KR20110029437A - Vibrator and mobile terminal comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile terminal having a vibrator is provided to control the vibration acceleration waveform and vibration direction, and vibration direction. CONSTITUTION: A magnetic field assembly(10) comprises a first and a second magnets(21,31), a first and a second masses(22,32), and a spring. The first and the second magnets offer repulsive force, or gravitational force by the magnetic field. The first and the second masses increase the vibration amount. The first and the second masses have the different mass value. The spring interlinks the single-side of the first and the second masses and a housing. The spring elastically supports the first and the second masses.

Description

Vibration generating device and a mobile terminal including the same {Vibrator and mobile terminal comprising the same}

The present invention relates to a vibration generating apparatus capable of providing various tactile effects that a user can feel by generating various and dynamic vibrations, and a mobile terminal including the same.

The present invention relates to a vibration generating device capable of providing various tactile effects in response to various wireless communication events and user inputs, and a mobile terminal including the same.

The terminal can move And can be divided into a mobile / portable terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal may be further classified into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether a user can directly carry it.

Such a terminal has various functions, for example, in the form of a multimedia device having multiple functions such as photographing and photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of a music or video file, reception of a game and broadcasting, etc. .

In order to support and increase the function of such a terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural part and / or the software part of the terminal.

On the other hand, one of the essential functions of the mobile terminal is an incoming call function.

Many of these types of incoming features include voice features such as ringtones and vibrations that make the device vibrate.In recent years, ringtones have been recognized as noise, so they can vibrate mobile terminals in public places such as subways and buses or in public places. There is a need to change to mode.

Currently, the vibration generating device provided in the mobile terminal is composed of a large number of rotary vibration motors, and in response to a communication event such as an incoming call or a text message arrival, the user adjusts the rotation time and the on / off interval of the vibration motor. Controlled to distinguish between types.

Recently, as the mobile terminal is implemented with various multimedia devices, the input and output between the user and the mobile terminal are made not only by hearing by a display or by a ringtone, but also by tactile touch by various vibration patterns.

The haptic module generates various haptic effects that a user can feel as described above. Vibration is a representative example of the haptic module generated by the haptic module.

However, since the vibration pattern is made only by the rotation time of the vibration motor and the on / off interval of the conventional vibration generator, there is a limit in providing various and dynamic haptic feedback to the user.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention to provide a variety of new tactile effects by adjusting the vibration acceleration waveform and vibration direction in order to respond to a variety of wireless communication events and user input with haptic feedback. It is to provide a vibration generating device and a mobile terminal including the same.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a vibration generating device that can be modularized so that the installation volume is small and excellent assembly, and a mobile terminal including the same.

The present invention is to achieve the above object,

Vibration generating device according to an aspect of the present invention is disposed in the housing and the housing, the core having a first end portion and the second end portion and wound around the outer peripheral surface of the core, to form a magnetic field by the current applied from the outside At least one coil assembly comprising a coil.

In addition, the vibration generating device is disposed so as to face each end of the core, respectively coupled to the first and second magnets and each of the magnets by the attraction or repulsive force by the magnetic field, and increases the amount of vibration, At least one magnetic field assembly including first and second masses having different masses and connecting the respective masses to one surface of the housing, and a spring for elastically supporting the masses.

Here, the spring may include a fixed end connected to one surface of the housing and first and second leg portions extending from the fixed end, respectively, and the first and second mass bodies may be mounted on the respective leg portions. The first and second leg portions of the spring may be fixed with some regions surrounding each mass.

Vibration generating device according to an aspect of the present invention is mounted to the mass body, and may further include a damper member protruding in the same direction as the magnet, the back yoke mounted on the rear surface of the mounting surface of the magnet of the mass It may further include.

The coil assembly may be fixed to an insulating holder mounted to the housing, the core may be bent both ends of the "c" shape, the fixed end of the spring is bent to the "U" shape so that each mass is It may be supported while being spaced apart from one surface of the housing.

The magnetic field assembly and the coil assembly corresponding to the magnetic field assembly may be provided in plural, and when one magnetic field assembly is fixed to the first surface of the housing, the other magnetic field assembly may be fixed to the opposite surface of the first surface. In contrast, the magnetic field assembly and the coil assembly corresponding to the magnetic field assembly may be provided in plural, and when the magnetic field assembly is fixed to the first side of the housing, the other magnetic field assembly is adjacent to the first side. It can be fixed to.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a mobile terminal includes: a case forming an appearance; and a user input unit including a plurality of touch points, and sensing an external contact with each of the plurality of touch points as an input signal; A controller configured to store a vibration acceleration waveform corresponding to each touch point, and generate a vibration generation signal as a vibration acceleration waveform stored in advance according to an input signal of the user input unit; And a vibration generator for generating vibration in the case with a predetermined vibration acceleration waveform according to the vibration generation signal.

