KR20110055853A - Haptic apparatus using a plurality of vibrating devices and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A haptic device which uses a plurality of vibration devices and control method thereof are provided to detect the operation direction of a dial switch through a plurality of location sensors. CONSTITUTION: A plurality of location sensors(23) outputs location information on a switch panel(22) of a dial driving unit as an electrical signal. A control unit(24) generates a vibration driving signal. A plurality of electrical contact units outputs driving current. A plurality of vibration devices generates vibration according to driving current that is supplied from the electrical contact unit.

Description

Haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements and a method of controlling the same {HAPTIC APPARATUS USING A PLURALITY OF VIBRATING DEVICES AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a haptic device for expressing tactile information by vibration and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a haptic feedback fed back to a user by expressing directionality of vibration using a plurality of vibration elements instead of a conventional large motor. The present invention relates to a haptic device and a method of controlling the same, which can improve the discriminant power of information and lower the cost of a product, as well as miniaturize the product.

Audiovisual information is used to exchange information between humans and machines. However, users tend to obtain more specific and realistic information through virtual reality, including machines or computers.

In order to satisfy the needs of the user, not only audiovisual information but also tactile information is used to transmit information between the user and the virtual reality, and haptic technology is known as a technology for expressing tactile information. Recently, the application range of haptic technology is very wide, and it is also applied to fields such as controlling a multimedia device of a car and key input means of a mobile phone.

Hereinafter, a haptic device according to the prior art will be described with reference to FIG. 1. 1 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a haptic device according to the prior art.

As shown in FIG. 1, the haptic device according to the related art includes a position sensor 13, a controller 14, a motor 15, and a vibration generator 16. The haptic device shown in FIG. 1 is applied to a dial switch and detects a switching state of the dial switch and feeds back vibration information corresponding thereto to the dial switch.

More specifically, the dial movable portion 11 is installed to rotate in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction on the switch panel 12. When the dial movable portion 11 rotates in a predetermined direction, a plurality of switches (not shown) provided in the switch panel 12 are turned on / off by a predetermined number in proportion to the amount of rotation of the dial movable portion 11. do. That is, since the number of switches to be turned on / off according to the rotation amount of the dial movable portion 11 is changed, the user can change the state of the switch by operating the dial, and the physical quantity of the device connected to the switch, for example, audio You can adjust or select the volume, menu items, etc.

The position sensor 13 is provided in the switch panel 12 to detect the rotational position on the switch panel 12 of the dial movable portion 11. Information about the rotational position of the dial movable section 11 detected by the position sensor 13 is input to the controller 14. The control unit 14 generates a vibration drive signal for feeding back to the switch panel based on the rotation position information of the dial movable unit 11. Here, the control unit 14 analyzes the rotation position information of the dial movable unit 11 to determine the pattern of vibration intensity and vibration time and reflect it to the vibration drive signal.

The vibration drive signal of the controller 14 is applied to the motor 15, and the motor 15 performs a rotation corresponding to the vibration drive signal. The vibration generating unit 16 generates the vibration in the switch panel 12 by the rotation of the motor 15. More specifically, the vibration generating unit 16 performs linear motion by the rotation of the motor 15, and periodically hits the central portion of the switch panel 12 having the convex end portion of the vibration generating unit 16 to cause vibration. Occurs. Accordingly, the user may receive feedback of the tactile information corresponding to his / her dial switch operation through the vibration of the switch panel 12.

In the haptic device according to the prior art, since a bulky expensive motor should be used, not only the product cost of the haptic device is high but also it is difficult to miniaturize the haptic device. In addition, since the haptic device according to the related art uses only the pattern of vibration intensity and vibration time in transmitting tactile information to a user, the haptic information is somewhat monotonous. Therefore, in order to increase the utilization of the haptic device and to improve the discriminating power of the tactile information, a more diverse expression method of the haptic device is required for the haptic device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above technical problem, by using a plurality of position sensors to detect the rotation position information including the operation direction of the dial switch by the user, and generates a vibration drive signal corresponding to the rotation position information By feeding back not only the vibration intensity and the pattern of the vibration time but also the vibration given the directionality of the vibration to the dial switch through the plurality of vibration elements, the discriminating power of the tactile information fed back in response to the user's dial switch operation can be improved. It is an object to provide a haptic device.

