User Interface Feedback Apparatus, User Interface Feedback Method, and Program

• US 20100085169A1
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Shigeaki, POUPYREV, Ivan
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/407.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A user interface feedback apparatus includes an operable element, a sensor, a processing unit, and a tactile control module. The operable element has a two-layer structure made up of a conductor and an insulator. The sensor detects, in the form of user contact information, at least a user contact position with respect to the insulator of the operable element. The processing unit acquires the detected information from the sensor, and determines parameters for an electrical signal to be output to the conductor. The tactile control module controls the frictional force between the insulator and the user by outputting to the conductor an electrical signal regulated by the parameters determined by the processing unit.

Claims

1. A user interface feedback apparatus, comprising:

an operable element having a two-layer structure made up of a conductor and an insulator;

a sensor configured to detect, in the form of user contact information, at least a user contact position with respect to the insulator of the operable element;

a processing unit configured to acquire the detected information from the sensor, and determine parameters for an electrical signal to be output to the conductor; and

a tactile control module configured to control the frictional force between the insulator and the user by outputting to the conductor an electrical signal regulated by the parameters determined by the processing unit.

2. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processing unit determines voltage frequency values for an alternating voltage as the parameters of the electrical signal, and

the tactile control module outputs to the conductor an electrical signal made up of an alternating voltage having the voltage and frequency values determined by the processing unit.

3. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor acquires and provides to the processing unit position information regarding the user contact site, and

the processing unit determines electrical signal parameters in accordance with the position information regarding the user contact site acquired from the sensor.

4. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display module;

wherein

the processing unit is configured to determine parameters for the electrical signal according to the relationship between the contact position of the user with respect to the operable element obtained as detected information by the sensor, and an image displayed on the display module.

5. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor acquires and provides to the processing unit pressure information regarding the user contact site, and

the processing unit determines the parameters of the electrical signal in accordance with the pressure information regarding the user contact site acquired from the sensor.

6. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor acquires and provides to the processing unit position information regarding the user contact site, and

the processing unit determines the parameters of the electrical signal in accordance with motion information regarding the user contact site that is obtained on the basis of the position information regarding the user contact site acquired from the sensor.

7. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the operable element is configured as a two-dimensional plane,

the sensor detects the user contact position on the two-dimensional plane in the form of user contact information with respect to the operable element, and

the processing unit determines parameters for an electrical signal to be output to the conductor in accordance with the user contact position on the two-dimensional plane.

8. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the operable element is configured as a one-dimensional element,

the sensor detects the user contact position on the one-dimensional line in the form of user contact information with respect to the operable element, and

the processing unit determines parameters for an electrical signal to be output to the conductor in accordance with the user contact position on the one-dimensional line.

9. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor detects the user contact position according to electrostatic capacitive coupling.

10. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor is configured to include an optical sensor, an electrical sensor, a camera, or a pressure sensor.

11. The user interface feedback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the apparatus is earth-grounded in order to make the electrical potential of the user equal to the ground potential.

12. A user interface feedback apparatus, comprising:

an operable element having a many-layered structure made up of a display module, a transparent conductor, and a transparent insulator;

a sensor configured to detect, in the form of user contact information, at least a user contact position with respect to the insulator of the operable element;

a processing unit configured acquire user contact position information in the form of the detected information from the sensor, and determine parameters for an electrical signal to be output to the conductor according to relationship between the user contact position and a display position with respect to the display module; and

a tactile control module configured to control the frictional force between the insulator and the user by outputting to the conductor an electrical signal regulated by the parameters determined by the processing unit.

13. A user interface feedback method executed in an information processing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

causing a sensor to detect, in the form of user contact information, at least a user contact position with respect to an insulator constituting part of an operable element having a two-layer structure made up of a conductor and an insulator;

causing a processing unit to acquire the detected information from the sensor, and determine parameters for an electrical signal to be output to the conductor; and

causing a tactile control module to control the frictional force between the insulator and the user by outputting to the conductor an electrical signal regulated by the parameters determined by the processing unit.

14. A program causing user interface feedback processing to be executed in an information processing apparatus, the program comprising the steps of:

causing a sensor to detect, in the form of user contact information, at least a user contact position with respect to an insulator constituting part of an operable element having a two-layer structure made up of a conductor and an insulator;

causing a processing unit to acquire the detected information from the sensor, and determine parameters for an electrical signal to be output to the conductor; and

causing a tactile control module to control the frictional force between the insulator and the user by outputting to the conductor an electrical signal regulated by the parameters determined by the processing unit.