Touch device and method for providing tactile feedback
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A touch device for providing tactile feedback to a user, said touch device comprising:
- a touch panel comprising a display displaying keys constituting a software-defined keypad, said touch panel operable to produce a position signal indicative of a position on said display touched by a user-controlled object;
a processor operable in response to said position signal to generate a drive signal when said position on said touch panel corresponds to the key location of one of said keys on said soft keypad; and
a vibration device operable in response to said drive signal to cause said display to vibrate while said position corresponds to said key location to provide a tactile key location indication to the user;
wherein said processor is additionally operable to detect damping of said vibration by said user-controlled object touching said display, and, in response to said detecting, to generate a click indicate signal indicative of a click event performed by said user-controlled object on said one of said keys at said key location corresponding to said position on said display.
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Abstract
A touch device includes a touch panel and a vibration device to provide tactile feedback to a user to locate a key on a display of the touch panel. A processor generates a drive signal to the vibration device when the position on the display touched by a finger or stylus corresponds to a location of a key on the display. The vibration device causes the display to vibrate in response to the drive signal to provide a tactile key location indication to the user while the key is touched.
48 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A touch device for providing tactile feedback to a user, said touch device comprising:
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a touch panel comprising a display displaying keys constituting a software-defined keypad, said touch panel operable to produce a position signal indicative of a position on said display touched by a user-controlled object; a processor operable in response to said position signal to generate a drive signal when said position on said touch panel corresponds to the key location of one of said keys on said soft keypad; and a vibration device operable in response to said drive signal to cause said display to vibrate while said position corresponds to said key location to provide a tactile key location indication to the user; wherein said processor is additionally operable to detect damping of said vibration by said user-controlled object touching said display, and, in response to said detecting, to generate a click indicate signal indicative of a click event performed by said user-controlled object on said one of said keys at said key location corresponding to said position on said display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for providing tactile feedback to a user of a touch device comprising a display, said method comprising:
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receiving a position signal indicative of a position on a touch panel comprising a display displaying keys constituting a software-defined keypad, said display touched by a user-controlled object; comparing said position to key locations of keys displayed on said display; and
causing said display to vibrate while said position corresponds to one of said key locations to provide a tactile key location indication to the user;detecting damping of said vibration caused by said user-controlled object touching said touch panel; and in response to said detecting, identifying a click event performed on the one of said keys at said key location corresponding to said position on said display. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A touch device for providing tactile feedback to a user, said touch device comprising:
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a touch panel comprising a display displaying keys constituting a software-defined keypad, said touch panel operable to produce a position signal indicative of a position on said display touched by a user-controlled object; a processor operable in response to said position signal to generate a drive signal when said position on said touch panel corresponds to the key location of one of said keys on said soft keypad; and a vibration device operable in response to said drive signal to cause said display to vibrate while said position corresponds to said key location to provide a tactile key location indication to the user; wherein; said display is planar and said vibration is parallel to the plane of said display; said touch device additionally comprises a housing in which said display is compliantly mounted; said vibration device comprises a movable portion, said movable portion and said display constituting a mechanical assembly having a resonant frequency; and said processor is operable to drive said moveable portion at a frequency equal to said resonant frequency of said mechanical assembly.
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24. A touch device for providing tactile feedback to a user, said touch device comprising:
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a touch panel comprising a display displaying keys constituting a software-defined keypad, said touch panel operable to produce a position signal indicative of a position on said display touched by a user-controlled object; a processor operable in response to said position signal to generate a drive signal when said position on said touch panel corresponds to the key location of one of said keys on said soft keypad; and a vibration device operable in response to said drive signal to cause said display to vibrate while said position corresponds to said key location to provide a tactile key location indication to the user; wherein; said display is planar and said vibration is parallel to the plane of said display; said vibration device additionally comprises a static portion; said static portion of said vibration device and said display are each compliantly coupled to said housing; and said display and vibration device are configured to vibrate in opposite directions such that the net momentum collectively applied to said housing by said mechanical assembly and said vibration device approaches zero.
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25. A method for providing tactile feedback to a user of a touch device comprising a display, said method comprising:
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receiving a position signal indicative of a position on a touch panel comprising a display displaying keys constituting a software-defined keypad, said display touched by a user-controlled object; comparing said position to key locations of keys displayed on said display; and causing said display to vibrate while said position corresponds to one of said key locations to provide a tactile key location indication to the user; wherein said causing said display to vibrate further includes causing said display to vibrate parallel to the plane of said display; and in which; said touch device additionally comprises a housing in which said display is compliantly mounted; said display constitutes part of a mechanical assembly having a resonant frequency; and causing said display to vibrate comprises driving said display at a frequency equal to said resonant frequency of said mechanical assembly.
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26. A method for providing tactile feedback to a user of a touch device comprising a display, said method comprising:
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receiving a position signal indicative of a position on a touch panel comprising a display displaying keys constituting a software-defined keypad, said display touched by a user-controlled object; comparing said position to key locations of keys displayed on said display; and causing said display to vibrate while said position corresponds to one of said key locations to provide a tactile key location indication to the user, wherein said causing said display to vibrate includes, in response to said position of said user-controlled device relative to said one of said key locations, modulating the amplitude with which said display vibrates to provide a three-dimensional tactile key location indication to the user.
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Specification