USER INTERFACE SYSTEM

• US 20100171720A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Craig, Ciesla Michael, Micah, Yairi B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/84 characterised by ergonomic functions, e.g. for miniature keyboards; characterised by operational sensory functions, e.g. sound feedback legends H01H13/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/046 Inflatable bubble or cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/018 Indication of switch sites

Abstract

A user interface system of one embodiment includes a layer defining a surface; a substrate supporting the layer and at least partially defining a cavity; a displacement coupled to the cavity that expands the cavity, thereby deforming a particular region of the surface; and a touch sensor coupled to the substrate and adapted to sense a user touch proximate the particular region of the surface. The layer and the substrate are connected at an attachment point, and the location of the attachment point relative to the layer, substrate, and cavity at least partially defines the shape of the deformed particular region of the surface.

Claims

1. A user interface system, comprising:

a layer defining a surface;

a substrate supporting the layer and at least partially defining a cavity;

a displacement device coupled to the cavity that expands the cavity, thereby deforming a particular region of the surface; and

a touch sensor coupled to the substrate and adapted to sense a user touch proximate the particular region of the surface;

wherein the layer and the substrate are connected at an attachment point, and wherein the location of the attachment point relative to the layer, substrate, and cavity at least partially defines the shape of the deformed particular region of the surface.

2. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the deformed particular region of the surface includes two states:

a fully expanded state and an user actuated state, wherein the deformed particular region transitions into the user actuated state when a force is applied to the deformed particular region of the surface and transitions into the fully expanded state when the force is removed from the deformed particular region of the surface.

3. The user interface system of claim 2, wherein the location of the attachment point relative to the layer, substrate, and cavity at least partially defines the shape of the deformed particular region of the surface in the fully expanded state and the user actuated state.

4. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the layer and substrate are connected by a plurality of attachment points.

5. The user interface system of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of attachment points are located substantially proximal to each other to form a continuous seal.

6. The user interface system of claim 5, wherein the continuous seal defines a first portion of the layer that deforms with the expansion of the cavity and a second portion of the layer that remains relatively undeformed with the expansion of the cavity.

7. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the layer is of a uniform material and thickness.

8. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the attachment point is located within the cavity.

9. The user interface system of claim 1, wherein the layer includes a first portion of a material characteristic and a second portion of a second material characteristic, wherein the pliability of the second portion is higher than the first portion, and wherein the location of the attachment point relative to the first portion and second portion at least partially defines the shape of the deformed particular region of the surface.

10. The user interface system of claim 9, wherein the first portion of the layer is of a first geometry and the second portion of the layer is of a second geometry.

11. The user interface system of claim 10, wherein the first portion of the layer is of a first thickness and the second portion of the layer is of a second thickness, wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness.

12. The user interface system of claim 10, wherein the first portion of the layer is continuous and the second portion of the layer defines a void.

13. The user interface system of claim 10, wherein the first portion and second portion of the layer are composed of a material that is more pliable when a force is applied in a first direction than when a force is applied in a second direction, and wherein the material is oriented in the first direction relative to the force from the expansion of the cavity at the first portion and the material is oriented in the second direction relative to the force from the expansion of the cavity at the second portion.

14. The user interface system of claim 13, wherein the structure of the material is selected from the group consisting of:

fibrous structure, polymer chain molecules arranged in a parallel structure, and polymer chain molecules arranged in a lattice structure.

15. The user interface system of claim 9, wherein the first portion of the layer is of a first material and the second portion of the layer is of a second material.

16. The user interface system of claim 15, wherein the layer includes a base material and a modifier material, wherein the modifier material modifies the pliability characteristics of the base material.

17. The user interface system of claim 16, wherein the pliability of the base material is modified through a chemical reaction with the modifier material.

18. The user interface system of claim 16, wherein the modifier material modifies the pliability of the base material by mechanically interacting with the base material.

19. The user interface system of claim 16, wherein the first material includes a combination of the base material and the modifier material and the second material includes the base material, and wherein the modifier material decreases the pliability of the base material.

20. The user interface system of claim 16, wherein the first material includes the base material and the second material includes a combination of the base material and the modifier material, wherein the modifier material increases the pliability of the base material.

21. The user interface system of claim 9, wherein the second portion is located adjacent to the attachment point.

22. The user interface system of claim 9, further including third portion of a third geometry that is less pliable than the second portion but more pliable than the first portion.