PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING TACTILE TOUCH-SENSITIVE INPUT DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

• US 20100156814A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: FAUBERT, Perry, WEBER, Arnett
• Application Number:
  US12/342,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20100156814A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A method of controlling an electronic device having a touch-sensitive input surface includes monitoring the touch-sensitive input surface of a touch event thereon, and modulating a force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing a first movement of the touch-sensitive input surface relative to a base of the electronic device in response to detection of a touch event on the touch-sensitive input surface. The force is applied by at least one actuator in a single direction on the touch-sensitive input surface.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electronic device having a touch-sensitive input surface, the method comprising:

monitoring the touch-sensitive input surface for a touch event thereon; and

modulating a force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing a first movement of the touch-sensitive input surface relative to a base of the electronic device in response to detection of a touch event on the touch-sensitive input surface, wherein the force is applied by at least one actuator in a single direction on the touch-sensitive input surface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing the first movement comprises reducing the force over a collapse time period for causing the touch-sensitive input surface to move toward the base for simulating collapse of a dome-type switch.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing the first movement comprises increasing the force on the touch-sensitive input surface, in a direction away from the base, over a ramp-up time period prior to said reducing the force over a collapse time period.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the ramp-up time period of time is longer than the collapse time period.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing a second movement of the touch-sensitive input surface relative to the base in response to detecting an end of the touch event on the touch-sensitive input surface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing the second movement comprises increasing the force over a release time period for causing the touch-sensitive input surface to move away from the base for simulating release of the dome-type switch.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing the second movement comprises decreasing the force on the touch-sensitive input surface over a ramp-down time period after said increasing the force over the release time period.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said ramp-down time period is longer than the release time period.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing the first movement comprises modulating the charge at at least one piezoelectric actuator disposed between the base and the touch-sensitive input surface for controlling the force on the touch-sensitive input surface.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein modulating the charge at least one piezoelectric actuator comprises modulating a respective charge at each of a plurality of piezoelectric actuators, each piezoelectric actuator comprising a piezoelectric disk adhered to an elastically deformable substrate for deforming to modulate the force on the touch sensitive input surface.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein modulating the charge at least one piezoelectric actuator comprises modulating a respective charge at least one piezoelectric patch transducer adhered to an elastically deformable substrate for deforming to modulate the force on the touch-sensitive input surface.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein monitoring comprises monitoring an external applied force on the touch-sensitive input surface and wherein modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing a first movement comprises modulating the force applied by at least one actuator in response to determining that the external applied force on the touch-sensitive input surface exceeds a threshold force.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein monitoring a force comprises monitoring the external applied force at least one force-sensing resistor disposed between the touch-sensitive input surface and said base.

14. The method according to claim 12, comprising modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing a second movement of the touch-sensitive input surface relative to the base of the electronic device in response to determining that the external applied force exceeds a second threshold force.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive input surface is disposed on an LCD display for providing a touch screen display and wherein said method comprises rendering a graphical user interface including at least one user-selectable feature on the touch screen display.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface comprises modulating the force in response to detection of the touch event if said touch event is determined to occur at said at least one user-selectable feature.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein modulating the force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing the first movement comprises increasing the force for causing the touch-sensitive input surface to move away from the base.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a base;

a touch-sensitive input surface spaced from and moveable relative to the base; and

an actuating arrangement comprising at least one actuator between the base and the touch-sensitive input surface for modulation of a force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing a first movement of the touch-sensitive input surface relative to a base of the electronic device in response to detection of a touch event on the touch-sensitive input surface, wherein the force is applied by the at least one actuator in a single direction on the touch-sensitive input surface.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18, comprising at least one force sensor disposed between the base and the touch-sensitive input surface for detecting an externally applied force on the touch-sensitive input surface.

20. The electronic device according to claim 18, comprising a display on which the touch-sensitive input surface is disposed for providing a touch screen display.

21. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for execution by a processor in an electronic device having a touch-sensitive input surface, for monitoring the touch-sensitive input surface for a touch event thereon and modulating a force on the touch-sensitive input surface for causing a first movement of the touch-sensitive input surface relative to a base of the electronic device in response to detection of a touch event on the touch-sensitive input surface, wherein the force is applied by at least one actuator in a single direction on the touch-sensitive input surface.