Here, the vibration generating unit; And a coil disposed in the housing, the core having a first end portion and a second end portion, and a coil wound around an outer circumferential surface of the core and forming a magnetic field by an externally applied current. .

In addition, the vibration generating unit is disposed to face each end of the core, respectively coupled to the first and second magnets and each of the magnets are applied by the magnetic force or repulsive force by the magnetic field, each of which increases the amount of vibration, One or more magnetic field assemblies including first and second masses having different masses and connecting the respective masses to one surface of the housing, and springs elastically supporting the masses, respectively.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a mobile terminal includes: a case forming an appearance; A wireless communication unit receiving a plurality of communication events; A controller configured to store a vibration acceleration waveform corresponding to each communication event and to generate a vibration generation signal with a vibration acceleration waveform stored in advance according to a transmission signal of the wireless communication unit; And a vibration generator for generating vibration in the case with a predetermined vibration acceleration waveform according to the vibration generation signal.

Here, the vibration generating unit; And a coil disposed in the housing, the core having a first end portion and a second end portion, and a coil wound around an outer circumferential surface of the core and forming a magnetic field by an externally applied current. .

In addition, the vibration generating unit is disposed to face each end of the core, respectively coupled to the first and second magnets and each of the magnets are applied by the magnetic force or repulsive force by the magnetic field, each of which increases the amount of vibration, One or more magnetic field assemblies including first and second masses having different masses and connecting the respective masses to one surface of the housing, and springs elastically supporting the masses, respectively.

As described above, the vibration generating apparatus and the mobile terminal including the same according to the present invention can provide various new haptic effects by adjusting the vibration plasticity waveform and the vibration direction to correspond to various wireless communication events and user inputs. have.

In addition, the vibration generating device according to the present invention can be modularized so that the installation volume is small and excellent assembly performance when mounted on the mobile terminal.

Hereinafter, a vibration generating device and a mobile terminal including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings show exemplary forms of the present invention, which are provided to explain the present invention in more detail, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

In addition, irrespective of the reference numerals, the same or corresponding components will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. Can be.

On the other hand, terms including ordinal numbers such as first or second may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms, and the terms are defined by one component from another component. It is used only for the purpose of distinguishing.

The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or used in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles from each other.

The mobile terminal described herein may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), navigation, and the like. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may also be applied to fixed terminals such as digital TVs, desktop computers, etc., except when applicable only to mobile terminals.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an A / V input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory 160, and an interface. The unit 170, the controller 180, and the power supply unit 190 may be included. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, so that a mobile terminal having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and a network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may mean a server that generates and transmits a broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information or a server that receives a previously generated broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information and transmits the same to a terminal. The broadcast signal may include not only a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, and a data broadcast signal, but also a broadcast signal having a data broadcast signal combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast related information may mean information related to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or a broadcast service provider. The broadcast related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast related information may exist in various forms. For example, it may exist in the form of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or Electronic Service Guide (ESG) of Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H).

The broadcast receiving module 111 may include, for example, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Terrestrial (DMB-T), Digital Multimedia Broadcasting-Satellite (DMB-S), Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO), and Digital Video Broadcast (DVB-H). Digital broadcast signals can be received using digital broadcasting systems such as Handheld and Integrated Services Digital Broadcast-Terrestrial (ISDB-T). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be configured to be suitable for not only the above-described digital broadcasting system but also other broadcasting systems.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives a wireless signal with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data according to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call call signal, or a text / multimedia message.

The wireless internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless internet access and may be embedded or external to the mobile terminal 100. Wireless Internet technologies may include Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Wireless Broadband (Wibro), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), and the like.

The short range communication module 114 refers to a module for short range communication. As a short range communication technology, Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like may be used.

The location information module 115 is a module for obtaining a location of a mobile terminal, and a representative example thereof is a GPS (Global Position System) module.

Referring to FIG. 1, the A / V input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video call mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame may be displayed on the display unit 151.

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory 160 or transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. Two or more cameras 121 may be provided according to the use environment.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal by a microphone in a call mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, etc., and processes the external sound signal into electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. The microphone 122 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for the user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static pressure / capacitance), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 detects a current state of the mobile terminal 100 such as an open / closed state of the mobile terminal 100, a location of the mobile terminal 100, presence or absence of a user contact, orientation of the mobile terminal, acceleration / deceleration of the mobile terminal, and the like. To generate a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it may sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, whether the power supply unit 190 is supplied with power, whether the interface unit 170 is coupled to the external device may be sensed. The sensing unit 140 may include a proximity sensor 141.

The output unit 150 is used to generate an output related to sight, hearing, or tactile sense, and includes a display unit 151, an audio output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154. Can be.

The display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal is in a call mode, the mobile terminal displays a user interface (UI) or a graphic user interface (GUI) related to the call. When the mobile terminal 100 is in a video call mode or a photographing mode, the mobile terminal 100 displays photographed and / or received images, a UI, and a GUI.

