3D Haptic Keyboard and Palm Rest With Localized Piezo Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current computer gaming systems lack the ability to provide immersive haptic feedback to users through keyboards and palm rests, as they cannot accurately represent the location and type of gaming action events within a virtual three-dimensional gaming environment, limiting the sensory experience during gameplay.
Innovation Solution
A combination haptic keyboard and palm rest assembly utilizing piezoelectric actuators that receive electrical charges from a keyboard controller to create tactile haptic movements, such as vibrations or clicks, based on gaming action events identified by image recognition models or pixel brightness analysis, allowing for synchronized feedback across specific regions of the keyboard and palm rest.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If piezoelectric actuators are integrated into the keyboard and palm rest assembly, then haptic feedback capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated assembly: the keyboard structure, palm rest, and piezoelectric actuators are merged into one unit. The actuators are positioned between the keyboard/palm rest and the user's fingers, allowing the same structure to provide both structural support and haptic feedback functionality, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite adding haptic capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The piezoelectric actuators serve multiple functions: they provide haptic feedback for gaming actions, maintain structural support for the keyboard and palm rest assembly, and enable tactile interaction. This multi-functionality allows the system to gain haptic capabilities without proportionally increasing complexity, as the actuators replace or supplement existing structural components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If haptic feedback is synchronized with gaming action events, then user immersion is improved, but processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-positions multiple piezoelectric actuators at specific locations across the keyboard and palm rest assembly before gameplay begins. These actuators are pre-configured to correspond to different gaming action events, allowing the system to quickly trigger appropriate haptic feedback without complex real-time processing during gameplay.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where gaming action events are detected and automatically trigger corresponding haptic responses through the piezoelectric actuators. This automated feedback mechanism synchronizes tactile feedback with visual and audio game events, enhancing immersion while reducing the need for manual intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances user immersion in virtual three-dimensional gaming environments by providing haptic feedback that correlates with gaming action events, increasing the sensory engagement and realism of the gaming experience.
Implementation Method 1
A combination haptic keyboard and palm rest assembly utilizing piezoelectric actuators that receive electrical charges from a keyboard controller to create tactile haptic movements
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional (3D) haptic keyboard and palm rest experience system for an information handling system may comprise a display device displaying an avatar image located within a virtual 3D gaming environment generated by a gaming application, a processor determining an action involving the avatar image is being displayed, and a position of the action within the virtual 3D gaming environment, a keyboard controller identifying a haptic region of a keyboard and palm rest assembly having a location with respect to the user that correlates to the position of the action within the virtual 3D gaming environment, and the keyboard controller applying a change in voltage, via a printed circuit board assembly, across a piezoelectric actuator disposed beneath the haptic region to cause haptic movement in the haptic region correlated to the position of the action displayed within the virtual 3D gaming environment.