The present invention provides a haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements applied to a dial switch configured to be rotatable on a switch panel, the dial mover being installed at one or more positions of the switch panel to correspond to a user's dial switch operation amount and direction of operation. A plurality of position sensors which detect rotational position information on the switch panel of the output unit and output the rotation position information as an electrical signal; Accepts the output signals of the plurality of position sensors and generates vibration drive signals corresponding to the rotation position information detected by the plurality of position sensors based on the relationship between the operation condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command predetermined by simulation. And a control unit for outputting; A plurality of electrical contact parts switched on / off according to the vibration driving signal provided from the controller to output a driving current; And a plurality of positions installed at a plurality of positions along the circumferential surface of the lower portion of the dial movable portion and electrically connected to the plurality of electrical contact portions, respectively, according to a driving current provided from a corresponding electrical contact portion among the plurality of electrical contact portions. And a plurality of vibration elements for generating vibration at a corresponding position of the control unit, wherein the controller is configured to generate a vibration drive signal reflecting a directionality of vibration corresponding to an operation direction of a dial switch by adjusting an operation sequence of the plurality of vibration elements. It features.

In addition, the present invention provides a control method of a haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements, comprising the steps of: receiving the operation amount and the operation direction of the dial switch by the user as rotation position information; Loading a look-up table which prestores the relationship between the operating condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command; Generating a vibration drive signal reflecting the directionality of vibration corresponding to the operation direction of the dial switch by adjusting the operation order of the plurality of vibration elements based on the relationship between the operation condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command; And outputting the generated vibration driving signal to the plurality of electrical contact parts to generate vibrations by the plurality of vibration elements.

The present invention detects not only an operation amount of a dial switch by a user through a plurality of position sensors but also a plurality of vibration elements, and employs a plurality of vibration elements to express the directionality of vibration by adjusting the order of occurrence of vibration of the vibration elements. The haptic device can improve the discriminating power of the tactile information fed back in response to the operation, and implement a haptic device using a plurality of small vibration elements in place of the expensive large motor and vibration generating unit, thereby lowering the product cost and miniaturizing the haptic device. can do.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be embodied in various different forms, and only the embodiments are intended to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to those skilled in the art. It is provided for complete information.

First, the configuration and operation of a haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the haptic device according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a dial switch configured to rotate the dial movable part 21 on the switch panel 22. The haptic device according to the embodiment of the present invention is installed at one or more positions of the switch panel 22 to provide rotation position information on the switch panel 22 of the dial movable portion 21 corresponding to the user's dial switch operation amount and operation direction. A plurality of position sensors 23 for detecting and outputting as electric signals are received, and a plurality of position sensors 23 are received on the basis of a vibration drive command stored in advance by simulation in accordance with operating conditions of the dial switch. The controller 24 generates and outputs a vibration driving signal corresponding to the rotation position information detected by the position sensor 23 of the sensor, and is switched on / off according to the vibration driving signal provided from the controller 24 to output the driving current. A plurality of electrical contact portions 31, 32, 33, 34, and a plurality of electrical contact portions 31, 32, 33, A plurality of vibration elements 25 electrically connected one-to-one with each other to generate vibrations at respective corresponding positions according to a driving current provided from a corresponding electrical contact portion among the electrical contact portions 31, 32, 33, 34. , 26, 27, 28).

In this embodiment, the haptic device applied to the dial switch is illustrated, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the haptic device according to the present invention can be applied to other input devices, such as a touch input device, by a simple modification by a person skilled in the art, such as, for example, an installation method of a position sensor or a modification of an installation position.

Returning to the description of this embodiment again, the haptic device shown in FIG. 2 detects an operation condition of the dial switch by the user using the position sensor 23 and generates a vibration drive signal corresponding to this operation condition. Then, there is a technical feature of feeding back to the dial switch a vibration corresponding to the operation direction of the dial switch, that is, a direction-imposed vibration using a plurality of vibration elements.

More specifically, the dial movable portion 21 is provided to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise on the switch panel 22. When the user rotates the dial movable portion 21 in a predetermined direction to adjust or select an arbitrary physical quantity, for example, an audio volume or a menu item, a plurality of switches (not shown) installed in the switch panel 22 are shown. Is turned on / off by a predetermined number in proportion to the amount of rotation of the dial movable portion 21. That is, since the number of switches to be turned on / off is changed depending on how much the rotation of the dial movable portion 21 is, the user can determine the number of switches to be turned on / off by operating the dial movable portion 21. As a result, the user can operate the dial switch to adjust or select the physical quantity of the device connected to the dial switch, for example, the volume of audio, menu items, and the like.

