Touch Panel with a Haptically Generated Reference Key

• US 20070236474A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Ramstein, Christophe
• Application Number:
  US11/617,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20070236474A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A touch panel provides an indication of a reference key and non-reference keys to a user. The touch panel senses a touch and determines the location of the touch. The touch panel then generates a haptic effect if the location is the reference key, and generates a different haptic effect if the location is a non-reference key.

Claims

1. A method of operating a touch panel comprising:

sensing a contact on the touch panel;

determining a location of the contact;

generating a first haptic effect if the location is a reference key on the touch panel; and

generating a second haptic effect if the location is a non-reference key on the touch panel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said touch panel comprises a standardized keyboard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said touch panel comprises a plurality of keys, further comprising:

generating a third haptic effect if the location is a portion of said touch panel other than the plurality of keys.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second haptic effects are vibrotactile effects.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a third haptic effect if the contact indicates a sliding contact on the touch panel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the location comprises determining an x and y coordinate of a location of the contact.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining an identity of the non-reference key based on the second haptic effect and a knowledge of the standardized keyboard.

8. A touch panel comprising:

a touch sensitive surface having a plurality of graphical objects representing a keyboard;

an actuator coupled to said touch sensitive surface; and

a controller coupled to said actuator;

wherein said keyboard has a reference key and a non-reference key, and said controller is configured to generate a first haptic signal when said reference key is contacted and a second haptic signal when said non-reference key is contacted.

9. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein said actuator generates a first haptic effect in response to said first haptic signal, and generates a second haptic effect in response to said second haptic signal.

10. The touch panel of claim 8, further comprising a video screen that generates said graphical objects coupled to said touch sensitive surface.

11. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein said keyboard is a standardized QWERTY keyboard.

12. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein said keyboard is a standardized numeric keypad.

13. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein said actuator comprises a vibration generating device.

14. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

sense a touch on a touch panel;

determine a location of the touch;

generate a first haptic effect if the location is a reference key on the touch panel; and

generate a second haptic effect if the location is a non-reference key on the touch panel.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said touch panel comprises a standardized keyboard.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said touch panel comprises a plurality of keys, said instructions further causing said processor to:

generate a third haptic effect if the location is a portion of said touch panel other than the plurality of keys.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said first and second haptic effects are vibrotactile effects.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, said instructions further causing said processor to:

generate a third haptic effect if the touch indicates a sliding contact on said touch panel.

19. A method of interfacing with a user of a touch panel comprising:

determining whether the user has selected a reference key of the touch panel; and

generating a first haptic effect on the touch panel if the reference key has been selected.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining whether the user has selected a non-reference key of the touch panel;

generating a second haptic effect on the touch panel if the non-reference key has been selected.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said first haptic effect and said second haptic effect is a vibrotactile effect.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said touch panel comprises a standardized keyboard.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining an identity of the non-reference key based on the second haptic effect and a knowledge of the standardized keyboard.