Adaptive Haptics With Configurable Force Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices with force sensors and haptic engines struggle to provide user-friendly force-based inputs, as user input force thresholds are often too sensitive or insensitive, leading to uncomfortable or frequent unintended triggers.
Innovation Solution
Configurable user input force thresholds and haptic engines that provide different haptic outputs based on user-defined force thresholds, allowing personalized user experiences and consistent haptic feedback regardless of applied force levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed user input force threshold is used, then the device operation is simple, but the user experience is poor due to unintended triggers or insufficient sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The force threshold is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system automatically adjusts the force threshold based on detected usage patterns and environmental conditions, allowing the threshold to adapt over time while maintaining simple user interaction. This resolves the contradiction by making the threshold configurable without requiring manual user setup.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-configuration by automatically learning optimal force thresholds through monitoring user interaction patterns. The device serves itself by adjusting sensitivity parameters without external intervention, eliminating the need for manual threshold setting while improving user comfort.
2Measurement precision
If the force threshold is set to be highly sensitive, then user input detection is improved, but unintended triggers increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that monitor detected force inputs and adjust the threshold accordingly. When unintended triggers are detected, the system learns from these patterns and adjusts the threshold to prevent future false positives while maintaining sensitivity for legitimate inputs. This creates a closed-loop system that continuously optimizes the balance between sensitivity and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary learning during an onboarding period where it establishes baseline force thresholds before normal operation begins. This preliminary configuration allows the system to be pre-adjusted to user preferences and usage patterns, preventing both overly sensitive and insensitive operation from the start.
3Reliability
If the force threshold is set to be less sensitive, then unintended triggers are reduced, but user input detection becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The force threshold dynamically adapts based on contextual information such as device orientation, usage patterns, and environmental conditions. The threshold is neither fixed at a high nor low value but adjusts continuously to optimize both reliability and sensitivity for the current operating context.
4Ease of operation
If different haptic outputs are provided for different force levels, then user feedback is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes haptic output parameters such as vibration frequency, amplitude, and duration based on the detected force level. Rather than requiring multiple independent haptic actuators, the system modulates the parameters of a single haptic engine to provide differentiated feedback, reducing hardware complexity while maintaining rich user feedback.
Data Source
AI summary
A user input device includes a force sensor operable to determine an amount of force applied to at least one user input surface, and a haptic engine configured to provide a haptic output. The haptic output is provided at least partly in response to the amount of force satisfying a current configuration of a configurable user input force threshold and is based at least partly on a predetermined parameter associated with the current configuration of the configurable user input force threshold.