Electrostatic Haptic Device Hold-and-Feel Mode
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing haptic devices struggle to provide high-precision tactile sensory stimulation, as moving or vibrating mechanical members can be bulky, unreliable, and difficult to control, limiting their ability to effectively simulate textures and provide accurate feedback to users.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a 'hold-and-feel' mode in haptic devices, where users can explore digital information content through tactile sensations by locking the screen content with a specific gesture, allowing for varying texture simulation without moving the screen, using electrostatic vibration technology to differentiate stimulation based on finger movement and stationarity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If moving or vibrating mechanical members are used to generate tactile stimulation, then tactile feedback can be provided to users, but the device becomes bulky, unreliable, and difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces moving or vibrating mechanical members with an electrostatic field-based tactile stimulation system. The haptic output device uses electrostatic attraction between a haptic output element and a counter-electrode to generate tactile feedback, eliminating the need for complex mechanical components while maintaining reliable tactile feedback functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and operating parameters of the haptic output element by varying the electrostatic field strength through voltage control. By adjusting the electrostatic attraction force dynamically, the system provides different tactile sensations without mechanical movement, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
2Measurement precision
If mechanical members are used for tactile stimulation, then tactile feedback is provided, but precision and control over the stimulation become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical control systems with electrostatic field control, enabling precise adjustment of tactile stimulation through voltage modulation. The electrostatic haptic output device allows for fine-grained control over stimulation intensity and timing without the inertia and friction limitations of mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control of the electrostatic field to adapt tactile stimulation in real-time based on user interaction. The system can rapidly adjust the electrostatic attraction force to provide precise, responsive tactile feedback that adapts to changing conditions, improving both precision and ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If the screen content moves during touch interaction, then user interaction is natural, but texture simulation and tactile exploration become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the touch interaction into distinct modes: a natural scrolling mode where content moves with touch, and a texture exploration mode where content remains stationary. This segmentation allows the system to provide both natural interaction and precise texture simulation by activating different haptic feedback patterns in different operational contexts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses periodic electrostatic stimulation patterns to simulate different textures while the screen content remains stationary. By varying the frequency and amplitude of the electrostatic haptic feedback, the system can create diverse tactile sensations that help users explore content texture without requiring content movement.
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
Enables users to intuitively interact with digital content by feeling textures and hidden information without visual focus, enhancing usability and accessibility by providing precise tactile feedback that matches the information displayed, improving control over screen content through reinterpreted gestures and modified touch event handling.
Implementation Method 1
the touch-sensitive region 1262 comprises a semiconducting region 254 disposed above the electronics region 3002... the semiconducting region 254 functions as an electrode that is capacitively coupled to a body member 120
Implementation Method 2
haptic output region 1242 configured to generate tactile sensory stimulation... using electrostatic vibration technology to differentiate stimulation based on finger movement and stationarity... the semiconducting region 254 functions as an electrode that is capacitively coupled to a body member 120
Implementation Method 3
The voltage amplifier 302 is configured to apply a voltage across the capacitive coupling 1202 between the semiconducting region 254 and the body member 120, thereby producing a pulsating Coulomb force
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A haptic device may allow a user to explore the tactile sensations associated with information being displayed on a display. This methodology can be referred to as a "hold-and-feel" mode. The user may first perform a gesture to inform the device to hold the display stationary, in order to explore the information, instead of scrolling or panning the information on the display. For example, to enter the "hold-and-feel" mode, a user may press one finger on the side of the screen to lock the information content with respect to the screen so that the display contents are no longer moved as the user slides another finger over the screen. In a haptic device that supports tactile sensory stimulation, this "hold-and-feel" mode allows the user to feel one or more objects or elements (e.g., a link or image) on the screen, for example, as variations of surface texture.