Patent Abstract:
An external haptic generator for creating haptic feedback in portable electronic devices and more particularly, an external haptic generator in a vehicle providing a secure mount and creating haptic feedback in portable electronic devices that do not include haptic feedback generators.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to an external haptic generator for creating haptic feedback in portable electronic devices and more particularly, to external haptic generators in vehicles capable of providing a secure mount for the portable electronic device and creating haptic feedback in portable electronic devices that do not include haptic feedback generators. 
     2. Discussion 
     Electronic devices are used throughout our daily lives for many things including communication, entertainment and time management. These electronic devices are increasingly becoming more portable and more powerful thereby allowing users to do an increasingly amount of activities remotely in the course of daily life. For example, many people have smart phones that allow them to access email, surf the web, and do other activities in addition to phone services. Other electronic devices commonly include traditional cell phones, music players, video players, tablets, and GPS navigation devices. More and more users are integrating these devices into motor vehicles. 
     While a vehicle is in motion, typically a lack of locations exist to securely mount the electronic device. Furthermore, such devices are powered by batteries and require the user to continually monitor battery life and recharge the batteries when needed. As electronic devices become increasingly complex, greater demands are placed on the batteries of the devices thereby shortening battery life. Therefore, many users desire locations in the vehicle that securely mount the electronic devices while they are also being charged and also allow access to the devices by vehicle occupants. For example, many users attach a cell phone to a charger cord plugged into a power outlet in the vehicle and then to prevent the cell phone from falling on the floor or underneath a seat, places the cell phone loosely in a free cup holder. Such placement within a cup holder is not desirable as the cell phone is typically not visible or useable by the occupant unless it is removed which may distract the operator of the vehicle. In vehicles where the cup holders are already in use, these electronic devices many times are free to slide off from a center console onto the floor or under the seat and a driver may become distracted while trying to retrieve the device or monitoring another vehicle occupant retrieving the device. 
     To improve and enhance the ability for users to interface with various electronic devices, some manufacturers have added haptic feedback device systems to the portable electronic device, however, most portable electronic devices still do not come with haptic feedback devices. In general, haptic feedback systems interface with a user via the sense of touch by applying forces, vibration, and/or other motions to a surface which is then felt by the user. Haptic feedback systems are helpful in providing the user with feedback without visual confirmation by the user especially when the input member is small to easily see, such as a touch screen on a mobile phone. Haptic feedback is very useful in situations where the ability of the user to visually confirm actions may be constrained, such as the operator of a vehicle attempting to provide input to or change settings on any of the portable electronic devices described above. 
     Most portable electronic devices do not include a haptic feedback generator, however, in view of the above, there is a desire to provide a system which allows for haptic feedback in certain circumstances even if the portable electronic device does not include its own internal haptic generator. In addition, there is a desire to provide a system that securely mounts and places the portable electronic device as well has the capability in certain circumstances to provide a charge to the portable electronic device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an external haptic generator for creating haptic feedback in portable electronic devices and more particularly, to external haptic generators in vehicles capable of providing a secure mount for the portable electronic device and creating haptic feedback in portable electronic devices that do not include haptic feedback generators. 
     The haptic system for provides haptic feedback in portable electronic devices that do not include integral haptic feedback devices and includes generally a holder configured to hold the portable electronic device; and a haptic generator located within the holder and in communication with the portable electronic device, the haptic generator capable of providing haptic feedback to the holder which is then transmitted to the portable electronic device coupled thereto. The holder is located on one of an instrument panel or center counsel of a vehicle and includes a connector capable of being in electrical communication with the portable electronic device. The holder may further include a wireless communication device capable of wireless interfacing with the portable electronic device and wherein the wireless communication device is in electrical communication with the haptic generator. 
     Some exemplary holders may include a base housing and a top housing, the base housing having a circumferential outer extent configured to fit within a cup holder in a vehicle and wherein the base housing includes a base and the top housing having a top surface and a front lip and wherein the top surface is angled relative to the outer extent and wherein the top surface is closer to the base proximate to the front lip than the top surface is to the base remote from the front lip and wherein the haptic generator is capable to creating haptic feedback on the top surface. 
     To provide power to the haptic generator, or even to a connector for charging the portable electronic device, the haptic may further including an inductive power supply. 
