Haptic feedback for touchpads and other touch controls
First Claim
1. A haptic feedback touch control for inputting signals to a computer and for outputting forces to a user of the touch control, the touch control comprising:
- a touch input device including an approximately planar touch surface operative to input a position signal to a processor of said computer based on a location on said touch surface which said user contacts, said position signal representing a location in two dimensions, wherein said computer positions a cursor in a graphical environment displayed on a display device based at least in part on said position signal; and
at least one actuator coupled to said touch input device, said actuator outputting a force on said touch input device to provide a haptic sensation to said user contacting said touch surface, wherein said actuator outputs said force based on force information output by said processor, said actuator outputting a force directly on said touch input device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch surface that inputs a position signal to a processor of the computer based on a location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphical environment based at least in part on the position signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate from the computer'"'"'s display screen, or can be a touch screen. Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can include pulses, vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.
-
Citations
43 Claims
-
1. A haptic feedback touch control for inputting signals to a computer and for outputting forces to a user of the touch control, the touch control comprising:
-
a touch input device including an approximately planar touch surface operative to input a position signal to a processor of said computer based on a location on said touch surface which said user contacts, said position signal representing a location in two dimensions, wherein said computer positions a cursor in a graphical environment displayed on a display device based at least in part on said position signal; and
at least one actuator coupled to said touch input device, said actuator outputting a force on said touch input device to provide a haptic sensation to said user contacting said touch surface, wherein said actuator outputs said force based on force information output by said processor, said actuator outputting a force directly on said touch input device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A haptic feedback touch control for inputting signals to a computer and for outputting forces to a user of the touch control, the touch control comprising:
-
a touch input device including an approximately planar touch surface operative to input a position signal to a processor of said computer based on a location on said touch surface which said user contacts, said position signal representing a location in two dimensions, wherein said computer positions a cursor in a graphical environment displayed on a display device based at least in part on said position signal; and
an actuator coupled to said touch input device, said actuator coupled to an inertial mass, wherein said actuator outputs an inertial force approximately along an axis perpendicular to said planar touch surface, wherein said inertial force is transmitted through said touch input device to said user contacting said touch surface. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A method for providing haptic feedback to a touch input device that provides input to a computer device, said computer device implementing a graphical environment, the method comprising:
-
providing said touch input device that is contacted by a user, said touch input device including at least one sensor for determining a location of said contact on a planar surface of said touch input device by said user and providing said computer device with a position signal indicating said location, wherein said computer device positions a cursor in said graphical environment based at least in part on said position signal; and
providing an actuator coupled to said touch input device, said actuator receiving control signals derived from force information output by said computer device, wherein said force information causes said actuator to output a force on said touch input device, said force being correlated with an interaction occurring in said graphical environment between said cursor and a different graphical object. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
-
Specification