Touch pad panel with tactile feedback

• US 5,977,867 A
• Filed: 05/29/1998
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Blouin, Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/086,347
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 340/665, 340/407.1, 340/825.46, 340/825.19, 340/407.2, 364/709.15, 345/173, 345/179, 345/177, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 178/19.01, 178/20.04, 178/19.02, 341/21, 341/27
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

A touch pad such as a keypad or a touch screen is mounted with at least one vibrator to produce a tactile feedback sensed by the user as the pad is touched with a finger or a pointer. The vibrator is controlled by a processor such that it will vibrate for a predetermined length of time in the range of 50 to 1000 ms and at a predetermined amplitude. The vibrator is also selected to vibrate at a frequency between 100 and 5000 hz. The touch screen may be any of the analog resitive, infrared, accoustic, capacitive or electromagnetic inductive type operated devices.

Claims

1. A touch pad comprising:

touch pad means having a surface to be touched by a user to provide an output as a function of the location touched on the surface; and

at least one vibrator fixed to the touch pad means surface to be touched to provide a tactile vibrating sensation to the user for a predetermined fixed time at a predetermined fixed frequency between 100 and 5000 Hz. when any location of the surface is being touched.

5. A touch pad as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the touch pad means is a touch screen.

6. A touch screen as claimed in claim 5 wherein the touch screen is analog resistive, infrared, acoustic, capacitive or electromagnetic inductive operated.

2. A touch pad comprising:

touch pad means having a surface to be touched by a user to provide an output as a function of the location touched on the surface; and

at least one vibrator fixed to the touch pad means surface to be touched to provide a tactile vibrating sensation to the user for a predetermined fixed time between 50 ms. and 1000 ms. at a predetermined fixed frequency when any location of the surface is being touched.

3. A touch pad system comprising:

touch pad means having a surface to be touched by a user;

touch pad controller means for detecting and providing data representative of the point on the surface being touched by the user;

processor means for processing the data from the touch pad controller means; and

at least one vibrator fixed to the touch pad means surface to be touched to provide a tactile vibrating sensation to the user for a predetermined fixed time at a predetermined fixed frequency between 100 and 5000 Hz. under the control of the processor when any point on the pad means surface is being touched.

7. A touch pad system as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the touch pad means is a touch screen.

8. A touch screen as claimed in claim 7 wherein the touch screen means is analog resistive, infrared, acoustic, capacitive or electromagnetic inductive operated.

4. A touch pad system comprising:

touch pad means having a surface to be touched by a user;

touch pad controller means for detecting and providing data representative of the point on the surface being touched by the user;

processor means for processing the data from the touch pad controller means; and

at least one vibrator fixed to the touch pad means surface to be touched to provide a tactile vibrating sensation to the user for a predetermined fixed time between 50 ms. and 1000 ms. at a predetermined fixed frequency under the control of the processor when any point on the pad means surface is being touched.