METHOD FOR ACTUATING A TACTILE INTERFACE LAYER

• US 20170199571A1
• Filed: 07/19/2016
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Ciesla, Craig M., Saal, Nathaniel, Yairi, Micah
• Application Number:
  US15/214,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20170199571A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• 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 actuating a tactile interface layer of a device that defines a surface with a deformable region, comprising the steps of deforming a deformable region of the surface into a formation tactilely distinguishable from the surface, detecting a force from the user on a deformed deformable region, interpreting the force as a command for the deformable region, and manipulating the deformable region of the surface based on the command.

Claims

1. A method for actuating a tactile interface layer coupled to a device, the tactile interface layer comprising a surface and a substrate, the surface defining a deformable region and a second region adjacent the deformable region, the substrate defining a fluid vessel adjacent the deformable region, the method comprising:

displacing fluid into the fluid vessel to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting to an expanded setting tactilely distinguishable from the second region and offset above the second region by a first height;

at a sensor coupled to the tactile interface layer, detecting an input applied at the deformable region in the expanded setting;

substantially simultaneously, detecting an increase in pressure of fluid in the fluid vessel;

in response to the force, displacing fluid out of the fluid vessel to transition the deformable region from the expanded setting offset above the second region by the first height to a second setting offset above the second region by a second height less than the first height, a change in height between the expanded setting and the second setting proportional to the increase in pressure.