The thing that is patentable isn't "a vibration". It's the exact, specific means through which you produce that vibration.

We've gone from completely dumb eccentric rotating mass vibration to trackpads that you'd swear are actually physically clicking, or the Ice Cubes demo in in Nintendo's 1-2-Switch[0], both of which use linear resonant actuators. Those actuators are themselves a complex enough piece of technology to warrant a patent, and the techniques to simulate the feel or real physical objects using those actuators are pretty damn non-trivial as well.

As a general rule, I find that the patent system is problematic but, within the scope of the system as it exists today, these are perfectly reasonable things to patent.

[0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtlqvVfk1-Q

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euroderf an hour ago | parent [-]

> trackpads that you'd swear are actually physically clicking

Like my Mac's trackpad ? Can someone ELI5 how it works ? It's gotta be magic-adjacent cos when the machine locks up, the trackpad is deader than a doornail.

	▲	redwall_hp an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		It's the same technique of the "3D touch" the iPhone 6S had, though that was discontinued. Capacitive sensors measure microscopic changes in the glass, as it slightly flexes when you press it. Then a haptic motor does a little kick to simulate the feel of it being pressed down. They've been doing this since 2015 or so. Prior Macs didn't click on the top 1/4 of the trackpad, because there was basically a "hinge" there and the glass would actually press on a physical button.
	▲	rogerrogerr an hour ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		Fun fact, the other thing that can cause this is a Bluetooth mouse in a backpack that is being clicked continuously. Confused me to no end for fifteen minutes.
	▲	zeptonix an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Have noticed exactly this behavior as well, it's one of the better indicators actually the system ain't coming back.