Methods and apparatus for driving a transducer

1. A method for providing a driving signal to a transducer, wherein the driving signal is output by an amplifier, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of a voltage and a current of the driving signal;

based on an electrical model of the transducer and the voltage and the current of the driving signal, estimating an estimated electrical response of the transducer representative of movement of a mass in the transducer;

comparing the estimated electrical response to a desired electrical response; and

controlling the driving signal based on the comparison;

wherein the step of estimating an estimated electrical response of the transducer comprises:

estimating the estimated electrical response of the transducer based on a previous estimated electrical response and a state equation, wherein the state equation is based on the electrical model of the transducer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

first updating the previous estimated electrical response based on a comparison between a modelled electrical response and the previous estimated electrical response, wherein

the modelled electrical response is determined based on the voltage and the current of the driving signal, and the electrical model of the transducer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the state equation comprises one equation among a Kalman Filter state equation, a Luenberger state equation, and a sliding mode observer state equation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimated electrical response comprises an estimate of the back electromotive force voltage in the transducer, wherein the back electromotive force voltage in the transducer is representative of a velocity of the mass in the transducer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the estimated electrical response comprises an estimate of an inductor current in the transducer, wherein the inductor current in the transducer is representative of an excursion of the mass in the transducer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing comprises:

subtracting the estimated electrical response from the desired electrical response to provide an error signal.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the state equation comprises a state transition model for applying to the previous estimate of the electrical response, wherein the state transition model comprises estimations of internal parameters of the electrical model of the transducer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the voltage and current of the driving signal are limited by predetermined maximum values.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the desired electrical response comprises a desired back electromotive force voltage representative of a desired velocity of the mass in the transducer.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the desired electrical response comprises a desired inductor current representative of a desired excursion of the mass in the transducer.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of controlling comprises:

determining the driving signal by applying a gain to the error signal.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the desired electrical response is limited by a predetermined maximum inductor current.

13. A controller for controlling a driving signal to a transducer, wherein the driving signal is output by an amplifier, the controller comprising:

an estimation block configured to:

receive an indication of a voltage and a current of the driving signal; and

based on an electrical model of the transducer and the voltage and the current of the driving signal, estimate an estimated electrical response of the transducer representative of movement of a mass in the transducer; and

a comparison block configured to compare the estimated electrical response to a desired electrical response; wherein the controller is configured to control the driving signal based on the comparison;

wherein the estimation block comprises a smooth state estimator configured to:

estimate the estimated electrical response of the transducer based on a previous estimated electrical response and a state equation, wherein the state equation is based on the electrical model of the transducer.

14. The controller of claim 13 , further comprising:

a state modelling block configured to determine a modelled electrical response based on the voltage and the current of the driving signal and the electrical model of the transducer, wherein the smooth state estimator is further configured to:

first update the previous estimated electrical response based on a comparison between the modelled electrical response and the previous estimated electrical response.

15. The controller of claim 13 wherein the state equation comprises one equation among a Kalman Filter state equation, a Luenberger state equation, and a sliding mode observer state equation.

16. The controller of claim 13 wherein the estimated electrical response comprises an estimate of the back electromotive force voltage in the transducer, wherein the back electromotive force voltage in the transducer is representative of a velocity of the mass in the transducer.

17. The controller of claim 13 wherein the estimated electrical response comprises an estimate of an inductor current in the transducer, wherein the inductor current in the transducer is representative of an excursion of the mass in the transducer.

18. The controller of claim 13 wherein the comparison block is configured to subtract the estimated electrical response from the desired electrical response to provide an error signal.

19. The controller of claim 13 wherein the state equation comprises a state transition model for applying to the previous estimate of the electrical response, wherein the state transition model comprises estimations of internal parameters of the electrical model of the transducer.

20. The controller of claim 13 wherein the voltage and current of the driving signal are limited by predetermined maximum values.

21. The controller of claim 16 wherein the desired electrical response comprises a desired back electromotive force voltage representative of a desired velocity of the mass in the transducer.

22. The controller of claim 17 wherein the desired electrical response comprises a desired inductor current representative of a desired excursion of the mass in the transducer.

23. The controller of claim 18 wherein the controller is configured to determine the driving signal by applying a gain to the error signal.

24. The controller of claim 22 wherein the desired electrical response is limited by a predetermined maximum inductor current.

25. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a haptic transducer; and

an integrated circuit comprising:

an amplifier configured to output a driving signal to the haptic transducer; and

a controller comprising:

an estimation block configured to receive an indication of a voltage and a current of the driving signal; and based on an electrical model of the transducer and the voltage and the current of the driving signal, estimate an estimated electrical response of the transducer representative of movement of a mass in the transducer; and

a comparison block configured to compare the estimated electrical response to a desired electrical response; wherein the controller is configured to control the driving signal based on the comparison;

wherein estimating an estimated electrical response of the transducer comprises estimating the estimated electrical response of the transducer based on a previous estimated electrical response and a state equation, wherein the state equation is based on the electrical model of the transducer.

26. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 25 wherein said apparatus is one among the following: a portable device; a battery power device; a computing device; a communications device; a gaming device; a mobile telephone; a personal media player; a laptop, tablet, and notebook computing device.