allowing the coil to move (e.g., oscillate) in at least the Z direction. In some examples, movement of the coil of multi-coil VCM 100 may be constrained to a single direction (e.g., the X direction, the Y direction, or the Z direction).

[0017] The overall dimensions of the housing 102 may vary depending on the implementation. In some examples, the housing 102 is sized to be suitable for mounting the multi-coil VCM 100 in a relatively small form factor device, such as a handheld controller or any similar device. For example, the housing 102 may have a length (L) in the range of about 20 millimeters (mm) to 30 mm, a width (W) in the range of about 10 mm to 20 mm, and a height (H) or thickness in the range of about 5 mm to 10 mm. However, these overall dimensions are merely examples, and the size of the housing 102 may be any suitable size. Furthermore, the shape of the housing 102 may vary depending on the implementation. For example, the housing 102 may be rectangular, such as the rectangular shape depicted in FIG. 1A, or may be any other suitable shape, such as cylindrical.

[0018] As noted and as the name suggests, the multi-coil VCM 100 may further include multiple coils 106. While the multi-coil VCM 100 may include any suitable number of coils 106 (e.g., more than two coils), the exemplary multi-coil VCM 100 depicted in the figures includes two coils 106, a first coil 106(1) and a second coil 106(2). In this sense, the multi-coil VCM 100 may also be referred to as a "dual coil" VCM 100. Each coil 106 may be a coil of wire (e.g., copper wire) wound around a support 108 (or coil holder) of or within the housing 102. For example, the first coil 106(1) may be disposed on a first support 108(1) coupled to the housing 102, and the second coil 106(2) may be disposed on a second support 108(2) coupled to the housing 102. In some examples, each support 108 is a tube (e.g., a cardboard tube, a plastic tube, etc.) In some examples, one or more of the supports 108, such as the first support 108(1), is a post, while one or more of the other supports 108, such as the second support 108(2), is a tube having a hollow center for receiving the first support 108(1) and associated first coil 106(1) therein.

[0019] In some examples, the coils 106 and the support 108 on which the coils 106 are disposed may be cylindrical. For example, the cross section of each support 108 may be circular and one turn of the coils 106 may be helical. However, it should be appreciated that the coils 106 and the support 108 may be other non-cylindrical shapes, such as straight. For example, each support 108 may be a tube or post with a cross section that is square, rectangular, triangular, or any other polygonal shape, and the coils 106 wound around such a support 108 may be a straight helix that adopts a shape similar to that of the support 108. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the multi-coil VCM 100 taken along section line AA and shows an axis 110 that is in the center of the housing 102 and extends in the Z direction. In some examples, the coils 106 and the support 108 are concentric with a point on the axis 110, meaning that the respective cross sections of the support 108 and the respective turns of the coils 106 that are at the same level (in the Z direction) as the points on the axis 110 are concentric. In other words, as depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the multiple coils 106 may be in a nested configuration, with the first coil 106(1) being an inner coil and the second coil 106(2) being an outer coil surrounding the first (inner) coil 106(1). In other words, the coils 106 at least partially overlap in the Z direction (i.e., along the axis 110), and the supports 108 also overlap in the Z direction (i.e., along the axis 110). It should be appreciated that as used herein, "concentric" and "nested" may be interpreted as "semi-concentric" or "semi-nested," in that some, but not all, of the coils 106 and / or supports 108 overlap in the Z direction. However, in some instances, the coils 106 and / or supports 108 may be fully concentric or fully nested, meaning that all of the coils 106 and / or supports 108 overlap in the Z direction.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram depicting the coils 106(1) and 106(2) and magnet 112 of an exemplary multi-coil VCM 100 when viewed from a top view. From this top view, FIG. 2 illustrates that the coils 106(1) and 106(2) have different diameters (D) to allow for concentricity (e.g., nesting) of the coils 106 within the housing 102 of the multi-coil VCM 100. For example, the first (inner) coil 106(1) may have a first diameter (D1) and the second (outer) coil 106(2) may have a second diameter D2 that is different (e.g., larger) than the first diameter D1. The difference between the diameters (D1 and D2) of the coils 106 may vary depending on the implementation. In some examples, the diameters (D1 and D2) of the coils 106 may differ by about 1 mm to 5 mm. Thus, because the coils 106 are concentric (e.g., one coil 106(1) nested within the other coil 106(2), the second coil 106(2) may be radially spaced a distance (X) from the first coil 106(1), or vice versa. Thus, in at least one example, the distance (X) may be between about 1 mm and 5 mm. By the second coil 106(1) being "radially" spaced from the first coil 106(1), it is meant that the second coil 106(2) is spaced farther from the axis 110 than the first coil 106(1) is spaced from the axis 110, and thus the second coil 106(2) has a diameter (D2) that is greater than the diameter (D1) of the first coil 106(1). There may also be an air gap between the first coil 106(1) and the second coil 106(2) (e.g., where the second coil 106(2) is not in contact with the first coil 106(1)) to allow for independent movement of the individual coils 106.

