MAGNETICALLY COMPENSATED BUTTON FEEL IN AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM
First Claim
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1. An electronic device, comprising:
- a housing;
an actuator unit carried by the housing, the actuator unit including a surface, wherein at least a threshold application force to the surface activates the actuator unit, the threshold actuation force defining a minimum force to depress the actuator unit; and
a tactile compensation unit carried by the housing, the tactile compensation unit comprising a triggering unit, the tactile compensation unit providing a compensation force in response to a triggering magnetic element external to the housing forming a magnetic circuit with the triggering unit, the compensation force maintaining the threshold actuation force.
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Abstract
An electronic device can include an actuator unit with a button, where the actuator unit requires application of at least a threshold actuation force to an accessible surface of the button. The electronic device may also include a tactile compensation unit that is in physical communication with the actuator unit. The tactile compensation unit is rendered operable when a triggering magnetic element forms a magnetic circuit with the triggering unit, such that the tactile compensation unit operates to maintain the activation of the actuator unit using no more than the threshold actuation force.
9 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electronic device, comprising:
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a housing; an actuator unit carried by the housing, the actuator unit including a surface, wherein at least a threshold application force to the surface activates the actuator unit, the threshold actuation force defining a minimum force to depress the actuator unit; and a tactile compensation unit carried by the housing, the tactile compensation unit comprising a triggering unit, the tactile compensation unit providing a compensation force in response to a triggering magnetic element external to the housing forming a magnetic circuit with the triggering unit, the compensation force maintaining the threshold actuation force. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7)
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6. (canceled)
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8. An electronic device, comprising:
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a housing; an actuator unit carried by the housing; and a tactile compensation unit coupled with the actuator unit, wherein at least a threshold actuation force to the actuator unit depresses the actuator unit, the threshold actuation force defining a minimum force to depress the actuator unit, and wherein the tactile compensation unit includes a triggering unit that forms a magnetic circuit with a triggering magnetic element carried by an accessory device that covers the actuator unit and provides an alteration to the threshold application force, the tactile compensation unit providing, in response to the formation of the magnetic circuit, a compensation force that compensates for the alteration to maintain the threshold actuation force. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method, comprising:
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attaching an accessory device to an electronic device, the accessory formed of a material and including a triggering magnetic element, and the electronic device including an actuator unit and a tactile compensation unit, the actuator unit having an accessible surface and a threshold activation force required for activation; and compensating, with the tactile compensation unit, for an alteration to the threshold activation force of the actuator unit, the alteration caused by the attachment of the accessory device; wherein the compensation step is performed in response to the tactile compensation unit being rendered operable when the triggering magnetic element of the accessory forms a magnetic circuit with a triggering unit of the tactile compensation unit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification