US 20080068350A1
`
`(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2008/0068350 A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Mar. 20, 2008
`Rosenberg et al.
`
`(54)
`
`(75)
`
`HAPTIC FEEDBACK FOR TOUCHPADS AND
`OTHER TOUCH CONTROLS
`
`Inventors: Louis B. Rosenberg, San Jose, CA
`(US); James R. Riegel, Santa Clara,
`CA (US)
`
`Correspondence Address:
`IMMERSION -THELEN REID BROWN
`RAYSMAN & STEINER LLP
`P.O. BOX 640640
`SAN JOSE, CA 95164-0640 (US)
`
`now Pat. No. 6,243,078, which is a continuation-in-
`part of application No. 09/156,802, filed on Sep. 17,
`1998, now Pat. No. 6,184,868, which is a continua-
`tion-in-part of application No. 09/103,281, filed on
`Jun. 23, 1998, now Pat. No. 6,088,019.
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`G06F 3/041
`(52) U.S.Cl.
`............................................................ ..345/173
`
`(73)
`
`Assignee:
`
`Immersion Corporation, San Jose, CA
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`(21)
`
`Appl. No.:
`
`11/985,656
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`Nov. 15, 2007
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(63)
`
`Continuation of application No. 11/805,609, filed on
`May 23, 2007, which is a continuation of application
`No. 10/213,940, filed on Aug. 6, 2002, now Pat. No.
`7,148,875, which is a continuation of application No.
`09/487,737, filed on Jan. 19, 2000, now Pat. No.
`6,429,846, which is a continuation-in-part of appli-
`cation No. 09/467,309, filed on Dec. 17, 1999, now
`Pat. No. 6,563,487, which is a continuation-in-part of
`application No. 09/253,132, filed on Feb. 18, 1999,
`
`A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input
`to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch
`surface that inputs a position signal to a processor of the
`computer based on a location of user contact on the touch
`surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed
`graphical environment based at least in part on the position
`signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator
`is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force
`to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch
`surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate
`from the computer’s display screen, or can be a touch screen.
`Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can
`include pulses, vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch
`input device can include multiple different regions to control
`different computer functions.
`
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`Patent Application Publication Mar. 20, 2008 Sheet 5 of 5
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`US 2008/0068350 A1
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`HAPTIC FEEDBACK FOR TOUCHPADS AND
`OTHER TOUCH CONTROLS
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
`application Ser. No. 11/805,609 entitled “Haptic Feedback
`for Touchpads and Other Touch Controls,” filed May 23,
`2007, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 7,148,875,
`entitled “Haptic Feedback for Touchpads and Other Touch
`Controls,” issued Dec. 12, 2006, which is a continuation of
`U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,846, entitled “Haptic Feedback for
`Touchpads and Other Touch Controls,” issued Aug. 6, 2002,
`which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,487,
`entitled “Haptic Feedback for Directional Control Pads,”
`issued May 13, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
`Pat. No. 6,243,078, entitled “Low Cost Force Feedback
`Pointing Device,” issued Jun. 5, 2001, which is a continu-
`ation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,868, entitled “Haptic
`Feedback Control Devices,” issued Feb. 6, 2001, which is a
`continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,019, entitled
`“Low Cost Force Feedback Device with Actuator for Non-
`
`Primary Axis,” issued Jul. 11, 2000.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`[0002] The subject matter described relates generally to
`the interfacing with computer and mechanical devices by a
`user, and more particularly to devices used to interface with
`computer systems and electronic devices and which provide
`haptic feedback to the user.
`
`[0003] Humans interface with electronic and mechanical
`devices in a variety of applications, and the need for a more
`natural, easy-to-use, and informative interface is a constant
`concern. In the context, humans interface with computer
`devices for a variety of applications. One such application is
`interacting with computer-generated environments such as
`games, simulations, and application programs. Computer
`input devices such as mice and trackballs are often used to
`control a cursor within a graphical environment and provide
`input in these applications.