The display unit 151 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and a flexible display (flexible). and at least one of a 3D display.

Some of these displays can be configured to be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen from the outside. This may be referred to as a transparent display. A representative example of the transparent display is TOLED (Transparant OLED). The rear structure of the display unit 151 may also be configured as a light transmissive structure. With this structure, the user can see the object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display unit 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display units 151 according to the implementation form of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from one another, or may be disposed integrally with one another, and may be disposed on different surfaces, respectively.

When the display unit 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a touch screen), the display unit 151 may be configured in addition to an output device. Can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have, for example, a form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit 151 or capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display unit 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect not only the position and area of the touch but also the pressure at the touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and then transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. As a result, the controller 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 141 may be disposed in an inner region of the mobile terminal or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is surrounded by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or an object present in the vicinity without using a mechanical contact by using an electromagnetic force or infrared rays. Proximity sensors have a longer life and higher utilization than touch sensors.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor. When the touch screen is capacitive, the touch screen is configured to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field according to the proximity of the pointer. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of allowing the pointer to be recognized without being in contact with the touch screen so that the pointer is located on the touch screen is referred to as a "proximity touch", and the touch The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch." The position where the proximity touch is performed by the pointer on the touch screen refers to a position where the pointer is perpendicular to the touch screen when the pointer is in proximity proximity.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (for example, a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, and a proximity touch movement state). Information corresponding to the sensed proximity touch operation and proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The sound output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory 160 in a call signal reception, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, and the like. The sound output module 152 may also output a sound signal related to a function (eg, a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. The sound output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events occurring in the mobile terminal include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, and touch input. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying occurrence of an event in a form other than a video signal or an audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or the audio signal may be output through the display unit 151 or the audio output module 152, so that they 151 and 152 may be classified as part of the alarm unit 153.

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that a user can feel. Vibration is a representative example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154. The intensity and pattern of vibration generated by the haptic module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or may be sequentially output.

In addition to vibration, the haptic module 154 may be configured to provide a pin array that vertically moves with respect to the contact skin surface, a jetting force or suction force of air through the jetting or suction port, grazing to the skin surface, contact of the electrode, electrostatic force, and the like. Various tactile effects can be generated, such as effects by the endothermic and the reproduction of a sense of cold using the elements capable of endotherm or heat generation.

The haptic module 154 may not only deliver the haptic effect through direct contact, but also may implement the user to feel the haptic effect through a muscle sense such as a finger or an arm. Two or more haptic modules 154 may be provided according to a configuration aspect of the mobile terminal 100.

The memory 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and may temporarily store input / output data (for example, a phone book, a message, a still image, a video, etc.). The memory 160 may store data regarding vibration and sound of various patterns output when a touch input on the touch screen is performed.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), RAM (Random Access Memory, RAM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), Magnetic Memory, Magnetic It may include a storage medium of at least one type of disk, optical disk. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in connection with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device, receives power, transfers the power to each component inside the mobile terminal 100, or transmits data inside the mobile terminal 100 to an external device. For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip that stores various types of information for authenticating the usage rights of the mobile terminal 100, and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identify module (SIM), and a universal user authentication module ( Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

The interface unit may be a passage through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100 when the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, or various command signals input from the cradle by a user may be transferred. It can be a passage to the terminal. Various command signals or power input from the cradle may be operated as signals for recognizing that the mobile terminal is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The controller 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal. For example, perform related control and processing for voice calls, data communications, video calls, and the like. The controller 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for playing multimedia. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the controller 180 or may be implemented separately from the controller 180.

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing a writing input or a drawing input performed on the touch screen as text and an image, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives an external power source and an internal power source under the control of the controller 180 to supply power for operation of each component.

Various embodiments described herein may be implemented in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like. It may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions. These may be implemented by the controller 180.

In a software implementation, embodiments such as procedures or functions may be implemented with separate software modules that allow at least one function or operation to be performed. The software code may be implemented by a software application written in a suitable programming language. The software codes are stored in the memory 160 and can be executed by the control unit 180. [

2 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the disclosed mobile terminal 100 includes a terminal body having a bar shape. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, a swivel type, and two or more bodies are coupled to be relatively movable.

The body includes a case forming an appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. Various electronic components are built in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be further disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

The cases may be formed by injecting synthetic resin or may be formed of a metal material, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti).

The display unit 151, the audio output unit, the camera 121, the user input units 130/131 and 132, the microphone, and the interface may be disposed in the terminal body, mainly the front case 101.

The display unit 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. The audio output unit and the camera may be disposed in an area adjacent to one end of both ends of the display unit 151, and the user input unit 131 and a microphone may be disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. The user input unit 132 and the interface may be disposed on side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

The user input unit 130 is manipulated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132. The manipulation units 131 and 132 may also be collectively referred to as manipulating portions, and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates the tactile manner with a tactile feeling.

