EP1716935A1 - Vibrator device for an electronic apparatus - Google Patents
Vibrator device for an electronic apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1716935A1 EP1716935A1 EP05009067A EP05009067A EP1716935A1 EP 1716935 A1 EP1716935 A1 EP 1716935A1 EP 05009067 A EP05009067 A EP 05009067A EP 05009067 A EP05009067 A EP 05009067A EP 1716935 A1 EP1716935 A1 EP 1716935A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- vibrator
- frequency
- drive signal
- signal
- generating
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
- B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
- B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
- B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
- B06B1/0207—Driving circuits
- B06B1/0223—Driving circuits for generating signals continuous in time
- B06B1/0269—Driving circuits for generating signals continuous in time for generating multiple frequencies
- B06B1/0284—Driving circuits for generating signals continuous in time for generating multiple frequencies with consecutive, i.e. sequential generation, e.g. with frequency sweep
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a vibrator device for an electronic apparatus, and a method for generating a drive signal for such a vibrator device.
- An electronic apparatus such as a portable electronic device, a mobile terminal or a personal digital assistant, may comprise a vibrator.
- the vibrator may be activated in response to e.g. an incoming call or message to give a tactile signal to the user of the electronic apparatus.
- a vibrator known in the art and that may be used in an electronic apparatus includes a DC motor having a weight for unbalancing the motor mounted on the drive shaft.
- a DC drive signal is supplied to the DC motor for its activation.
- the vibrator including a DC motor requires a relatively large space, which may be a problem if it is used in a portable electronic device, in which the available space is limited.
- the constantly present desire for additional functions of a portable electronic device entails that it is desirable that each component requires as little space as possible.
- Another problem with the vibrator including a DC motor is that it accelerates relatively slowly. This is a problem if it is desirable to generate a tactile signal in response to another event occurring in the electronic apparatus, wherein the experienced interrelationship between the tactile signal and the event becomes poor.
- the linear vibrator includes a mass, which moves in a generated magnetic field.
- the magnetic field is generated in response to an AC or pulsed signal supplied to the vibrator.
- the frequency of the drive signal for the linear vibrator should be substantially equal or close to the resonance frequency of the linear vibrator.
- the actual resonance frequency may vary between different vibrators of the same type due to production tolerances.
- the actual resonance frequency of a single vibrator may vary over time depending on external and/or internal factors, such as the temperature in which the vibrator currently is operating, or the length of a time period during which the vibrator is in an operative state.
- the resonance frequency of a single vibrator may vary during its life cycle, e.g. due to wear and tear. Therefore, it is difficult to generate a drive signal having a frequency for operating a linear vibrator efficiently, as the actual resonance frequency of the linear vibrator is not known.
- a feedback loop including external components may be used to detect the resonance frequency of the vibrator.
- this solution is complex.
- a vibrator device comprises a signal generating unit, which is adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency; and a vibrator, which is responsive to the drive signal.
- the signal generating unit may be adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency within a predetermined frequency range.
- the frequency range may be in the range of -5% to -20% up to +5% to +40% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator.
- frequency range is in the range of ⁇ 1-5% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator.
- the signal generating unit may be adapted to repeatedly generate the drive signal with a frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz. Alternatively, the signal generating unit may be adapted to repeatedly generate the drive signal with a frequency in the range >10 Hz.
- an electronic apparatus comprises the vibrator device according to the invention.
- the apparatus may be a portable mobile radio communication equipment, a mobile radio terminal, a mobile telephone, a pager, a communicator, an electronic organizer, or a smartphone.
- a method for generating a drive signal for a vibrator device comprises generating a drive signal having varying frequency; and supplying the drive signal to a vibrator.
- the step of generating may comprise generating a drive signal having varying frequency within a predetermined frequency range. It may also comprise generating a drive signal in a frequency range, which includes the nominal resonance frequency of the vibrator.
- the step of generating may comprise generating a drive signal in a frequency range of -5% to -20% up to +5°s to +40% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator. Alternatively, it comprises generating a drive signal in a frequency range of ⁇ 1-5% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator.
- the step of generating may comprise repeatedly generating the drive signal with a frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz. Alternatively, it comprises repeatedly generating the drive signal with a frequency in the range of >10 Hz.
- a computer program product comprising computer program code means for executing the method for generating the drive signal, when said computer program code means are run by an electronic device having computer capabilities.
