Sensor Parameter Determination for Haptic Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for sensors in mobile devices to detect user interaction with human-machine interfaces while providing acceptable levels of sensor sensitivity, power consumption, and size, as existing sensors face challenges due to manufacturing designs and environmental factors that affect their resonant frequency and quality factor over time.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for determining sensor parameters of an actively-driven sensor system, which includes an initialization operation to establish baseline estimates, obtaining as few as three samples of a measured physical quantity versus frequency, performing refinement operations until differences are below a threshold, and outputting updated sensor parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If virtual buttons are used instead of mechanical buttons, then device waterproofing and manufacturing simplicity are improved, but user experience and tactile feedback are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration by using a linear resonant actuator to generate tactile feedback that mimics the sensation of pressing a mechanical button. The actuator vibrates at specific frequencies to create realistic tactile sensations, allowing virtual buttons to provide physical feedback without requiring actual mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical button system with an integrated sensor-actuator system. Instead of using physical mechanical buttons, the system uses capacitive or force sensors combined with linear resonant actuators to detect user input and provide tactile feedback, substituting mechanical components with electromagnetic and computational systems.
2Measurement precision
If sensor parameters are determined using traditional methods, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but sensor sensitivity and measurement accuracy are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing an initialization operation that establishes baseline estimates of sensor parameters before normal operation begins. This pre-characterization of sensor behavior allows the system to compensate for manufacturing variations and environmental effects, improving measurement precision without adding complexity during actual sensor usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through an iterative refinement operation where measured physical quantities are used to update and refine sensor parameter estimates. The system continuously compares measured values against expected values and adjusts parameters accordingly, enabling adaptive calibration that improves accuracy while using computationally efficient algorithms.
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 approach reduces the disadvantages of virtual buttons in mobile devices by accurately determining sensor parameters, ensuring optimal performance and reliability of haptic feedback systems, even with changes in resonant frequency and quality factor over time.
Implementation Method 1
a signal driver generate a driving signal at or near a resonant frequency of the sensor
Implementation Method 2
the linear resonant actuator may vibrate to provide feedback to the user
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining sensor parameters of an actively-driven sensor system may include performing an initialization operation to establish a baseline estimate of the sensor parameters, obtaining as few as three samples of a measured physical quantity versus frequency for the actively-driven sensor system, performing a refinement operation to provide a refined version of the sensor parameters based on the as few as three samples, iteratively repeating the refinement operation until the difference between successive refined versions of the sensor parameters is below a defined threshold, and outputting the refined sensor parameters as updated sensor parameters for the actively-driven sensor system.