`
`In some interface devices, force feedback or tactile
`[0004]
`feedback is also provided to the user, collectively known
`herein as “haptic feedback.” For example, haptic versions of
`joysticks, mice, gamepads, steering wheels, or other types of
`devices can output forces to the user based on events or
`interactions occurring within the graphical environment,
`such as in a game or other application program.
`
`In portable computer or electronic devices, such as
`[0005]
`laptop computers, mice typically too large a workspace to be
`practical. As a result, more compact devices such as track-
`balls are often used. A more popular device for portable
`computers are “touchpads,” which are small rectangular,
`planar pads provided near the keyboard of the computer. The
`touchpads senses the location of a pointing object by any of
`a variety of sensing technologies, such as capacitive sensors
`or pressure sensors that detect pressure applied to the
`touchpad. The user contacts the touchpad most commonly
`with a fingertip and moves his or her finger on the pad to
`move a cursor displayed in the graphical environment. In
`other embodiments, the user can operate a stylus in con-
`junction with the touchpad by pressing the stylus tip on the
`touchpad and moving the stylus.
`
`[0006] One problem with existing touchpads is that there
`is no haptic feedback provided to the user. The user of a
`touchpad is therefore not able to experience haptic sensa-
`tions that assist and inform the user of targeting and other
`control tasks within the graphical environment. The touch-
`pads of the prior art also carmot take advantage of existing
`haptic-enabled software run on the portable computer.
`
`OVERVIEW
`
`[0007] An embodiment is directed to a haptic feedback
`planar touch control used to provide input to a computer
`system. The control can be a touchpad provided on a
`portable computer, or can be a touch screen found on a
`variety of devices. The haptic sensations output on the touch
`control enhance interactions and manipulations in a dis-
`played graphical environment or when controlling an elec-
`tronic device.
`
`the embodiment relates to a
`[0008] More specifically,
`haptic feedback touch control for inputting signals to a
`computer and for outputting forces to a user of the touch
`control. The control includes a touch input device including
`an approximately planar touch surface operative to input a
`position signal to a processor of said computer based on a
`location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer
`positions a cursor in a graphical environment displayed on
`a display device based at least in part on the position signal.
`At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input
`device and outputs a force on the touch input device to
`provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch
`surface. The actuator outputs the force based on force
`information output by the processor to the actuator.
`
`[0009] The touch input device can be a touchpad separate
`from a display screen of the computer, or can be included in
`a display screen of the computer as a touch screen. The touch
`input device can be integrated in a housing of the computer
`or handheld device, or provided in a housing that is separate
`from the computer. The user contacts the touch surface with
`a finger, a stylus, or other object. The force is preferably a
`linear force output approximately perpendicularly to a plane
`of the touch surface of the touch input device, and the
`actuator can include a piezo-electric actuator, a voice coil
`actuator, a pager motor, a solenoid, or other type of actuator.
`In one embodiment, the actuator is coupled between the
`touch input device and a grounded surface.
`In another
`embodiment, the actuator is coupled to an inertial mass,
`wherein said actuator outputs an inertial force on the touch
`input device approximately along an axis perpendicular to
`the planar touch surface. A touch device microprocessor
`separate from the main processor of the computer can
`receive force information from the host computer and pro-
`vide control signals based on the force information to
`control the actuator.
`
`[0010] The haptic sensations, such as a pulse, vibration, or
`spatial texture, are preferably output in accordance with an
`interaction of a controlled cursor with a graphical object in
`the graphical environment. For example, a pulse can be
`output when the cursor is moved between menu elements in
`a menu, moved over said icon, or moved over a hyperlink.
`The touch input device can include multiple different
`regions, where at
`least one of the regions provides the
`position signal and at least one other region provides a signal
`that is used by the computer to control a different function,
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`such as rate control function of a value or a button press.