Content input by the first or second manipulation units 131 and 132 may be variously set. For example, the first manipulation unit 131 receives a command such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second manipulation unit 132 adjusts the volume of the sound output from the sound output unit or touches the display unit 151. A command such as switching to the recognition mode may be input.

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal capable of providing various tactile effects by adjusting the vibration direction, the vibration intensity and the vibration acceleration waveform in order to respond to haptic feedback according to various wireless communication events and user inputs.

Hereinafter, a mobile terminal capable of providing haptic feedback by adjusting vibration intensity and vibration acceleration waveform according to a user's input signal will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention includes a plurality of touch points, the user input unit 130 for detecting an external contact for each of the plurality of touch points as an input signal and a vibration acceleration waveform corresponding to each touch point is stored, the user A movement including a control unit 180 for generating a vibration generating signal with a vibration acceleration waveform stored in advance according to the input signal of the input unit 130 and a vibration generating unit for generating vibration in the case with a predetermined vibration acceleration waveform in accordance with the vibration generating signal. It relates to the terminal (100).

1 and 2, the user input unit 130 receives a command for controlling the operation of the display unit 151 and the mobile terminal 100 including a sensor for detecting a user's touch operation. It may include a plurality of operation units (131, 132) to be operated for, the touch may include both the above-described contact touch and proximity touch.

The display unit 151 may include a plurality of touch points A to D, and different vibration directions and vibration strengths may be stored in the memory 160 according to each touch point A to D. FIG. When the user's touch motion is input to each touch point, the controller 180 detects an input signal corresponding to each touch point A to D, and determines the vibration strength and vibration acceleration waveform stored in advance in the controller 180. The vibration generating signal according to the vibration intensity and vibration acceleration waveform is generated.

When the vibration generating signal is input, the vibration generating unit generates the vibration with various intensities or various feelings.

On the other hand, the vibration generating unit may include an alarm unit 153 for outputting a signal for notifying the occurrence of the event of the above-described mobile terminal 100 or a haptic module 154 for generating various tactile effects through vibration, various It includes a vibration generating device for generating a vibration in intensity and feel.

Here, the vibration acceleration waveform refers to an acceleration waveform measured according to the vibration of the vibration generating device when a vibration generating signal, that is, an actuator signal, is applied to the vibration generating device. When applied to the vibration generating device, a heavy feeling of vibration is generated, and when a relatively fast resonance frequency is applied to the vibration generating device, a light feeling of vibration is generated. When such a combination of fast or slow resonant frequencies is applied to the vibration generating device, a new acceleration profile is formed in the vibration generating device to generate a new feeling of vibration.

In other words, the acceleration profile (vibration acceleration waveform) refers to a pattern of vibration intensity or vibration speed that is continuously changed during the time that vibration is maintained.

Accordingly, the haptic feedback may be provided in different vibration directions and vibration intensities in response to the user's input signal, thereby providing various and dynamic interfaces between the user and the mobile terminal.

The present invention also relates to a mobile terminal capable of responding with various haptic feedback according to various wireless communication events, for example, voice call signal, video call signal or text / multimedia message transmission and reception.

The mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention stores the vibration direction of the wireless communication unit 110 that receives various wireless communication events and the case corresponding to each communication event, and according to the transmission signal of the wireless communication unit 110 And a controller 180 for generating a vibration generation signal with a pre-stored vibration acceleration waveform and a vibration generator for generating vibration in the case with a predetermined vibration acceleration waveform according to the vibration generation signal.

As described above, the mobile terminal 100 according to the present embodiment may provide haptic feedback to the user with different vibration acceleration waveforms for voice call signal, video call signal, or text / multimedia message transmission and reception.

In addition, the vibration generating unit may include an alarm unit 153 for outputting a signal for notifying the occurrence of the event of the above-described mobile terminal 100 or a haptic module 154 for generating various haptic effects through vibration, various And a vibration generating device for generating vibration in intensity and direction.

Accordingly, the haptic feedback may be provided in different vibration acceleration waveforms in response to the input signal of the user, thereby providing various and dynamic interfaces between the user and the mobile terminal.

Hereinafter, a vibration generating device constituting the mobile terminal 100 will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a conceptual diagram showing a vibration generating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Here, the vibration generating device 1 is a device for implementing a vibration generating unit including the vibration of the alarm unit 153 and the vibration of the haptic module 154, one or more to be installed inside the mobile terminal 100. Can be.

The vibration generating device 1 is disposed in the housing 2 and the housing 2, and has a core 41 and the core 41 having a first end portion 41a and a second end portion 41b. And a coil assembly 40 wound around the outer circumferential surface thereof and including a coil 42 forming a magnetic field by an externally applied current.

The coil assembly 40 forms a magnetic flux when an external current is applied. The coil assembly 40 includes a coil 42 that forms a magnetic flux by an applied current and a core 41 that increases the density of the magnetic flux formed in the coil. The coil 42 has a shape in which a conductive wire having a predetermined thickness is wound around the core 41 a plurality of times. The core 41 is configured to pass through the center of the coil 42 wound in a roll shape, the core 41 may be formed of silicon steel or ferrite.

