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 that causes the touch panel to vibrate;
• and
• a processor which:
• detects a plurality of inputs provided by multi-touch input at or around positions on a surface of the touch panel of a display screen;
• detects a plurality of input positions of the detected inputs in order to display a content item;
• displays a first part of the content item on a display area of the display screen;
• determines whether an object included in a second part of the content item is present in an outside area of the display area of the display screen, the outside area being an area including the object that is not displayed on the display area of the display screen even though the object is included in the content item;
• and
• when the processor determines that the object is present in the outside area of the display area of the display screen:
• calculates a distance between each of the plurality of input positions and the object;
• causes the plurality of actuators to present a predetermined vibration at a position at or around an input position closest to the object in the content item, among the plurality of input positions of inputs provided on the item, the input position closest to the object being determined based on the distance;
• and
• prevents the plurality of actuators from presenting the predetermined vibration at an input position farthest from the object in the content item, among the plurality of input positions of inputs provided on the content item.

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 first part of a content item on a display area of a display screen;
• a direction determining unit configured to determine an object direction of an object included in a second part of the content item when the object is present in an outside area of the display area of the display screen, the outside area being an area including the object that is not displayed on the display area of the display screen even though the object is included in the content item;
• a distance calculating unit configured to calculate a distance between each of the touch positions and the object;
• 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 plurality of actuators presents the predetermined vibration 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 plurality of actuators presents the predetermined vibration;
• 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 and the distance determined by the distance calculating 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 closest to the object in the content item and a driving signal for preventing each of the actuators from presenting the predetermined vibration at the second touch position which is farthest from the object in the content item, 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 area of the display screen 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 tactile/haptic feedback touch panel apparatus to output a predetermined vibration in response to touch input by a user on a panel in the tactile/haptic feedback touch panel 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 first part of a content item on a display area of a display screen;
• determining an object direction of an object in a second part of the content item when the object is present in an outside area of the display area of the display screen, the outside area being an area including the object is not displayed on the display area of the display screen even though the object is included in the content item;
• calculating a distance between each of the touch positions and the object;
• determining, among the plurality of touch positions, (i) a touch position closest to the object as a first touch position at which the plurality of actuators presents the predetermined vibration 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 plurality of actuators presents the predetermined vibration;
• determining a tactile feedback signal representing the predetermined vibration to be presented at the determined first touch position, based on the object direction determined and the distance between each of the touch positions and the object;
• driving the actuators so that each of the actuators presents the predetermined vibration at the first touch position closest to the object, and each of the actuators does not present the predetermined vibration at the second touch position which is farthest from the object;
• and
• displaying the content item onto the display area of the display screen by scrolling the content item based on the calculated movement directions and movement distances.