Tactile device for scrolling

• US 7,355,595 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guimbretiére, Francois Victor Jacques Jérome, Pangaro, Gian, Bathiche, Steven N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leiby; Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US11/106,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20060236263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 340/825.19, 341 22- 26
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

A tactile touch-sensitive device for use as an electronic input device for navigating an electronic document on a display device is described. The tactile aspect of the device provides a document location indicator, such as a protrusion or a depression, which may be perceived through the sense of touch. The device may incorporate additional features such as multiple modes of navigation, namely isotonic and isometric scrolling. Various sensors, such as force sensors and capacitive sensors, may provide the user with coarse and fine scrolling capabilities through different types of interactions with the scrollbar. The force sensors may allow the user to alter the rate of scrolling by adjusting the magnitude of force applied. Additionally, capacitive sensors may detect absolute positions of a user'"'"'s finger movement and navigate through a document pursuant to those movements.

Claims

1. A user engageable device for manipulating an electronic document with respect to a display comprising:

a group of individually movable elements, a translating contour changing member configured to change an upper contour formed by the group of individually movable elements, and a controller configured to provide a signal for moving the translating contour changing member to produce a change in the upper contour formed by the group individually movable elements at a mapped location generally corresponding to a viewable portion of the electronic document with respect to a beginning and an end of the electronic document.

2. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein the group of individually movable elements includes at least six laterally adjacent keys.

3. The user engageable device of claim 2, wherein the group of individually movable elements includes at least ten laterally adjacent keys.

4. The user engageable device of claim 3, wherein the group of individually movable elements includes at least thirty laterally adjacent keys.

5. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein the translating contour changing member is configured to form a depression in the upper contour formed by the group of individually movable elements.

6. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein the translating contour changing member is configured to form a raised protrusion in the upper contour formed by the group of individually movable elements.

7. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein each of the individually movable elements of the group of individually movable elements pivots about a common axis.

8. The user engageable device of claim 1, further comprising a motor coupled to the translating contour changing member for moving the translating contour changing member along an axis.

9. The user engageable device of claim 1, wherein the group of individually movable elements includes at least ten laterally adjacent keys, and further comprising a touch sensitive strip sensor extending through the laterally adjacent keys, the touch sensitive strip sensor configured to sense a downward force applied to the upper surface of the laterally adjacent keys.

10. The user engageable device of claim 1, further comprising a first sensing system for sensing a user applied downward force upon the upper contour.

11. The user engageable device of claim 10, further comprising a second sensing system, spaced from the first sensing system, the second sensing system for sensing a user applied force to the plurality of movable elements in a direction perpendicular to a downward force.

12. A user engageable device for scrolling a document with respect to a display comprising:

a tactile scroll bar having a longitudinal axis, a user engageable force receiver movable along the longitudinal axis, and a controller configured to move the force receiver along the longitudinal axis and configured to produce a change in the force receiver at a mapped location generally corresponding to a viewable portion of the document with respect to a beginning and an end of the document.

13. The user engageable device of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of pivoting keys, a block for changing the upper profile of the keys and forming the force receiver, a first sensor coupled to the controller and configured to detect a downward force applied to the keys, and a second sensor coupled to the controller and configured to sense a horizontal component of a force applied to the force receiver in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

14. A user engageable device for manipulating an electronic document with respect to a display comprising:

a group of individually movable elements, and a translating contour changing member configured to change an upper contour formed by the group of individually movable elements, wherein each of the individually movable elements of the group of individually movable elements pivots about a common axis.

15. The user engageable device of claim 14, wherein the translating contour changing member is configured to form a depression in the upper contour formed by the group of individually movable elements.

16. The user engageable device of claim 14, wherein the translating contour changing member is configured to form a raised protrusion in the upper contour formed by the group of individually movable elements.

17. The user engageable device of claim 14, further comprising a motor coupled to the translating contour changing member for moving the translating contour changing member along an axis.

18. The user engageable device of claim 14, wherein the group of individually movable elements includes at least ten laterally adjacent keys, and further comprising a touch sensitive strip sensor extending through the laterally adjacent keys, the touch sensitive strip sensor configured to sense a downward force applied to the upper surface of the laterally adjacent keys.

19. The user engageable device of claim 14, further comprising a first sensing system for sensing a user applied downward force upon the upper contour.

20. The user engageable device of claim 19, further comprising a second sensing system, spaced from the first sensing system, the second sensing system for sensing a user applied force to the plurality of movable elements in a direction perpendicular to a downward force.