Vibration Transfer Control for Distinct Multi-Touch Tactile Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch panels with tactile feedback systems struggle to provide distinct tactile sensations at multiple touch positions, as existing methods fail to vary vibration amplitudes effectively between different touch points, leading to confusion in user interface interactions.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a panel and multiple vibrators, where the vibration controller adjusts the vibration transfer characteristics between vibrators and touch positions, allowing for varied vibration amplitudes and distinct tactile sensations at each touch point, even when touch positions are equidistant from the vibrators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple vibrators are used to provide tactile feedback at multiple touch positions, then the ability to provide tactile feedback is improved, but the complexity of the vibration control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each vibrator and its associated transfer characteristic unique to specific touch positions. Instead of using identical vibrators for all positions, the system assigns different vibrators or different transfer characteristics to different touch positions, allowing each position to have customized tactile feedback properties that match user expectations for that specific location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the vibration control system by assigning dedicated transfer characteristics to each vibrator-touch position combination. This segmentation allows independent control and optimization of vibration pathways for different touch positions, enabling the system to manage complexity through modular, position-specific control rather than a monolithic approach.
2Loss of information
If vibration amplitude is increased at one touch position to provide distinct tactile sensation, then the tactile sensation clarity is improved, but the vibration at other touch positions becomes more pronounced causing user confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by creating position-specific transfer characteristics that allow high vibration amplitude at a designated first touch position while maintaining low or zero vibration at second touch positions. This localized approach ensures that tactile feedback is clear and distinct at the intended position without causing confusion at other positions where different transfer characteristics are applied.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses transfer characteristics as intermediary elements between the vibrators and touch positions. These transfer characteristics act as filters or mediators that shape the vibration signal, allowing the system to deliver strong tactile feedback at specific positions while attenuating or blocking vibration propagation to other positions, thus preventing user confusion.
3Ease of manufacture
If symmetric vibrator arrangement is used to simplify device structure, then the manufacturing ease is improved, but the ability to create different vibration amplitudes at different positions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by intentionally creating non-uniform vibrator arrangements or non-uniform transfer characteristics. Rather than using identical symmetric configurations for all positions, the system employs asymmetric assignments where different vibrators or different transfer characteristic parameters are used for different touch positions, enabling differentiated vibration amplitudes while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different vibrator configurations or transfer characteristics to different touch positions based on their specific functional requirements. This allows the system to maintain ease of manufacture through modular vibrator components while achieving position-specific vibration amplitude differentiation through localized configuration variations.
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 system effectively presents different tactile sensations at each touch position, enhancing user feedback and reducing confusion during multi-touch operations by varying vibration amplitudes based on asymmetric panel and securing member configurations.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of vibrators for vibrating the panel
Implementation Method 2
a transfer characteristic of vibration of the panel between the first vibrator and the first touch position is different from a transfer characteristic of vibration of the panel between the first vibrator and the second touch position
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device 100 according to one embodiment includes: a panel 101; vibrators 102 that vibrates the panel 101; and a vibration controller 109 that controls the vibrators 102 so that when positions of the panel 101 are simultaneously touched by the user, a vibration at a first touch position of the touch positions is greater than a vibration of a second touch position of the touch positions. The vibrators 102 include a first and a second vibrator 102. Where a distance between first touch position and the first vibrator 102 is equal to a distance between second touch position and the first vibrator 102, a transfer characteristic of vibration of the panel 101 between the first vibrator 102 and the first touch position is different from a transfer characteristic of vibration of the panel 101 between the first vibrator 102 and the second touch position.