[0021] As depicted in FIG. 1B , the magnets 112 of the multi-coil VCM 100 may be coupled to the housing 102. Additionally or alternatively, the magnets 112 may be coupled to a backplate 118, which may be coupled to the housing 102. In some examples, the backplate 118 may be considered to be part of the housing 102. The backplate 118 may be made of one or more magnetic materials, such as steel (e.g., ferritic stainless steel), iron, nickel, or any other suitable metal or non-metallic material having magnetic properties. The backplate 118 may be disposed behind or beneath the magnets 112 and / or the backplate 118 may contain the magnets 112. The backplate 118 may provide a path along which the magnetic field travels. In some examples, the magnets 112 and the backplate 118 form a magnetic field assembly configured to direct and / or contain the magnetic field. In some examples, the magnets 112 are fixed within the housing 102, meaning that the magnets 112 are not configured to move relative to the housing 102. However, it should be appreciated that the multi-coil VCM 100 may be implemented as either a "moving coil" or a "moving magnet" design. The exemplary multi-coil VCM 100 is an example of a moving coil design in which the magnet 112 remains fixed within the housing 102 and the coil 106 is movable relative to the magnet 112 and / or the housing 102. In some examples, the magnet 112 comprises one or more portions of permanent magnetic material (e.g., iron) surrounding a plurality of concentric coils 106. In the exemplary schematic of FIG. 2, the magnet 112 (as viewed from the top) is divided into four curved portions 112(1), 112(2), 112(3), and 112(4) of permanent magnetic material. However, it should be appreciated that in some examples, the magnet 112 may be a continuous annular portion of permanent magnetic material. Alternatively, the magnet 112 may be divided into any suitable number of curved portions (e.g., less than four portions or more than four portions) of permanent magnetic material, with the portions of the magnet 112 arranged in a substantially annular shape to substantially surround the coil 106.Because one or more portions of magnet 112 surround multiple concentric coils 106, the diameter of annular magnet 112 (or portions thereof) may be larger than the largest diameter coil 106, in which case magnet 112 has a diameter larger than the diameter (D2) of second (outer) coil 106(2). There may also be an air gap between second (outer) coil 106(2) and magnet 112 (e.g., where magnet 112 is not in contact with second coil 106(2)) to allow for movement of coil 106.

[0022] The second coil 106(2) and the second support 108(2) may be suspended within the housing 102 by any suitable support mechanism. In the example of FIGS. 1A and 1B, the arm 104 suspends the second coil 106(2) and the second support 108(2) within the housing 102 and is flexible such that the arm 104 allows the second coil 106(1) to move (e.g., vibrate) in at least one direction (e.g., the Z direction). In some examples, as depicted in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1B, the arm 104 may be one or more second arms and the housing 102 may further include one or more first arms 114. The one or more first arms 114 may be flexible in at least one direction, such as the Z direction. In the example of FIG. 1B , the housing 102 includes two first arms 114(1) and 114(2), with each arm 114 extending longitudinally (e.g., in the X-direction) along the housing 102. Thus, the first coil 106(1) and the first support 108(1) may be suspended within the housing 102 by the first arms 114. In the example of FIGS. 1A and 1B , the first coil 106(1) and the first support 108(1) are supported from the bottom of the first coil 106(1) and the first support 108(1) by the first arms 114, while the second coil 106(2) and the second support 108(2) are supported from the top of the second coil 106(2) and the second support 108(2) by the second arm 104. In some respects, these arms 104 and 114 may be considered to be part of the “support” for the respective coil 106 .

[0023] 3-5 illustrate various examples of supporting the multiple coils 106 of the exemplary multi-coil VCM 100 from a side view. FIG. 3 depicts the example of FIG. 1B for supporting the first coil 106(1) from the bottom by one or more first arms 114 coupled to the bottom of the first coil 106(1) and / or the bottom of the first support 108(1) and for supporting (or suspending) the second coil 106(2) from the top by one or more second arms 104 coupled to the top of the second coil 106(2) and / or the top of the second support 108(2). In this example, the arms 114 are oriented horizontally and may be flexible in at least the Z direction to allow the first coil 106(1) and the second coil 106(2) to move (e.g., oscillate) independently in the Z direction. That is, the movement of the first coil 106(1) is independent of (or dependent on) the movement of the second coil 106(2), and vice versa. In this manner, the movement of each coil 106 can be individually and selectively controlled to provide the desired tactile feedback.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram depicting from a side view another example of supporting multiple coils 106 of an exemplary multi-coil VCM 100. In the example of Figure 4, the second coil 106(2) is supported (or suspended) from the top by one or more arms 104 coupled to the top of the second coil 106(2) and / or the top of the second support 108(2), and the first coil 106(1) is supported from the bottom by a pedestal 400 coupled to the bottom of the first coil 106(1) and / or the bottom of the first support 108(1), where the pedestal 400 is flexible in at least the Z direction. For example, base 400 may be coupled to the inner bottom surface of housing 102 and may be made of a sponge-like material (e.g., flexible foam) that can be squeezed downward (i.e., in the negative Z direction) and / or stretched upward (i.e., in the positive Z direction), thereby allowing first coil 106(1) to move (e.g., vibrate) in the Z direction and independently of the movement of second coil 106(2).

[0025] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram depicting from a side view another example of supporting the multiple coils 106 of the exemplary multi-coil VCM 100. In the example of Figure 5, the first coil 106(1) is supported from a bottom by a first pedestal 500(1) coupled to a bottom of the first coil 106(1) and / or a bottom of the first support 108(1), and the second coil 106(2) is supported from a bottom by a second pedestal 500(2) coupled to a bottom of the second coil 106(2) and / or a bottom of the second support 108(2). In this example, a first pedestal 500(1) may be nested within a second pedestal 500(2), which may have an annular shape to accommodate the first pedestal 500(1) within the second pedestal 500(2), with the multiple pedestals 500 coupled to an inner bottom surface of the housing 102 to form multiple concentric pedestals 500(1) and 500(2), similar to the concentric (e.g., nested) arrangement of the coils 106 and the supports 108. The pedestals 500 may be made of a sponge-like material (e.g., flexible foam) that can be crushed downward (i.e., in the negative Z direction) and / or stretched upward (i.e., in the positive Z direction), thereby allowing each coil 106 to move (e.g., vibrate) in the Z direction independently of the other coils.

