Apparatus and method for providing boost protection logic

Abstract

An apparatus, such as a haptic-enabled device, and a method for providing boost protection logic are presented. The method comprises receiving, by a control circuit of the apparatus, a nonzero drive signal to be used by the haptic actuator to generate a haptic effect. The control circuit causes a first portion of the nonzero drive signal to be applied to the haptic actuator in a boost mode. The control circuit detects a boost duration exceeding a first defined time threshold, such as a boost timeout threshold, or detects an accumulated boost time exceeding the first defined time threshold. In response, the control circuit causes a second portion of the nonzero drive signal to be applied to the haptic actuator in an amplitude-limited mode.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that, when executed by a control circuit, causes the control circuit to:
 receive a nonzero drive signal to be applied to a haptic actuator;   cause a first portion of the nonzero drive signal to be applied in a boost mode, in which signal values of the first portion of the nonzero drive signal are scaled to a boosted voltage range or a boosted current range, wherein a minimum value or maximum value of the boosted voltage range or boosted current range exceeds, in absolute value, a defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current;   track an accumulated boost time, wherein the accumulated boost time is a cumulative amount of time that the control circuit has spent applying one or more nonzero drive signals in the boost mode since a most recent reset of the accumulated boost time, the nonzero drive signal being one of the one or more nonzero drive signals;   detect the accumulated boost time exceeding a first defined time threshold while the nonzero drive signal is being applied in the boost mode; and   in response to detecting the accumulated boost time exceeding the first defined time threshold, cause a second portion of the nonzero drive signal to be applied in an amplitude-limited mode, in which the second portion of the nonzero drive signal is scaled to a defined amplitude-limited voltage range or a defined amplitude-limited current range, wherein a minimum value or maximum value of the amplitude-limited voltage range or of the amplitude-limited current range does not exceed, in absolute value, the defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current.   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, further cause the control circuit to:
 track an accumulated cooling time, wherein the accumulated cooling time is a cumulative amount of time in which the control circuit receives no nonzero drive signal to be applied to the haptic actuator, and is measured from a most recent reset of the accumulated cooling time, or after the most recent reset thereof;   receive a subsequent nonzero drive signal after an end of the nonzero drive signal; and   cause the subsequent nonzero drive signal to be applied to the haptic actuator in a manner that is based on the accumulated cooling time.   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, further cause the control circuit to:
 determine an accumulated heating measurement that is indicative of an amount by which the haptic actuator has been heated by the one or more nonzero drive signals while in the boost mode;   determine a second time threshold based on the accumulated heating measurement;   determine, when the subsequent nonzero drive signal is received, whether the accumulated cooling time has reached or exceeded the second time threshold,   wherein the subsequent nonzero drive signal is applied to the haptic actuator in a manner that is based on whether the accumulated cooling time has reached or exceeded the second time threshold.   
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, further cause the control circuit to track the accumulated cooling time only after the accumulated heating measurement increases from a reset heating value to a higher value, such that the accumulated cooling time is not tracked if the accumulated heating measurement is at the reset heating value. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the accumulated heating measurement is an accumulated heating time that measures: i) a cumulative amount of time in which the one or more nonzero drive signals in the boost mode have been applied to the haptic actuator at voltages or currents that exceed, in absolute value, the defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current, or ii) a second time that is determined by scaling the cumulative amount of time. 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, are configured to cause the control circuit to apply the subsequent nonzero drive signal in the amplitude-limited mode in response to a determination that the accumulated cooling time has not yet reached the second time threshold when the subsequent nonzero drive signal is received. 
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, are configured to cause the control circuit, in response to a determination that the accumulated cooling time has reached or exceeded the second time threshold when the subsequent nonzero drive signal is received, to:
 apply at least a portion of the subsequent nonzero drive signal in the boost mode, and   reset the accumulated boost time, the accumulated heating time, and the accumulated cooling time.   
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the second portion of the nonzero drive signal is a remaining portion of the nonzero drive signal, such that the remaining portion of the nonzero drive signal is applied in the amplitude-limited mode. 
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the nonzero drive signal is a periodic signal alternating between positive and negative polarity, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, cause the control circuit to:
 determine, when the accumulated boost time exceeds the first defined time threshold, whether the nonzero drive signal is currently at a zero crossing point; and   in response to a determination that the nonzero drive signal is currently not at the zero crossing point, continue to apply the nonzero drive signal by scaling the nonzero drive signal to the boost voltage range or boost current range until an earlier occurrence of: i) the nonzero drive signal reaching the zero crossing point, or ii) the accumulated boost time exceeding a defined prolonged total boost time threshold, after which the second portion of the nonzero drive signal is immediately applied in the amplitude-limited mode.   
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more nonzero drive signals comprises a plurality of nonzero drive signals, and the nonzero drive signal is a latest nonzero drive signal of the plurality of nonzero drive signals. 
     
