WEARABLE DEVICE SURFACE HAPTICS INTERACTION

• US 20160259416A1
• Filed: 03/02/2016
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Birnbaum, David
• Application Number:
  US15/058,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259416A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/283 on rotatable rings, i.e. bezel for graduations on the bezels G04B19/18
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• 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 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

Abstract

A wearable apparatus includes a wearable article that is wearable by a person. The wearable apparatus includes a display, an input portion on a surface of the apparatus, and a haptic actuator. A controller is electrically connected to the input portion and the haptic actuator. The controller is programmed to generate haptic drive signals in response to receiving an input signal from the input portion.

Claims

1. A wearable apparatus, comprising:

a wearable article, the wearable article being wearable by a person and comprising a display, an input portion on a surface of the article, and a haptic actuator; and

a controller electrically connected to the input portion and the haptic actuator, the controller programmed to selectively generate haptic drive signals in response to receiving an input signal from the input portion.

2. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the input portion comprises a touch sensitive portion.

3. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the wearable article comprises a wrist watch.

4. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the display comprises a touch screen.

5. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the input portion is positioned adjacent an outer periphery of the display.

6. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the input portion is integrally formed with the display. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein;

the input portion comprises a bezel that surrounds the display.

9. The wearable apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the controller is programmed to transmit the haptic drive signals to the haptic actuator in response to a user touching the input portion.

10. The wearable apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the actuator interacts with the surface of the article having the input portion to provide the haptic feedback to a user touching the input portion.

11. The wearable apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the controller is programmed to generate a user interface on the display in response to receiving the input signal from the input portion.

8. The wearable apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the input portion is configured to physically move around the display.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving an input signal from an input portion on a surface of a wearable article, the input portion surrounding a display of the wearable article;

providing a haptic effect in response to the received input signal; and

controlling an output provided to the display in response to the input signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the wearable article comprises a wrist watch, and wherein the display is a face of the wrist watch.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

receiving the input signal comprises receiving a signal from a movable bezel that surrounds the display.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

receiving the input signal comprises receiving a signal from a fixed bezel that surrounds the display.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

controlling the output provided to the display comprises generating a first display in response to a single touch input and a second display in response to a multi touch input.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein:

controlling the output provided to the display comprises generating a first display in response to a touch input in a first rotational direction and a second display in response to a touch input in a second rotational direction.

18. A wrist watch, comprising:

a watch face display;

an input portion on a surface surrounding the display;

a haptic actuator; and

a controller electrically connected to the display, the input portion, and the haptic actuator, the controller programmed to provide a display signal to the display and transmit haptic drive signals to the haptic actuator in response to receiving an input signal from the input portion.

19. The wrist watch of claim 18, wherein:

the input portion comprises a bezel that surrounds the display, the bezel being configured to physically rotate around the display.

20. The wrist watch of claim 18, wherein:

the controller is programmed to provide a first display in response to a single touch input and a second display in response to a multi touch input.