- Fig. 1 illustrates an electronic apparatus 1, in which the present invention may be provided.
- the electronic apparatus may be a portable mobile radio communication equipment, a mobile radio terminal, a mobile telephone, a pager, a communicator, an electronic organizer, a handheld electronic device, or a smartphone.
- These examples of an electronic apparatus in which the invention may be provided are not exhaustive.
- the invention may be implemented in any electronic device including a vibrator driven by an AC drive signal.
- Fig. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of a vibrator device.
- the vibrator device 1 comprises a vibrator 10 to be driven by an AC drive signal, a signal generating unit 11, a controller 12 and a memory 13.
- the vibrator 10 to be driven by an AC signal may be a linear vibrator having a mass to be driven by a magnetic field generated in response to applying the drive signal to the vibrator 10.
- the signal generating unit 11 is adapted to generate a drive signal, which has a varying frequency.
- the signal generating unit 11 may be implemented by means of a standalone hardware unit, such as a signal generator.
- the signal generating unit 11 may be implemented by software including software code portions to be run by a processor, such as a CPU, a resonance circuit, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).
- a CPU implementing the signal generating unit 11 may possibly also implement controller 12.
- the controller 12 is not necessary in all embodiments of the invention, such as if the signal generating unit 11 is implemented by a standalone hardware component.
- the electronic apparatus 1 may comprise a plurality of memories, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, and or a non-volatile memory, which are jointly illustrated by memory 13. Also memory 13 may be optional.
- RAM Random Access Memory
- ROM Read Only Memory
- flash memory and or a non-volatile memory, which are jointly illustrated by memory 13.
- memory 13 may be optional.
- the frequency of the drive signal generated by the signal generating unit 11 has varying frequency.
- the frequency of the drive signal may be varied from a few Hz to virtually infinity, wherein it will be ascertained that the resonance frequency of the vibrator 10 will be included within this frequency range.
- the resonance frequency of the vibrator 1 may be included in the drive signal without any feedback connection, whereby the complexity of the vibrator device is decreased. Also, the number of connectors, such as pins, may be decreased compared to prior art solutions.
- the signal generating unit 11 may be adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency within a predetermined frequency range.
- the resonance frequency (or center frequency), at which the vibrator is designed to vibrate optimally, i.e. the nominal resonance frequency, may be known.
- the signal generating unit 11 may be adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency in a frequency range overlapping the nominal resonance frequency of the vibrator 11.
- the actual resonance frequency of the vibrator 11 may vary between different vibrators of the same type, such as vibrators from different batches. If it is known that the resonance frequency of the vibrator 10 varies a certain amount, e.g.
- the predetermined frequency range could be in the range of ⁇ 1-5 Hz or ⁇ 1-5% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator 10, wherein it is ascertained that the resonance frequency of the vibrator 10 always is included in the predetermined frequency range.
- a few Hz may be added to the predetermined frequency range for providing a safety margin.
- the frequency of the drive signal may vary between 145-155 Hz.
- the signal generating unit 11 may also be adapted to generate a drive signal having a broader frequency range, such as in the range of ⁇ 5-20Hz or -5% to -20% up to +5% to +40%, relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator 10. This has the advantage that the tolerances of the resonance frequency of the vibrator may be more relaxed, wherein it may be cheaper to manufacture.
- the frequency range of the drive signal may be varied in any ranges, which has to be tested and evaluated in each specific case.
- the predetermined frequency range does not overlap the nominal resonance frequency of the vibrator 11.
- the predetermined frequency range includes frequencies at which the vibrator 11 vibrates.
- the drive signal may be generated during a predetermined time period. During this time period, the frequency of the drive signal may be varied continuously or in discrete steps. If the drive signal is varied continuously, the frequency may be continuously increased during a predetermined time interval corresponding to the duration of the drive signal. For example, the frequency of the drive signal may be continuously increased from 145 Hz to 155 Hz during 1 second. If the frequency is varied in discrete steps, the controller 13 may control the signal generating unit 11.
- the step size may be dependent on the size of the predetermined frequency range and may e.g. be a fraction of or a single Hz.
- the frequency of the drive signal may be varied from 145 to 155 Hz in step sizes of 1 Hz during 1 second, wherein the duration of each frequency will be 1/11 second.
- the values give above are only examples and other values may apply in other embodiments, which has to be tested and evaluated in each specific case.
- the voltage and current of the drive signal should be adapted to satisfy any requirements set by the vibrator.
- the drive signal may be repeatedly generated until it is desirable to end the vibrating signal produced by the vibrator 10.
- the signal generating unit 11 may be adapted to repeatedly generate each frequency of the drive signal.
- the drive signal may be generated with a frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz. In this range, the vibrator 10 will vibrate intermittentedly with a low enough frequency such that it is experience by the user of the electronic device la as pulsing vibration signal.
- the drive signal may be generated with a frequency in the range of >10 Hz, wherein it may vibrate intermittetedly with a high enough frequency such that is experienced as continuous vibration signal by the user of the electronic apparatus 1.
- Fig. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a linear vibrator 20 in cross section.
- the linear vibrator 20 comprises a electromagnet including an iron core 21 with a winding 22.
- a weight 23 and a magnet 24 are arranged circumferentially around the iron core 21 and the winding 22.
- the weight 23 and the magnet 23 are suspended by a spring and bearing arrangement 25a, 25b.
- the drive signal is applied to the winding, the weight 23 and magnet 24 will move downwards and upwards in response to the alternating drive signal.
- the vibrator 20 will vibrate.
- Fig. 4 schematically illustrates four vibration output curves 30, 31, 32, 32 for four different linear vibrators.
- the curves are simplified for illustrative purposes.
- the maximum variation of the resonance frequency f r of the linear vibrators are denoted V v .
- Fig. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a method for generating a drive signal for a vibrator device including a detector and a frequency registration unit.
- a first step 100 an initiation signal is received from an application of the electronic apparatus 1.
- the drive signal is generated including frequencies in a predetermined frequency range.
- the frequencies may be generated by the signal generating unit 11 by stepwise altering the frequency of the drive signal in discrete steps.
- the frequency value to be generated after the last frequency value of the predetermined frequency range has been generated may be the previously generated or the firstly generated frequency value in the predetermined frequency range. For example, if the predetermined frequency range is 145-155 Hz, the first value is 145 Hz and the final value is 155 Hz. After having generated frequency value 155 Hz, frequency value 145 or 154 Hz may be generated.
- step 102 it is determined whether a stop signal to stop generating the drive signal has been received. If the answer in step 102 is no, the procedure returns to step 101. If the answer in step 102 is yes, the procedure ends.
- the frequency range of the drive signal may be preset. Alternatively, the frequency range may be changed for adapting it to linear vibrator of different batches of the same model, or to different models. Furthermore, the frequency range of the drive signal may be different depending on the marked, on which the electronic apparatus should be sold.
- the resonance frequency of the vibrator 10 may vary in dependence of humidity and temperature, which is different in different countries.
- the invention may at least partly be embedded in a computer program product, which enables implementation of the method and functions described herein.
- the invention may be carried out when the computer program product is loaded and run in a system having computer capabilities.
- Computer program, software program, program product, or software in the present context mean any expression, in any programming language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having a processing capability to perform a particular function directly or after conversion to another language, code or notation.
- the alteration of the drive signal has been described as being made in the frequency domain. However, the alteration of the drive signal may also be made in the time domain by altering the period of the drive signal.
- the q factor of the vibrator sets vibration response of the vibrator 10, and it may be determined by the resonance frequency (or center frequency) divided by the bandwidth ⁇ f (defined by the upper and lower cutoff frequencies) of the vibrator.
- a vibrator having a high q-factor provides a high vibration output at the resonance frequency
- a vibrator having a lower q-factor provides a lower vibration output at the resonance frequency.
- the vibrator having the lower q-factor relatively quickly performs better than the vibrator having the higher q-factor.
- the resonance frequency will be included in the drive signal even if the actual resonance frequency deviates from the nominal resonance frequency of the vibrator.
- a vibrator having a lower q-factor may need to be utilized, so as to ascertain that the frequency of the drive signal hits a frequency at which the vibrator vibrates at the expense of vibration output.
- the resonance frequency of a single vibrator may change over time. According to the invention, it is ascertained that the resonance frequency will be include in the drive signal even if the resonance frequency change over time.
