Patents by Inventor Neil John Harris
Neil John Harris has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Publication number: 20240040320Abstract: An actuator module includes a base plate extending in a plane, a voice coil connected to the base plate, and a magnet assembly that includes a back side facing the base plate and a front side facing away from the base plate. The magnet assembly includes a base layer and sidewalls defining a cup and an inner element including a center magnet mounted within the cup. The sidewalls include a first and second pair of sidewalls. The actuator module includes a rigid frame attached to the base plate, the rigid frame including four stubs.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2023Publication date: February 1, 2024Inventors: Neil John Harris, Timothy A. Gladwin, Rajiv Bernard Gomes, Anthony King, Jason David Walker
-
Patent number: 11871202Abstract: An actuator module includes a base plate extending in a plane, a voice coil connected to the base plate, and a magnet assembly that includes a back side facing the base plate and a front side facing away from the base plate. The magnet assembly includes a base layer and sidewalls defining a cup and an inner element including a center magnet mounted within the cup. The sidewalls include a first and second pair of sidewalls. The actuator module includes a rigid frame attached to the base plate, the rigid frame including four stubs. The actuator module also includes a plurality of springs suspending the magnet assembly relative to the frame and base plate, the plurality of springs including a first spring attached to the frame at a first pair of the four stubs and a second spring attached to the frame at a second pair of the four stubs.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Neil John Harris, Timothy A. Gladwin, Rajiv Bernard Gomes, Anthony King, Jason David Walker
-
Patent number: 11818562Abstract: An actuator module includes a base plate extending in a plane, a voice coil connected to the base plate, and a magnet assembly that includes a back side facing the base plate and a front side facing away from the base plate. The magnet assembly includes a base layer and sidewalls defining a cup and an inner element including a center magnet mounted within the cup. The sidewalls include a first and second pair of sidewalls. The actuator module includes a rigid frame attached to the base plate, the rigid frame including four stubs. The actuator module also includes a plurality of springs suspending the magnet assembly relative to the frame and base plate, the plurality of springs including a first spring attached to the frame at a first pair of the four stubs and a second spring attached to the frame at a second pair of the four stubs.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Neil John Harris, Timothy A. Gladwin, Rajiv Bernard Gomes, Anthony King, Jason David Walker
-
Patent number: 11730061Abstract: A transducer (140) having a mechanical impedance over an operative frequency range and having a desired power coupling (145) to a load over the operative frequency range comprises a piezoelectric device (141) having a frequency distribution of modes in the operative frequency range; and an overmould (143). The overmould (143) is arranged to surround at least part of the piezoelectric device (141); and the parameters of the overmould (143) are selected to provide a required impedance matching between the mechanical impedance of the transducer (140) and the mechanical impedance of the load. An alternative transducer comprises a mounting means for holding a discrete portion of at least a part of the periphery of the piezoelectric device wherein the parameters of the mounting means are selected to provide a required boundary condition for the periphery of the piezoelectric device whereby the desired power coupling between the transducer and the load is provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2020Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Google LLCInventors: James East, Neil John Harris
-
Publication number: 20220272457Abstract: An actuator module includes a base plate extending in a plane, a voice coil connected to the base plate, and a magnet assembly that includes a back side facing the base plate and a front side facing away from the base plate. The magnet assembly includes a base layer and sidewalls defining a cup and an inner element including a center magnet mounted within the cup. The sidewalls include a first and second pair of sidewalls. The actuator module includes a rigid frame attached to the base plate, the rigid frame including four stubs. The actuator module also includes a plurality of springs suspending the magnet assembly relative to the frame and base plate, the plurality of springs including a first spring attached to the frame at a first pair of the four stubs and a second spring attached to the frame at a second pair of the four stubs.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2019Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Neil John Harris, Timothy A. Gladwin, Rajiv Bernard Gomes, Anthony King, Jason David Walker
-
Patent number: 11032643Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2020Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Inventor: Neil John Harris
-
Patent number: 10986446Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2019Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: Google LLCInventor: Neil John Harris
-
Patent number: 10924076Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2020Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Graham Landick, Neil John Harris
-
Patent number: 10848856Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2019Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Neil John Harris, James East
-
Publication number: 20200336828Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2020Publication date: October 22, 2020Inventor: Neil John Harris
-
Publication number: 20200336123Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2020Publication date: October 22, 2020Inventors: Graham Landick, Neil John Harris
-
Patent number: 10809806Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2019Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Neil John Harris, Martin Colloms
-
Publication number: 20200321511Abstract: A transducer (140) having a mechanical impedance over an operative frequency range and having a desired power coupling (145) to a load over the operative frequency range comprises a piezoelectric device (141) having a frequency distribution of modes in the operative frequency range; and an overmould (143). The overmould (143) is arranged to surround at least part of the piezoelectric device (141); and the parameters of the overmould (143) are selected to provide a required impedance matching between the mechanical impedance of the transducer (140) and the mechanical impedance of the load. An alternative transducer comprises a mounting means for holding a discrete portion of at least a part of the periphery of the piezoelectric device wherein the parameters of the mounting means are selected to provide a required boundary condition for the periphery of the piezoelectric device whereby the desired power coupling between the transducer and the load is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2020Publication date: October 8, 2020Inventors: James East, Neil John Harris
-
Patent number: 10714673Abstract: A transducer (140) having a mechanical impedance over an operative frequency range and having a desired power coupling (145) to a load over the operative frequency range comprises a piezoelectric device (141) having a frequency distribution of modes in the operative frequency range; and an overmould (143). The overmould (143) is arranged to surround at least part of the piezoelectric device (141); and the parameters of the overmould (143) are selected to provide a required impedance matching between the mechanical impedance of the transducer (140) and the mechanical impedance of the load. An alternative transducer comprises a mounting means for holding a discrete portion of at least a part of the periphery of the piezoelectric device wherein the parameters of the mounting means are selected to provide a required boundary condition for the periphery of the piezoelectric device whereby the desired power coupling between the transducer and the load is provided.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2017Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: Google LLCInventors: James East, Neil John Harris
-
Patent number: 10705608Abstract: A method of generating a keyboard switch haptic sensation in a coupled system comprising a touch-sensitive surface and a force exciter or actuator coupled to the touch-sensitive surface, the method comprising generating a carrier wave signal at frequencies within the frequency bandwidth of the coupled system, modulating the carrier wave signal with a modulation envelope so that the modulated carrier wave signal has a closely spaced pair of peaks, and driving the exciter or actuator with the modulated carrier wave signal to excite the touch-sensitive surface to provide a closely spaced pair of impulses whereby the keyboard switch haptic sensation is simulated to a user touching the touch-sensitive surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2015Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: Google LLCInventor: Neil John Harris
-
Patent number: 10631089Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2019Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: Google LLCInventor: Neil John Harris
-
Patent number: 10630253Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2019Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Graham Landick, Neil John Harris
-
Publication number: 20200052670Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2019Publication date: February 13, 2020Inventors: Graham Landick, Neil John Harris
-
Publication number: 20200015009Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2019Publication date: January 9, 2020Inventor: Neil John Harris
-
Publication number: 20200004340Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2019Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventors: Neil John Harris, Martin Colloms