`Dilferent regions and borders between regions can be asso-
`ciated with different haptic sensations.
`
`[0011] An embodiment advantageously provides haptic
`feedback to a planar touch control device of a computer,
`such as a touchpad or touch screen. The haptic feedback can
`assist and inform the user of interactions and events within
`
`a graphical user interface or other environment and ease
`cursor targeting tasks. Furthermore, an embodiment allows
`portable computer devices having such touch controls to
`take advantage of existing haptic feedback enabled software.
`The haptic touch devices disclosed herein are also inexpen-
`sive, compact and consume low power, allowing them to be
`easily incorporated into a wide variety of portable and
`desktop computers and electronic devices.
`
`[0012] These and other advantages will become apparent
`to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following
`specification and a study of the several
`figures of the
`drawing.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a haptic touchpad;
`
`[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a remote control
`device including the touchpad;
`
`[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment
`of the touchpad including one or more actuators coupled to
`the underside of the touchpad;
`
`[0016] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view ofa first embodi-
`ment in which a piezo-electric actuator is directly coupled to
`the touchpad;
`
`[0017] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a second
`embodiment of the touchpad including a linear actuator;
`
`[0018] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view ofa third embodi-
`ment of the touchpad having an inertial mass;
`
`[0019] FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an example of a
`touchpad having different control regions; and
`
`[0020] FIGS. 8a and 8b are top plan and side cross
`sectional views, respectively, of a touch screen embodiment.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable computer
`10 including a haptic touchpad. Computer 10 is preferably
`a portable or “laptop” computer that can be carried or
`otherwise transported by the user and may be powered by
`batteries or other portable energy source in addition to other
`more stationary power sources. Computer 10 preferably runs
`one or more host application programs with which a user is
`interacting via peripherals.
`
`[0022] Computer 10 may include the various input and
`output devices as shown, including a display device 12 for
`outputting graphical images to the user, a keyboard 14 for
`providing character or toggle input from the user to the
`computer, and a touchpad 16. Display device 12 can be any
`of a variety of types of display devices; flat-panel displays
`are most common on portable computers. Display device 12
`can display a graphical environment 18 based on application
`programs and/or operating systems that are running, such as
`a graphical user interface (GUI), that can include a cursor 20
`
`that can be moved by user input, as well as windows 22,
`icons 24, and other graphical objects well known in GUI
`environments. Other devices may also be incorporated or
`coupled to the computer 10, such as storage devices (hard
`disk drive, DVD-ROM drive, etc.), network server or cli-
`ents, game controllers, etc. In alternate embodiments, the
`computer 10 can take a wide variety of forms, including
`computing devices that rest on a tabletop or other surface,
`stand-up arcade game machines, other portable devices or
`devices worn on the person, handheld or used with a single
`hand of the user, etc. For example, host computer 10 can be
`a video game console, personal computer, workstation, a
`television “set top box” or a “network computer”, or other
`computing or electronic device.
`
`[0023] Touchpad device 16 preferably appears externally
`to be similar to the touchpads of the prior art. Pad 16
`includes a planar, rectangular smooth surface that can be
`positioned below the keyboard 14 on the housing of the
`computer 10, as shown, or may be positioned at other areas
`of the housing. When the user operates the computer 10, the
`user may conveniently place a fingertip or other object on
`the touchpad 16 and move the fingertip to correspondingly
`move cursor 20 in the graphical environment 18.
`
`In operation, the touchpad 16 inputs coordinate
`[0024]
`data to the main microprocessor(s) of the computer 10 based
`on the sensed location of an object on (or near) the touchpad.
`As with many touchpads of the prior art, touchpad 16 can be
`capacitive, resistive, or use a different type of sensing. Some
`existing touchpad embodiments are disclosed, for example,
`in U.S. Pat. No. 5,521,336 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,044.
