Mobile phone using tactile icons
First Claim
1. An apparatus included in a communications terminal, comprising:
- means for receiving a tactile sensation pattern signal from another communications terminal independent of any existing or attempted voice connection;
a control means, responsive to the tactile sensation pattern signal, for providing a control signal; and
means for producing a tactile sensation in response to the control signal;
wherein the tactile sensation pattern signal comprises respective instructions for producing each disturbance in a pattern of disturbances, each disturbance sensible as a tactile sensation, the pattern of disturbances suggesting by itself associations or meanings independent of any existing or attempted voice connection and so directly communicating to any user of the apparatus the associations or meanings independent of any existing or attempted voice connection.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile phone or telecommunications terminal that sends and receives tactile icons (tactile sensation patterns, including vibration patterns) discernible by feel to a user of the mobile phone or terminal, indicative of a message desired to be communicated between users of such a mobile phone or terminal (not information concerning the operation of the mobile phone or terminal). The mobile phone or terminal includes a source of tactile sensations (such as a vibratory device) that produces a tactile sensation in response to control signals issued by a controller when a message including a tactile icon is received; the control signals are based on instructions included in the mobile phone or terminal on how to interpret a tactile sensation pattern. The source of tactile sensations is for example an eccentric electric motor, a source of puffs of air, an electric signal, a razor-type linear vibrator, a solenoid, or a piezoelectric material.
154 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus included in a communications terminal, comprising:
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means for receiving a tactile sensation pattern signal from another communications terminal independent of any existing or attempted voice connection; a control means, responsive to the tactile sensation pattern signal, for providing a control signal; and means for producing a tactile sensation in response to the control signal; wherein the tactile sensation pattern signal comprises respective instructions for producing each disturbance in a pattern of disturbances, each disturbance sensible as a tactile sensation, the pattern of disturbances suggesting by itself associations or meanings independent of any existing or attempted voice connection and so directly communicating to any user of the apparatus the associations or meanings independent of any existing or attempted voice connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for use by a communication terminal, comprising:
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a step of receiving a tactile sensation pattern signal from another communication terminal independent of any existing or attempted voice connection; a control step, responsive to the tactile sensation pattern signal, for providing a control signal; and a step of producing a tactile sensation in response to the control signal; wherein the tactile sensation pattern signal comprises respective instructions for producing each disturbance in a pattern of disturbances, each disturbance sensible as a tactile sensation, the pattern of disturbances suggesting by itself associations or meanings independent of an existing or attempted voice connection and so directly communicating to any user of the apparatus the associations or meanings independent of any existing or attempted voice connection. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method, comprising:
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a step in which a communication terminal receives from a user an indication of a tactile sensation pattern in a data store of tactile sensation patterns hosted by the communication terminal, wherein the tactile sensation pattern comprises a pattern of disturbances each representing a tactile sensation, the pattern of disturbances having an association or meaning the user would like to communicate to a user of another communication terminal; a step in which the communication terminal receives from the user of the communication terminal an indication of the user of the other communication terminal or an indication of the other communication terminal; and a step in which the communication terminal provides a tactile sensation pattern signal corresponding to the tactile sensation pattern and communicates the tactile sensation pattern signal to the other communication terminal independent of any existing or attempted voice connection to the other communication terminal; wherein the tactile sensation pattern signal comprises respective instructions for producing each disturbance in the tactile sensation pattern of disturbances. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification