United States Patent 19
`Embach
`
`tu) Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`4,885,565
`Dec. 5, 1989
`
`[54] TOUCHSCREEN CRT WITH TACTILE
`FEEDBACK
`
`4,346,376
`4,667,182
`
`8/1982 Mallos .
`5/1987 Murphy ...ssssssssssssescssssessseees 340/407
`
`{75]
`
`James T. Embach, Rochester Hills,
`Inventor:
`Mich.
`.
`[73] Assignee: General Motors Corporation, Detroit,
`Mich.
`,
`[21] Appl. No.: 200,888
`;
`[22] Filed:
`Jun,1, 1988
`[SU]
`Tint. C14 o.ccescscssssccesecssecsenecrscesnseerssecesees GO8B 1/00
`[52] US. C1. oeccscssssssssssssnesesccsscenecssscnscsseenssenss 340/407
`
`[58] Field of Search .................. 340/407, 712; 341/27;
`364/709.06
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`3,482,241 12/1969 Johnson .
`3.919.691 11/1975 Noll
`.
`4,028,502
`6/1977 Moriccaet al.
`4,078,257
`3/1978 Bagley vcs 340/407 X
`4,334,280 6/1982 McDonald............c 340/407 X
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 24, No. 10, pp.
`5271-5272, Mar. 1982.
`Primary Examiner—Joseph A. Orsino
`Assistant Examiner—Brian R. Tumm
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Howard N. Conkey
`57
`ABSTRACT
`[7]
`.
`TRA
`;
`Apparatusfor providing tactile feedback in response to
`the touch input commandofa user to the touchscreen
`of a cathode ray tube in a CRT commandanddisplay
`system. An actuatoris provided for imparting motion to
`the CRT when the actuator is energized. Energization
`occurs in response to a touch input commandofthe user
`to the touchscreen of the CRT. When energized, the
`actuator providestactile feedback to the user by impart-
`ing motion to the CRT.
`
`4 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet
`
`
`
`
`DRIVER
`AUDIBLE
`CIRCUIT
`INDICATOR|:
`
`
`
`
`SOLENOID
`
`ACTUATOR
`
`1
`
`APPLE-1026
`
`1
`
`APPLE-1026
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`
`
`ACTUATOR
`
`4,885,565
`
`Dec.5, 1989
`
` SOLENOID
`
`2
`
`