`Capacitive touchpads typically sense the location of an
`object on or near the surface of the touchpad based on
`capacitive coupling between capacitors in the touchpad and
`the object. Resistive touchpads are typically pressure-sen-
`sitive, detecting the pressure of a finger, stylus, or other
`object against the pad, where the pressure causes conductive
`layers, traces, switches, etc. in the pad to electrically con-
`nect. Some resistive or other types of touchpads can detect
`the amount of pressure applied by the user and can use the
`degree of pressure for proportional or variable input to the
`computer 10. Resistive touchpads typically are at
`least
`partially deformable, so that when a pressure is applied to a
`particular location,
`the conductors at
`that
`location are
`brought into electrical contact. Such deformability can be
`useful since it can potentially amplify the magnitude of
`output forces such as pulses or vibrations on the touchpad.
`Forces can be amplified if a tuned compliant suspension is
`provided between an actuator and the object that is moved,
`as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,680,729. Capacitive touch-
`pads and other types of touchpads that do not require
`significant contact pressure may be better suited in many
`embodiments, since excessive pressure on the touchpad may
`in some cases interfere with the motion of the touchpad for
`haptic feedback. Other types of sensing technologies can
`also be used in the touchpad. Herein, the term “touchpad”
`preferably includes the surface of the touchpad 16 as well as
`any sensing apparatus included in the touchpad unit.
`
`[0025] Touchpad 16 preferably operates similarly to exist-
`ing touchpads, where the speed of the fingertip on the
`touchpad correlates to the distance that the cursor is moved
`in the graphical environment. For example, if the user moves
`his or her finger quickly across the pad, the cursor is moved
`a greater distance than if the user moves the fingertip more
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`slowly. If the user’s finger reaches the edge of the touchpad
`before the cursor reaches a desired destination in that
`
`direction, then the user can simply move his or her finger off
`the touchpad, reposition the finger away from the edge, and
`continue moving the cursor. This is an “indexing” function
`similar to lifting a mouse off a surface to change the offset
`between mouse position and cursor. Furthermore, many
`touchpads can be provided with particular regions that are
`each assigned to particular functions that can be unrelated to
`cursor positioning. Such an embodiment is described in
`greater detail below with respect to FIG. 7. In some embodi-
`ments the touchpad 16 may also allow a user to “tap” the
`touchpad (rapidly touch and remove the object from the pad)
`in a particular location to provide a command. For example,
`the user can tap or “double tap” the pad with a finger while
`the controlled cursor is over an icon to select that icon.
`
`[0026] The touchpad 16 is provided with the ability to
`output haptic feedback such as tactile sensations to the user
`who is physically contacting the touchpad 16. Various
`embodiments detailing the structure of the haptic feedback
`touchpad are described in greater detail below. Preferably,
`the forces output on the touchpad are linear (or approxi-
`mately linear) and oriented along the z-axis, approximately
`perpendicular to the surface of the touchpad 16 and the top
`surface of computer 10. In a different embodiment, forces
`can be applied to the touchpad 16 to cause side-to-side (e.g.,
`x-y) motion of the pad in the plane of its surface in addition
`to or instead of z-axis motion, although such motion is not
`preferred.
`
`[0027] Using one or more actuators coupled to the touch-
`pad 16, a variety of haptic sensations can be output to the
`user who is contacting the pad. For example, jolts, vibrations
`(varying or constant amplitude), and textures can be output.
`Forces output on the pad can be at least in part based on the
`location of the finger on the pad or the state of a controlled
`object in the graphical environment of the host computer 10,
`and/or independent of finger position or object state. Such
`forces output on the touchpad 16 are considered “computer-
`controlled” since a microprocessor or other electronic con-
`troller is controlling the magnitude and/or direction of the
`force output of the actuator(s) using electronic signals.
`Preferably, the entire pad 16 is provided with haptic sensa-
`tions as a single unitary member; in other embodiments,
`individually-moving portions of the pad can each be pro-
`vided with its own haptic feedback actuator and related
`transmissions so that haptic sensations can be provided for
`only a particular portion. For example, some embodiments
`may include a touchpad having different portions that may
`be flexed or otherwise moved with respect to other portions
`of the pad.