The vibration generating device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include an insulation holder (not shown) for fixing the coil assembly 20 in the housing 2, the insulation holder for insulation The insulating holder may be formed of a resin, but the shape of the insulating holder is not limited. For example, the insulating holder may be formed to support both ends of the core 41 exposed to the outside of the coil 42.

The vibration generating device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may further include a printed circuit board 60 connecting the coil 21 and an external power source (not shown).

The coil 42 of the coil assembly 40 may be connected to an external power source through a lead wire, or may be connected to a printed circuit board 50, that is, an FPCB connection terminal instead of the lead wire.

4 is an exploded perspective view of a magnetic field assembly constituting the vibration generating device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a state in which each of the components shown in FIG. 4 is coupled.

The vibration generating device 1 includes a magnetic field assembly 10 which vibrates up, down, left, or right along the x-axis direction or the y-axis direction by electromagnetic force with the coil assembly 40.

The magnetic field assembly 10 is disposed to face the first and second end portions 41a and 41b of the core, and the first and second magnets 21 and 31 to which the attraction force or the repulsive force by the electromagnetic force are applied. Coupled to each of the magnets 21 and 31, respectively, the first and second movable mass portions 20 and 30 are provided with first and second masses 22 and 32 for weighting the amount of vibration.

In addition, the magnetic field assembly 10 connects each of the masses 22 and 32 and one surface of the housing 2, respectively, and includes a spring for elastically supporting the masses 22 and 32. The spring can increase the space utilization inside the housing 2, can efficiently transmit the generated vibration, and can be configured in various shapes that can elastically support the first and second movable mass.

In one embodiment, the spring may include a fixed end 11 fixed to one surface of the housing 2 and first and second leg portions 12 and 13 extending from the fixed end 11, respectively. In this case, the first mass 22 and the second mass 33 may be mounted on the first and second leg portions 12 and 13, respectively.

Since the 1st and 2nd movable mass parts 20 and 30 have the same structure, the magnetic field assembly 10 is demonstrated centering on the 1st movable mass part 20 below.

4 and 5, the first magnet 21 may be fitted to and / or adhered to the first mass 22 having the first fitting groove 22a and may be attached by a permanent magnet or a power supply. It may be a magnetic electromagnet.

In addition, since an alternating current is applied to the coil assembly 40, the polarities of both ends of the core 41 are alternately changed between the N pole and the S pole according to the phase of the alternating current. Accordingly, the first magnet 21 may be an N pole or an S pole, and since the attraction force or the repulsive force is applied according to the polarity change of the end portion of the core 41, the first mass 22 is vibrated.

In addition, the vibration generating device 1 is fitted to the first mass body 32 having the second fitting groove 22b and / or bonded, and the damper member 23 protruding in the same direction as the first magnet 21. ) May be further included.

In consideration of the power applied to the coil assembly 40 and the vibration displacement of the first mass 22, the distance between the first end portion 41a of the core and the first magnet 21 may be adjusted. In addition, the damper member 23 may be additionally installed to prevent noise due to a collision between the first magnet 21 and the core 41 during vibration, and the damper member 23 may be formed of rubber or the like. It is preferable to be mounted so as to protrude more than the first magnet 21 mounted on the first mass 22 to be located at a distance closer to the coil assembly 40.

The spring may have its fixed end 11 fixed to the housing 10 through welding or the like, and may be fixed to the first mass 22 through fastening or fitting by a screw.

At this time, the shape of the spring can be formed in various ways, during the reciprocating vibration of the first mass body 22, the stress is concentrated on the fixed end 11 of the spring fixed to the housing 2, in particular fixed by welding In this case, since fatigue occurs due to stress concentration at the welding point, a vibration amount may decrease or a resonance frequency may change.

Therefore, the spring is preferably fixed in a state in which a partial region 12a fixed to the first mass 22 surrounds the first mass 22, as shown in FIG. 4, the first leg of the spring. Some regions of the portion 12 may be bent into a “U” shape. According to this structure, since the stress generated by the vibration of the first mass body 22 is concentrated in the partial region 12a of the first leg portion 12, as described above, The same risk can be eliminated.

In addition, the fixed end portion 11 of the spring is bent in a "U" shape, and each movable mass portion 20, 30 is supported in a state spaced apart from one surface of the housing 2, which is movable mass portion 20 In order to prevent the collision with the housing 2 in consideration of the vibration displacement of the, 30).

On the other hand, the magnetic field assembly 10 has its own natural frequency according to the spring constant value k and the mass m of the mass.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the coil assembly 40 disposed opposite to the magnetic field assembly 10 has the same waveform as the resonant frequencies of the first and second movable mass portions 20 and 30 of the magnetic field assembly 10. When applied, the movable mass parts 20 and 30 resonate to generate vibrations.

