Apparatus and method for incorporating tactile control and tactile feedback into a human-machine interface

• US 7,245,292 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2003
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Government Of The United States As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Custy, Edward John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US10/663,945
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-180, 340/407.1, 340/407.2, 434/113, 178/18.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A tactile user interface device that allows a user to manipulate the graphical elements of a graphical user interface and provides tactile feedback to the user. The interface device comprises a substrate and a plurality of tactile elements. Each tactile element of the tactile user interface device comprises a means for sensing pressure from a user'"'"'s finger to determine if the user has depressed the tactile element and a means for conveying tactile feedback information to the user. Tactile feedback information may be elevations, vibrations, textures, and temperatures.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a tactile user interface device, comprising the steps of:

fabricating a substrate;

disposing a plurality of tactile elements on said substrate wherein each of said tactile elements comprises a pressure sensor disposed to determine if any of said plurality of tactile elements have been depressed;

disposing a flexible membrane on said plurality of tactile elements; and

disposing on said flexible membrane a plurality of microelectromechanical devices disposed to convey tactile feedback information, wherein each of said microelectromechanical devices corresponds to one of said tactile elements.

2. A tactile user interface device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of tactile elements disposed on said substrate wherein each of said plurality of tactile elements correspond to at least a fraction of a pixel on a video display and wherein each of said plurality of tactile elements comprises;

a pressure sensor disposed to indicate if any of said plurality of tactile elements have been depressed; and

a feedback device disposed to convey tactile feedback information, wherein each of said feedback devices is disposed on a flexible membrane and each of said feedback devices comprises at least one microelectromechanical device, wherein said at least one microelectromechanical device has at least two mechanical states; and

said flexible membrane disposed on said plurality of tactile elements.