Vibration actuator and method for driving vibration actuator
AssigneeNidec Copal Corporation
InventorHiroyuki Hori
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vibration actuator and a method for driving the vibration actuator can improve the user's tactile sensation. A plurality of tactile devices are attachable at different positions on a surface of a touch panel to vibrate the touch panel. A driver drives, in response to a touch detection signal representing a touch position from the touch panel, the plurality of tactile devices each using a driving signal having a predetermined driving frequency. Of the plurality of tactile devices, a tactile device closest to the touch position is operable as a master device, and a tactile device other than the master device is operable as a slave device. The master device and the slave device are driven using the driving signal having the driving frequency being a resonant frequency of the master device.
Claims13
A vibration actuator for a touch panel, the vibration actuator comprising:
- a plurality of tactile devices attachable at different positions on a surface of the touch panel to vibrate the touch panel;
- and
- a driver configured to drive, in response to a touch detection signal representing a touch position from the touch panel, the plurality of tactile devices each using a driving signal having a predetermined driving frequency,
- wherein of the plurality of tactile devices, a tactile device closest to the touch position is operable as a master device, and a tactile device other than the master device is operable as a slave device, and
- the master device and the slave device are driven using the driving signal having the driving frequency being a resonant frequency of the master device.
A method for driving a vibration actuator for a touch panel, the vibration actuator including a plurality of tactile devices attachable at different positions on a surface of the touch panel to vibrate the touch panel, the method comprising:
- determining, of the plurality of tactile devices, a tactile device closest to a touch position to be a master device in response to a touch detection signal representing the touch position from the touch panel;
- and
- driving the master device and a slave device, wherein the slave device is a tactile device other than the master device of the plurality of tactile devices, and the driving comprises driving the slave device using a driving signal to drive the slave device at a resonant frequency of driving of the master device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.