[0026] It should be appreciated that the multi-coil VCM 100 may be implemented with alternative designs with respect to the relative positioning of component parts and / or with respect to the manner in which the coils 106 are supported. While Figures 1A, 1B, and 2-5 provide exemplary ways of implementing the multi-coil VCM 100, it should be appreciated that these are merely examples and are non-limiting designs. To the extent that the multi-coil VCM 100 includes multiple concentric coils 106 and adjacent magnets, the multi-coil VCM 100 may be implemented as a "moving coil" design, a "moving magnet" design, having magnets 112 surrounding the coils 106, having magnets 112 (e.g., permanent magnet cores) surrounding the coils 106, or any other suitable design. Further, coil 106 may be supported in any suitable manner, such as using a support (e.g., 108) coupled to a flexible arm (e.g., arms 104, 114), a flexible pedestal (e.g., pedestal 400, 500), a rail, or any other suitable type of support structure.

[0027] 1B , electrical contacts 116 may be disposed on the exterior housing surface 102 and / or the backplate 118 and coupled to the leads of the coils 106 to drive the coils 106 during operation of the multi-coil VCM 100. For example, a pair of contacts 116(2) and 116(3) may be coupled to the positive and negative leads of the first coil 106(1), and another pair of contacts 116(1) and 116(4) may be coupled to the positive and negative leads of the second coil 106(2). The individual coils 106 may be driven by an amplifier, such as a class D amplifier or any other suitable type of amplifier. In some examples, a processor may send control signals to cause the amplifier to drive the individual coils 106 of the multi-coil VCM 100 at a particular frequency, thereby causing the coils 106 to vibrate (e.g., up and down in the Z direction) at a particular frequency. In some examples, each coil 106 of the multiple coils 106(1) and 106(2) may be associated with a channel, and the processor may select a channel to drive a particular coil 106. For example, the dual coil VCM 100 depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B may be driven using two channels, with a first channel being used to drive the first coil 106(1) and a second channel being used to drive the second coil 106(2). Although each coil 106 is configured to be driven independently of the other coils 106, it should be appreciated that in some examples, the multiple coils 106 may be driven in unison or simultaneously at different frequencies, which may include using separate amplifiers for the separate coils.

[0028] The multi-coil VCM 100 is configured to function as an electromagnet. For example, when a current flows through each coil 106, the current flow generates a magnetic field that surrounds the coil 106. Because the magnet 112 is adjacent to (e.g., within a threshold distance of) and surrounds the coil 106, and because the magnet 112 is fixed and the coil 106 is allowed to move relative to the magnet 112, the interaction between the magnet 112 and the magnetic field generated by the current flowing through the coil 106 causes the coil 106 to move relative to the magnet 112. As mentioned above, the direction of movement of the coil 106 may be constrained to the Z direction. Whether the coil 106 moves in the positive Z direction or the negative Z direction depends on the south and north polar orientation of the magnet 112 and the magnetic field that surrounds the coil 106. The polar orientation can be switched by reversing the flow of current through the coil 106. When the current flow repeatedly switches direction at a particular frequency, the coil 106 moves (oscillates) back and forth (eg, in the Z direction) at a particular frequency.

[0029] To use the multi-coil VCM 100 as a haptic actuator, the multi-coil VCM 100, more specifically its coils 106, may be coupled to a mass. For example, the top of the support 108 may be coupled, such as by adhesive, to a respective mass, thereby coupling the coils 106 to the mass. The vibration of the mass caused by the vibration of the coils 106 provides haptic feedback, as the vibration of the mass may be felt by a user. As mentioned above, the multi-coil VCM 100 may be coupled to a finger-operated control (e.g., a trackpad) of a handheld controller, and in this implementation, the multi-coil VCM 100 may be configured to provide haptic feedback by vibrating at least a portion of the control. Thus, in this example, the portion of the finger-operated control represents the mass to which the multi-coil VCM 100 is coupled. In some examples, each coil 106 may be coupled to a different mass and configured to vibrate the respective mass independently. For example, the first coil 106(1) may be coupled to a control (e.g., a track pad) of a handheld controller, and the second coil 106(2) may be coupled to a different mass within the controller body of the controller. In this example, the first coil 106(1) may be configured to be driven within a first frequency range (e.g., within a frequency range at or near 500 Hz) to provide a high-precision "tick" or "click" felt by a user's finger on the control (e.g., track pad). This type of haptic feedback may be provided, for example, for track pad mousing. Meanwhile, the second coil 106(2) may be configured to be driven within a second frequency range different from the first frequency range (e.g., within a frequency range at or near 5 Hz) to provide a lower-precision, heavy-ringing type of haptic feedback. This type of haptic feedback may be provided during gameplay to simulate a player-controlled character falling, a weapon impact, the feeling of a car crash, etc. In some examples, the second frequency range may overlap the first frequency range, while in other examples, the second frequency range may not overlap the first frequency range (e.g., the frequency ranges may be mutually exclusive).In either case, if the first coil 106(1) is configured to provide higher precision tactile feedback while the second coil 106(2) is configured to provide lower precision tactile feedback, the highest frequency of the first frequency range may be higher than the highest frequency of the second frequency range.