`

`1
`
`4,885,565
`
`TOUCHSCREEN CRT WITH TACTILE FEEDBACK
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis
`invention relates to an apparatus for providing tactile
`feedback to a touchscreen cathode ray tube (CRT)
`display and commandsystem.
`CRT commandand display systemsutilizing a micro-
`processor in conjunction with a touchscreen CRT are
`standard in the art. The user is offered a variety of
`choices which are displayed on the screen. To make a
`selection the user touches the screen at a given location.
`Previously, such CRT systems have supplied audio and
`visual feedback when the user has successfully made a
`selection. In some environments, such as in automotive
`applications, audio feedback may be masked byradio or
`road noise, and visual contact away from the road must
`be minimized.
`
`2
`commandofa user. Microprocessor 14 supplies an input
`via driver circuit 18 to solenoid actuator 20 mounted on
`the distal end of chassis unit 10. Solenoid actuator 20,in
`a mannerto be described, causes sufficient movement of
`the CRT to producea tactile feedback to the user, ac-
`knowledging the user touch input to the touchscreen
`12. This motion imparted to the user through the CRT
`chassis unit 10 alerts the user that a selection has been
`successfully made. In automotive use where the audio
`feedback can be masked by radio or road noise, and
`visual contact off the road must be minimized,tactile
`feedback capability represents an ergonomic advantage.
`‘ The solenoid actuator 20, as can be seen in FIG. 2,
`includes a solenoid winding 22 and an armature 26ter-
`minating in a disc at one end that is biased away from a
`stop formed by an elastomer washer 28. When the
`winding 22 is energized, the armature 26 is accelerated
`toward the elastomer washer 28. When the armature 26
`strikes the washer 28, the disc end of the armature 26
`and the surface of the washer 28 thereby creating a stop
`Tactile feedback is one technique that can be used to
`means, a mechanical shock is imparted to the CRT
`support audio and visual feedback to solve the problems
`chassis unit 10. The CRT chassis unit 10, rather than
`present in automotive applications. This invention pro-
`being rigidly mounted, is mounted by elastomeric shock
`vides a cathode ray tube commandand display system
`mounts 24 which allow limited displacement of the
`with an apparatus for providing tactile acknowledg-
`chassis unit 10. Consequently, when the armature 26
`mentof a touch input commandofa user to the touch-
`strikes the stop means created by the disc end of the
`screen of a CRT. When the user inputs a touch com-
`armature 26 and the surface of the washer 28, elasto-
`mand, a microprocessor, in addition to controlling the
`meric shock mounts 24 allow limited displacement
`audio and visual indicators as in conventional systems,
`whenthe solenoid actuator 20 jolts the CRT chassis unit
`energizes the winding of a solenoid to conduct a me-
`10, at the same time protecting the CRT from normal
`chanical shock pulse through the CRT chassis. This
`road vibrations.
`moves the CRT chassis enough to produceatactile
`The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment
`feedback to the user.
`for the purpose of explaining the principles of this in-
`The apparatus includes a solenoid actuator for im-
`vention is not to be considered as limiting or restricting
`parting motionto the cathode ray tube when energized
`the invention since many modifications may be made by
`in response to the touch input commandofthe user to
`the exercise of skill in the art without departing from
`the touchscreen. Shock mounting means for mounting .
`the scope of the invention.
`the CRTallow limited movementofthe CRT when the
`The embodimentsof the invention in which an exclu-
`actuator is energized.
`sive property
`Uponenergization of the solenoid winding, an arma-
`1. Apparatus for providing acknowledgment of a
`ture moves until it contacts with an elastomer washer
`touch input commandofa user to the touchscreen of a
`thereby imparting motion to the CRT. The elastomeric
`cathode ray tube of a CRT commandand display sys-
`surface is employed to inhibit noise created by the
`contact.
`tem, the apparatus comprising in combination:
`shock mounting means for mounting the cathode ray
`tube, the mounting means allowing limited move-
`ment of the cathode ray tube;
`an actuator means for imparting motion to the cath-
`ode ray tube whenthe actuator meansis energized;
`energizing means responsive to a touch input com-
`mand ofthe user to the touchscreen of the cathode
`tray tube for energizing the actuator means,
`wherebytactile feedback is provided to the user by
`the motion imparted to the cathode raytube by the
`actuator means to acknowledge the touch input
`command.
`2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the actuator
`means comprises a solenoid energized by the energizing
`means, an armature, armature stop means and means
`biasing the armature away from the stop means, the
`solenoid being effective when energized for moving the
`armature to contact the stop means to impart motion to
`the cathode ray tube.
`3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the stop means
`includes an elastomeric surface that is contacted by the
`armaturefor inhibiting noise created by contact.
`-4, A CRT system comprising:
`.
`a cathode ray tube having a touchscreen;
`
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`20
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`SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`The invention may be best understood by reference
`to the following description of a preferred embodiment
`and the drawings in which:
`FIG.1 is a block schematic diagram of a cathode ray
`tube command and display system for providing tactile
`feedback in responseto a user input command;
`FIG.2 is a pictorial representation of a cathode ray
`tube including the claimed improvement.
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENT
`
`An interactive system for enabling a user of a cathode
`ray tube touchscreen system to physically sensea tactile
`response to a user touch input commandisillustrated
`schematically in FIG. 1. In its simplest form, the system
`includes CRT chassis unit 10 which displays a visual
`feedback on touchscreen 12 of a cathode ray tube in
`response to a user input commandto the face of touch-
`screen 12. The display of information, including the
`visual feedback,
`is controlled by microprocessor 14.
`Microprocessor 14, interacting with audible indicator
`16, also controls the audio response to a touch input
`
`3
`
`

`

`4,885,565
`
`3
`a CRTchassis for carrying the cathode ray tube, the
`chassis having an open end through which the
`touchscreen of the cathode ray tube is exposed;
`means for mounting the chassis from the open end;
`an actuator mounted to the distal end of the chassis,
`the actuator including a solenoid, an armature,
`armature stop means and meansbiasing the arma-
`ture away from the stop means,the solenoid being
`effective when energized for moving the armature
`to contact the stop means to impart motion to the
`
`4
`CRT chassis and the cathode ray tube carried
`thereby; and
`means responsive to a touch input commandofa user
`to the touchscreen of the cathode ray tube for
`energizing the solenoid to cause the armature to be
`moved to contact the stop means and impart mo-
`tion to the cathode ray tube, wherebytactile feed-
`back is provided to the user to acknowledge the
`touch input command.
`*
`*
`*
`&*
`*
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