US-12619311-B2 - Audio haptic output apparatus and home appliance including the same

US12619311B2US 12619311 B2US12619311 B2US 12619311B2US-12619311-B2

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an audio haptic output apparatus and a home appliance include: a touch panel; a memory storing a plurality of effect data corresponding to a plurality of touch inputs; a processor calling the effect data matched with the touch input through the touch panel from the memory, and generating an audio signal; a speaker amplifier amplifying and outputting a signal based on the audio signal; and an actuator outputting at least one of an audio and a haptic based on the output signal of the speaker amplifier, and the processor or the speaker amplifier converts and outputs the frequency characteristics of the audio signal when the effect data matched with the touch input through the touch panel includes audio data.

Inventors

Donguk Jeong
Youngeun Cho
Joontae KIM
Junhan PARK
Byungjae CHOI
Onyu JEON

Assignees

LG ELECTRONICS INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240613
Priority Date: 20230615

Claims (17)

1 . An audio haptic output apparatus comprising: a touch panel; a memory configured to store a plurality of effect data corresponding to a plurality of touch inputs; a processor configured to retrieve an effect data matched with a touch input through the touch panel from the memory, and generate an audio signal; a speaker amplifier configured to amplify and output a signal based on the audio signal; and an actuator configured to output an audio and a haptic based on the output signal of the speaker amplifier, wherein the actuator is a common actuator that outputs both the audio and the haptic, wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert frequency characteristics of the audio signal and output a converted signal to the actuator, when the effect data matches with the touch input through the touch panel, wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert the frequency characteristics of the audio signal according to different frequency conversion logics based on whether the actuator outputs only the haptic, or whether the actuator outputs both the audio and the haptic, and the speaker amplifier is configured to amplify the signal of which frequency is converted.
2 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert the frequency characteristics of the audio signal according to the different frequency conversion logics based on whether the actuator outputs both the audio and the haptic, or whether the actuator outputs only the audio.
3 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert the frequency characteristics of the audio signal by amplifying a gain only in a predetermined audio region frequency band predetermined for a voice guidance or button sound when the actuator outputs only an audio of the voice guidance or button sound.
4 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert the frequency characteristics of the audio signal by attenuating a predetermined range of frequency band at a resonance frequency of the actuator, and amplifying a frequency band of at least some regions among other regions when the actuator outputs only a music-type audio.
5 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert the frequency characteristics of the audio signal by increasing a gain only in a predetermined audio region frequency band predetermined for a voice guidance or button sound when the actuator outputs an audio and a haptic of the voice guidance or button sound.
6 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert the frequency characteristics of the audio signal by increasing the gain in the predetermined audio region frequency band predetermined for the voice guidance or button sound to be larger than a gain in a haptic frequency domain when the actuator outputs an audio and a haptic of the voice guidance or button sound.
7 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert the frequency characteristics of the audio signal by applying a first gain in a first frequency in the audio region frequency band predetermined for a voice guidance or button sound and applying a second gain larger than the first gain in a second frequency that is further from a resonance frequency of the actuator than the first frequency when the actuator outputs an audio and a haptic of the voice guidance or button sound.
8 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured not to convert the frequency characteristics of the audio signal when the actuator outputs only the haptic, or converts the frequency characteristics of the audio signal by increasing a frequency gain of a region which deviates from a predetermined range of frequency band at a resonance frequency of the actuator.
9 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of effect data stored in the memory includes haptic data, audio data, and a combination data in which the haptic data and the audio data are combined.
10 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the haptic data, the audio data, and the combination data are encoded to audio type data format, and stored.
11 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the combination data is generated by sequentially combining the haptic data and the audio data in order, or generated by mixing the haptic data and the audio data to overlap.
12 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert and output the frequency characteristics of the audio signal so that a vibration of the actuator upon a touch input in a second region positioned further from the actuator than a first region is larger than a vibration of the actuator upon a touch input in the first region of the touch panel.
13 . An audio haptic output apparatus comprising: a touch panel; a memory configured to store a plurality of effect data corresponding to a plurality of touch inputs; and an actuator configured to output at least of an audio and a haptic based on an effect data matched with a touch input through the touch panel among the plurality of effect data stored in the memory, wherein the plurality of effect data stored in the memory includes haptic data, audio data, and a combination data in which the haptic data and the audio data are combined, wherein the actuator is a common actuator that outputs both the audio and the haptic; and a processor configured to retrieve the effect data matched with the touch input through the touch panel from the memory, and generating an audio signal; a speaker amplifier configured to amplify and output a signal based on the audio signal; and wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert and output frequency characteristics of the audio signal so that a vibration of the actuator upon a touch input in a second region positioned further from the actuator than a first region is larger than a vibration of the actuator upon a touch input in the first region in the touch panel.
14 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the combination data is generated by sequentially combining the haptic data and the audio data in order, or generated by mixing the haptic data and the audio data to overlap.
15 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the actuator is configured to output at least one of the audio and the haptic based on the output signal of the speaker amplifier, wherein the processor or the speaker amplifier is configured to convert frequency characteristics of the audio signal and output a converted signal to the actuator, when the effect data matched with the touch input through the touch panel includes audio data.
16 . The audio haptic output apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to convert the retrieved effect data into an analog audio signal or an audio signal according to an audio communication standard.
17 . A home appliance comprising the audio haptic output apparatus of claim 13 .