     In addition to separate holders, an instrument panel in a vehicle may be configured with the present invention to be capable of creating haptic feedback in a portable electronic device without haptic feedback capabilities. The instrument panel generally includes a portable electronic device mount capable of extending outwardly from the instrument panel in an open position and being approximately flush with the instrument panel in a second position and wherein the device mount includes a haptic generator in communication with the portable electronic device. The device mount may be one of a cup holder or a drawer and may include an electrical connector capable of interfacing with the portable electronic device. Furthermore, the instrument panel may further including a wireless communication device in electrical communication with the haptic generator and further capable of wirelessly interfacing with portable electronic devices. In some instances, the wireless communication device is a Bluetooth communication device. 
     The present invention may also be configured into a center counsel for a vehicle capable of creating haptic feedback in a portable electronic device without haptic feedback capabilities, the center counsel generally includes an outer housing defining a cup holder or a drawer, a haptic generator located within the housing and capable of providing haptic feedback to items with the cup holder or drawer. Again, the center counsel may further include a wireless communication device in electrical communication with the haptic generator. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further details, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent after review of the following description of examples of embodiment, with reference to the associated drawings. The drawings show 
         FIG. 1  illustrates the interior of a vehicle with a tablet being inserted onto an external haptic device; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the interior of a vehicle with a tablet showing haptic feedback from a user input; 
         FIG. 3  is perspective view of an external haptic device configured as a holder on which a portable electronic device is placed; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional view of an external haptic device configured as the cup holder; and 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a holder including a haptic generator that will fit in any non-haptic cup holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is generally illustrated as being placed in a vehicle  10  specifically an automobile, however, any location where it is desirable to have haptic feedback from non-haptic portable electronic devices  30  may include the external haptic device  40  of the present invention. As described herein, the external haptic device  40  will be described as being configured within an automobile, however, other vehicles such as boats or planes may be used. The exemplary vehicle in the Figures includes an exemplary instrument panel  20  from the view of the operator of the vehicle. Of course, the instrument panel  20  may vary in size, shape and configuration depending upon desired design specifications and the location of the haptic devices mounted in the instrument panels and the illustrated recessed drawer  24  or cup holders  26  are only exemplary in location and configuration. In addition, a variety of other support mechanisms may be used to mount the portable electronic device which may include the external haptic device  40  of the present invention to create haptic feedback in the proximate portable electronic device  30 . More specifically, in the motor vehicle, to minimize distraction during operation of the vehicle, the haptic feedback system provides the user with a touch feedback allowing the user to confirm that the desired input was properly entered and received by the vehicle or portable electronic device while allowing the user to stay visually focused where needed during the operation of the vehicle. 
       FIG. 1  generally illustrates a portable electronic device  30  as a tablet  34 . The tablet  34  would include a device connector (not illustrated) to electronically couple with a connector  46  on the mount  44  in the recessed drawer  24 . In addition to the recessed drawer  24 , other support mechanisms may also be used to properly support the tablet in the desired location and in some embodiments, the tablet  34  may be configured to swivel to face either the driver or passenger of the vehicle. 
       FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1  except that the tablet  34  acting as a portable electronic device  30  has been connected to the connector  46  with the external haptic device  40  providing haptic feedback as illustrated by the vibration lines  41  in  FIG. 2 . The type of haptic feedback may be any desired haptic feedback to give the desired input feel. The present invention is configured as illustrated in  FIG. 2  to allow a user to press a command on the portable electronic device  30  specifically as illustrated in  FIG. 2  to a tablet  34  such that the user may feel that the command that has been entered into the portable electronic device  30  without needing to use visual confirmation. Of course, other portable electronic devices  30  may be substituted for the illustrated tablet  34  such as a phone which will allow haptic dialing of a phone number. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the portable electronic device  30  may also be placed upon a separate holder  130  and placed further into a cup holder  26 . Either the holder  130  or cup holder  26  may be configured to include a haptic generator  50  to create the external haptic device  40 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cup holder  26  acts as the haptic device  40 . In comparison, the holder  130  in  FIG. 5  acts as the external haptic device  40 . Although not illustrated, in some embodiments, it may be possible for an external haptic device  40  to be inserted between the cup holder  26  and holder  130  such that a standard vehicle cup holder and a standard mount may be used while still providing haptic feedback to the portable electronic device  30 . The haptic feedback may be done through direct electric communication such as the connector  46  illustrated in  FIG. 1  and in phantom in  FIG. 4 . As more specifically illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the connector may be at the bottom of the cup holder and the haptic generator  50  may be in direct communication through the connectors to the electronic device  30 . However, in some embodiments, the haptic device  40  and specifically the haptic generator  50  may be in communication with electronic device  30  via a Bluetooth or some other wireless method such that the instructions for the haptic feedback to the haptic generator is provided not through a direct wiring connector as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3  but instead through the wireless communication. As further illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the cup holder  26  may include a base  28  into which a connector may be situated though the connector and the base of the cup holder is not illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The holder  130  is exemplary in size, shape and configuration and is only shown to be configured to securely hold a portable electronic device such as a phone  36  in the desired orientation. The holder  130  is illustrated as having a locating mechanism  144  along with a status indicator  146 . The status indicator may be used to communicate that the phone is charging or that the haptic feedback in either the holder  130  or cup holder  26  is active. The locating mechanism  144  may be configured to fit a variety of portable electronic devices and may vary in size, shape and configuration. 
     An exemplary sectional view of a cup holder  26  wherein the cup holder  26  forms the external haptic device  40  is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . With the cup holder  26  in an open position and a portable electronic device is situated on the base  28  or a holder  130  placed on the base  28  and in turn holding a portable electronic device  30 , haptic feedback may be provided through the cup holder  26  using the haptic generator  50 . The illustrated set up and location of the haptic generator  50  is only exemplary and a wide variety of sizes, shapes, configurations, and locations may be used so long as the portable electronic device  30  receives sufficient haptic feedback. 
     The present invention will now be described wherein the haptic feedback is provided through an external haptic device  40  acting as a holder  130  for the electronic device  30  and is not specifically originally built into the vehicle or the portable electronic device is not capable by itself of haptic feedback. The external haptic device  40  is generally configured to fit within a cup holder  26  as illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5 . The cup holder  26  generally includes sidewalls which retain the holder  130  in position and a base  28  on which the holder may rest. As discussed above, the cup holder  26  may be configured to have a pin connector built into the base  28 . However, such that the cup holder may be used when the holder  130  is not positioned therein, a separate cover (not shown) may be placed over the connector on which a cup would normally rest in the cup holder  26 . However, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the holder  130  may also receive power through an inductive coil  170  and use that power to drive the electronics  60  and specifically the haptic generator  50  in the holder  130 . Using an inductive coil  170  would allow the holder  130  to take on any size, shape, configuration or be placed anywhere desirable in the vehicle without having to attach special connectors and allow its use in vehicles not originally configured with an external haptic device built into the vehicle. 
     The holder  130  generally includes a base housing  132  and a top housing  140 . The base housing  132  is configured to fit within the cup holder  26  while the top housing  140  is configured to receive and securely retain for optimal haptic feedback the portable electronic device  30 . 
     The base housing  132  is generally illustrated in  FIG. 5  as having a circumferential outer surface  134  arranged about a longitudinal axis. The circumferential outer surface  134  is generally configured to be cup-shaped and allows the base housing  132  to be inserted similar to most existing cups into standard cup holders  26  and, as such, be securely retained in the cup holder  26 . As illustrated in  FIG. 5  at times an extra insert  158  may be used to provide a more secure fit in certain cup holders that are designed for over-sized cups. 
     The base housing  132  further includes a slanted portion  136 . The angle of the slanted portion  136  may vary depending upon the desired configuration to allow for various locations in the vehicle and allow the user of the external haptic device  40  the best angle to both enter items into the portable electronic device but also to receive the desired haptic feedback. 
     The top housing  140  generally includes an outer lip  142  for engaging the outer lip  138  of the base housing  132 . The top housing  140  generally includes a locating mechanism  144  having a recessed surface and locating edges  148 . The edges  148  may act as stops to prevent the electronic device  30  from being displaced off the top surface of the top housing  140 . A front lip  143  may also act as an alignment indicator and in some instances may include a status indicator  146 . The haptic driver  50  would engage the top surface  140  and thereby provide haptic feedback to the portable electronic device.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6