Abstract: A method of generating a set of filters determining an initial estimate of a filter to be applied to a signal associated with each transducer; defining a model of the system; calculating the vibration of the member as an output of the model of the system; calculating the output of the model by comparing the output of the model with a measured value; determining changed parameter values of parameters of the model; recalculating the error value for the output of the model by comparing the output of the model with the changed parameter values with the measured value; comparing the recalculated error value with the reference error value; setting the recalculated error value as the reference error value, setting the changed parameter values as the model parameters, and repeating the above steps, or outputting the model parameters; generating a set of new filters each using respective output model parameters.

Abstract: A touch sensitive device comprising a touch surface, a force exciter coupled to the touch surface to excite vibration in the surface in response to a signal sent to the exciter, with the touch surface and exciter together forming a coupled system and a signal generator to generate the signal, with the signal generator generating a carrier wave signal at frequencies within the frequency bandwidth of the coupled system and modulating the carrier wave signal with a complex modulation where the modulated carrier wave signal has a time response comparable to that of a low frequency signal which produces a desired haptic sensation whereby a user touching the touch surface excited by the exciter in response to the modulated carrier wave signal experiences the desired haptic sensation which is perceived at a frequency below the frequency bandwidth of the coupled system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for changing a distributed mode loudspeaker's fundamental frequency. One of the systems includes a distributed mode loudspeaker comprising an actuator that includes: a supported portion, and a cantilevered portion having a length, a first fundamental frequency, and adapted to create a force to cause vibration of a load to generate sound waves using the first fundamental frequency; a support element connected to the supported portion of the actuator and adapted to adjust, based on a change to a shape of the support element, a size of the length of the cantilevered portion to change the first fundamental frequency to a second fundamental frequency with which the load will generate sound waves; and a frequency selection module that provides a signal to the support element to cause the support element to change shape.

Abstract: A panel loudspeaker controller for controlling a panel loudspeaker including a plurality of actuators, the panel loudspeaker controller including a plurality of electrical signal inputs, each input being associated with each actuator of the panel loudspeaker to be controlled; a plurality of signal processors, each signal processor being associated with each input and having an output for an electrical signal to control an actuator of the panel loudspeaker, and each signal processor implementing a transfer function from its input to its output based on each actuator of the panel loudspeaker to a desired acoustic receiver; and a signal processor controller associated with all of the plurality of signal processors, wherein the signal processor controller is preconfigured to improve phase alignment between the signals as an ensemble output at the outputs of the signal processors.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for selecting distributed mode loudspeaker electrodes using an output frequency. One of the methods includes determining, for a piezoelectric transducer, a subset of frequencies, from a range of frequencies, at which to output a sound; selecting, based on the subset of frequencies, one or more electrode pairs from two or more electrode pairs included in the piezoelectric transducer to generate the sound; and providing, by a drive module connected to each of the two or more electrode pairs, current to each of the selected one or more electrode pairs to cause the piezoelectric transducer to generate a force that, when provided to a load, causes the load to generate the sound within the subset of frequencies.

Abstract: A method of making a touch-sensitive data entry screen of the kind arranged to provide haptic response to a user via at least one electromechanical exciter coupled to the screen, comprising analyzing the mechanical and electromechanical coupled system represented by the data entry screen and the at least one exciter, and selecting values of parameters of the coupled system to provide a required displacement and acceleration of the screen at low frequency in response to human touch.

Abstract: A system includes a flat panel display having a panel resonant frequency response corresponding to a composition, shape, and structure of the flat panel display; and an actuator having an actuator resonant frequency response corresponding to a composition, size, and shape of the actuator; in which the actuator is mechanically-coupled to the flat panel display at a mechanical drive point, in which a coupled resonant frequency response of the system is lower than the panel resonant frequency response of the flat panel display.

Abstract: There is provided a method of generating a desired haptic sensation and providing a desired touch sensitivity in a touch sensitive device, the touch sensitive device comprising a touch sensitive member and at least one transducer connected to the touch sensitive member, the method comprising: processing electrical signals to be applied to one or more of said at least one transducer connected to the touch sensitive member by applying appropriate algorithms to provide the desired haptic sensation; and processing electrical signals from one or more of said at least one transducer connected to the touch sensitive member by applying the said appropriate algorithms to generate output signals to provide the desired touch sensitivity.

Abstract: A system includes a device chassis with a back panel and a haptic conduction interface. An acoustic radiating panel, attached to the chassis, and the back panel define a space. A moving magnet actuator is positioned in the space and mechanically coupled to the acoustic radiating panel, the moving magnet actuator including an element having a thickness smaller than a first dimension of the space, the moving magnet actuator being configured to vibrate the element during operating. An electronic control module coupled to the moving magnet actuator is programmed to activate the moving magnet actuator with a haptic signal that displaces the element in the first direction an amount sufficient to cause the element to contact the haptic conduction interface, the haptic signal having an amplitude and frequency sufficient to generate a haptic response in the device chassis.

