Actuator Overdrive Voltage Lookup Table for Haptic Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional actuators in portable electronic devices, such as Linear Resonant Actuators (LRAs), have a limited frequency range and mechanical response time, which restricts the dynamic range of haptic effects and can cause undesired noise due to the mass hitting the casing, limiting their ability to provide immersive feedback.
Innovation Solution
Applying an overdrive voltage greater than the standard voltage to the actuator, generating a lookup table for corresponding overdrive voltages based on frequency responses, allows for increased dynamic range and faster response times without causing mechanical noise, similar to more expensive piezoelectric actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If standard voltage is applied to the actuator, then the actuator operates within safe limits, but the frequency range and response time are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the voltage applied to the actuator based on the frequency of the haptic signal. A lookup table stores frequency-voltage mappings that enable the system to apply higher voltages (overdrive) at specific frequencies to improve response time while avoiding voltages that would cause mechanical damage. This dynamic voltage adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the actuator's operating parameters adaptive rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the electrical parameter (voltage) as a function of frequency to optimize actuator performance. By storing frequency-response characteristics and corresponding overdrive voltages in a lookup table, the system can rapidly adjust the voltage parameter to achieve faster response times and extended frequency range while maintaining mechanical stability through controlled parameter selection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If overdrive voltage is applied to increase dynamic range, then frequency range and response time improve, but mechanical noise may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pre-characterized frequency-response data to determine the appropriate overdrive voltage for each frequency, creating a feedback-based control mechanism. The lookup table encapsulates the actuator's response characteristics and safe operating limits, allowing the system to select voltages that extend dynamic range while avoiding the mechanical noise-causing voltage-frequency combinations. This feedback approach enables the system to push the actuator's performance boundaries without causing harmful mechanical effects.
3Speed
If conventional actuators are used, then cost is reduced, but frequency range and response time are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a lookup table as an intermediary component between the control system and the actuator. This lookup table stores pre-computed frequency-voltage mappings that enable conventional, low-cost actuators to achieve performance characteristics similar to expensive high-performance actuators. The lookup table acts as a mediator that translates standard actuator capabilities into enhanced performance through intelligent voltage-frequency mapping, avoiding the need to upgrade to more complex and expensive actuator hardware.
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
The solution enhances the frequency range and response time of actuators, enabling more immersive and varied haptic effects while preventing mechanical noise, effectively improving the actuator's performance without increasing costs.
Implementation Method 1
an actuator (e.g., a linear resonant actuator (LRA)) is received
Data Source
AI summary
A system in which haptic effects are generated using an actuator receives a frequency response for the actuator at a standard voltage and generates a lookup table for an overdrive voltage based on the frequency response. The system then receives a haptic signal for the haptic effect and extracts one or more frequencies for the haptic signal. The system then determines the corresponding overdrive voltage from the lookup table for each of the frequencies and, for each of the frequencies, applies the corresponding overdrive voltage to the actuator. The overdrive voltage is greater than or equal to the standard voltage.