METHOD FOR INTERACTING WITH A DYNAMIC TACTILE INTERFACE

• US 20150077398A1
• Filed: 06/27/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Yairi, Micah B., Parthasarathy, Radhakrishnan, Stokes, Theodore J.
• Application Number:
  US14/317,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20150077398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/0488 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

Abstract

A method for registering user interaction with a dynamic tactile interface, which includes a tactile layer defining a tactile surface, a deformable region, and a peripheral region and coupled to a substrate opposite the tactile surface, the deformable region cooperating with the substrate to form a variable volume. The method includes detecting a first contact of an object at a first location on the tactile surface at a sensor; detecting a removal of the object from the first location; at a first time, detecting a first pressure of the variable volume at a pressure sensor; at the sensor, at a second time after the first time, detecting a second contact at a second location; at the second time, detecting a second pressure at the pressure sensor; interpreting the first and second contact, and the pressure difference as a gesture; and executing a command corresponding to the gesture.

Claims

1. A method for registering user interaction with a dynamic tactile interface comprising a tactile layer and a substrate, the tactile layer defining a tactile surface, a deformable region, and a peripheral region adjacent the deformable region and coupled to the substrate opposite the tactile surface, the deformable region cooperating with the substrate to form a variable volume filled with a mass of fluid, the method comprising:

at a sensor coupled to the substrate, detecting a first contact of an object at a first location on the tactile surface;

detecting a transition of the object along the tactile surface from the first location at a first time to a second location adjacent the deformable region at a second time;

substantially at the first time, detecting a first pressure of the mass of fluid at a remote pressure sensor fluidly coupled to the variable volume;

substantially at the second time, detecting a second pressure of the mass of fluid at the remote pressure sensor;

in response to a pressure difference between the first pressure and the second pressure, interpreting the transition as a gesture; and

in response to the gesture, executing a command corresponding to the gesture at a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first contact of the object comprises detecting the first contact of a finger on the tactile surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the transition of the object along the tactile surface comprises detecting a substantially linear slide over a portion of the tactile surface corresponding to an active sensing area of the sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first contact comprises detecting the first contact at the first location coincident an alphanumeric key and interpreting the first contact as an input for a lowercase alphanumeric key;

wherein interpreting the first contact and the transition as the gesture comprises interpreting the transition as the gesture for an uppercase command for the lowercase alphanumeric key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the transition comprises detecting transition of the deformable region from an expanded state to a retracted state, the expanded state comprising the deformable region distinguishably protruding above the peripheral region, the retracted state comprising the deformable region substantially flush with the peripheral region;

wherein, detecting the second pressure comprises detecting the second pressure in response to deformation of the deformable region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the transition comprises detecting the transition of the object from the first location at a capacitive sensing area adjacent the deformable region to the second location coincident the deformable region;

further comprising at a strain gauge, detecting deformation of the deformable region in response a contact coincident the deformable region;

wherein detecting the second pressure comprises detecting a second pressure in response to detecting deformation of the deformable region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein interpreting the transition as the gesture comprises interpreting the pressure difference as a verification of the gesture, the pressure difference within a specified range of pressures.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first contact comprises detecting a first contact by a finger on the tactile surface corresponding to an image of a sliding volume control;

wherein detecting the transition comprises detecting the finger sliding along the tactile surface in a region corresponding to the image of the sliding volume control;

wherein detecting a second pressure comprises detecting a pressure of the variable volume at a deformable region adjacent a location corresponding to a portion of the sliding volume control corresponding to a desired volume output;

wherein interpreting the first contact and the transition as the gesture comprises interpreting the transition as the gesture for selecting the desired volume output.

9. A method for registering user interaction with a dynamic tactile interface, the dynamic tactile interface comprising a tactile layer and a substrate, the tactile layer defining a tactile surface, a deformable region, and a peripheral region adjacent the deformable region and coupled to the substrate opposite the tactile surface, and the deformable region cooperating with the substrate to form a variable volume filled with a mass of fluid, the method comprising:

at a sensor adjacent the substrate, detecting a first contact of an object at a first location on the tactile surface;

at a first time, detecting a removal of the object from the first location;

approximately at the first time, detecting a first pressure of the mass of fluid at a remote pressure sensor fluidly coupled to the variable volume;

at the sensor, at a second time within a threshold period after the first time, detecting a second contact at a second location adjacent the deformable region;

approximately at the second time, detecting a second pressure of the mass of fluid at the remote pressure sensor;

in response to a pressure difference between the first pressure and the second pressure, interpreting the first contact and the second contact as a gesture; and

in response to the gesture, executing a command corresponding to the gesture at a processor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the first contact of the object comprises detecting a first contact of a finger on the tactile surface.

