Touch surface for simulating materials

• US 10,459,521 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Puskarich, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harris, Dorothy
• Application Number:
  US15/091,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20160216766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A system for simulating materials using touch surfaces includes a touch surface, an actuator and/or an temperature control device, and a control unit. The control unit controls the actuator or the temperature control device to cause at least a portion of the touch surface to simulate a material. Such control may include utilizing the actuator to vibrate the surface to simulate the tactile sensation of texture. Such control may also include utilizing the temperature control device (such as a Peltier device) to control the temperature of the surface in order to simulate the thermal conductivity of a material. In some cases, the temperature control may be performed utilizing a temperature sensor to adjust the temperature of the surface. In various cases, the vibration and/or temperature may be varied over time, such as in response to one or more touches detected using one or more touch sensors.

Claims

1. A method of simulating a material using a touch-sensitive surface, comprising:

locally controlling a temperature of a portion of the touch-sensitive surface using a temperature control device positioned directly beneath the touch-sensitive surface; and

vibrating the portion of the touch-sensitive surface using one of a set of actuators that are positioned directly beneath the touch-sensitive surface in contact with the touch-sensitive surface;

wherein a temperature and vibration of the portion of the touch-sensitive surface simulates a temperature and feel of the material.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising compensating for heat produced by the one of the set of actuators.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said locally controlling the temperature of the portion of the touch-sensitive and vibrating the portion of the touch-sensitive surface are performed in response to detection of a touch on the portion of the touch-sensitive surface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring the temperature of the portion of the touch-sensitive surface prior to compensating for heat produced by the one of the set of actuators.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said locally controlling the temperature of the portion of the touch-sensitive surface comprises:

heating a first part of the portion of the touch-sensitive surface; and

cooling a second part of the portion of the touch-sensitive surface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising compensating for heat produced by the one of the set of actuators using the temperature control device by dissipating or diffusing the heat.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising vibrating an additional portion of the touch-sensitive surface differently than the portion of the touch-sensitive surface.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive surface;

a group of temperature control devices operably connected to, and positioned directly beneath, the touch-sensitive surface, each of the group of temperature control devices associated with different unique regions of the touch-sensitive surface;

a group of actuators directly coupled to, and positioned directly beneath, the touch-sensitive surface; and

a processing unit that simulates a material on a designated region of the touch-sensitive surface located above at least one of the group of temperature control devices and at least one of the group of actuators, the processing unit configured to execute instructions that;

controls a temperature of the designated region of the touch-sensitive surface using the at least one of the group of temperature control devices; and

vibrates the designated region of the touch-sensitive surface using at least one of the actuators that is located beneath the designated region.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the touch-sensitive surface that measures a temperature of the designated region of the touch-sensitive surface wherein the temperature sensor is coupled to a different surface of the touch-sensitive surface than the group of temperature control devices and the group of actuators.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a capacitive touch screen.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises a capacitive trackpad.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the group of actuators includes a piezoelectric actuator.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a touch sensor coupled to the touch-sensitive surface wherein the processing unit simulates the material on the designated region of the touch-sensitive surface based at least on data from the touch sensor regarding a touch to the designated region of the touch-sensitive surface.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the group of actuators includes an actuator that is operable to move horizontally with respect to the touch-sensitive surface.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive surface;

a group of temperature control devices that are each positioned directly below unique areas of the touch-sensitive surface;

a group of actuators that contact the touch-sensitive surface directly below the unique areas; and

a processing unit configured to execute instructions that simulate a material using a selected area of the touch-sensitive surface by;

controlling a temperature of the selected area of the touch surface using one of the group of temperature control devices;

vibrating the selected area of the touch-sensitive surface using one of the group of actuators.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processing unit controls the temperature of the selected area of the touch-sensitive surface and vibrates the selected area of the touch-sensitive surface using a combined temperature control and actuator component.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the combined temperature control and actuator component comprises a temperature control component laminated to an actuator.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processing unit is operable to simulate an additional material using an additional selected area of the touch-sensitive surface.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is operable to simulate the additional material using the additional selected area of the touch-sensitive surface simultaneously with simulating the material using the selected area of the touch-sensitive surface.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the touch-sensitive surface is optically transparent approximately between ultraviolet and far infrared.