Here, the coil assembly 40 may have a "c" shape in which both ends of the core are bent so as to face the first and second magnets of each movable mass part so as to increase the shape of the spring and the space utilization inside the housing. Can be.

The waveform of the applied power can be applied to various types of currents, such as square wave, sin wave or sawtooth wave, the magnetic force is generated in the coil assembly 40 by the application of this current, and thus both ends of the core 41 Attraction and repulsive force are generated between the first and second magnets 21 and 31 of the movable mass portions 20 and 30 facing each other, and the magnetic field assembly 10 resonates to generate vibrations. do.

In FIG. 3, the vibration directions of the masses 22 and 32 are provided to be parallel to the x-axis direction, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be provided to be parallel to the y-axis direction or the z-axis direction.

As described above, the resonant frequency is determined by the masses of the first and second masses 21 and 31, and the first and second masses 21 and 31 are different from each other in order to form vibration patterns of various feelings. Has mass.

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a relationship between a vibration amount and a frequency of a vibration generating device, and FIGS. 7 to 9 are graphs showing vibration acceleration waveforms according to respective frequencies shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to Fig. 6, the resonant frequency of the first mass is f1, the resonant frequency of the second mass is f2, and the resonant frequency corresponding to the combined mass of the first mass and the second mass is f3.

At this time, when power is applied to the coil assembly at a resonant frequency of f1, the first mass resonates to generate vibration, and when power is applied to the coil assembly at a resonant frequency of f2, the second mass resonates to generate vibration. When power is applied to the coil assembly at a resonant frequency of f 3, the first and second masses resonate together to generate vibration.

Therefore, in the vibration generating apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when the resonance frequencies of the f1 to f3 are appropriately combined and applied to the coil assembly for the duration of the vibration, the vibration patterns having various feelings can be obtained. Various haptic feedbacks can be provided.

Up to now, a method of forming a vibration pattern having a variety of feelings by appropriately combining the resonant frequencies corresponding to each mass for the duration of the vibration has been described. Hereinafter, a method of forming a vibration pattern having a new feeling will be described.

Fig. 7 shows acceleration waveforms b measured by the vibration generating device when the actuator input signal a is applied at the resonance frequency f 1 of the first mass body, and Fig. 8 shows the actuators at the resonance frequency f 2 of the second mass body. The acceleration waveforms (b) measured by the vibration generating device when the input signal (a) is applied, respectively, are shown in FIG. 9 when the actuator input signal (a) is applied at the resonance frequency superpositioned f1 and f2. The acceleration waveforms (b) measured by the vibration generating apparatus of respectively are shown.

Referring to FIG. 9, when the actuator signal is applied by overlapping the f1 resonant frequency and the f2 resonant frequency, a vibration acceleration waveform N having a new feeling different from that when the f1 resonant frequency and the f2 resonant frequency is applied is made. have.

Referring to FIG. 7, the resonant frequency f1 corresponds to a relatively slow frequency. In this case, the measured acceleration waveform has a heavy vibration feeling. Referring to FIG. 8, the resonant frequency f2 corresponds to a relatively fast frequency. In this case, it can be seen that the measured acceleration waveform has a fast vibration feeling.

Here, referring to FIG. 9, it can be seen that a vibration pattern having a completely different feeling can be obtained by overlapping f1 and f2.

As such, the vibration generating apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment may output a plurality of new and different vibration patterns to one magnetic field assembly 10, thereby providing various haptic feedback to the user. By mounting a plurality of movable mass parts having different masses in the magnetic field assembly 10, it is possible to respond to different types of user input or wireless communication events with different haptic feedbacks.

10 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the magnetic field assembly constituting the vibration generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic field assembly 200 is the first to third movable mass parts 220, 230 and 240 And a spring comprising first to third leg portions 202, 203, and 204 for elastically supporting each of the movable mass portions, and a fixed end portion 201 extending from the end of each of the leg portions.

Here, each of the movable mass parts 220, 230, and 240 may include first to third mass bodies on which first to third magnets 221, 231, and 241 and the magnets 221, 231, and 241 are mounted, respectively. 222, 232, and 242).

Up to now, the case where a plurality of movable mass parts are driven by one coil assembly has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the coil assemblies may be disposed and driven, respectively.

As described above, by mounting the plurality of movable mass parts 220, 230, and 240 to the magnetic field assembly 200 as described above, the vibration generating device may provide more various haptic feedback.

11 is a perspective view showing a vibration generating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the vibration amount and the frequency according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Vibration generating device 300 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is a housing 301, a plurality of coil assemblies 330, 340 disposed in the housing and the vibration generated by the electromagnetic force corresponding to each coil assembly It includes a plurality of magnetic field assemblies (310, 320).

Since the coil assemblies 330 and 340 are the same as the coil assembly 40 described with reference to FIG. 3, duplicate description thereof will be omitted. The coil assemblies 330 and 340 may be connected to an external power source through one or more FPCB connection terminals 350.