Description

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0076869, filed on Jun. 15, 2023, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an audio haptic output apparatus and an home appliance including the same, and more particularly, to an audio haptic output apparatus and an home appliance including the same, which can output an audio and a haptic by using an actuator. BACKGROUND Electronic devices have various input and output means. For example, the electronic devices can output visual information through displays and output auditory information through speakers. Further, in recent years, a haptic effect has been output to inform the user's touch input or specific state. Haptic technology is a technology that uses power, vibration, and motion to output a predetermined pattern so that the user feels touched. The electronic device may include a vibration device for providing audio, and a vibration device for providing the haptic effect to the user. The vibration devices are often implemented using actuators. FIGS. 21 and 22 are diagrams referenced for an audio haptic output apparatus in related art, and FIG. 21 illustrates an input/output device outputting a haptic, and a voice ment/audio in response to an input through a touch panel, and FIG. 22 illustrates frequency-specific gravity acceleration measurement results of a general haptic actuator a general audio actuator. In an order illustrated in FIG. 21, when a user touches a specific operation button, touch operation button data is delivered to a signal processor, and the signal processor loads haptic/audio data of the corresponding button. A memory stores haptic data and audio data matched with each touch operation button. The haptic/audio data loaded by the signal processor is each decoded, and a decoded haptic signal and a decoded audio signal are delivered to an amplification haptic driver and an amplification audio amplifier (AMP). The amplified haptic signal is delivered to a vibration actuator, and the amplified audio signal is delivered to a speaker. The haptic actuator and the audio actuator use different frequency domains, so it is difficult to combinationally use the haptic actuator and the audio actuator. Existing technology implements a drive system separately when implementing haptic and audio, and also receives each of input signals or generates the haptic signal in the audio signal through a separate algorithm, and then operates the haptic and the audio. In EP Patent Unexamined Publication EP 3 748 474 A1 which is Prior Document 1, the separately received haptic and audio signals are combined through a mixer, and transmitted to the haptic actuator and the speaker audio actuator, and in US Patent Application US 2022 0197389 A1, a processor generates the haptic signal in the audio signal, and transmits the audio signal and the haptic signal to the speaker and the actuator, respectively. As in the prior documents, in general, the audio is output by using the speaker, and the haptic actuator is used for the haptic. When the actuator is used for the audio, an operating frequency band varies, so the audio actuator is not used for the haptic. Referring to FIGS. 21 and 22, due to resonance frequency characteristics of the actuator, the haptic and the audio are generally used by configuring a separate system. The haptic actuator is formed in a frequency band (60 to 200 Hz) having a low resonance frequency, and a vibration displacement amount in resonance is also very large, so the haptic actuator is advantageous for generating a vibration sense. The audio actuator is formed in a frequency band (300 to 600 Hz) having higher resonance, and after the resonance, a vibration displacement reduction level is also more gently formed compared to the haptic. Since the haptic actuator aims at vibration, a vibration displacement amount is small in an audio frequency domain. Further, when an output is increased to output the audio by the haptic actuator, the vibration displacement amount is very large in a low-frequency signal around the resonance frequency, so an inter-part collision and actuator damage occur. The audio actuator aims at sound, and has a very weak output with respect to the low-frequency signal for vibration, so vibration power capable showing a haptic performance is not generated. Accordingly, the haptic and the audio are configured as separate systems for audio/haptic output having sufficient performance, and cost and system complexity increase due to implementation of respective functions. SUMMARY In view of the above, the present disclosure provides an audio haptic output apparatus and a home appliance including the same, which can output both audio and haptic by one actuator. In view of the above, the present disclosure provides an audio haptic output apparatus and a home appliance including the same which can an inter-part collision and da