United States Patent c191
`Embach
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`4,885,565
`Dec. 5, 1989
`
`[75]
`
`[54] TOUCHSCREEN CRT WITH TACTILE
`FEEDBACK
`James T. Embacb, Rochester Hills,
`Inventor:
`Mich.
`[73] Assignee: General Moton Corporation, Detroit,
`Mich.
`[21] Appl. No.: 200,888
`Jun. 1, 1988
`[22] Filed:
`Int. Cl.4 ................................................ G08B 1/00
`[51]
`[52] U.S. Cl. .................................................... 340/407
`[58] Field of Search .................. 340/407, 712; 341/27;
`364/709.06
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`3,482,241 12/1969 Johnson .
`3,919,691 11/1975 Noll .
`4,028,502 6/1977 Moricca et al ..
`4,078,257 3/1978 Bagley ............................ 340/407 X
`4,334,280 6/1982 McDonald ...................... 340/407 X
`
`4,346,376 8/1982 Mallas .
`4,667,182 5/1987 Murphy ............................... 340/407
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 24, No. 10, pp.
`•
`5271-5272, Mar. 1982.
`Primary Examiner-Joseph A. Orsino
`Assistant Examiner-Brian R. Tumm
`Attorney, Agent, or FYrm-Howard N. Conkey
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`Apparatus for providing tactile feedback in response to
`the touch input qommand of a user to the touchscreen
`of a cathode ray tube in a CRT command and display
`system. An actuator is provided for imparting motion to
`the CRT when the actuator is energized. Energization
`occurs in response to a touch input command of the user
`to the touchscreen of the CRT. When energized, the
`actuator provides tactile feedback to the user by impart(cid:173)
`ing motion to the CRT.
`
`4 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet
`
`14
`
`10
`
`12
`
`MICROPROCESSOR
`
`CRT
`
`18
`
`DRIVER
`CIRCUIT
`
`AUDIBLE
`INOICAlOR
`
`20
`
`SOLENOID
`ACTUATOR
`
`Valve Exhibit 1051
`Valve v. Immersion
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 5, 1989
`
`4,885,565
`
`14
`
`10
`
`12
`
`MICROPROCESSOR
`
`CRT
`
`18
`
`DRIVER
`CIRCUIT
`
`AUDIBLE
`INDICATOR
`
`SOLENOID
`ACTUATOR
`
`FIG I
`
`FIG2
`
`

