Electronic controller haptic display with simultaneous sensing and actuation

Abstract

Touch interface devices having systems and methods for producing multi-point haptics utilizing simultaneous sensing and actuation, and electronic controllers for actuation thereof are disclosed. In a first configuration, two layers of electrodes are used, including a top layer for haptics near a touch surface of an insulating substrate and a deeper or bottom layer for sensing at a deeper layer or at the bottom surface of the insulating substrate, with the two electrode sets have substantially the same pattern as one another. In a second configuration, a single array of electrodes is used near a touch surface of an insulating substrate and serves as both surface haptic devices and sensing devices.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A touch interface having simultaneous sensing and actuation comprising: an insulating substrate;
 one or more electrodes connected to a front surface of the substrate, wherein the front surface electrodes are arranged in a pattern; and   wherein the front surface electrodes are configured in a control system that provides electronic current limiters that prevent perceptible conducted currents to a finger.   
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A haptic touch interface having simultaneous sensing and actuation comprising:
 an insulating substrate;   one or more electrodes connected to a front surface of the substrate, wherein the front surface electrodes are arranged in a pattern; and   wherein flying logic is used to control actuation voltages to the front surface electrodes.   
     
     
         9 . The haptic touch interface of  claim 8  wherein serial communication is used, via level shifters, to coordinate the flying logic with a main processor. 
     
     
         10 . The haptic touch interface of  claim 9  wherein timing of voltages applied to the front surface electrodes is synchronized by a level shifted logic signal. 
     
     
         11 . The haptic touch interface of  claim 9  wherein the timing of voltages applied to the front surface electrodes is synchronized by a time of arrival of a serial communication signal. 
     
     
         12 . A touch interface having simultaneous sensing and actuation comprising; an insulating substrate;
 one or more electrodes connected to a front surface of the substrate, wherein the front surface electrodes are arranged in a pattern; and   wherein a charge that passes in the course of haptic actuation is used to estimate the capacitance of at least one front surface electrode.   
     
     
         13 . The touch interface of  claim 12  wherein the charge is accumulated on a capacitor. 
     
     
         14 . The touch interface of  claim 12  wherein the charge is estimated by repeated measures of current. 
     
     
         15 . The touch interface of  claim 12  wherein the charge is estimated by an integration of the measure of current. 
     
     
         16 . The touch interface of  claim 12  wherein the charge associated with both positive and negative actuation is summed. 
     
     
         17 . The touch interface of  claim 12  wherein the charge is only measured on either positive or negative actuation. 
     
     
         18 . A touch interface having simultaneous sensing and actuation comprising:
 an insulating substrate;   one or more electrodes connected to a front surface of the substrate, wherein the front surface electrodes are arranged in a pattern; and   wherein both positive and negative actuation supply voltages are derived from a single converter, wherein a sum of magnitudes of positive and negative actuation supply voltages is regulated.   
     
     
         19 . A method of finger position sensing on a touch interface wherein actual touch positions are distinguished from ghost touch positions by the use of fast sensing signals, comprising the steps of:
 providing a touch interface having an insulating substrate and one or more electrodes connected to a front surface of the substrate, wherein the front surface electrodes are arranged in a pattern, and one or more electrodes are connected to a rear surface of the substrate, wherein the rear surface electrodes are aligned with and arranged in a substantially similar pattern to the pattern of the one or more front surface electrodes; and   providing fast sensing signals to the rear surface electrodes to measure capacitance to distinguish actual touch positions from ghost touch positions.