[0030] 6 illustrates a front view of an exemplary controller 600 according to one embodiment of the disclosure. The controller 600 may be considered handheld when operated by a user's hand, regardless of whether the entire controller 600 is supported by or in the user's hand. However, in accordance with various embodiments described herein, the terms "device," "handheld device," "handheld gaming device," "handheld console," "handheld gaming console," "controller," and "handheld controller" may be used interchangeably herein to describe any device such as the controller 600.

[0031] The controller 600 may include a controller body 602 having a front surface 604. The controller body 602 may further include a back surface (or rear surface), a top surface (or top edge, or top), a bottom surface (or bottom edge, or bottom), a left surface (or left edge, or left), and a right surface (or right edge, or right). Thus, the controller body 602 may be a rectangular parallelepiped. The front surface 604 and the back surface may be relatively large surfaces compared to the top surface, bottom surface, left surface, and right surface.

[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 6 , the front surface 604 of the controller body 602 may include a number of controls (e.g., finger-operated controls) configured to receive user input. Touch data generated by the controls may be used to detect the presence, location, and / or gesture of a user's fingers operating the controller 600. In some cases, the front surface 604 of the controller body 602 may include one or more front controls, which in some cases are controllable by one or more thumbs of a user operating the controller 600. The handheld controller 600 may further include one or more top controls present on a top surface (or top edge) of the controller body 602. Additionally or alternatively, the handheld controller 600 may include one or more back controls present on a back surface of the controller body 602 and operable by the fingers of a user's left and / or right hand. Additionally or alternatively, the handheld controller 600 may include one or more left and / or right controls present on respective left and right surfaces of the controller body 602.

[0033] The front controls may include one or more trackpads, trackballs, joysticks, buttons, directional pads (D-pads), and the like. For example, the front face 604 may include a left joystick 606, a left trackpad 608, and / or a left D-pad 610 controllable by a user's left thumb. In some embodiments, the front face 604 may include additional left buttons controllable by the left thumb, such as button 612 and button 614. The front face 604 may also include a right joystick 616, a right trackpad 618, and / or one or more right buttons 620(1)-(4) (e.g., X, Y, A, and B buttons) controllable by the user's right thumb. In some embodiments, the front face 604 may include additional right buttons controllable by the right thumb, such as button 622 and button 624. However, the front face 604 may include other controls, such as tilt buttons, triggers, knobs, wheels, and / or trackballs, and the multiple controls may be configured to receive input from any combination of the user's thumbs and / or fingers. In instances where the controller 600 includes a trigger, the trigger may be a multi-directional trigger configured to be pushed away from the controller 600 and pulled towards the controller 600. Additionally, the controller 600 may include paddles, panels, or wings configured to be pushed and / or pulled. The panels may be used to provide additional game control to the controller 600, such as shifting in a racing game (e.g., pushing can shift down and pulling can shift up).

[0034] In some embodiments, the track pads 608 and 618 are quadrilateral-shaped track pads. For example, the track pads 608 and 618 can be generally square-shaped track pads. Furthermore, the quadrilateral-shaped track pads 608 and 618 can have rounded corners. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 6 , the straight side edges of each track pad 608 and 618 are aligned (e.g., parallel) with the side edges (e.g., left and right edges) of the display 626 at the center of the controller body 602 on the front surface 604 of the controller body 602.

[0035] The controller body 602 may further include a left handle 628 and a right handle 630 on which a user may hold the controller 600 via the user's right and left hands, respectively. Holding the left handle 628 with the left hand may provide access to the left joystick 606, the left trackpad 608, and / or the left D-pad 610. Holding the right handle 630 with the right hand may provide access to the right joystick 616, the right trackpad 618, and / or one or more right buttons 620(1)-(4).

[0036] FIG. 6 further illustrates that the controller 600 may further include one or more haptic actuators, such as a first multi-coil VCM100(1) and a second multi-coil VCM100(2), as described herein. The individual multi-coil VCMs 100 may be disposed within the controller body 602 such that the multi-coil VCMs 100 are hidden from view. In some examples, the first multi-coil VCM100(1) is disposed within the left handle 628 of the controller body 602, and the second multi-coil VCM100(2) is disposed within the right handle 630 of the controller body 602. The orientation of the multi-coil VCMs 100(1) and 100(2) depicted in FIG. 6 does not necessarily represent the orientation in which the multi-coil VCMs 100(1) and 100(2) are within and disposed within the controller body 600. For example, the bottom 102 of the housing of the first multi-coil VCM100(1) may be mounted to the left inner wall of the controller body 602 such that the top 102 of the housing of the first multi-coil VCM100(1) substantially faces the right side of the controller body 602. Similarly, the bottom 102 of the housing of the second multi-coil VCM100(2) may be mounted to the right inner wall of the controller body 602 such that the top 102 of the housing of the second multi-coil VCM100(2) substantially faces the left side of the controller body 602. In other words, the multi-coil VCM100 may be oriented laterally within the controller body 602 such that the direction of vibration of the coils 106 is in the XY plane (e.g., in the X direction) shown in FIG.