11. A method of claim 9, wherein detecting the first contact comprises detecting the first contact at the first location coincident an alphanumeric key and interpreting the first contact as an input for a lowercase alphanumeric key;

wherein interpreting the first contact and the second contact as the gesture comprises interpreting the second contact as the gesture for an uppercase command for the lowercase alphanumeric key.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the first contact comprises detecting a change in capacitance of a capacitive touch sensing area coincident the first location in response to a first contact.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the second contact comprises detecting transition of the deformable region from an expanded state to a retracted state, the expanded state comprising the deformable region distinguishably protruding above the peripheral region, the retracted state comprising the deformable region substantially flush with the peripheral region;

wherein detecting the second pressure comprises detecting the second pressure in response to deformation of the deformable region.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein interpreting the first contact, the second contact, and the pressure difference as a gesture comprises interpreting the first contact and the second contact as a gesture and interpreting the pressure difference as a verification of the gesture, the pressure difference within a specified range of pressures.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the removal of the object comprises detecting the removal of the object from the tactile surface.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the removal of the object comprises detecting a transition of the object along the tactile surface in an active sensing area from the first location to a second location adjacent the deformable region.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the first contact comprises detecting a first contact by a finger on the tactile surface corresponding to a portion of an image of a photograph;

wherein detecting the second contact comprises detecting a second contact and a transition of a deformable region adjacent the portion of the image of the photograph, the deformable region transitioning from an expanded state to a retracted state, the expanded state comprising the deformable region distinguishably protruding above the peripheral region, the retracted state comprising the deformable region substantially flush with the peripheral region;

wherein interpreting the first contact and the second contact as a gesture comprises interpreting the first contact as a selection of the portion of the image of the photograph, and interpreting the second contact and the pressure difference as a gesture indicating modification of the image of the photograph.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the first contact comprises detecting a first contact by a finger on the tactile surface corresponding to an image of a sliding volume control;

wherein detecting the transition comprises detecting the finger sliding along the tactile surface in a region corresponding to the image of the sliding volume control;

wherein detecting a second pressure comprises detecting a pressure of the variable volume at a deformable region adjacent a location corresponding to a portion of the sliding volume control corresponding to a desired volume output;

wherein interpreting the first contact and the transition as the gesture comprises interpreting the transition as the gesture for selecting the desired volume output.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the first contact comprises detecting the first contact at the first location coincident an alphanumeric key and interpreting the first contact as an input for a lowercase alphanumeric key;

wherein interpreting the first contact and the second contact as the gesture comprises interpreting the second contact as the gesture for a command indicating the display of related altered form of the lowercase alphanumeric key.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the first contact comprises detecting a first contact by a finger on the tactile surface corresponding to a portion of an image output by a camera application;

wherein detecting the second contact comprises detecting a second contact at a location corresponding to an image of a shutter button and a transition of a deformable region adjacent the image of the shutter button, the deformable region transitioning from an expanded state to a retracted state, the expanded state comprising the deformable region distinguishably protruding above the peripheral region, the retracted state comprising the deformable region substantially flush with the peripheral region;

wherein interpreting the first contact and the second contact as a gesture comprises interpreting the first contact as a selection of the portion of the image output, and interpreting the second contact as a gesture indicating a command for capturing a video of the image output.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting the first contact comprises detecting the first contact at the first location adjacent an alphanumeric key and interpreting the first contact as an input for a lowercase alphanumeric key;

wherein detecting the second pressure comprises detecting the second pressure greater than the first pressure;

wherein interpreting the first contact and the second contact as the gesture comprises interpreting the first contact as a gesture indicating selection of the alphanumeric key and interpreting the second pressure greater than the first pressure as a verification of selection of the alphanumeric key.