Each magnetic field assembly 310, 320 is provided with magnets 312, 314, 322, and 324 disposed opposite the respective ends of the cores of the corresponding coil assemblies 330, 340 and masses 313, 315 with each magnet mounted thereon. , 323 and 325, and springs 321 and 311 for elastically supporting the mass. That is, the magnetic field assemblies 310 and 320 are the same as the magnetic field assembly 10 described with reference to FIG. 3, and in the second embodiment, the coil assembly and the magnetic field assembly are formed of at least two or more plural numbers, unlike the first embodiment. .

As described above, in the vibration generating apparatus 300 according to the second embodiment, as the coil assemblies 330 and 340 and the magnetic field assemblies 310 and 320 are provided in plural, the vibration amount is increased along the axial direction, or different axes are provided. By generating vibration in the direction it can form a vibration pattern of various feelings.

Referring to FIG. 11, when the plurality of magnetic field assemblies 310 and 320 are installed to have the same vibration direction along the same axis (x-axis), the amount of vibration in the axial direction may be increased.

In addition, when the magnetic field assemblies 310 and 320 are installed to vibrate along different axial directions, vibrations may be generated in various directions, for example, vibrations may be generated in a direction in which vibration directions for each axis are summed. Can be.

On the other hand, by varying the mass of each mass (313, 315, 323 and 325), each movable mass can have a different resonance frequency.

Referring to FIG. 12, the resonant frequencies of the first and second masses 313 and 315 of the first magnetic assembly are f1 and f2, respectively, and the resonant frequencies of the sum of these masses are f3. The resonant frequencies of the first and second masses 323 and 325 are f4 and f5, respectively, and the resonant frequencies with respect to their combined mass are f6.

In this case, as described above with reference to FIG. 6, when power is applied to the first coil assembly 330 at a resonant frequency of f1, the first mass 312 of the first magnetic assembly 310 resonates to generate vibration. When the power is applied to the first coil assembly 330 at a resonant frequency of f2, the second mass body 314 of the first magnetic assembly 310 resonates to generate vibration, and f3 is applied to the first coil assembly 330. When power is applied at a resonant frequency of, the first and second masses 312 and 314 of the first magnetic assembly 310 resonate together to generate vibration.

Similarly, various vibration patterns may be generated in the second magnetic assembly 320 by applying the resonant frequencies of f4 to f6 to the second coil assembly 340.

Accordingly, in the vibration generating apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the resonance frequencies of the f1 to f6 are properly combined and applied to the first or second coil assemblies 330 and 340 for the duration of the vibration, the vibration generating apparatus 1 responds to this. Since the vibration patterns having various feelings can be obtained through the first and second magnetic field assemblies 310 and 320, various haptic feedbacks can be provided to the user.

In addition, as described above with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, when an actuator signal is applied by overlapping at least two or more resonant frequencies of the resonant frequencies of f1 to f6, vibration of a new feeling is different from when applying each resonant frequency. A pattern can be provided.

In addition, according to the vibration generating apparatus 300 according to the second embodiment, the vibration with respect to various directions, for example, x-axis direction, y-axis direction, z-axis direction and each axis using one vibration generator Since the vibrations may be generated in the sum of the amounts, various haptic feedbacks may be provided to the user by generating vibrations having different directions and intensities corresponding to respective input signals input to the mobile terminal.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention described above are disclosed for purposes of illustration, and those skilled in the art having various ordinary knowledge of the present invention may make various modifications, changes, and additions within the spirit and scope of the present invention. And additions should be considered to be within the scope of the following claims.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal associated with one embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a perspective view of a mobile terminal associated with one embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a conceptual diagram showing a vibration generating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an exploded perspective view of the magnetic field assembly constituting the vibration generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a perspective view of a state in which each component shown in FIG.

Fig. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the vibration amount and the frequency of the vibration generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

7 to 9 are graphs showing vibration acceleration waveforms according to respective frequencies shown in FIG. 6.

10 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the magnetic field assembly constituting the vibration generating device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

11 is a conceptual diagram showing a vibration generating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

12 is a graph showing the relationship between the vibration amount and the frequency of the vibration generating device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (24)