- Another advantage of the invention is that it possible to repeatedly generate the drive signal. Thus, if other frequencies than the resonance frequency of the vibrator 10 are included in the drive signal, the vibration output will vary slightly, but the maximum vibration out put will always by generated. This provides an improved vibration feeling for the user of the electronic apparatus 1 compared to providing a drive signal only comprising the resonance frequency of the vibrator 10.
- the resonance frequency is hit for vibrators from different batches from a single manufacturer, or even from different manufacturers.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Apparatuses For Generation Of Mechanical Vibrations (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a vibrator device for an electronic apparatus, and a method for generating a drive signal for such a vibrator device.
- An electronic apparatus, such as a portable electronic device, a mobile terminal or a personal digital assistant, may comprise a vibrator. The vibrator may be activated in response to e.g. an incoming call or message to give a tactile signal to the user of the electronic apparatus.
- A vibrator known in the art and that may be used in an electronic apparatus includes a DC motor having a weight for unbalancing the motor mounted on the drive shaft. A DC drive signal is supplied to the DC motor for its activation.
- The vibrator including a DC motor requires a relatively large space, which may be a problem if it is used in a portable electronic device, in which the available space is limited. The constantly present desire for additional functions of a portable electronic device entails that it is desirable that each component requires as little space as possible. Another problem with the vibrator including a DC motor is that it accelerates relatively slowly. This is a problem if it is desirable to generate a tactile signal in response to another event occurring in the electronic apparatus, wherein the experienced interrelationship between the tactile signal and the event becomes poor.
- Another vibrator that may be used in an electronic apparatus is a linear vibrator. The linear vibrator includes a mass, which moves in a generated magnetic field. The magnetic field is generated in response to an AC or pulsed signal supplied to the vibrator. To operate efficiently, the frequency of the drive signal for the linear vibrator should be substantially equal or close to the resonance frequency of the linear vibrator.
- It is a problem with a linear vibrator that the actual resonance frequency may vary between different vibrators of the same type due to production tolerances. Furthermore, the actual resonance frequency of a single vibrator may vary over time depending on external and/or internal factors, such as the temperature in which the vibrator currently is operating, or the length of a time period during which the vibrator is in an operative state. Furthermore, the resonance frequency of a single vibrator may vary during its life cycle, e.g. due to wear and tear. Therefore, it is difficult to generate a drive signal having a frequency for operating a linear vibrator efficiently, as the actual resonance frequency of the linear vibrator is not known. A feedback loop including external components may be used to detect the resonance frequency of the vibrator. However, this solution is complex.
- It is one object of the invention to overcome the above mentioned and other problems of providing a vibrator.
- According to a first aspect, a vibrator device comprises a signal generating unit, which is adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency; and a vibrator, which is responsive to the drive signal.
- The signal generating unit may be adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency within a predetermined frequency range.
- It may also be adapted to generate a drive signal in a frequency range, which includes the nominal resonance frequency of the vibrator. The frequency range may be in the range of -5% to -20% up to +5% to +40% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator. Alternatively, frequency range is in the range of ±1-5% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator.
- The signal generating unit may be adapted to repeatedly generate the drive signal with a frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz. Alternatively, the signal generating unit may be adapted to repeatedly generate the drive signal with a frequency in the range >10 Hz.
- According to a second aspect, an electronic apparatus comprises the vibrator device according to the invention.
- The apparatus may be a portable mobile radio communication equipment, a mobile radio terminal, a mobile telephone, a pager, a communicator, an electronic organizer, or a smartphone.
- According to a third aspect, a method for generating a drive signal for a vibrator device, comprises generating a drive signal having varying frequency; and supplying the drive signal to a vibrator.
- The step of generating may comprise generating a drive signal having varying frequency within a predetermined frequency range. It may also comprise generating a drive signal in a frequency range, which includes the nominal resonance frequency of the vibrator.
- The step of generating may comprise generating a drive signal in a frequency range of -5% to -20% up to +5°s to +40% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator. Alternatively, it comprises generating a drive signal in a frequency range of ±1-5% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator.
- The step of generating may comprise repeatedly generating the drive signal with a frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz. Alternatively, it comprises repeatedly generating the drive signal with a frequency in the range of >10 Hz.
- According to a fourth aspect, a computer program product comprising computer program code means for executing the method for generating the drive signal, when said computer program code means are run by an electronic device having computer capabilities.
- Further embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. It is an advantage of the invention that it provides an efficient vibrator device.