[0037] In some examples, each multi-coil VCM100 is coupled to a finger-operated control of the controller 600 to provide haptic feedback to the user while the user's finger is in contact with the control. For example, the first multi-coil VCM100(1) may be coupled to a finger-operated control positioned to the left of the display 626, such as the left trackpad 608. More specifically, the coils 106 of the first multi-coil VCM100(1), such as the first coil 106(1), may be coupled to a finger-operated control positioned to the left of the display 626. In this manner, the first multi-coil VCM100(1) may be configured to provide haptic feedback by vibrating at least a portion of the finger-operated control. For example, in at least one example, movement of the first coil 106(1) of the first multi-coil VCM100(1) may vibrate at least a portion of the left trackpad 608. The second multi-coil VCM 100(2) may be coupled to a finger-operated control positioned on the right side of the display 626, such as the right trackpad 618. More specifically, the coils 106 of the second multi-coil VCM 100(2), such as the first coil 106(1), may be coupled to a finger-operated control positioned on the right side of the display 626. In this manner, the second multi-coil VCM 100(2) may be configured to provide haptic feedback by vibrating at least a portion of the finger-operated control. For example, in at least one example, movement of the first coil 106(1) of the second multi-coil VCM 100(2) may vibrate at least a portion of the right trackpad 618. These vibrations may be felt by a user whose finger is in contact with the respective control (e.g., trackpads 608 and 618). Each second coil 106(2) of the multi-coil VCM 100 may be coupled to a respective mass within the controller body 602 to provide additional tactile feedback to a user of the controller 600.For example, the first coil 106(1) and 100(2) of each of multi-coil VCM 100(1) may be configured to provide a highly accurate “tick” felt by a user's finger (e.g., thumb) on track pad 608, 618, and the second coil 106(2) of each of multi-coil VCMs 100(1) and 100(2) may be configured to provide a less accurate heavy-ringing type of tactile feedback.

[0038] In some examples, the controller 600 may include one or more other types of haptic actuators instead of or in addition to the multi-coil VCMs 100(1) and 100(2) depicted in FIG. 6. For example, the controller 600 may include, without limitation, one or more linear resonant actuators (LRAs), one or more eccentric rotating masses (ERMs), one or more solenoids, one or more single-coil VCMs, and / or any other suitable type of haptic actuator. The individual haptic actuators may be configured to vibrate or resonate in any suitable direction relative to the controller body 602 of the controller 600, such as in the X, Y, and / or Z directions, where in this context the Z direction is orthogonal to the front face 604 of the controller body 602 and the X and Y directions in a plane parallel to the front face 604 of the controller body 602.

[0039] Individual haptic actuators of a controller 600, such as the multi-coil VCM 100 described herein, may be configured to provide haptic feedback (e.g., via vibrations, pulses, etc.) in response to one or more criteria being met. An exemplary criterion may be met if the amount of force pressing a control (e.g., left trackpad 608, right trackpad 618, etc.) meets a threshold. In other words, the criterion may be met if force data provided by pressing a pressure sensor associated with the control includes one or more values ​​(e.g., one or more force sensing resistor (FSR) values, capacitance values, etc.) that meet a threshold, the force data indicating the amount of force pressing the control. Thus, if a user presses a control (e.g., left trackpad 608, right trackpad 618, etc.) hard enough to register a press input event, the user may feel haptic feedback in the form of a haptic vibration of the control (e.g., the cover of the control). Another exemplary criterion may be met when touch data provided by a touch sensor associated with the control being touched indicates that a finger contacts the control and subsequently drags a predetermined distance across the control while contacting the cover. In this manner, each time a user drags a finger a predetermined distance across a control (e.g., left trackpad 608, right trackpad 618, etc.), the user may feel a haptic vibration on the control, which may indicate a toggle between user interface elements on the display 626. It should be appreciated that these are merely exemplary criteria that may be met to trigger haptic feedback via a haptic actuator of the controller 600, and that other criteria may be evaluated to trigger haptic feedback. A processor of a controller system disclosed herein may be configured to process touch data, force data, and / or other sensor data from a touch sensor, pressure sensor, and / or another sensor associated with the control to determine whether one or more criteria are met, and if so, to send a control signal (e.g., via an amplifier) ​​to a haptic actuator to provide haptic feedback.The control signal may specify a frequency (eg, a Hz value) and / or a current level (eg, an Amp value) for driving the haptic actuator at a specified level (eg, frequency).

[0040] The individual haptic actuators of the controller 600 may be disposed in any suitable position or location within the controller body 602, oriented in any suitable orientation, and / or coupled to the finger-operated controls of the controller 600 in a variety of ways. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram depicting a haptic actuator 700 coupled to a finger-operated control 702 via one or more members 704 configured to transmit a force generated by the haptic actuator 700 to at least a portion of the control 702. As described herein, the haptic actuator 700 may represent any suitable type of haptic actuator. In some examples, as described herein, the haptic actuator 700 may represent a multi-coil VCM 100. In one example of a multi-coil VCM 100, a coil 106, such as a first coil 106(1), may be coupled to a first member 704(1) of the one or more members 704 to cause movement of the first member 704 in response to movement of the coil 106. Generally, when the haptic actuator 700 or a component thereof vibrates, a force generated by the vibration is transferred to the first member 704(1), thereby causing the first member 704(1) to move, such as in a translational motion in a first direction. The haptic actuator 700 may be mounted to a structure 706 to maintain the haptic actuator 700 in a fixed position while the components of the haptic actuator 700 vibrate to cause movement of the first member 704(1). In some examples, the structure 706 in FIG. 7 represents a sidewall (e.g., an inner, sidewall) of the controller body 602 of the controller 600 depicted in FIG. 6.

