# US 11,307,714 B2 · Areal device offering improved localized deformation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,307,714 B2 - Document ID: US11307714B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/955,983 - Filed: 2018-12-20 - Published: 2021-03-11 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-21 - Assignees: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives - Applicants: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives - Inventors: Charles Hudin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307714B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0433: {in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member} - G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user} - G06F 3/0414: {using force sensing means to determine a position} - G06F 3/0418: {for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment} - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G06F 2203/014: Force feedback applied to GUI - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Tactile interface comprising a panel (1) having an interactive surface (2) with one or a plurality of exterior elements, comprising a plurality of interactive areas (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) arranged relative to one another, such that they cover substantially the whole of the interactive surface (2) and a plurality of actuators (A1, A2, A3, A4) in contact with the panel, control means (6) of actuators configured to send control signals to the actuators, comprising means for calculating (8) said control signals, said calculating means (8) executing an inverse filtering operation, so as to emit, from a desired displacement or displacements of one or more interactive areas (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4), control signals compensating at least partially the distortion, reverberation and propagation of waves. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An areal device for localized deformation comprising: a panel having an interactive surface with one or more exterior interactive elements, comprising at least one interactive area with the exterior; at least one actuator capable of causing deformation in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the panel in the interactive area, the at least one interactive area being located in the near field of the actuator; at least one detector for detecting the contact between the at least one interactive area and an exterior interactive element; and control means of said at least one actuator being configured to send control signals to said actuator, comprising calculation means of said control signals, said calculation means executing an operation of inverse filtering, so as to emit from a desired displacement of said area, control signals at least partially compensating the distortion, reverberation and propagation of waves, wherein the at least one interactive area is located with respect to the actuators at a smaller distance or a distance equal to a wavelength of the control signals and/or dimensions of the actuators in direction of the interactive surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the interactive surface comprises a plurality of interactive areas arranged relative to one another such that they cover substantially the whole of the interactive surface and a plurality of actuators, each of said interactive areas being located in the near field of at least one actuator, said calculating means executing an inverse filtering operation, so as to emit from a desired displacement or displacements of one or more interactive areas, control signals at least partially compensating the distortion, reverberation and propagation of waves. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device according to claim 2, wherein the interactive surface comprises a plurality of interactive areas arranged relative to one another such that they cover substantially the whole of the interactive surface and at least as many actuators as interactive areas, said calculating means executing an inverse filtering operation, so as to emit from one desired displacement or displacements of one or a plurality of interactive areas, the control signals at least partially compensating the distortion, reverberation and propagation of waves. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the actuator or actuators is between 1 cm2 and several cm2. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator or actuators are disposed underneath said interactive area or areas, opposite the interactive surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the interactive areas or areas are spaced apart from the actuator or actuators in the plane of the interactive surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, comprising means for detecting contact between at least the interactive area and an exterior interactive element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, comprising means for detecting contact between the exterior interactive element or elements and all the interactive areas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, comprising means for measuring the contact force of the exterior element or elements with the interactive area or areas. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the interactive surface comprises a plurality of interactive areas arranged relative to one another such that they cover substantially the whole of the interactive surface and a plurality of actuators, each of said interactive areas being located in the near field of at least one actuator, said calculating means executing an inverse filtering operation, so as to emit from a desired displacement or displacements of one or more interactive areas, control signals at least partially compensating the distortion, reverberation and propagation of waves, and wherein the interactive areas and the actuators have a hexagonal form. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the actuators are piezoelectric actuators. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device according to the claim 11, wherein the actuators comprise thin transparent films. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the actuators are electromagnetic actuators, each comprising a coil and a magnet, the magnet or the coil being capable of exerting force on the panel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each actuator is fixed directly to the panel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, comprising a screen arranged underneath the panel opposite the interactive surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device according to the claim 15, wherein the screen is fixed to the panel opposite the interactive surface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The device according to claim 15, wherein the screen is fixed to the panel opposite the interactive surface, and wherein the actuators are fixed onto the screen opposite the face of the screen in contact with the panel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, configured to interact with interactive elements of the given surface, wherein the surface of the actuator or actuators corresponds essentially to the given surface of the interactive elements. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The tactile stimulation interface comprising a device according to claim 1. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The track pad comprising a device according to claim 14. ### Claim 21 A method of functioning of an areal device with localized deformation comprising a panel having an interactive surface with one or more exterior interactive elements, comprising at least one interactive area with the exterior, at least one actuator in contact with the interactive surface and capable of causing a deformation in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the panel, the at least one interactive area being located in the near field of the actuator, said method comprising: detecting a contact between said interactive area and the exterior interactive element; selecting a desired displacement of said interactive area; generating a control signal by means of an inverse filtering operation from desired displacements; and applying the control signal to said actuator, wherein the at least one interactive area is located with respect to the actuators at a smaller distance or a distance equal to a wavelength of the control signals and/or dimensions of the actuators in a direction of the interactive surface. ### Claim 22 A method of functioning of an areal device with localized deformation comprising a panel having an interactive surface with one or more exterior elements, comprising interactive areas with the exterior, actuators in contact with the interactive surface and capable of causing a deformation in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the panel, each of said interactive areas being located in the near field of at least one actuator, the method comprising: detecting one or more contacts between said interactive areas and the interactive elements; selecting a desired displacement for each of said interactive areas; generating control signals by an inverse filtering operation from the desired displacements; and applying control signals to at least a portion of the actuators, wherein the interactive areas are located with respect to the actuators at a smaller distance or a distance equal to a wavelength of the control signals and/or dimensions of the actuators in a direction of the interactive surface. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of functioning according to claim 22, wherein all or a portion of the actuators are arranged below the interactive areas and wherein control signals are applied to all or a portion of the actuators located below an interactive area with which a contact with an exterior element has been detected.