Haptic feedback device, haptic feedback method, driving signal generating device and driving signal generation method

A haptic feedback method of providing haptic feedback to a user by vibrating a panel with a plurality of actuators placed in mutually different positions on the panel, the haptic feedback method comprising:

• obtaining a plurality of touch positions on the panel by detecting a plurality of touches having a state of concurrent contact on the panel;
• determining a first touch position at which to provide haptic feedback from among the plurality of touch positions;
• obtaining first driving signals for driving the plurality of actuators to vibrate the panel at the first touch position according to a first haptic signal and vibrate the panel at a second touch position included in the plurality of touch positions more weakly than at the first touch position, the first driving signals being generated using transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the first touch position or a plurality of first candidate positions and transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the second touch position or a plurality of second candidate positions, and the first driving signals being generated using the transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to at least one of the plurality of first candidate positions and the plurality of second candidate positions;
• determining a first control position within a first region and a second control position within a second region, the first region having a predetermined size and including the first touch position and the plurality of first candidate positions, the second region having a predetermined size and including the second touch position and the plurality of second candidate positions, and determining at least one of the first control position and the second control position from vibration strengths calculated at the first touch position for the plurality of first candidate positions and the plurality of second candidate positions, respectively;
• and
• driving the plurality of actuators based on the first driving signals, wherein the obtaining of the first driving signals comprises obtaining signals generated using transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the first control position and transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the second control position as the first driving signals, and
• wherein the determining of the first control position comprises determining one of the plurality of first candidate positions which yields a vibration strength at the first touch position that is greater than or equal to a predetermined vibration strength as the first control position.

A haptic feedback device which provides haptic feedback to a user by vibrating a panel, the haptic feedback device comprising:

• a driving signal generating device which generates driving signals for driving a plurality of actuators to vibrate the panel to provide the haptic feedback to the user, the driving signal generating unit including:
• a transfer function obtaining unit configured to obtain transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to a plurality of positions on the panel;
• and
• a driving signal generating unit configured to generate the driving signals for driving the plurality of actuators to, with respect to an arbitrary combination of the plurality of positions on the panel, vibrate the panel at one position according to a first haptic signal and vibrate the panel at another position more weakly than at the one position, the driving signals being generated using the transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the one position or a plurality of first candidate positions and the transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the other position or a plurality of second candidate positions, and the driving signals being generated using the transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to at least one of the plurality of first candidate positions and the plurality of second candidate positions;
• and
• a control position determining unit configured to determine a first control position within a first region and a second control position within a second region, the first region having a predetermined size and including the one position and the plurality of first candidate positions, the second region having a predetermined size and including the other position and the plurality of second candidate positions, and the control position determining unit is configured to determine at least one of the first control position and the second control position from vibration strengths calculated at the one position for the plurality of first candidate positions and the plurality of second candidate positions, respectively,
• wherein the driving signal generating unit is configured to generate, as the driving signals, signals generated using transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the first control position and transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the second control position, and
• wherein the control position determining unit is configured to determine, as the first control position, one of the plurality of first candidate positions which yields a vibration strength at the one position that is greater than or equal to a predetermined vibration strength.

A haptic feedback method of providing haptic feedback to a user by vibrating a panel with a plurality of actuators placed in mutually different positions on the panel, the haptic feedback method comprising:

• generating driving signals for driving a the plurality of actuators to vibrate the panel to provide the haptic feedback to the user, the generating including:
• obtaining transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to a plurality of positions on the panel;
• and
• generating the driving signals for driving the plurality of actuators to, with respect to an arbitrary combination of the plurality of positions on the panel, vibrate the panel at one position according to a first haptic signal and vibrate the panel at another position more weakly than at the one position, the driving signals being generated using the transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the one position or a plurality of first candidate positions and the transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the other position or a plurality of second candidate positions, and the driving signals being generated using the transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to at least one of the plurality of first candidate positions and the plurality of second candidate positions;
• and
• determining a first control position within a first region and a second control position within a second region, the first region having a predetermined size and including the one position and the plurality of first candidate positions, the second region having a predetermined size and including the other position and the plurality of second candidate positions, and determining at least one of the first control position and the second control position from vibration strengths calculated at the one position for the plurality of first candidate positions and the plurality of second candidate positions, respectively,
• wherein the generating of the driving signals comprises generating signals generated using transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the first control position and transfer functions from the plurality of actuators to the second control position as the driving signals, and
• wherein the determining of the first control position comprises determining one of the plurality of first candidate positions which yields a vibration strength at the one position that is greater than or equal to a predetermined vibration strength is determined as the first control position.