`

`1
`
`4,885,565
`
`TOUCHSCREEN CRT WITH TACTILE FEEDBACK
`
`2
`command of a user. Microprocessor 14 supplies an input
`via driver circuit 18 to solenoid actuator 20 mounted on
`the distal end of chassis unit 10. Solenoid actuator 20, in
`a manner to be described, causes sufficient movement of
`the CRT to produce a tactile feedback to the user, ac(cid:173)
`knowledging the user touch input to the touchscreen
`12. This motion imparted to the user through the CRT
`chassis unit 10 alerts the user that a selection has been
`successfully made. In automotive use where the audio
`feedback can be masked by radio or road noise, and
`visual contact off the road must be minimized, tactile
`feedback capability represents an ergonomic advantage.
`The solenoid actuator 20, as can be seen in FIG. 2,
`includes a solenoid winding 22 and an armature 26 ter(cid:173)
`minating in a disc at one end that is biased away from a
`stop formed by an elastomer washer 28. When the
`winding 22 is energized, the armature 26 is accelerated
`toward the elastomer washer 28. When the armature 26
`strikes the washer 28, the disc end of the armature 26
`20 and the surface of the washer 28 thereby creating a stop
`means, a mechanical shock is imparted to the CRT
`chassis unit 10. The CRT chassis unit 10, rather than
`being rigidly mounted, is mounted by elastomeric shock
`mounts 24 which allow limited displacement of the
`chassis unit 10. Consequently, when the armature 26
`strikes the stop means created by the disc end of the
`armature 26 and the surface of the washer 28, elasto(cid:173)
`meric shock mounts 24 allow limited displacement
`when the solenoid actuator 20 jolts the CRT chassis unit
`10, at the same time protecting the CRT from normal
`road vibrations.
`The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment
`for the purpose of explaining the principles of this in(cid:173)
`vention is not to be considered as limiting or restricting
`the invention since many modifications may be made by
`the exercise of skill in the art without .departing from
`the scope of the invention.
`The embodiments of the invention in which an exclu(cid:173)
`sive property
`1. Apparatus for providing acknowledgment of a
`touch input command of a user to the touchscreen of a
`cathode ray tube of a CRT command and display sys(cid:173)
`tem, the apparatus comprising in combination:
`shock mounting means for mounting the cathode ray
`tube, the mounting means allowing limited move(cid:173)
`ment of the cathode ray tube;
`an actuator means for imparting motion to the cath(cid:173)
`ode ray tube when the actuator means is energized;
`energizing means responsive to a touch input com(cid:173)
`mand of the user to the touchscreen of the cathode
`ray tube for energizing the actuator means,
`whereby tactile feedback is provided to the user by
`the motion imparted to the cathode ray· tube by the
`actuator means to acknowledge the touch input
`command.
`2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the actuator
`means comprises a solenoid energized by the ·energizing
`means, an armature, armature stop means and means
`60 biasing the armature away from the stop means, the
`solenoid being effective when energized for moving the
`armature to contact the stop means to impart motion to
`the cathode ray tube.
`3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the stop means
`65 includes an elastomeric surface that is contacted by the
`armature for inhibiting noise created by contact.
`4. A CRT system comprising:
`a cathode ray tube having a touchscreen;
`
`55
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This
`invention relates to an apparatus for providing tactile 5
`feedback to a touchscreen cathode ray tube (CRT)
`display and command system.
`CRT command and display systems utilizing a micro(cid:173)
`processor in conjunction with a touchscreen CRT are
`standard in the art. The user is offered a variety of 10
`choices which are displayed on the screen. To make a
`selection the user touches the screen at a given location.
`Previously, such CRT systems have supplied audio and
`visual feedback when the user has successfully made a
`selection. In some environments, such as in automotive 15
`applications, audio feedback may be masked by radio or
`road noise, and visual contact away from the road must
`be minimized.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`Tactile feedback is one technique that can be used to
`support audio and visual feedback to solve the problems
`present in automotive applications. This invention pro(cid:173)
`vides a cathode ray tube command and display system
`with an apparatus for providing tactile acknowledg- 25
`ment of a touch input command of a user to the touch(cid:173)
`screen of a CRT. When the user inputs a touch com(cid:173)
`mand, a microprocessor, in addition to controlling the
`audio and visual indicators as in conventional systems,
`energizes the winding of a solenoid to conduct a me- 30
`chanical shock pulse through the CRT chassis. This
`moves the CRT chassis enough to produce a tactile
`feedback to the user.
`The apparatus includes a solenoid actuator for im(cid:173)
`parting moti9n_ to the cathode ray tube when energized 35
`in response to the touch input command of the user to
`the touchscreen. Shock mounting means for mounting
`the CRT allow limited movement ofthe CRT when the
`actuator is energized.
`Upon energization of the solenoid winding, an arma- 40
`ture moves until it contacts with an elastomer washer
`thereby imparting motion to the CRT. The elastomeric
`surface is employed to inhibit noise created by the
`contact.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ORA WINGS
`The invention may be best understood by reference
`to the following description of a preferred embodiment
`and the drawings in which:
`FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram of a cathode ray 50
`tube command and display system for providing tactile
`feedback in response to a user input command;
`FIG. 2 is a pictorial representation of a cathode ray
`tube including the claimed improvement.
`
`45
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENT
`An interactive system for enabling a user of a cathode
`ray tube touchscreen system to physically sense a tactile
`response to a user touch input command is illustrated
`schematically in FIG. 1. In its simplest form, the system
`includes CRT chassis unit 10 which displays a visual
`feedback on touchscreen 12 of a cathode ray tube in
`response to a user input command to the face of touch(cid:173)
`screen 12. The display of information, including the
`visual feedback, is controlled by microprocessor 14.
`Microprocessor 14, interacting with audible indicator
`16, also controls the audio response to a touch input
`
`

`

`4,885,565
`
`3
`a CRT chassis for carrying the cathode ray tube, the
`chassis having an open end through which the
`touchscreen of the cathode ray tube is exposed;
`means for mounting the chassis from the open end;
`an actuator mounted to the distal end of the chassis, 5
`the actuator including a solenoid, an armature,
`armature stop means and means biasing the arma(cid:173)
`ture away from the stop means, the solenoid being
`effective when energized for moving the armature
`to contact the stop means to impart motion to the 10
`
`4
`CRT chassis and the cathode ray tube carried
`thereby; and
`means responsive to a touch input command of a user
`to the touchscreen of the cathode ray tube for
`energizing the solenoid to cause the armature to be
`moved to contact the stop means and impart mo(cid:173)
`tion to the cathode ray tube, whereby tactile feed(cid:173)
`back is provided to the user to acknowledge the
`touch input command.
`* * * * *
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