[0041] In some examples, finger-operated control 702 represents a trackpad, such as left trackpad 608 or right trackpad 618 shown in FIG. 6, although it should be appreciated that control 702 may represent any suitable type of control, such as a joystick, a D-pad, a button, etc. One or more members 704 may couple haptic actuator 700 to finger-operated control 702 and may transmit forces generated by haptic actuator 700 to at least a portion of control 702. A first member 704(1) may be coupled to a second member 704(2) via a first joint 708(1), which may be coupled to a third member 704(3) via a second joint 708(2). The third member 704(3) may be coupled to finger-operated control 702, such as a trackpad. It should be appreciated that the haptic actuator 700 may be coupled to the finger-operated control 702 via a fewer number of members 704 (e.g., a single member 704, two members 704, etc.) or via a greater number of members 704 (e.g., three or more members 704). In some examples, each joint 708 may be a pivot that allows the members 704 to rotate about the pivot. In some examples, each joint 708 is configured to couple two members 704 together to move in a translational manner. For example, the second member 704(2) may be configured to pivot (or rotate) about a pivot point 710 such that translational movement of the first member 704(1) causes rotational movement of the second member 704(2), which in turn causes translational movement of the third member 704(3), which in turn causes translational movement of at least a portion of the control 702. Pivot point 710 may be attached to structure 712. In some examples, structure 712 and / or pivot point 710 are fixed at any suitable location along second member 704(2), such as at the center of second member 704(2). In some examples, structure 712 and / or pivot point 710 are movable in arrow direction 714 (e.g., longitudinally along second member 704(2)). In these examples, pivot point 710 may be moved (e.g., translated) to different positions along second member 704(2) to tune or adjust the force-to-displacement ratio.That is, the force-to-displacement ratio can be adjusted by moving the pivot point 710 and / or the structure 712 along the second member 704(2) from a first position to a second position. This movement of the pivot point 710 and / or the structure 712 can occur at the time of manufacturing the device (e.g., the controller 600) including the haptic actuator 700 and the finger-operated control 702, such as to calibrate the force-to-displacement ratio during manufacturing of the device. Additionally or alternatively, the movement of the pivot point 710 and / or the structure 712 can be controlled by an actuator (not shown) of the device after the device (e.g., the controller 600) is manufactured. In yet another example, the members 704 can be rigidly coupled together and configured to translate collectively in coordination with the movement of the haptic actuator 700 causing a corresponding movement of at least a portion of the control 702. For example, all three members 704 can move simultaneously in one direction and in an opposite direction. Thus, any suitable type of linkage of the plurality of members 704 may enable the force generated by the haptic actuator 700 to be transmitted to at least a portion of the control portion 702 .

[0042] As depicted in FIG. 7, the haptic actuator 700 may be laterally spaced apart from the finger-operated control 702 such that the haptic actuator 700 is not disposed directly below the control 702 that is configured to vibrate. For example, FIG. 7 may represent a top (or bottom) view of the haptic actuator 700 positioned relative to the control 702 (e.g., looking down on the top of the control 702 or looking up on the control 702 from the bottom). From this view, it can be seen that the haptic actuator 700 is positioned outside the perimeter of the control 702, such as outside the perimeter of a square-shaped track pad. As discussed elsewhere herein, the control 702, such as a track pad, may include sensitive components such as touch sensors (e.g., capacitive touch sensors), pressure sensors (e.g., FSRs), and the like. 7 positions the haptic actuator 700 away from sensitive components of the control unit 702 to mitigate against the output of the haptic actuator 700 interfering with the ability of the sensors to detect correct user input (e.g., touch input, pressure input, etc.) to the control unit 702. In other words, the sensors associated with the control unit 702 may detect pseudo user inputs that do not use the arrangement shown in FIG.

[0043] In a handheld controller implementation, the lateral spacing of the haptic actuator 700 relative to the control 702 may also allow for optimizing the weight distribution of the controller 600, as the haptic actuator 700 is not restricted to being positioned directly beneath the control 702 that is configured to vibrate. Rather, the haptic actuator 700 may be strategically positioned at a location within the controller body 602 to balance or distribute the weight of the controller 600 in a desired manner. Despite being positioned laterally away from the control 702, the one or more members 704 may be configured to transmit the force generated by the haptic actuator 700 to at least a portion of the control 702 to provide haptic feedback that is specific and / or localized to the control 702.

[0044] The one or more members 704 may also provide a mechanical advantage that allows the haptic actuator 700 to provide haptic feedback at relatively low frequencies. That is, if the haptic actuator 700 functions well to provide haptic feedback at relatively high frequencies (e.g., at or near 500 Hz) due to the relatively small size of the haptic actuator 700 and / or the relatively small displacement of the actuation mechanism (e.g., a coil of a VCM, such as coil 106 of the multi-coil VCM 100 described herein), and if the haptic actuator 700 itself does not function well to provide haptic feedback at relatively low frequencies (e.g., at or near 5 Hz), the members 704 may allow for a larger displacement.

[0045] While the haptic actuator 700 in FIG. 7 is shown as being directly coupled to a single member 704(1), it should be appreciated that the haptic actuator 700 may be directly coupled to more than one member, allowing for actuation of multiple separate masses. For example, if the haptic actuator 700 is implemented as a multi-coil VCM 100 as described herein, one of the coils 106, such as the first coil 106(1), may be coupled to the control unit 702 via one or more members 704, and the other coils 106, such as the second coil 106(2), may be coupled to another mass via one or more additional members (not shown in FIG. 7), thereby allowing for independent, selective actuation of the separate masses. This may allow for the provision of multiple different types of haptic feedback, as described herein.

