METHODS AND DEVICES FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING AND VARYING SURFACE TEXTURE AND/OR FORCE LEVELS ON A MOBILE DEVICE USING HAPTIC FEEDBACK
First Claim
1. A haptic interface for varying surface texture, comprising:
- a top surface comprising a flexible membrane;
a bottom surface, parallel to and opposite the top surface; and
an array of individually addressable actuators disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface,wherein each individually addressable actuator in the array of individually addressable actuators is configured to cause a localized deformation of the top surface into a configurable shape based on an incoming signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Mobile devices having haptic interfaces located on an edge or back of mobile phones for selectively controlling and varying surface texture and/or force levels are provided. The haptic interfaces may allow for haptic interaction with the user of the mobile device when audio or visual feedback is not practical. The haptic interface may be an electro-mechanical system that may include a matrix or array of individually addressable actuators that can convey haptic information through the deformation of a flexible surface or membrane covering the array of individually addressable actuators. The array of “individually addressable” actuators may provide each actuator the ability to be separately addressable or addressable as a group (i.e. two or more) actuators.
36 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A haptic interface for varying surface texture, comprising:
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a top surface comprising a flexible membrane; a bottom surface, parallel to and opposite the top surface; and an array of individually addressable actuators disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein each individually addressable actuator in the array of individually addressable actuators is configured to cause a localized deformation of the top surface into a configurable shape based on an incoming signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An interactive mobile device, comprising:
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a haptic interface, comprising; a top surface comprising a flexible membrane; a bottom surface parallel to and opposite the top surface; and an array of individually addressable actuators disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein each individually addressable actuator in the array of individually addressable actuators is configured to cause a localized deformation of the top surface into a configurable shape based on an incoming signal; a memory device; and at least one processor coupled to the haptic interface and the memory device, the at least one processor configured to; receive an incoming signal; and actuate one or more individually addressable actuators in the array of individually addressable actuators to cause the localized deformation of the flexible membrane generating a physical pattern. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method operational on an interactive device, comprising:
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receiving an incoming signal; actuating one or more individually addressable actuators in an array of individually addressable actuators to cause a localized deformation of a flexible membrane, generating a first physical pattern; and receiving one or more feedback signals from one or more input sensors by touching or deforming the flexible membrane. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An interactive mobile device, comprising:
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means for receiving an incoming signal; means for actuating one or more individually addressable actuators in an array of individually addressable actuators to cause a localized deformation of a flexible membrane generating a first physical pattern; and means for receiving one or more feedback signals from one or more input sensors by touching or deforming the flexible membrane. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification