One button remote control with haptic feedback

• US 8,022,933 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Amendolagine, James, Hardacker, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, DUC Q
• Application Number:
  US12/034,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20090213066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/169, 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42208 Display device provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control

Abstract

An input system for a TV remote control or other system has a single touch surface with a deformable haptic assembly below the touch surface such that a user placing a finger on the touch surface can feel deformation of the haptic assembly. A pressure sensing assembly is below the haptic assembly and sensing motion of a finger on the touch surface, with a processor receiving input from the pressure sensing assembly and providing output to the haptic assembly in response. Also, a display receives input sent by the processor in response to input from the pressure sensing assembly to cause the display to present a changing image of a keypad as a user moves a finger on the touch surface.

Claims

1. A TV remote control system, comprising:

a portable hand-held housing;

a wireless transmitter supported by the housing;

a processor supported by the housing and providing signals for wireless transmission by the transmitter;

a touch surface on the housing and exposed to a user'"'"'s touch;

a pressure sensor array supported on the housing below the touch surface and providing input signals to the processor in response to pressure from a person'"'"'s finger on the touch surface;

a haptic membrane assembly between the touch surface and pressure sensor array and being selectively moved by the processor at least partially in response to finger pressure on the touch surface; and

a display presenting an image of a remote control key array based on signals from the processor responsive to finger pressure on the pad, wherein the processor determines a vector of finger motion using signals from the array, the vector having a direction and a magnitude, a cursor on a display being caused to move in the direction of the vector at a speed that is proportional to the magnitude of the vector.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch surface is the only input device on the housing.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is associated with a TV receiving signals from the transmitter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is supported on the housing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the membrane assembly includes an array of individually inflatable fluid sacs.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each sac is associated with a respective valve controlled by the processor to haptically model finger movement on a keyboard derived from finger pressure on the touch surface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to at least one non-sliding motion of a finger on the pad, the processor selectively moves the haptic membrane assembly to propagate at least one wave across the touch surface as a haptic model of a finger moving across a boundary of a mechanical data input key.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the display presents indication of which key in the image of a remote control key array is modeled as the key currently associated with the touch surface, whereby the touch surface is associated with a sequence of at least two keys in the image of a remote control key array as a finger moves on the touch surface.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the membrane assembly includes an array of individually electrostatically chargeable diaphragms.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the membrane assembly includes an array of individually energizable coils.

11. A method of data entry comprising:

providing a touch surface on an input device;

sensing changing pressure as a user moves a finger on the touch surface;

providing haptic feedback through the touch surface of emulated finger motion on a notional keypad in response to the changing pressure; and

providing visual feedback on a display of emulated finger motion on a notional keypad in response to the changing pressure, the visual feedback being keyed to the haptic feedback, wherein the providing haptic feedback includes;

in response to non-sliding rolling motion of a finger on the touch surface moving a cursor on the display and furthermore in coordination therewith propagating a wave across the touch surface as a haptic model of a finger moving across a boundary of a simulated mechanical data input key such that a periphery of the simulated mechanical data input key moves across the touch surface in a direction opposite to cursor motion to emulate tactile feedback of sliding a finger past a discrete key on a multi-key input device.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

in response to the changing pressure, deforming at least one membrane assembly under the touch surface to provide the haptic feedback to a person of moving a finger from one mechanically depressible key to another mechanically depressible key on a notional keypad.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the input device is a TV remote control.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the input device is associated with a wireless telephone or with a computer.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein a pressure sensor array is supported below the touch surface and provides input signals to a processor in response to pressure from a person'"'"'s finger on the touch surface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the membrane assembly is between the touch surface and pressure sensor array and is selectively moved by the processor to haptically model finger movement on a keyboard derived from finger pressure on the touch surface.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the display is a TV display.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the display is on the TV remote control.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the membrane assembly includes an array of individually inflatable fluid sacs or individually electrostatically chargeable diaphragms or energizable coils.