- It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising" when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
- Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Fig. 1 is a front view of an electronic device;
- Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the vibrator device;
- Fig. 3 is cross-sectional view of a linear vibrator;
- Fig. 4 is a graph illustration the spread of resonance frequency of linear vibrators; and
- Fig. 5 is a flow-chart of one embodiment of a method for generating a drive signal for the vibrator device.
- Fig. 1 illustrates an
electronic apparatus 1, in which the present invention may be provided. The electronic apparatus may be a portable mobile radio communication equipment, a mobile radio terminal, a mobile telephone, a pager, a communicator, an electronic organizer, a handheld electronic device, or a smartphone. These examples of an electronic apparatus in which the invention may be provided are not exhaustive. The invention may be implemented in any electronic device including a vibrator driven by an AC drive signal. - Fig. 2 illustrates a first embodiment of a vibrator device. The
vibrator device 1 comprises avibrator 10 to be driven by an AC drive signal, asignal generating unit 11, acontroller 12 and amemory 13. - The
vibrator 10 to be driven by an AC signal may be a linear vibrator having a mass to be driven by a magnetic field generated in response to applying the drive signal to thevibrator 10. - The
signal generating unit 11 is adapted to generate a drive signal, which has a varying frequency. Thesignal generating unit 11 may be implemented by means of a standalone hardware unit, such as a signal generator. Alternatively, thesignal generating unit 11 may be implemented by software including software code portions to be run by a processor, such as a CPU, a resonance circuit, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). A CPU implementing thesignal generating unit 11 may possibly also implementcontroller 12. Thecontroller 12 is not necessary in all embodiments of the invention, such as if thesignal generating unit 11 is implemented by a standalone hardware component. - The
electronic apparatus 1 may comprise a plurality of memories, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, and or a non-volatile memory, which are jointly illustrated bymemory 13. Alsomemory 13 may be optional. - The frequency of the drive signal generated by the
signal generating unit 11 has varying frequency. The frequency of the drive signal may be varied from a few Hz to virtually infinity, wherein it will be ascertained that the resonance frequency of thevibrator 10 will be included within this frequency range. - It is an advantage of the embodiment of Fig. 1 that the resonance frequency of the
vibrator 1 may be included in the drive signal without any feedback connection, whereby the complexity of the vibrator device is decreased. Also, the number of connectors, such as pins, may be decreased compared to prior art solutions. - In another embodiment, the
signal generating unit 11 may be adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency within a predetermined frequency range. The resonance frequency (or center frequency), at which the vibrator is designed to vibrate optimally, i.e. the nominal resonance frequency, may be known. Then, thesignal generating unit 11 may be adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency in a frequency range overlapping the nominal resonance frequency of thevibrator 11. The actual resonance frequency of thevibrator 11 may vary between different vibrators of the same type, such as vibrators from different batches. If it is known that the resonance frequency of thevibrator 10 varies a certain amount, e.g. a certain number of Hz or certain percentage, the predetermined frequency range could be in the range of ±1-5 Hz or ±1-5% relative the nominal drive frequency of thevibrator 10, wherein it is ascertained that the resonance frequency of thevibrator 10 always is included in the predetermined frequency range. A few Hz may be added to the predetermined frequency range for providing a safety margin. Thus, for a vibrator having a nominal resonance frequency and a nominal drive frequency of 150 Hz, and having a spread of +3Hz, the frequency of the drive signal may vary between 145-155 Hz. - The
signal generating unit 11 may also be adapted to generate a drive signal having a broader frequency range, such as in the range of ±5-20Hz or -5% to -20% up to +5% to +40%, relative the nominal drive frequency of thevibrator 10. This has the advantage that the tolerances of the resonance frequency of the vibrator may be more relaxed, wherein it may be cheaper to manufacture. The frequency range of the drive signal may be varied in any ranges, which has to be tested and evaluated in each specific case. - In another embodiment, the predetermined frequency range does not overlap the nominal resonance frequency of the
vibrator 11. However, the predetermined frequency range includes frequencies at which thevibrator 11 vibrates. By generating a drive signal having a varying frequency sufficiently close to the nominal resonance frequency of the vibrator, e.g. at least partly within a frequency range determined by the cut-off frequencies of thevibrator 11, it is ascertained that thevibrator 11 vibrates. - The drive signal may be generated during a predetermined time period. During this time period, the frequency of the drive signal may be varied continuously or in discrete steps. If the drive signal is varied continuously, the frequency may be continuously increased during a predetermined time interval corresponding to the duration of the drive signal. For example, the frequency of the drive signal may be continuously increased from 145 Hz to 155 Hz during 1 second. If the frequency is varied in discrete steps, the