Abstract: An apparatus including a touch sensitive screen having a face adapted to receive a user's hand-writing via a hand-held stylus. The screen includes means exciting the screen to vibrate so as to transmit the vibration to the stylus to simulate the sensation of a writing implement writing on paper as the stylus is moved over the face of the screen. The apparatus may include means for period modulating the electrical signal applied to the exciting means and means for amplitude modulating the electrical signal. The apparatus may include means for sensing the velocity of movement of the stylus over the screen face and means for modulating the vibration according to the sensed velocity.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of designing a panel assembly for a vibratory panel device, the assembly comprising a panel which supports vibrations and two or more transducers coupled to the panel to transmit vibrations to or receive vibrations from the panel. The method comprises: obtaining the number of transducers to be used in the assembly and their relative positions; obtaining relationships between drive signals to be applied to the respective transducers to provide a desired effect; determining an optimization criterion for the assembly that depends on the obtained relationships; and determining one or more parameters for the respective transducers that satisfy the optimization criterion. The one or more parameters may be selected from amplitudes of drive signals, spacing, activity, area, position, shape, dimension.

Abstract: A touch sensitive device including a panel capable of supporting bending waves, a user-accessible touch sensitive screen on or forming part of a face of the panel, the touch sensitive screen having a plurality of different sensing areas, a plurality of vibration exciters coupled to the panel to apply bending waves to the panel to provide tactile feedback at the plurality of sensing areas in response to the user touching a sensing area, and signal processing means arranged to apply signals to the vibration exciters so as to steer bending waves applied to the panel by the plurality of vibration exciters whereby the amplitude of the applied bending waves is maximized at the sensing area touched by the user and reduced or minimized at each other sensing area.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of designing a panel assembly for a vibratory panel device, the assembly comprising a panel which supports vibrations and two or more transducers coupled to the panel to transmit vibrations to or receive vibrations from the panel. The method comprises: obtaining the number of transducers to be used in the assembly and their relative positions; obtaining relationships between drive signals to be applied to the respective transducers to provide a desired effect; determining an optimisation criterion for the assembly that depends on the obtained relationships; and determining one or more parameters for the respective transducers that satisfy the optimisation criterion. The one or more parameters may be selected from amplitudes of drive signals, spacing, activity, area, position, shape, dimension.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a touch sensitive device comprising a touch-sensitive screen; a plurality of transducers mounted to the screen and a processor, the method comprising inputting a signal into the screen at a test position on the screen whereby the screen is excited into vibration; detecting vibration in the screen using the plurality of transducers; and processing, in the processor of the touch-sensitive device, the detected vibration to generate an output signal for each of the plurality of transducers whereby when the transducers are driven by the output signals the screen is excited to generate a desired haptics sensation at the test position.

Abstract: A method of making a touch-sensitive data entry screen of the kind arranged to provide haptic response to a user via at least one electromechanical exciter coupled to the screen, comprising analyzing the mechanical and electromechanical coupled system represented by the data entry screen and the at least one exciter, and selecting values of parameters of the coupled system to provide a required displacement and acceleration of the screen at low frequency in response to human touch.

Abstract: A touch sensitive device comprising a panel capable of supporting bending waves, a user-accessible touch sensitive screen on or forming part of a face of the panel, the touch sensitive screen having a plurality of different sensing areas, a plurality of vibration exciters coupled to the panel to apply bending waves to the panel to provide tactile feedback at the plurality of sensing areas in response to the user touching a sensing area, and signal processing means arranged to apply signals to the vibration exciters so as to steer bending waves applied to the panel by the plurality of vibration exciters whereby the amplitude of the applied bending waves is maximized at the sensing area touched by the user and reduced or minimized at each other sensing area.

Abstract: An audio apparatus including a housing and a piezoelectric transducer mounted in the housing so that the transducer is adjacent a user's pinna. The transducer excites vibration in the pinna to cause it to transmit an acoustic signal from the transducer to a user's inner ear. The apparatus further including a coupler coupling the transducer to the housing with the coupler approximating to a simple support for the transducer.

Abstract: Bending wave vibration is used to calculate information relating to a contact on a contact sensitive device. The contact sensitive device has a member capable of supporting bending waves, and a device attached to the member measures bending wave propagation in the member to determine a measured bending wave signal. The measured bending wave signal is processed to calculate information relating to the contact. The contact sensitive device may comprise a transparent touch sensitive plate mounted in front of a display device.

Abstract: Audio apparatus comprising a housing and a piezoelectric transducer (12) mounted in the housing (10) so that the transducer is adjacent a user's pinna whereby the transducer excites vibration in the pinna to cause it to transmit an acoustic signal from the transducer to a user's inner ear characterised by comprising a coupler (14) coupling the transducer (12) to the housing (10) with the coupler (14) approximating to a simple support for the transducer (12).

Abstract: Bending wave vibration is used to calculate information relating to a contact on a contact sensitive device. The contact sensitive device has a member capable of supporting bending waves, and a device attached to the member measures bending wave propagation in the member to determine a measured bending wave signal. The measured bending wave signal is processed to calculate information relating to the contact. The contact sensitive device may comprise a transparent touch sensitive plate mounted in front of a display device.