Touch panel device and method of controlling a touch panel device

A touch panel device, comprising:

• a touch panel for multi-touch input;
• a plurality of actuators;
• and
• a processor,
• wherein the processor:
• detects a plurality of inputs provided by multi-touch input at or around positions on a surface of the touch panel;
• detects a plurality of input positions of the detected inputs;
• displays a part or all of a content item onto a display screen;
• determines whether an object included in the content item is present within a display area of the display screen or outside the display area;
• and
• when the object is present outside the display area,
• presents a predetermined vibration at a position at or around at least one position including an input position closest to the object, among the input positions;
• and
• performs control for not presenting the predetermined vibration at the one or more input positions on the display screen other than the input position at or around the at least one position among the input positions.

A tactile/haptic feedback touch panel apparatus, comprising:

• a panel configured to receive touch input by a user and output a predetermined vibration notifying acceptance of the touch input;
• a plurality of actuators which are arranged at different positions on the panel and vibrate the panel;
• a touch information obtaining unit configured to obtain touch positions detected simultaneously at the different positions on the panel;
• a movement input determining unit configured to calculate movement directions and movement distances of the touch positions detected simultaneously on the panel, based on time-series information of the touch positions;
• a display unit configured to display a content item;
• a direction determining unit configured to determine an object direction of an object included in the content item when the object is present outside the display area of the display unit;
• a vibration position determining unit configured to compare a position of the object and each of the touch positions, and determine (i) a touch position closest to the object as a first touch position at which the predetermined vibration is presented and (ii) each of one or more touch positions detected simultaneously with the first touch position and as a second touch position at which the predetermined vibration is presented;
• a vibration determining unit configured to determine a tactile feedback signal presenting the predetermined vibration to be presented at the first touch position determined by the vibration position determining unit, based on the object direction determined by the direction determining unit;
• a multi-point simultaneous vibration control unit configured to calculate a driving signal for causing each of the actuators to present the predetermined vibration at the first touch position and a driving signal for preventing each of the actuators from presenting the predetermined vibration at the second touch position, and simultaneously perform vibration control adapted to the respective touch positions on the panel by driving the actuators using the calculated driving signals;
• and
• a content control unit configured to perform display control for displaying the content item onto the display unit by scrolling the content item based on the movement directions and the movement distances of the touch positions calculated by the movement input determining unit.

A method performed by a tactile/haptic feedback touch panel apparatus, the method allowing each of a plurality of actuators in the apparatus to output a predetermined vibration in response to touch input by a user on a panel in the apparatus, the method comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of touch positions detected simultaneously at different positions on the panel:
• calculating movement directions and movement distances of the touch positions detected simultaneously on the panel, based on time-series information of the touch positions;
• displaying a content item;
• determining an object direction of an object in the content item when the object is present outside the display area of the display unit;
• determining, among the plurality of touch positions, (i) a touch position closest to the object as a first touch position at which the predetermined vibration is presented and (ii) each of the other one or more touch positions detected simultaneously with the first touch position and as a second touch position at which the predetermined vibration is presented;
• determining a tactile feedback signal representing the predetermined vibration to be presented at the determined first touch position, based on the object direction determined by the direction determining unit;
• driving the actuators so that each of the actuators presents the predetermined vibration at the first touch position, and each of the actuators does not present the predetermined vibration at the second touch position;
• and
• displaying the content item onto the display unit by scrolling the content item based on the calculated movement directions and movement distances.