Button providing force sensing and/or haptic output
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsDarya Amin-Shahidi, Alex M. Lee, Brenton A. Baugh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A module includes a permanent magnet biased electromagnetic haptic engine having a stator and a rotor; a constraint coupled to the stator and the rotor; and a force sensor at least partially attached to the permanent magnet biased electromagnetic haptic engine and configured to sense a force applied to the rotor. The constraint is configured to constrain closure of a gap between the rotor and the stator and bias the rotor toward a rest position in which the rotor is separated from the stator by the gap.
Claims20
A module, comprising:
- a permanent magnet biased electromagnetic haptic engine, comprising:
- a first stator;
- a second stator;
- and
- a rotor sandwiched between the first stator and the second stator;
- a constraint coupled to the first stator and the rotor;
- and
- a force sensor at least partially attached to the permanent magnet biased electromagnetic haptic engine and configured to sense a force applied to the rotor;
- wherein:
- the constraint is configured to,
- constrain closure of a pair of gaps between the rotor and the first stator, and between the rotor and the second stator, and bias the rotor toward a rest position in which the rotor is separated from the first stator and the second stator by the pair of gaps;
- and
- cause the rotor to move about an axis of the constraint when the rotor is moved by the permanent magnet biased electromagnetic haptic engine.
A module, comprising:
- a haptic engine having a movable portion sandwiched between a first stationary portion and a second stationary portion, the movable portion configured to move non-linearly when the haptic engine is stimulated by an electrical signal;
- a force sensor at least partially attached to the haptic engine and configured to sense a force applied to the module;
- and
- a constraint configured to constrain movement of the movable portion relative to the first stationary portion and the second stationary portion and bias the movable portion toward a rest position in which the movable portion is separated from the first stationary portion and the second stationary portion by a pair of gaps.
A method of providing a haptic response to a user, comprising:
- using a flexure attached to a haptic engine along an axis to,
- constrain relative motion between a stationary portion and a movable portion of the haptic engine;
- bias the movable portion toward a rest position in which the movable portion is separated from the stationary portion by a gap;
- and
- constrain closure of the gap;
- determining a force applied to a button using a force sensor, the button mechanically coupled to the movable portion;
- determining the determined force matches a predetermined force;
- identifying a haptic actuation waveform associated with the predetermined force;
- and
- applying the haptic actuation waveform to the haptic engine;
- wherein:
- the application of the haptic actuation waveform to the haptic engine causes the movable portion of the haptic engine to move non-linearly about the axis along which the flexure is attached to the haptic engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.