housing; At least one coil assembly disposed in the housing, the core having a first end portion and a second end portion, and a coil wound around an outer circumferential surface of the core and forming a magnetic field by an externally applied current; And The first and second magnets are disposed to face each end of the core and are coupled to each of the first and second magnets and the magnets, which are attracted or repulsed by the magnetic field, and increase the amount of vibration and have different masses. And at least one magnetic field assembly connecting the first and second masses and the respective masses and one surface of the housing, respectively, and including a spring for elastically supporting the masses. The method of claim 1, The spring includes a fixed end portion connected to one surface of the housing and first and second leg portions extending from the fixed end portions, respectively, wherein the first and second mass bodies are mounted to the respective leg portions, respectively. . The method of claim 2, Vibration generating device, characterized in that the first and second leg portion of the spring is fixed with a portion of the area surrounding each mass. The method of claim 1, And the partial region is bent in a U shape. The method of claim 1, Vibration generating device further comprising a printed circuit board for connecting the coil and the external power source. The method of claim 1, And a damper member mounted to the mass and protruding in the same direction as the magnet. The method of claim 1, And a back yoke mounted on the rear surface of the mounting surface of the magnet of the mass. The method of claim 1, And the coil assembly is fixed to an insulated holder mounted to the housing. The method of claim 1, The core is a vibration generating device characterized in that both ends are bent in the "c" shape. The method of claim 1, The fixed end of the spring is bent in a "U" shape vibration generating apparatus characterized in that each mass is supported in a state spaced apart from one surface of the housing. The method of claim 1, The magnetic field assembly and the coil assembly corresponding to the magnetic field assembly may be provided in plural, and when one magnetic field assembly is fixed to the first surface of the housing, the other magnetic field assembly is fixed to the opposite surface of the first surface. Vibration generating device. The method of claim 1, The magnetic field assembly and the coil assembly corresponding to the magnetic field assembly may be provided in plurality, and when one magnetic field assembly is fixed to the first surface of the housing, the other magnetic field assembly is fixed to a surface adjacent to the first surface. Vibration generating device. A case forming an appearance; A user input unit including a plurality of touch points and sensing an external contact with each of the plurality of touch points as an input signal; A controller configured to store a vibration acceleration waveform corresponding to each touch point, and to generate a vibration generation signal with a vibration acceleration waveform stored in advance according to an input signal of the user input unit; And And a vibration generator for generating vibration in the case with a predetermined vibration acceleration waveform in accordance with the vibration generation signal. The method of claim 13, wherein the vibration generating unit, housing; At least one coil assembly disposed in the housing, the core having a first end portion and a second end portion, and a coil wound around an outer circumferential surface of the core and forming a magnetic field by an externally applied current; And The first and second magnets are disposed to face each end of the core and are coupled to each of the first and second magnets and the magnets, which are attracted or repulsed by the magnetic field, and increase the amount of vibration and have different masses. And at least one magnetic field assembly connecting the first and second masses and each of the masses and one surface of the housing, and including a spring for elastically supporting the masses. The method of claim 14, The spring includes a fixed end connected to one surface of the housing and first and second leg portions extending from the fixed end, respectively, wherein each of the leg and the first and second mass body is mounted. The method of claim 14, The first and second leg portions of the spring is a mobile terminal, characterized in that the fixed portion with the area surrounding each mass. The method of claim 14, The magnetic field assembly and the coil assembly corresponding to the magnetic field assembly may be provided in plural, and when one magnetic field assembly is fixed to the first surface of the housing, the other magnetic field assembly is fixed to the opposite surface of the first surface. Mobile terminal. The method of claim 14, The magnetic field assembly and the coil assembly corresponding to the magnetic field assembly may be provided in plurality, and when one magnetic field assembly is fixed to the first surface of the housing, the other magnetic field assembly is fixed to a surface adjacent to the first surface. Mobile terminal. A case forming an appearance; A wireless communication unit receiving a plurality of communication events; A controller configured to store vibration acceleration waveforms corresponding to each communication event, and determine a vibration acceleration waveform stored in advance according to a transmission signal of the wireless communication unit to generate a vibration generation signal; And And a vibration generator for generating vibration in the case with a predetermined vibration acceleration waveform in accordance with the vibration generation signal. The method of claim 19, wherein the vibration generating unit, housing; At least one coil assembly disposed in the housing, the core having a first end portion and a second end portion, and a coil wound around an outer circumferential surface of the core and forming a magnetic field by an externally applied current; And The first and second magnets are disposed to face each end of the core and are coupled to the first and second magnets and the magnets, respectively, to which the attraction force or the repulsive force by the magnetic field are applied. And at least one magnetic field assembly connecting the first and second masses and each of the masses and one surface of the housing, and including a spring for elastically supporting the masses. The method of claim 19, The spring includes a fixed end connected to one surface of the housing and first and second leg portions extending from the fixed end, respectively, wherein each of the leg and the first and second mass body is mounted. The method of claim 19, The first and second leg portions of the spring is a mobile terminal, characterized in that the fixed portion with the area surrounding each mass. The method of claim 19, The magnetic field assembly and the coil assembly corresponding to the magnetic field assembly may be provided in plural, and when one magnetic field assembly is fixed to the first surface of the housing, the other magnetic field assembly is fixed to the opposite surface of the first surface. Mobile terminal. The method of claim 19, The magnetic field assembly and the coil assembly corresponding to the magnetic field assembly may be provided in plurality, and when one magnetic field assembly is fixed to the first surface of the housing, the other magnetic field assembly is fixed to a surface adjacent to the first surface. Mobile terminal.

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