APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AN ELEVATED, INDENTED, OR TEXTURIZED DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20100238114A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haptic Synergy LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: HJ Laboratories, LLC
• Inventors: Vartanian, Harry, Jurikson-Rhodes, Jaron
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/85 characterised by tactile feedback features
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/05 electromechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/052 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/006 : Different feeling for different switch sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/038 : Prompting
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9643 : using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing and configuring an elevated, indented, or texturized display device is disclosed. Processes are also given involving elevated, indented, or texturized portions of a display device. By providing an elevated, indented, or texturized display device enhanced input/output functions are provided.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a non-flexible display layer;

a texturizing layer coupled above the non-flexible display layer, the texturizing layer composed of at least clear electroactive polymers (EAPs);

a controller coupled to the non-flexible display layer and the texturizing layer, where the controller elevates and indents different portions of the texturizing layer to a predetermined level to texturize keys on a virtual keyboard displayed on the non-flexible display layer; and

a plurality of sensors and a processor coupled to the controller, wherein the plurality of sensors detect different inputs for elevated portions based on a push or pull force applied to a top or a side portion of the elevated portions.

2. A method for texturizing a display device, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of keys on a virtual keyboard;

texturizing by a controller the plurality of keys by applying a varying voltage to a clear electroactive polymer portion, where the controller elevates and indents different portions to a predetermined level; and

detecting different inputs for elevated portions based on a push or pull force applied to a top or a side portion of the elevated portions.