     
         31 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that, when executed by a control circuit, cause the control circuit to:
 track an accumulated cooling time, wherein the accumulated cooling time is a cumulative amount of time in which no nonzero drive signal is applied to the haptic actuator, and is measured from a most recent reset of the accumulated cooling time, or after the most recent reset thereof;   receive a nonzero drive signal;   determine, when the nonzero drive signal is received, whether the accumulated cooling time has reached or exceeded a time threshold;   apply the nonzero drive signal to the haptic actuator in a manner that is based on whether the accumulated cooling time has reached or exceeded the time threshold.   
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, further cause the control circuit, in response to a determination that the accumulated cooling time has not yet reached the time threshold when the nonzero drive signal is received, to apply the nonzero drive signal in an amplitude-limited mode in which the nonzero drive signal is scaled to a defined amplitude-limited voltage range or a defined amplitude-limited current range, wherein a minimum value or maximum value of the amplitude-limited voltage range or of the amplitude-limited current range does not exceed, in absolute value, a defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current. 
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, further cause the control circuit, in response to a determination that the accumulated cooling time has reached or exceeded the time threshold when the nonzero drive signal is received, to apply at least a portion of the nonzero drive signal in a boost mode in which signal values of the nonzero drive signal are scaled to a boosted voltage range or a boosted current range, wherein a minimum value or maximum value of the boosted voltage range or boosted current range exceeds, in absolute value, a defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current. 
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, further cause the control circuit to track an accumulated heating measurement for at least one or more nonzero drive signals that preceded the nonzero drive signal, wherein the accumulated heating measurement is indicative of an amount by which the haptic actuator has been heated by the one or more nonzero drive signals while in a boost mode in which signal values of the one or more nonzero drive signals are scaled to a boosted voltage range or a boosted current range, wherein a minimum value or maximum value of the boosted voltage range or boosted current range exceeds, in absolute value, a defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current,
 wherein the instructions cause the control circuit to determine the time threshold based on the accumulated heating measurement.   
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the accumulated heating measurement is an accumulated heating time that measures a cumulative amount of time in which the one or more nonzero drive signals in the boost mode have been applied to the haptic actuator at voltages or currents that exceed, in absolute value, the defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current, and wherein the instructions cause the control circuit to determine the time threshold as a multiple of the accumulated heating time. 
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions cause the control circuit to track the accumulated cooling time only after the accumulated heating measurement increases from a reset heating value to a higher value, such that the accumulated cooling time is not tracked if the accumulated heating time is at the reset heating value. 
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the time threshold is a second time threshold, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, further cause the control circuit to:
 track an accumulated boost time for the one or more nonzero drive signals, wherein the accumulated boost time is a cumulative amount of time that the control circuit has spent applying the one or more nonzero drive signals in the boost mode since a most recent reset of the accumulated boost time;   detect the accumulated boost time exceeding a defined first time threshold while the one or more nonzero drive signals are being applied in the boost mode; and   in response to detecting the accumulated boost time exceeding the defined first time threshold, cause any remaining portion of the one or more nonzero drive signals to be applied in an amplitude-limited mode in which the remaining portion is scaled to a defined amplitude-limited voltage range or a defined amplitude-limited current range, in which a minimum value or maximum value of the amplitude-limited voltage range or of the amplitude-limited current range does not exceed, in absolute value, a defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current.   
     
     
         38 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions that, when executed by a control circuit, causes the control circuit to:
 receive one or more nonzero drive signals to be applied to a haptic actuator;   cause the one or more nonzero drive signals to be applied to the haptic actuator in a boost mode, in which signal values of the one or more nonzero drive signals are scaled to a boosted voltage range or a boosted current range, wherein a minimum value or maximum value of the boosted voltage range or boosted current range exceeds, in absolute value, a defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current;   determine an accumulated heating measurement that is indicative of an amount by which the haptic actuator has been heated by the one or more nonzero drive signals while in the boost mode; and   track an accumulated cooling time, wherein the accumulated cooling time is a cumulative amount of time in which no nonzero drive signal is applied to the haptic actuator, and is measured from a most recent reset of the accumulated cooling time, or after the most recent reset thereof.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 38 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the control circuit, further cause the control circuit to:
 determine a time threshold based on the accumulated heating measurement;   determine, when a subsequent nonzero drive signal is received, whether the accumulated cooling time has reached or exceeded the time threshold; and   cause the subsequent nonzero drive signal to be applied to the haptic actuator based on whether the accumulated cooling time has reached or exceeded the time threshold.   
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 39 , wherein the accumulated heating measurement is an accumulated heating time that measures a cumulative amount of time in which the one or more nonzero drive signals in the boost mode have been applied to the haptic actuator at voltages or currents that exceed, in absolute value, the defined maximum voltage or defined maximum current, and wherein the instructions cause the control circuit to determine the time threshold as a multiple of the accumulated heating time.