[0046] FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary computing components of the controller 600. As illustrated, the controller 600 includes one or more input / output (I / O) devices 800, such as the controls described above (e.g., joystick, trackpad, triggers, etc.), and potentially any other type of input or output device. For example, the I / O device 800 may include one or more microphones for receiving audio input, such as user voice input. In some implementations, one or more cameras or other types of sensors (e.g., inertial measurement units (IMUs)) may function as input devices for receiving gestural input, such as movements of the handheld controller 600. In some embodiments, additional input devices may be provided in the form of a keyboard, keypad, mouse, touch screen (e.g., display 626), joystick, control buttons, etc. The input devices may further include control mechanisms, such as basic volume control buttons for increasing / decreasing the volume, as well as power and reset buttons.

[0047] Meanwhile, the output devices may include a display 626, light elements (e.g., LEDs), a haptic actuator 802 that produces haptic sensations and / or feedback, a speaker (e.g., headphones), etc. The haptic actuator 802 may represent any suitable type of haptic actuator, including, but not limited to, any of the haptic actuators described herein, such as the haptic actuator 700 of FIG. 7, and / or the multi-coil VCM 100 described herein. There may also be simple light elements (e.g., LEDs) to indicate a status, such as when power is on, and / or a function (e.g., mode) of the controller 600. Although some examples are provided, the controller 600 may additionally or alternatively include any other type of output device.

[0048] In some cases, output by one or more output devices may be based on input received by one or more of the input devices. For example, selection of a control may result in output of a haptic response by a haptic actuator 802 coupled to the control. In some cases, the output may vary based at least in part on a characteristic of a touch input to a touch sensor, such as a touch sensor associated with the control. For example, a touch input at a first location on the touch sensor may result in a first haptic output, while a touch input at a second location on the touch sensor may result in a second haptic output. Furthermore, a particular gesture on the touch sensor may result in a particular haptic output (or other type of output). For example, a swipe gesture on the control may result in a first type of haptic output, a tap of the control (detected by the touch sensor) may result in a second type of haptic output, and a hard press of the control may result in a third type of haptic output. In some examples, the output of the haptic actuator 802 may be based on meeting other criteria, such as events occurring within a game running on the handheld controller 600 and / or an external device (e.g., a game console, a game server, etc.). Additionally, particular controls or portions of controls may be illuminated based on input received.

[0049] Additionally, the handheld controller 600 may include one or more communication interfaces 804 to facilitate wireless connection to a network and / or one or more remote systems and / or devices 805 (e.g., host computing devices running applications, game consoles, etc.). The communication interface 804 may implement one or more of a variety of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio frequency (RF), etc. It should be appreciated that the handheld controller 600 may further include physical ports to facilitate a wired connection to a network, connected peripheral devices, or plug-in network devices that communicate with other wireless networks.

[0050] In the illustrated implementation, the handheld controller 600 further includes one or more processors 806 and a computer-readable medium 808. In some implementations, the processor 806 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), both a CPU and a GPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, or other processing units or components known in the art. Alternatively or additionally, what is functionally described herein may be implemented, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, and without limitation, illustrative types of hardware logic components that may be used include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), systems on a chip (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and the like. Additionally, each of the processors 806 may have its own local memory that may also store program modules, program data, and / or one or more operating systems.

[0051] The computer readable medium 808 may include volatile and non-volatile memory, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Such memory may include, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVDs) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, RAID storage systems, or any other medium that may be used to store the desired information and that may be accessed by a computing device. The computer readable medium 808 may be implemented as a computer readable storage medium ("CRSM"), which may be any available physical medium that is accessible by the processor 806 to execute the instructions stored on the computer readable medium 808. In one basic implementation, the CRSM may include random access memory ("RAM") and flash memory. In other implementations, the CRSM may include, but is not limited to, read-only memory ("ROM"), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory ("EEPROM"), or any other tangible medium that can be used to store the desired information and that can be accessed by the processor 806.

[0052] Some modules, such as instructions, data storage, etc., may be stored in the computer-readable medium 808 and configured to execute on the processor 806. Although some exemplary functional modules are shown as being stored in the computer-readable medium 808 and executed on the processor 806, the same functions may alternatively be implemented in hardware, firmware, or as a system on a chip (SOC).

[0053] The operating system module 810 may be configured to manage hardware in and coupled to the handheld controller for the benefit of other modules. Additionally, the computer readable medium 808 may store a network communication module 812 that enables the handheld controller to communicate with one or more other devices 805, such as personal computing devices running applications (e.g., gaming applications), game consoles, remote servers, and the like, via the communication interface 804. The computer readable medium 808 may further include a game session database 814 to store data associated with games (or other applications) running on the controller or on a computing device to which the controller couples. The computer readable medium 808 may also include a device record database 816 that stores data associated with a device to which the controller couples, such as a personal computing device, game console, remote server, and the like. The computer readable medium 808 may further store game control instructions 818 that configure the controller to function as a gaming controller, and universal control instructions 820 that configure the handheld controller to function as a controller for other non-gaming devices.