A plurality of position sensors 23 are provided on the switch panel 22 to detect rotation position information on the switch panel 22 of the dial movable portion 21. For example, the plurality of position sensors 23 may be disposed along the circumference of the disk-shaped switch panel 22. The rotational position information on the switch panel 22 of the dial movable portion 21 detected by such a plurality of position sensors 23 corresponds to the operation amount and the operation direction of the dial switch by the user. The output signal of the position sensor 23 is input to the control unit 24.

As described above, the controller 24 uses the rotation position information on the switch panel 22 of the dial movable portion 21 output from the position sensor 23, that is, the amount and operation direction of the dial switch by the user. Generate and output a vibration drive signal.

The controller 24 uses a lookup table method to generate the vibration drive signal, and stores in advance a relationship between the operating condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command in the form of a lookup table. Therefore, the controller 24 may be implemented as a microcomputer or the like including memory such as a ROM therein. The relationship between the operating condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command is predetermined by simulation, and a relationship showing an optimal result can be selected. On the other hand, in the present invention, the vibration drive command includes not only the pattern of the vibration intensity and the vibration time but also the directionality of the vibration. In the present invention, a plurality of vibration elements are adopted so that the direction of vibration can also be expressed. That is, in setting the vibration drive command, the order in which vibration occurs in the plurality of vibration elements is set to correspond to the operation direction of the dial switch.

The control unit 24 is a vibration drive signal corresponding to the rotation position information detected by the plurality of position sensors 23 based on the relationship of the vibration drive command to the operation conditions of the dial switch previously determined and stored by the simulation. Create and print The procedure of generating the vibration drive signal will be described in more detail later with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3.

The vibration driving signal output from the controller 24 is applied to the plurality of electrical contact portions 31, 32, 33, and 34. The plurality of electrical contact portions 31, 32, 33, 34 may be implemented by an element such as a relay or a relay, and the plurality of electrical contact portions 31, 32, 33, 34 may be disposed below the dial movable portion 21. It is connected so as to correspond one-to-one with the plurality of vibration elements 25, 26, 27, 28 arranged along the circumferential surface. The plurality of electrical contact parts 31, 32, 33, and 34 perform on / off switching according to the vibration driving signal provided from the control unit 24 to perform the plurality of vibration elements 25, 26, 27, 28, a driving current is applied to the corresponding vibration element.

As described above, the plurality of vibration elements 25, 26, 27, 28 are arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential surface of the lower portion of the cylindrical dial movable portion 21, and the plurality of electrical contact portions 31 corresponding to one-to-one correspondence. , 32, 33 and 34 generate vibrations at the respective positions. Ultimately, the plurality of vibration elements 25, 26, 27, 28 generate vibration with respect to the dial movable portion 21 by the vibration drive signal output from the control unit 24.

More specifically, the plurality of vibration elements 25, 26, 27, 28 generate vibrations so as to express the intensity of vibration corresponding to the vibration drive signal, the pattern of vibration time and the directionality of the vibration. As described above, the direction of vibration can be expressed by appropriately controlling the operation order of each vibration element. According to the amount of operation of the dial switch by the user, the control unit 24 determines which vibration element is operated from among the plurality of vibration elements 25, 26, 27, 28 arranged on the circumferential surface of the dial movable portion 21. . In addition, the pattern of vibration time can be modified into a form suitable for delivering tactile information to a user. Therefore, the user can receive feedback of the tactile information corresponding to the operation of the dial switch through the vibration of the dial moving unit 21.

Next, a control method of a haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the steps shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 are performed to generate a vibration driving signal in the controller 24 of FIG. 2.

When the operation of the control unit 24 starts, the control unit 24 receives the rotation position information on the switch panel 22 of the dial movable unit 21 output from the plurality of position sensors 23 (S31).

Next, the control part 24 loads the lookup table which has previously stored the relationship between the operation condition of a dial switch, and a vibration drive command (S32). As described above, the relationship between the operating condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command is predetermined by simulation.

The control unit 24 performs vibration driving corresponding to the rotation position information detected by the plurality of position sensors 23 based on the stored contents of the loaded lookup table, that is, the relationship between the operating condition of the dial switch and the vibration driving command. Generate a signal (S33). The generated vibration drive signal reflects the direction of vibration as well as the pattern of vibration intensity and vibration time. The directionality of the vibration may be implemented in a manner of adjusting the operation order of the plurality of vibration elements 25, 26, 27, 28.