`
`the touchpad 16 can be
`In other embodiments,
`[0028]
`provided in a separate housing that is connected to a port of
`the computer 10 via a cable or via wireless transmission and
`which receives force information from and sends position
`information to the computer 10. For example, Universal
`Serial Bus (USB), Firewire, or a standard serial bus can
`connect such a touchpad to the computer 10. In such an
`embodiment, the computer 10 can be any desktop or sta-
`tionary computer or device and need not be a portable
`device.
`
`[0029] One or more buttons 26 can also be provided on the
`housing of the computer 10 to be used in conjunction with
`
`the touchpad 16. The user’s hands have easy access to the
`buttons, each of which may be pressed by the user to provide
`a distinct input signal to the host computer 12. Typically,
`each button 26 corresponds to a similar button found on a
`mouse input device, so that a left button can be used to select
`a graphical object (click or double click), a right button can
`bring up a context menu, etc. In some embodiments, one or
`more of the buttons 26 can be provided with tactile feedback
`as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,868 and U.S. Pat. No.
`6,563,487. Other features of these disclosures may also be
`used.
`
`[0030] Furthermore, in some embodiments, one or more
`moveable portions 28 of the housing of the computer device
`10 can be included which is contacted by the user when the
`user operates the touchpad 16 and which can provide haptic
`feedback. Having a moveable portion of a housing for haptic
`feedback is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,868 and U.S.
`Pat. No. 6,088,019. Thus, both the housing can provide
`haptic feedback (e.g., through the use of an eccentric rotat-
`ing mass on a motor coupled to the housing) and the
`touchpad 16 can provide separate haptic feedback. This
`allows the host to control two different tactile sensations
`
`simultaneously to the user, for example, a vibration of a low
`frequency can be conveyed through the housing to the user
`and a higher frequency vibration can be conveyed to the user
`through the touchpad 16. Each other button or other control
`provided with haptic feedback can also provide tactile
`feedback independently from the other controls.
`
`[0031] The host application prograrn(s) and/or operating
`system preferably displays graphical images of the environ-
`ment on display device 12. The software and environment
`running on the host computer 12 may be of a wide variety.
`For example, the host application program can be a word
`processor, spreadsheet, video or computer game, drawing
`program, operating system, graphical user interface, simu-
`lation, Web page or browser that implements HTML or
`VRML instructions, scientific analysis program, virtual real-
`ity training program or application, or other application
`program that utilizes input from the touchpad 16 and outputs
`force feedback commands to the touchpad 16. For example,
`many games and other application programs include force
`feedback functionality and may communicate with the
`touchpad 16 using a standard protocol/drivers such as
`I-Force®, FEELit®, or TouchsenseTM available from
`Immersion Corporation of San Jose, Calif.
`
`[0032] The touchpad 16 can include circuitry necessary to
`report control signals to the microprocessor of the host
`computer 10 and to process command signals from the
`host’s microprocessor. For example, appropriate sensors
`(and related circuitry) are used to report the position of the
`user’s finger on the touchpad 16. The touchpad device also
`includes circuitry that receives signals from the host and
`outputs tactile sensations in accordance with the host signals
`using one or more actuators.
`In some embodiments, a
`separate,
`local microprocessor can be provided for the
`touchpad 16 to both report touchpad sensor data to the host
`and/or to carry out force commands received from the host,
`such commands including, for example, the type of haptic
`sensation and parameters describing the commanded haptic
`sensation. Alternatively, the touchpad microprocessor can
`simply pass streamed data from the main processor to the
`actuators. The term “force information” can include both
`
`commands/parameters and streamed data. The touchpad
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`microprocessor can implement haptic sensations indepen-
`dently after receiving a host command by controlling the
`touchpad actuators; or, the host processor can maintain a
`greater degree of control over the haptic sensations by
`controlling the actuators more directly. In other embodi-
`ments, logic circuitry such as state machines provided for
`the touchpad 16 can handle haptic sensations as directed by
`the host main processor. Architectures and control methods
`that can be used for reading sensor signals and providing
`haptic feedback for a device are described in greater detail
`in U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,373 and co-pending application Nos.