[0054] In some cases, some or all of the components (software) shown in FIG. 8 may be implemented in another computing device 805 that is part of a controller system 807 that includes the controller 600. In such cases, the processes and / or functions described herein may be implemented by the other computing device 805 and / or the controller 600. As an example, the controller 600 may couple to a host PC or console, computing device / server in the same environment, and provide data to the device 805 indicative of presses, selections, etc. received at the controller 600. The controller 600 may, for example, send data indicative of touch input received at a trackpad of the controller 600 to the computing device, and the computing device may determine the nature of the data and / or the location where the touch input is received at the controller 600 (or the control portion of the controller). The computing device 805 may then cause an associated action within the game or application to occur. In another example, computing device 805 may receive data indicative of the amount of force pressing on a control and / or the touch of a control (e.g., a touch gesture), and based on that data, computing device 805 may determine whether to activate haptic actuator 802 and at what level (e.g., frequency) to provide a corresponding haptic output. However, although several scenarios have been described, controller 600 and computing device 805 may be communicatively coupled to each other such that controller 600, computing device 805, and / or other devices of controller system 807 may perform the operations and processes described herein.

[0055] Unless otherwise indicated, all numerical values ​​expressing quantities, properties, conditions, and the like used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about." Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and appended claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present disclosure. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should be construed in light of at least the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Where further clarification is needed, the term "about" has the meaning reasonably regarded by one of ordinary skill in the art, and when used in conjunction with a stated numerical value or range, means some greater than or some less than the stated value or range, i.e., within ±20% of the stated value, ±19% of the stated value, ±18% of the stated value, ±17% of the stated value, ±16% of the stated value, ±15% of the stated value, ±14% of the stated value, ±13% of the stated value, ±12% of the stated value, ±11% of the stated value, ±10% of the stated value, ±9% of the stated value, ±8% of the stated value, ±7% of the stated value, ±6% of the stated value, ±5% of the stated value, ±4% of the stated value, ±3% of the stated value, ±2% of the stated value, or ±1% of the stated value.

[0056] Although various examples and embodiments are described individually herein, the examples and embodiments can be combined, rearranged, and modified to arrive at other variations within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, while the present subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A multi-coil voice coil motor (VCM), Housing and A plurality of concentric coils, a first coil disposed on a first support coupled to the housing, the first coil having a first diameter; a second coil disposed on a second support coupled to the housing, the second coil having a second diameter different from the first diameter; and a magnet coupled to the housing.

2. The multi-coil VCM of claim 1 , wherein the first support and the second support are concentric.

3. The magnet is fixed within the housing, the plurality of concentric coils configured for movement relative to the magnet; The multi-coil VCM of claim 1 , wherein the motion of the first coil is independent of the motion of the second coil.

4. the second diameter is greater than the first diameter; the second coil surrounds the first coil; The multi-coil VCM of claim 1 , wherein the second coil is radially spaced a distance from the first coil.

5. The multi-coil VCM of claim 1 , wherein the magnet comprises one or more sections of permanent magnetic material surrounding the plurality of concentric coils.

6. the first coil is configured to be driven within a first frequency range; 2. The multi-coil VCM of claim 1, wherein the second coil is configured to be driven within a second frequency range different from the first frequency range.

7. A controller, A controller body; A control unit disposed on a surface of the controller body and configured to be operated by a finger; a haptic actuator disposed within the controller body and coupled to the control unit, the haptic actuator configured to provide haptic feedback by vibrating at least a portion of the control unit, the haptic actuator comprising: A plurality of concentric coils, a first coil having a first diameter; a second coil having a second diameter different from the first diameter; and a magnet adjacent to the plurality of concentric coils.

8. the haptic actuator further comprising a housing; the first coil is disposed on a first support coupled to the housing; The controller of claim 7 , wherein the second coil is disposed on a second support coupled to the housing.

9. the haptic actuator further comprising a housing; The magnet is fixed within the housing, the plurality of concentric coils configured for movement relative to the magnet; The controller of claim 7 , wherein the movement of the first coil is independent of the movement of the second coil.

10. the second diameter is greater than the first diameter; the second coil surrounds the first coil; The controller of claim 7 , wherein the second coil is radially spaced a distance from the first coil.

11. the haptic actuator further comprising a housing; The plurality of concentric coils concentric with a central axial point of the housing; and The controller of claim 7 , at least partially overlapping along said axis.

12. the first coil is configured to be driven within a first frequency range; The controller of claim 7 , wherein the second coil is configured to be driven within a second frequency range different from the first frequency range.

13. The controller of claim 7 , wherein the control comprises a track pad.

14. 1. A haptic actuator comprising: Housing and a first coil disposed on a first support coupled to the housing, the first coil having a first diameter; a second coil disposed on a second support coupled to the housing, the first coil being nested within the second coil; and a magnet coupled to the housing.

15. The haptic actuator of claim 14 , wherein the first support and the second support are concentric tubes.

16. The magnet is fixed within the housing, The haptic actuator of claim 14 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are each configured for movement relative to the magnet.

17. The haptic actuator of claim 16 , wherein the motion of the first coil is independent of the motion of the second coil.

18. The haptic actuator of claim 14 , wherein the magnet comprises one or more portions of permanent magnetic material surrounding the first coil and the second coil.

19. the first coil is configured to be driven within a first frequency range; The haptic actuator of claim 14 , wherein the second coil is configured to be driven within a second frequency range different from the first frequency range.

20. 20. The haptic actuator of claim 19, wherein a highest frequency in the first frequency range is greater than a highest frequency in the second frequency range.

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