Method for presenting tactile sensation and device therefor
View Patent ↗A tactile sense presentation device includes first electrodes covered with an insulating film and arranged on a plane; second electrodes arranged on a plane with tops exposed to outside; and a control unit performing a first operation in parallel with a second operation. The first operation is for applying temporally changing first voltages to a part of the first electrodes to generate electric fields which are changed by the part of first electrodes, and the second operation is for applying temporally changing first electric currents to a part of the second electrodes to cause the electric currents to flow from the part of the second electrodes to second electrodes which are different from the part of second electrodes via electric conductors. The first electrodes and second electrodes are arranged not to overlap each other.
1. A tactile sense presentation device to engage with an object, the tactile sense presentation device comprising:
a plurality of first electrodes arranged on a first plane;
an insulating film covering the plurality of first electrodes;
a plurality of second electrodes arranged on a second plane, respective tops of the plurality of second electrodes being uncovered by the insulating film; and
a controller configured to:
(i) cause a temporally-changing first voltage to be applied to a first part of the plurality of first electrodes to generate a temporally-changing electric field in the object contacting the insulating film above the first part of the plurality of first electrodes;
(ii) cause a temporally-changing first electric current to be applied to a first part of the plurality of second electrodes to cause the first electric current to flow through the object contacting the first part of the plurality of second electrodes; and
(iii) cause a temporally-changing second voltage to be applied to a second part of the plurality of first electrodes, and detect a voltage between the second part of the plurality of first electrodes and a third part of the plurality of first electrodes to detect position of the object.
2. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are arranged not to overlap each other.
3. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the operation (i) and the operation (iii) in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.
4. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to (iv) cause a temporally-changing third voltage to be applied to a second part of the plurality of second electrodes, and detect a voltage between the second part of the plurality of second electrodes and a third part of the plurality of second electrodes to detect a position of the object, and
the controller is configured to perform the operation (ii) and the operation (iv) in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.
5. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the operation (i) and the operation (iii) in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.
6. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate including an insulator;
a plurality of first extraction electrodes electrically connecting the plurality of first electrodes with the controller, the plurality of first extraction electrodes arranged in parallel with a main surface of the substrate; and
a plurality of second extraction electrodes electrically connecting the plurality of second electrodes with the controller, the plurality of second extraction electrodes being arranged in parallel with the main surface of the substrate;
wherein each of the first plane and the second plane is parallel with the main surface of the substrate.
7. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second electrodes are arranged on a top of the insulating film.
8. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are arranged not to overlap each other.
9. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the operation (i) and the operation (iii) in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.
10. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 7 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to (iv) cause a temporally-changing third voltage to be applied to a second part of the plurality of second electrodes, and detect a voltage between the second part of the plurality of second electrodes and a third part of the plurality of second electrodes to detect the position of the object, and
the controller is configured to perform the operation (ii) and the operation (iv) in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.
11. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the operation (i) and the operation (iii) in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.
12. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a substrate including an insulator;
a plurality of first extraction electrodes electrically connecting the plurality of first electrodes with the controller, the plurality of first extraction electrodes being arranged in parallel with a main surface of the substrate; and
a plurality of second extraction electrodes electrically connecting the plurality of second electrodes with the controller, the plurality of second extraction electrodes being arranged in parallel with the main surface of the substrate;
wherein each of the first plane and the second plane is parallel with the main surface of the substrate.
13. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 7 , wherein each of the substrate, the plurality of first electrodes, the plurality of second electrodes, the insulating film, the plurality of first extraction electrodes, and the plurality of second extraction electrodes is transparent.
14. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 13 , wherein:
the tactile sense presentation device is located on an image display for displaying an image; and
the first voltage and the first electric current are applied in accordance with the image displayed on the image display.
15. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the first plane is a same plane as the second plane.
16. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the operation (i) and the operation (iii) in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.
17. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 15 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to (iv) cause a temporally-changing third voltage to be applied to a second part of the plurality of second electrodes, and detect a voltage between the second part of the plurality of second electrodes and a third part of the plurality of second electrodes to detect the position of the object; and
the controller is configured to perform the operation (ii) and the operation (iv) in one of a time sharing manner or a space sharing manner.
18. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a substrate including an insulator;
a plurality of first extraction electrodes electrically connecting the plurality of first electrodes with the controller, the plurality of first extraction electrodes being arranged in parallel with a main surface of the substrate; and
a plurality of second extraction electrodes electrically connecting the plurality of second electrodes with the controller, the plurality of second extraction electrodes being arranged in parallel with the main surface of the substrate;
wherein each of the first plane and the second plane is parallel with the main surface of the substrate.
19. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 18 , wherein each of the substrate, the plurality of first electrodes, the plurality of second electrodes, the insulating film, the plurality of first extraction electrodes, and the plurality of second extraction electrodes is transparent.
20. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller includes:
a memory on which a program is recorded; and
a processor configured to execute instruction to perform the operation (i), the operation (ii), and the operation (iii) based on the program.