Patent ID: 7561142

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a rotary actuator having an axis of rotation; an eccentric mass configured to be rotated by the rotary actuator about the axis of rotation in one of a first rotary direction and a second rotary direction opposite the first rotary direction, the eccentric mass having a first configuration with an eccentricity relative to the axis of rotation and a second configuration with an eccentricity relative to the axis of rotation; and the rotary actuator is configured to output, in response to a drive signal, a first haptic sensation when the eccentric mass is in its first configuration and a second haptic sensation when the eccentric mass is in its second configuration, a magnitude of the first haptic sensation being different from a magnitude of the second haptic sensation, wherein the eccentric mass includes a plurality of discs coupled to a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft being coupled to the rotary actuator, the plurality of discs being responsive to a magnetic field, the magnetic field being operative to cause at least one disc from the plurality of discs to frictionally engage with the rotating shaft while the eccentric mass is in its first configuration.