controller 13 may control thesignal generating unit 11. The step size may be dependent on the size of the predetermined frequency range and may e.g. be a fraction of or a single Hz. For example, the frequency of the drive signal may be varied from 145 to 155 Hz in step sizes of 1 Hz during 1 second, wherein the duration of each frequency will be 1/11 second. The values give above are only examples and other values may apply in other embodiments, which has to be tested and evaluated in each specific case. The voltage and current of the drive signal should be adapted to satisfy any requirements set by the vibrator. - The drive signal may be repeatedly generated until it is desirable to end the vibrating signal produced by the
vibrator 10. For example, thesignal generating unit 11 may be adapted to repeatedly generate each frequency of the drive signal. The drive signal may be generated with a frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz. In this range, thevibrator 10 will vibrate intermittentedly with a low enough frequency such that it is experience by the user of the electronic device la as pulsing vibration signal. Alternatively, the drive signal may be generated with a frequency in the range of >10 Hz, wherein it may vibrate intermittetedly with a high enough frequency such that is experienced as continuous vibration signal by the user of theelectronic apparatus 1. - Fig. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a
linear vibrator 20 in cross section. Thelinear vibrator 20 comprises a electromagnet including aniron core 21 with a winding 22. Aweight 23 and amagnet 24 are arranged circumferentially around theiron core 21 and the winding 22. Theweight 23 and themagnet 23 are suspended by a spring andbearing arrangement weight 23 andmagnet 24 will move downwards and upwards in response to the alternating drive signal. Thus, thevibrator 20 will vibrate. - Fig. 4 schematically illustrates four vibration output curves 30, 31, 32, 32 for four different linear vibrators. The curves are simplified for illustrative purposes. The maximum variation of the resonance frequency fr of the linear vibrators are denoted Vv. the variation of the frequency fds of the drive signal is denoted Vds. If Vds>=Vv and Vds and Vv are centered it is ascertained that fr for each linear vibrator is included in fds.
- Fig. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a method for generating a drive signal for a vibrator device including a detector and a frequency registration unit.
- In a
first step 100, an initiation signal is received from an application of theelectronic apparatus 1. In response to receiving the initiation signal, instep 101 the drive signal is generated including frequencies in a predetermined frequency range. The frequencies may be generated by thesignal generating unit 11 by stepwise altering the frequency of the drive signal in discrete steps. The frequency value to be generated after the last frequency value of the predetermined frequency range has been generated may be the previously generated or the firstly generated frequency value in the predetermined frequency range. For example, if the predetermined frequency range is 145-155 Hz, the first value is 145 Hz and the final value is 155 Hz. After having generated frequency value 155 Hz, frequency value 145 or 154 Hz may be generated. The same applies at the beginning of the predetermined frequency range if the latter is chosen, wherein frequency value 146 Hz may be generated after frequency value 145 Hz has been generated. The frequency of the drive signal may alternatively be altered continuously. At the end of the predetermined frequency range, the frequency may be lowered or be restarted from the beginning corresponding to altering the frequency stepwise. Instep 102 it is determined whether a stop signal to stop generating the drive signal has been received. If the answer instep 102 is no, the procedure returns to step 101. If the answer instep 102 is yes, the procedure ends. - The frequency range of the drive signal may be preset. Alternatively, the frequency range may be changed for adapting it to linear vibrator of different batches of the same model, or to different models. Furthermore, the frequency range of the drive signal may be different depending on the marked, on which the electronic apparatus should be sold. The resonance frequency of the
vibrator 10 may vary in dependence of humidity and temperature, which is different in different countries. - The invention may at least partly be embedded in a computer program product, which enables implementation of the method and functions described herein. The invention may be carried out when the computer program product is loaded and run in a system having computer capabilities. Computer program, software program, program product, or software, in the present context mean any expression, in any programming language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having a processing capability to perform a particular function directly or after conversion to another language, code or notation.
- It is an advantage of the invention that it provides a cheap implementation of linear vibrator, as it eliminates the impact of the spread of the resonance frequency of the
vibrator 10. Furthermore, it is smaller and lighter compared to a vibrator including a DC motor, wherein it is easier to arrange it in an electronic device. Also, it is easy to control the direction of vibration of the vibrator device, as it vibrates in an axial direction of the vibrator. - The alteration of the drive signal has been described as being made in the frequency domain. However, the alteration of the drive signal may also be made in the time domain by altering the period of the drive signal.
- The q factor of the vibrator sets vibration response of the
vibrator 10, and it may be determined by the resonance frequency (or center frequency) divided by the bandwidth Δf (defined by the upper and lower cutoff frequencies) of the vibrator. A vibrator having a high q-factor provides a high vibration output at the resonance frequency, whereas a vibrator having a lower q-factor provides a lower vibration output at the resonance frequency. However, if the frequency of the drive signal deviates from the resonance frequency, the vibrator having the lower q-factor relatively quickly performs better than the vibrator having the higher q-factor. Thus, by employing the present invention, it is possible to utilize a vibrator having a high q-factor, as it is ascertained that the resonance frequency will be included in the drive signal even if the actual resonance frequency deviates from the nominal resonance frequency of the vibrator. In prior art vibrator devices, a vibrator having a lower q-factor may need to be utilized, so as to ascertain that the frequency of the drive signal hits a frequency at which the vibrator vibrates at the expense of vibration output. Furthermore, the resonance frequency of a single vibrator may change over time. According to the invention, it is ascertained that the resonance frequency will be include in the drive signal even if the resonance frequency change over time. - Another advantage of the invention is that it possible to repeatedly generate the drive signal. Thus, if other frequencies than the resonance frequency of the
vibrator 10 are included in the drive signal, the vibration output will vary slightly, but the maximum vibration out put will always by generated. This provides an improved vibration feeling for the user of theelectronic apparatus 1 compared to providing a drive signal only comprising the resonance frequency of thevibrator 10. - It is a further advantage of the invention that it provides a flexible solution for providing a drive signal including the resonance frequency of the vibrator. Thus, it is ascertained that the resonance frequency is hit for vibrators from different batches from a single manufacturer, or even from different manufacturers.
- The present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, other embodiments than the above described are equally possible within the scope of the invention. Different method steps than those described above, performing the method by hardware or software, may be provided within the scope of the invention. The different features and steps of the invention may be combined in other combinations than those described. The scope of the invention is only limited by the appended patent claims.
Claims (15)
- A vibrator device, comprising
a signal generating unit (11) adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency; and
a vibrator (10, 20) responsive to the drive signal. - The vibrator device according to claim 1, wherein the signal generating unit (11) is adapted to generate a drive signal having varying frequency within a predetermined frequency range.
- The vibrator device according to claim 2, wherein the signal generating unit (11) is adapted to generate a drive signal in a frequency range of ±5-20% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator (10, 20).
- The vibrator device according to claim 2, wherein the signal generating unit (11) is adapted to generate a drive signal in a frequency range of -5% to -20% up to +5% to +40% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator (10, 20).
- The vibrator device according to any of the previous claims, wherein the signal generating unit (11) is adapted to repeatedly generate the drive signal with a frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz.
- The vibrator device according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the signal generating unit (11) is adapted to repeatedly generate the drive signal with a frequency in the range >10 Hz.
- An electronic apparatus comprising the vibrator device according to any of the claims 1-6.
- The electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is a portable mobile radio communication equipment, a mobile radio terminal, a mobile telephone, a pager, a communicator, an electronic organizer, or a smartphone.
- A method for generating a drive signal for a vibrator device, comprising:generating a drive signal having varying frequency; andsupplying the drive signal to a vibrator.
- The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of generating comprises generating a drive signal having varying frequency within a predetermined frequency range.
- The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of generating comprises generating a drive signal in a frequency range of -5% to -20% up to +5% to +40% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator.
- The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of generating comprises generating a drive signal in a frequency range of ±1-5% relative the nominal drive frequency of the vibrator.
- The method according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein the step of generating comprises repeatedly generating the drive signal with a frequency in the range of 1-10 Hz.
- The method according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein the step of generating comprises repeatedly generating the drive signal with a frequency in the range of >10 Hz.
