Systems And Methods For Using Static Surface Features On A Touch-Screen For Tactile Feedback

• US 20110095994A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Birnbaum, David
• Application Number:
  US12/605,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20110095994A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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

Systems and methods for using static surface features on a touch-screen for tactile feedback are disclosed. For example, one disclosed system includes a processor configured to transmit a display signal, the display signal comprising a plurality of display elements; and a display configured to output a visual representation of the display signal, the display including: touch-sensitive input device; and one or more static surface features covering at least a portion of the display.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to transmit a display signal comprising a plurality of display elements; and

a display configured to output a visual representation of the display signal, the display comprising;

a touch-sensitive input device; and

one or more static surface features covering at least a portion of the display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch-screen display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more static surface features comprise:

a trough, a ridge, or a curvature.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more static surface features form:

letters or numbers.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more static surface features form a grid.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more static surface features correspond to the visual representation of the display signal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more static surface features are created by placing a skin over the surface of the display.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the skin comprises a unique identifier.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a sensor capable of detecting the unique identifier.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more static surface features correspond to the image shown on the display.

11. A method comprising:

receiving an indication that a skin comprising at least one static surface feature has been placed over the surface of a touch-screen display;

receiving a signal corresponding to a unique identifier associated with the skin;

transmitting a display signal to the touch-screen display; and

outputting an image associated with the display signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal corresponding to the unique identifier is transmitted by the touch-screen display.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal corresponding to the unique identifier is transmitted by a sensor.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the unique identifier is one or more of:

a bar code, an RFID, or a magnetic identifier.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one static surface feature comprises:

a trough, a ridge, or a curvature.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one static surface feature forms:

a letter or a number.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the image is associated with the at least one static surface feature.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a signal associated with the at least one static surface feature from a data store.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data store is a remote data store accessed via a network interface.

20. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a touch-sensitive display in communication with the processor and configured to receive a display signal from the processor, the touch-sensitive display further configured to transmit input signals to the processor, the touch-sensitive display comprising;

at least one static surface feature covering at least a portion of the touch-sensitive display; and

a data store comprising data associated with the at least one static surface feature.