The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 10, 2020
Filed:
Sep. 02, 2016
Immersion Corporation, San Jose, CA (US);
Vahid Khoshkava, San Jose, CA (US);
Juan Manuel Cruz Hernandez, San Jose, CA (US);
Vincent Levesque, San Jose, CA (US);
IMMERSION CORPORATION, San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A haptic actuator device includes a surface with a mechanical property responsive to localized temperature changes. The surface can include a layer or sheet comprising a shape-memory material. The haptic actuator device can further include an actuator configured to selectively deform a plurality of regions in the sheet; and a temperature controller adapted to control the temperatures of the plurality of regions. A method of localized actuation includes selectively controlling the temperatures of the plurality of regions to be above a shape-memory transition temperature of the shape-memory material; selectively deforming at least one of the regions; while maintaining the deformation of the at least one region, lowering the temperature of the at least one region to below the shape-memory transition temperature; subsequently withdrawing the applied stress; and thereafter heating the at least one region to above the shape-memory transition temperature, causing the region to return to its pre-deformation shape.