USER INTERFACE AND METHODS

• US 20140160063A1
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Yairi, Micah B., Ciesla, Craig M., Culver, Todd A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,063,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• 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: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

One variation of a method for controlling a dynamic tactile user interface includes: sensing a first capacitance value across a portion of a cavity in a retracted setting; sensing a second capacitance value across a peripheral region; generating a capacitance map according to the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value; modifying a fluid pressure within the cavity to transition the cavity into an expanded setting, the deformable region elevated above the peripheral region in the expanded setting; sensing a third capacitance value across the portion of the cavity in the expanded setting; updating the capacitance map according to the third capacitance value; and detecting an input on the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a comparison between a sensed capacitance value across the portion of the cavity and the capacitance map.

Claims

1. A user interface, comprising:

a substrate;

a tactile layer comprising a tactile surface, a deformable region of the tactile layer cooperating with the substrate to define a cavity, and a peripheral region of the tactile layer coupled to the substrate adjacent a perimeter of the cavity;

a volume of fluid arranged within the cavity;

a displacement device configured to manipulate the volume of fluid to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting to an expanded setting, the deformable region flush with the peripheral region at the tactile surface in the retracted setting and offset from the peripheral region at the tactile surface in the expanded setting;

a sensor comprising a set of sensing elements, each sensing element in the set of sensing elements configured to sense a capacitance value across a portion of the tactile layer; and

a processor configured to detect an input on the tactile surface at the deformable region in the retracted setting according to an output of the sensor and a retracted setting sensor input threshold, the processor further configured to detect an input on the tactile surface at the deformable region in the expanded setting according to an output of the sensor and an expanded setting sensor input threshold that differs from the retracted setting sensor input threshold.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the volume of fluid comprises a fluid suspension of conductive particulate.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the tactile layer comprises a layer of substantially uniform thickness across the deformable region and the peripheral region and further comprises an embedded conductive element within the deformable region.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the displacement device comprises a positive displacement pump configured to displace fluid between the cavity and a reservoir via a fluid channel defined by the substrate.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a first sensing element and a second sensing element coupled to the substrate, the first sensing element configured to sense a capacitance value across a portion of the cavity and the second sensing element configured to sense a capacitance value across a portion of the peripheral region,

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a projected capacitance touch sensor comprising a first layer of a first set of parallel electrodes and a second layer of a second set of parallel electrodes, wherein the second layer is offset from the first layer by a vertical distance, wherein the second set of electrodes bisects the first set of electrodes, wherein each electrode in the first set of parallel electrodes and each electrode in the second set of parallel electrodes defines a plurality of conductive pads, and wherein a conductive pad in the first set of parallel electrodes and an adjacent conductive pad in the second set of parallel electrodes cooperate to define a sensing element.

7. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the electrodes in the first set of parallel electrodes and electrodes in the second set of parallel electrodes cooperate to define a first density of conductive pads proximal the peripheral region and a second density of deformable pads proximal the deformable region, the second density greater than the first density.

8. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to set a first drive voltage across a subset of electrodes response to the deformable region in the retracted setting and to set a second drive voltage across the subset of electrodes response to the deformable region in the expanded setting.

9. The user interface of claim 1, wherein a particular sensing element in the set of sensing elements is configured to sense a capacitance value across a portion of the cavity, and wherein the processor is configured to estimate a vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a capacitance value output of the particular sensing element and to cooperate with the displacement device and the particular sensing element to implement closed-feedback control of a vertical position of the deformable region according to a target vertical position.

10. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising further comprising a display coupled to the substrate opposite the tactile layer and configured to output an image comprising an image of an input key substantially aligned with the input region, wherein the processor comprises a touchscreen processing unit configured to detect inputs on the tactile surface, a tactile processing unit configured to control the displacement device, and a host processing unit configured to implement a command according to inputs detected by the tactile processing unit.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a first capacitance map according to capacitance values output by the set of sensing elements at a first time in the expanded setting, to generate a second capacitance map according to capacitance values output by the set of sensing elements at a second time in the expanded setting, and to detect an input on the tactile surface at the deformable region in the expanded setting according to a difference between a portion of the first capacitance map and a portion of the second capacitance map corresponding to the deformable region, the difference exceeding the expanded setting sensor input threshold.

12. A method for controlling a dynamic tactile user interface comprising a tactile layer and a substrate, the method comprising:

sensing a first capacitance value across a portion of a cavity in a retracted setting, the tactile layer defining a deformable region and a peripheral region, the peripheral region adjacent the deformable region and coupled to the substrate opposite the tactile surface, the deformable region cooperating with the substrate to define the cavity;

sensing a second capacitance value across the peripheral region;

generating a capacitance map according to the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value;

modifying a fluid pressure within the cavity to transition the cavity into an expanded setting, the deformable region elevated above the peripheral region in the expanded setting;

sensing a third capacitance value across the portion of the cavity in the expanded setting;

updating the capacitance map according to the third capacitance value; and

detecting an input on the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a comparison between a sensed capacitance value across the portion of the cavity and the capacitance map.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein sensing the first capacitance value comprises sensing a magnitude of disruption in a changing electric field across the portion of the cavity.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the capacitance map comprises mapping capacitive discharge times across a first set of electrically-coupled conductive pads in a longitudinal array and a second set of electrically-coupled conductive pads in a lateral array patterned across the substrate, the first capacitance value comprising a capacitive discharge time between a first conductive pad in the first array and a first conductive pad in the second array proximal the cavity, and the second capacitance value comprising a capacitive discharge time between a second conductive pad in the first array and a second conductive pad in the second array proximal the peripheral region.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising modifying a drive voltage across the first conductive pad in the first array and the first conductive pad in the second array proximal the cavity in response to transition the cavity into the expanded setting.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying the fluid pressure within the cavity to transition the cavity into the expanded setting comprises displacing fluid from a reservoir, through a fluid channel defined by the substrate, and into the cavity.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein sensing the third capacitance value comprises implementing a closed-loop feedback to control fluid pressure within the cavity according to a height of the tactile surface at the deformable region that is correlated with a capacitance value across the portion of the cavity.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein updating the capacitance map comprises updating the capacitance map further according to a capacitance value sensed across the peripheral region in the expanded setting and capacitance values sensed across a set of additional deformable regions defined by the tactile layer and cavities defined by the substrate.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the input on the tactile surface at the deformable region comprises calculating a velocity of the input according to a time-dependent change in the capacitance value sensed across the portion of the cavity, and further comprising associating a device command with the velocity of the input.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the input on the tactile surface at the deformable region comprises predicting an input mode, selecting an input model according to the predicted input mode, and detecting the input on the tactile surface at the deformable region according to an output of the input model corresponding to a difference between the sensed capacitance value measured across the portion of the cavity and the capacitance map.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein predicting the input mode comprises predicting one of a finger input and a stylus input, and wherein selecting the input model comprises selecting the input model corresponding to the input mode and a current vertical position of the deformable region and of a second deformable region defined by the tactile layer.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the input on the tactile surface comprises calculating a centroid of outputs of a set of capacitive sense elements adjacent the cavity to determine a location of the input, the sensor comprising the set of capacitive sense elements.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the input on the tactile surface at the deformable region comprises identifying input contact points on the tactile surface according to capacitance values sensed across portions of the cavity, identifying a centroid of the contact points, and detecting the input on the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a comparison between the centroid of the contact points and input areas on the tactile surface of known locations proximal the deformable region, each input area associated with an input confidence interval.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the input on the tactile surface at the deformable region comprises detecting a location, a magnitude, and a rate of the input on the tactile surface at the deformable region in the expanded setting.