IP Library Granted Patent US 9,355,536
Granted Patent B2
US 9,355,536 · App. 13/930,096 · Granted May 31, 2016

Resonance driver for determining a resonant frequency of a haptic device

Inventors: Philip J. Crawley (Oceanside, CA); Majid Shushtarian (Pleasanton, CA)
Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
G08B6/00B06B1/0246
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,355,536
App. No.
13/930,096
Granted
May 31, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, apparatus and methods for controlling a haptic transducer. In an example, a haptic controller can include an active termination driver having a configurable output impedance. The active termination driver can be configured to drive a haptic transducer and to process back electro-magnetic force (EMF) of the haptic transducer to provide motion feedback of the haptic transducer. In an example, the haptic controller can include a processor to provide a command signal to the active termination driver and to determine a resonant frequency of the haptic device using the motion feedback of the haptic transducer.

Claims (37)

1. A haptic controller comprising:

an active termination driver having a configurable output impedance, the active termination driver configured to drive a haptic transducer and to process back electro-magnetic force (EMF) of the haptic transducer to provide motion feedback of the haptic transducer;

a processor to provide a command signal to the active termination driver and to determine a resonant frequency of the haptic device using the motion feedback of the haptic transducer;

a peak detector configured to detect at least one of a minimum peak or a maximum peak of the back EMF: and

a zero-crossing detector configured to provide timing information to the processor relative to the back EMF crossing a voltage value approximately halfway between the minimum peak and the maximum peak of the back EMF.

2. The haptic controller of claim 1 , wherein the active termination driver includes an active element configured to provide the configurable output impedance.

3. The haptic controller of claim 2 , wherein the active element includes a negative impedance converter.

4. The haptic controller of claim 3 , wherein the negative pedance converter is configured to provide an amplified voltage indicative of the back EMF.

5. The haptic controller of claim 4 , wherein the negative impedance converter is configured to receive a digital output from the processor and to provide a negative impedance based on the digital output.

6. The haptic controller of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust a braking rate of the haptic transducer using a negative impedance converter.

7. A method comprising:

receiving a command signal at an active termination driver from a processor; driving a haptic transducer using the active termination driver and the command signal;

processing back EMF of the haptic transducer using the active termination driver to provide motion feedback of the haptic transducer; and

determining a resonant frequency of the haptic transducer using the motion feedback of the haptic transducer;

wherein the determining a resonant frequency of the haptic transducer includes detecting a period of the resonant frequency using the motion feedback of the haptic transducer; and

wherein the detecting a period includes;

detecting a maximum peak of the back EMF using a peak detector;

detecting a minimum peak of the back EMF using the peak detector; and

detecting two sequential crossings of the back EMF of a value halfway between the minimum peak and the maximum peak using a zero-crossing detector.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein processing the back EMF includes amplifying the back EMF of the haptic transducer to provide the motion feedback using a negative impedance converter.

9. The method of claim 8 , including braking resonant otion of the haptic transducer using the negative impedance converter.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein braking the resonant motion includes receiving a impedance information from the processor at the negative impedance converter; and

adjusting a negative impedance of the negative impedance converter using the impedance information.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the impedance information includes digital impedance information.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein detecting a period includes driving an output of the active termination driver to predetermined value; and

detecting two sequential zero crossings of the back EMF using a zero-crossing detector.

13. A system comprising:

a resonant haptic transducer; and

haptic controller configured to couple to the resonant haptic transducer, the haptic controller including:

an active termination driver configured to drive a haptic transducer and to process back electro-magnetic force (EMF) to provide motion feedback of the haptic transducer;

a processor to provide a command signal to the active termination driver and to determine a resonant frequency of the haptic device using the motion feedback of the haptic transducer

a peak detector configured to detect at least one of a minimum peak or a maximum peak of the back EMF; and

a zero-crossing detector configured to provide timing information to the processor relative to the back EMF crossing a voltage value approximately halfway between the minimum peak and the maximum peak of the back EMF.

14. The haptic controller of claim 13 , wherein the active termination driver includes a negative impedance converter.

15. The haptic controller of claim 14 , wherein the negative impedance converter is configured to provide an amplified voltage indicative of the back EMF.

16. The haptic controller of claim 14 , wherein the negative impedance converter is configured to receive a digital output from the processor and to provide a negative impedance based on a value of the digital output.

17. Wreviously Presented) The haptic controller of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust a braking rate of the haptic transducer using a negative impedance converter.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 058871, FRAME 0799 Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065653/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 040075, FRAME 0644 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064070/0536 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2021
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058871/0799 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2021
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057969/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2021
From: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 057694/0374 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 19, 2016
From: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040075/0644 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2013
From: CRAWLEY, PHILIP J.; SHUSHTARIAN, MAJID
To: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030707/0563 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61706343 · Sep 27, 2012
Related Publication 20140085064A1 · Mar 27, 2014