The vibration driving signal generated in the step S33 is applied to the plurality of electrical contact portions 31, 32, 33, 34 to control the switching operation of the plurality of electrical contact portions 31, 32, 33, 34, By the switching operation of the electrical contact parts 31, 32, 33, and 34, the driving current is output to the corresponding vibration elements 25, 26, 27, and 28 (S34). The plurality of vibration elements 25, 26, 27, and 28 generate vibrations by driving currents, and more specifically, vibrations to express intensity of vibration, pattern of vibration time, and direction of vibration corresponding to the vibration driving signal. Generates.

4 is a diagram illustrating a dial switch manipulation process when the haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a vehicle multimedia manipulation dashboard.

In Fig. 4, the dial switch is stopped at the position?, Which is the default position, before the user's operation. The user can operate the dial movable portion 21 of the dial switch to rotate the dial movable portion 21 in the direction ① or ③ on the switch panel 22. At this time, the haptic device of the present invention described in Figures 2 and 3 detects the rotation position information of the dial switch to generate a vibration drive signal, the vibration drive signal is a plurality of arranged along the circumference of the switch panel 22 Operate the vibrating element. Accordingly, the user may receive feedback of the tactile information corresponding to the operation of the dial switch through the vibration of the switch panel 22 by the operation of the plurality of vibration elements. The direction of can also be fed back.

This technical feature of the present invention improves the discriminating power of the tactile information, allowing the user to grasp his own manipulation amount through the tactile sense without visually confirming the manipulation amount of the dial switch. That is, when the haptic device according to the embodiment of the present invention is particularly applied to a vehicle, it is possible to recognize the operation amount of the dial switch tactilely even in the front gaze state due to driving or the like, which can greatly contribute to safe driving. .

5 is a diagram illustrating a state where the haptic device according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied as a keypad of the mobile phone 50.

Since the conventional haptic device uses a large motor, it is difficult to apply the haptic device to a mobile phone in terms of volume increase and product cost. However, in the present invention, the haptic device can be applied to a small portable device such as a mobile phone by implementing the haptic device using a plurality of small vibration elements instead of the motor and the vibration generator.

So far, the configuration and operation of the embodiment of the present invention have been described. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the claims but also by the equivalents of the claims.

1 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a haptic device according to the prior art.

2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a diagram illustrating a dial switch manipulation process when the haptic device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a vehicle multimedia manipulation dashboard.

5 is a view showing a state in which the haptic device is applied as a keypad of the mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (6)

A haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements applied to a dial switch configured to be rotatable on a switch panel, A plurality of position sensors provided at one or more positions of the switch panel to detect rotational position information on the switch panel of the dial movable portion corresponding to the user's dial switch operation amount and the operation direction, and output the information as an electrical signal; Accepts the output signals of the plurality of position sensors and generates vibration drive signals corresponding to the rotation position information detected by the plurality of position sensors based on the relationship between the operation condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command predetermined by simulation. And a control unit for outputting; A plurality of electrical contact parts switched on / off according to the vibration driving signal provided from the controller to output a driving current; And It is installed at a plurality of positions along the circumferential surface of the lower part of the dial movable part and is electrically connected to the plurality of electrical contact parts one by one, and according to the driving current provided from a corresponding electrical contact part among the plurality of electrical contact parts. A plurality of vibration elements for generating vibrations in position; The control unit generates a vibration driving signal reflecting the directionality of the vibration corresponding to the operation direction of the dial switch by adjusting the operation order of the plurality of vibration elements. Haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements. The method of claim 1, The relationship between the operating condition of the dial switch and the vibration driving command is determined by simulation and stored in advance in the form of a lookup table. Haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements. The method of claim 1, The haptic device is applied to the touch input device by modifying the installation method and the installation position of the plurality of position sensors. Haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements. The method of claim 1, The haptic device is applied to the keypad of the mobile phone Haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements. Receiving a manipulation amount and a manipulation direction of a dial switch by a user as rotation position information; Loading a look-up table which prestores the relationship between the operating condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command; Generating a vibration drive signal reflecting the directionality of vibration corresponding to the operation direction of the dial switch by adjusting the operation order of the plurality of vibration elements based on the relationship between the operation condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command; And Outputting the generated vibration driving signal to a plurality of electrical contact parts to generate vibrations by a plurality of vibration elements; A control method of a haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements. The method of claim 5, The relationship between the operating condition of the dial switch and the vibration drive command is predetermined by simulation A control method of a haptic device using a plurality of vibration elements.

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