`60/156,354, 60,133,208, 09/376,649, U.S. Pat. No. 6,639,
`581 and 60/160,401.
`
`[0033] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodi-
`ment of a device which can include the active touchpad 16.
`The device can be a handheld remote control device 30,
`which the user grasps in one hand and manipulates controls
`to access the functions of an electronic device or appliance
`remotely by a user (such as a television, video cassette
`recorder or DVD player, audio/video receiver, Internet or
`network computer connected to a television, etc.). For
`example, several buttons 32 can be included on the remote
`control device 30 to manipulate functions of the controlled
`apparatus. A touchpad 16 can also be provided to allow the
`user to provide more sophisticated directional input. For
`example, a controlled apparatus may have a selection screen
`in which a cursor may be moved, and the touchpad 16 can
`be manipulated to control the cursor in two dimensions. The
`touchpad 16 includes the ability to output haptic sensations
`to the user as described herein, based on a controlled value
`or event. For example, a volume level passing a mid-point
`or reaching a maximum level can cause a pulse to be output
`to the touchpad and to the user.
`
`In one application, the controlled apparatus can be
`[0034]
`a computer system such as Web-TV from Microsoft Corp. or
`other computing device which displays a graphical user
`interface and/or web pages accessed over a network such as
`the Internet. The user can control the direction of the cursor
`
`by moving a finger (or other object) on the touchpad 16. The
`cursor can be used to select and/or manipulate icons, win-
`dows, menu items, graphical buttons, slider bars, scroll bars,
`or other graphical objects in a graphical user interface or
`desktop interface. The cursor can also be used to select
`and/or manipulate graphical objects on a web page, such as
`links, images, buttons, etc. Other force sensations associated
`with graphical objects are described below with reference to
`FIG. 7.
`
`[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first embodiment
`40 of a touchpad 16 for providing haptic feedback to the
`user. In this embodiment, one or more piezoelectric actua-
`tors 42 are coupled to the underside of the touchpad 16. The
`piezoelectric actuator 42 is driven by suitable electronics, as
`is well known to those skilled in the art. In one embodiment,
`a single piezoelectric actuator 42 is positioned at or near the
`center of the touchpad 16, or off to one side if space
`constraints of the housing require such a position. In other
`embodiments, multiple piezoelectric actuators 42 can be
`positioned at different areas of the touchpad; the dashed lines
`show one configuration, where an actuator 42 is placed at
`each corner of the pad 16 and at the center of the pad.
`
`[0036] The piezoelectric actuators 42 can each output a
`small pulse, vibration, or texture sensation on the touchpad
`
`16 and to the user if the user is contacting the touchpad. The
`entire touchpad 16 is preferably moved with the forces
`output by actuator(s) 42. Preferably, the forces output on the
`touchpad are linear (or approximately linear) and along the
`z-axis, approximately perpendicular to the surface of the
`touchpad 16 and the top surface of computer 10. In a
`different embodiment, as mentioned above, forces can be
`applied to the touchpad 16 to cause side-to-side (e.g., x-y)
`motion of the pad in the plane of its surface in addition to or
`instead of z-axis motion. For example, one linear actuator
`can provide motion for the x-axis, and a second linear
`actuator can provide motion for the y-axis and/or the x-axis.
