# US 10,120,491 B2 · Localized haptic feedback > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,491 B2 - Document ID: US10120491B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/236,111 - Filed: 2016-08-12 - Published: 2016-12-01 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-18 - Assignees: Sentons Inc. - Applicants: Sentons Inc. - Inventors: Lapoe E. Lynn; Samuel W. Sheng; Shih-Ming Shih; Yenyu Hsieh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120491B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers} - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - G06F 3/0436: {in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate} - G08B 6/00: Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems - G06F 3/0414: {using force sensing means to determine a position} - G06F 2203/04104: Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger - G06F 2203/04105: Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position - G06F 2203/04108: Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS ## Abstract A haptic feedback system is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of remote transmitters that are remote from a location of interest on a surface of the system. The system includes a signal generator that generates a signal for each of the remote transmitters. The remote transmitters propagate the signals through a medium of the surface and the signals interfere at the location of interest such that a localized disturbance is generated at the location of interest. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A haptic feedback system including: a plurality of remote transmitters that are remote from a location of interest on a surface of the system, wherein the plurality of remote transmitters is included in the haptic feedback system; a signal generator that generates a haptic component signal for each of the remote transmitters, wherein the remote transmitters propagate the haptic component signals through a touch medium of the surface and the haptic component signals interfere at the location of interest such that a localized haptic disturbance is generated at the location of interest and the localized haptic disturbance is generated by an interference of the haptic component signals at the location of interest without a use of a motor and the interference of the haptic component signals that generated the localized haptic disturbance is substantially localized to the location of interest to generate the localized haptic disturbance that is substantially isolated to the location of interest; and a transmitter that transmits a touch location signal, wherein the touch location signal is allowed to propagate via the touch medium of the surface of the system, the touch location signal is utilized to detect a location of a touch input and the touch location signal is different from the haptic component signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the signal generator controls the location of interest where the localized haptic disturbance is generated at least in part by controlling signal phases of the haptic component signals and generating the localized haptic disturbance includes generating a physical vibration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the signal generator controls the intensity of the localized haptic disturbance at least in part by controlling amplitudes of the haptic component signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the localized haptic disturbance is associated with a haptic feedback. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the localized haptic disturbance indicates a location of a button displayed on the surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the surface is a touchscreen display surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote transmitters includes transducers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the location of interest corresponds to a location identifier received from an application. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic component signals include bending waves. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the localized haptic disturbance is isolated to the location of interest. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage that provides signal parameter data used by the signal generator to generate the haptic component signals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the storage includes predetermined data indexed by locations on the surface where localized disturbances are capable of being generated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the contents of the storage has been calibrated to account for a variation of the system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the signal generator generates the haptic component signal for each of the remote transmitters at least in part by using a beamforming formula. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the haptic component signals interfere at a second location of interest such that a second localized disturbance is generated at the second location of interest. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the generation of the localized haptic disturbance is selectively enabled and disabled based on a power state of the system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the generation of the localized haptic disturbance is selectively enabled and disabled based on a detection of a touch input. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a communication interface configured to receive the touch location signal that has been affected by the touch input on the surface; and a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to process the received touch location signal to determine a user indication associated with the touch input on the surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is included in the plurality of remote transmitters and at least one of the plurality of remote transmitters transmits both the haptic signal and the touch location signal. ### Claim 20 A method of providing a localized haptic disturbance, comprising: receive an identifier associated with a location on a surface where the localized haptic disturbance is desired; using the identifier to obtain one or more signal configurations to be used to provide the localized haptic disturbance; generating a haptic component signal for each of a plurality of transmitters, wherein the transmitters propagate the haptic component signals through a touch medium of the surface and the haptic signals interfere at the location of interest such that a localized haptic disturbance is generated at the location of interest and the localized haptic disturbance is generated by an interference of the haptic component signals at the location of interest without a use of a motor and the interference of the haptic component signals that generated the localized haptic disturbance is substantially localized to the location of interest to generate the localized haptic disturbance that is substantially isolated to the location of interest; and a transmitter that transmits a touch location signal, wherein the touch location signal is allowed to propagate via the touch medium of the surface of the system, the touch location signal is utilized to detect a location of a touch input and the touch location signal is different from the haptic component signal.