- A computer program product comprising computer program code means for executing the method according to any of claims 9 to 14, when said computer program code means are run by an electronic device having computer capabilities.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP05009067A EP1716935A1 (en) | 2005-04-26 | 2005-04-26 | Vibrator device for an electronic apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP05009067A EP1716935A1 (en) | 2005-04-26 | 2005-04-26 | Vibrator device for an electronic apparatus |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1716935A1 true EP1716935A1 (en) | 2006-11-02 |
Family
ID=35351629
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP05009067A Withdrawn EP1716935A1 (en) | 2005-04-26 | 2005-04-26 | Vibrator device for an electronic apparatus |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1716935A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2549726A1 (en) * | 2011-07-22 | 2013-01-23 | LG Electronics Inc. | Mobile terminal and vibration power control method thereof |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1053796A1 (en) * | 1998-01-08 | 2000-11-22 | Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. | Alerting device and radio communication device having the alerting device |
EP1505550A1 (en) * | 2003-08-04 | 2005-02-09 | Motorola, Inc. | Mechanism and method for generating a haptic signal |
US20050085275A1 (en) * | 2003-10-21 | 2005-04-21 | Derick Hugunin | Wireless mobile communication device having a speaker vibration alert and method of using same |
-
2005
- 2005-04-26 EP EP05009067A patent/EP1716935A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1053796A1 (en) * | 1998-01-08 | 2000-11-22 | Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. | Alerting device and radio communication device having the alerting device |
EP1505550A1 (en) * | 2003-08-04 | 2005-02-09 | Motorola, Inc. | Mechanism and method for generating a haptic signal |
US20050085275A1 (en) * | 2003-10-21 | 2005-04-21 | Derick Hugunin | Wireless mobile communication device having a speaker vibration alert and method of using same |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2549726A1 (en) * | 2011-07-22 | 2013-01-23 | LG Electronics Inc. | Mobile terminal and vibration power control method thereof |
CN102891926A (en) * | 2011-07-22 | 2013-01-23 | Lg电子株式会社 | Bang sungeun |
CN102891926B (en) * | 2011-07-22 | 2015-03-18 | Lg电子株式会社 | Mobile terminal and its vibrating force control method |
US9197737B2 (en) | 2011-07-22 | 2015-11-24 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Mobile terminal and vibration power control method therof |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
KR102452763B1 (en) | Drive waveform adjustments to compensate for transducer resonant frequency | |
EP2277097B1 (en) | Systems and methods for resonance detection | |
GB2603389A (en) | Reproducibility of haptic waveform | |
EP1981652B1 (en) | Generation of consistent haptic effects | |
CN101827661B (en) | Mobile device comprising a vibrator and an accelerometer to control the performance of said vibrator | |
CN110380664A (en) | A kind of motor vibrations control method, device and computer readable storage medium | |
WO2020125533A1 (en) | Linear resonant device, and braking method for same | |
EP3338168A1 (en) | Haptic driver with attenuation | |
EP1923774A2 (en) | Method, apparatus, and computer program product providing vibration control interface | |
CN111159623B (en) | Method, device, terminal and storage medium for calculating motor vibration signal | |
JP2003037653A (en) | Mobile telephone to use tactile icon | |
CN108288937B (en) | Driving method of linear resonance device and driving circuit structure thereof | |
CN114006565A (en) | Motor control method, device, equipment and computer readable storage medium | |
US7023326B2 (en) | Vibration apparatus for a mobile telecommunication terminal and method for controlling the same | |
CN113992106A (en) | Motor control method, device, equipment and computer readable storage medium | |
EP1716935A1 (en) | Vibrator device for an electronic apparatus | |
US20090286571A1 (en) | Apparatus and method for providing a massage function for a mobile phone | |
US6420965B1 (en) | Vibrator | |
CN110380665B (en) | Control signal generation method, electronic device and storage medium | |
CN108365706B (en) | Method and device for detecting resonant frequency of linear motor | |
CN115002601B (en) | Earphone stewing equipment, method and device and computer readable storage medium | |
JP2002300231A (en) | Device and method for notifying incoming call, and portable terminal equipment | |
CN108377296B (en) | Electronic equipment vibration control method and device, readable storage medium and electronic equipment | |
KR100774886B1 (en) | Portable communication apparatus with vibration generator of direction of shaft | |
CN116054677B (en) | Linear motor drive control method and control device |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: AL BA HR LV MK YU |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20070427 |
|
AKX | Designation fees paid |
Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20070711 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20071122 |