Piezoelectric Touch Input for Sound and Tactile Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices face challenges in providing effective tactile feedback and sound generation due to space constraints and the need for compact designs, which limits the functionality of touch-sensitive input devices.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a piezoelectric actuating arrangement within the touch-sensitive input assembly, which includes piezoelectric actuators and force sensors, allows for movement of the touch-sensitive input assembly to generate sound and provide tactile feedback, while compensating for the effects of gravity through orientation detection by an accelerometer and adjustment of drive signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a separate speaker is used for sound generation, then sound output functionality is provided, but device size and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the speaker function with the touch-sensitive display by integrating a piezoelectric actuator behind the display assembly. The display assembly itself becomes the sound generation element, merging two functions (visual display and audio output) into a single component structure, thereby eliminating the need for a separate speaker and reducing device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch-sensitive display assembly is designed to perform multiple functions: visual display, user input detection, and sound generation. By making the display assembly universal and capable of audio output through the piezoelectric actuator, the device eliminates redundant components and reduces overall size while maintaining full functionality.
2Ease of operation
If tactile feedback mechanisms are added to touch-sensitive input devices, then user interaction quality improves, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The piezoelectric actuator serves dual purposes: generating sound output and providing tactile feedback to the user. By combining these two functions into a single actuator mechanism, the patent avoids adding separate components for tactile feedback, thereby improving user interaction quality without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The piezoelectric actuator is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides audio output and tactile response. This universal component approach allows the system to deliver enhanced user interaction capabilities while maintaining simplicity in the overall device structure.
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
This solution enables the use of a touch-sensitive display as an audio transducer, saving space and cost by eliminating the need for a separate speaker, while providing enhanced sound pressure, frequency response, and tactile feedback, thus improving user interaction and device usability.
Implementation Method 1
an actuating arrangement comprising a piezoelectric actuator between the base and the touch-sensitive input surface and arranged to receive a driving signal and move the touch-sensitive input surface relative to the base
Implementation Method 2
an accelerometer housed within the housing... to determine an orientation of the electronic device
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a housing including a base, a touch-sensitive input assembly coupled to the housing and spaced from and moveable relative to the base to generate sound, an accelerometer housed within the housing, an actuating arrangement comprising a piezoelectric actuator between the base and the touch-sensitive input surface and arranged to receive a driving signal and move the touch-sensitive input surface relative to the base, and functional components in the housing comprising a memory and a processor operably coupled to the memory, the touch-sensitive input assembly, the actuating arrangement, and the accelerometer to execute a program stored in the memory to determine an orientation of the electronic device and adjust the driving signal to the actuating arrangement based on the orientation of the electronic device.