`
`[0037] The frequency of a vibration output by an actuator
`42 can be varied by providing different control signals to an
`actuator 42. Furthermore,
`the magnitude of a pulse or
`vibration can be controlled based on the applied control
`signal. If multiple actuators 42 are provided, a stronger
`vibration can be imparted on the touchpad by activating two
`or more actuators simultaneously. Furthermore, if an actua-
`tor is positioned at an extreme end of the touchpad and is the
`only actuator that is activated, the user may experience a
`stronger vibration on the side of the touchpad having the
`actuator than on the opposite side of the touchpad. Different
`magnitudes and localized effects can be obtained by acti-
`vating some but not all of the actuators. Since the tip of a
`user’s finger that is touching the pad is fairly sensitive, the
`output forces do not have to be of a high magnitude for the
`haptic sensation to be effective and compelling.
`
`[0038] Besides using a finger to contact the touchpad, the
`user may also hold other objects that directly contact the
`touchpad. Any haptic sensations output on the pad can be
`transmitted through the held object to the user’s hand. For
`example, the user can hold a stylus having a point that
`contacts the touchpad 16 more precisely than a finger. Other
`objects may also be used. In some embodiments, specialized
`objects can be used to enhance the haptic sensations. For
`example, a stylus or other object having a flexible portion or
`compliance may be able to magnify at least some of the
`touchpad haptic sensations as experienced by the user.
`
`[0039] The piezoelectric actuators 42 have several advan-
`tages for the touchpad 16. These actuators can be made very
`thin and small, allowing their use in compact housings that
`are typical for portable electronic devices. They also require
`very low power, and are thus suitable for devices with
`limited power (e.g., powered by batteries). In some embodi-
`ments described herein, power for the actuators can be
`drawn off a bus connecting the computer to the touchpad (or
`touch screen). For example, if the touchpad 16 is provided
`in a separate housing, a Universal Serial Bus can connect the
`pad to the computer and provide power from the computer
`to the pad as well as data (e.g. streaming force data, force
`commands, etc.).
`
`FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the embodiment
`[0040]
`40 of the touchpad 16 as shown in FIG. 3. Touchpad 16 is
`directly coupled to a grounded piezo-electric actuator 42
`which operates to produce a force on the touchpad 16 when
`an electrical signal
`is input to the actuator. Typically, a
`piezo-electric actuator includes two layers which can move
`relative to each other when a current
`is applied to the
`actuator; here, the grounded portion of the actuator remains
`stationary with respect to the surrounding housing 41 while
`the moving portion of the actuator and the touchpad move
`APPLE INC.
`EXHIBIT 1112 - PAGE 10
`
`APPLE INC.
`EXHIBIT 1112 - PAGE 10
`
`

`

`US 2008/0068350 A1
`
`Mar. 20, 2008
`
`with respect to the housing 41. The operation of piezo-
`electric actuators to output force based on an input electrical
`signal is well known to those skilled the art.
`
`[0041] The touchpad 16 can be coupled only to the actua-
`tor 42, or can be additionally coupled to the housing of the
`computer device at other locations besides the actuators 42.
`Preferably the other couplings are compliant connections,
`using a material or element such as a spring or foam. If such
`connections are not made compliant, then the touchpad 16
`itself preferably has some compliance to allow portions of
`the pad to move in response to actuator forces and to convey
`the haptic sensations to the user more effectively.
`
`Since the touchpad 16 is directly coupled to the
`[0042]
`actuator 42, any produced forces are directly applied to the
`touchpad 16. The electric signal preferably is obtained from
`a microprocessor and any circuitry required to convert the
`microprocessor signal to an appropriate signal for use with
`the actuator 42.
`
`[0043] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of another
`embodiment 50, in which the touchpad 16 is positioned on
`one or more springs 52. The springs 52 couple the touchpad
`16 to the rigid housing of the computer 10 and allow the
`touchpad 16 to be moved along the z-axis 56. Only a very
`small range of motion is required to produce effective pulses
`(jolts) or vibrations on the pad 16. Stops (not shown) can be
`positioned to limit the travel of the touchpad 16 to a desired
`range along the z-axis.
`
`[0044] An actuator 54 is also coupled to