Apparatus and method for interactive display with tactile feedback

• US 8,217,908 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tactile Displays, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tactile Displays, LLC
• Inventors: Gray, R. O'Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US12/142,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 341/112, 341/113, 341/114, 341/21, 341 22- 26, 345173-178, 345/168, 345/169, 345/172
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

An electronic device including an interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode. The interactive display comprises an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at last a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode, and a substantially transparent physical keypad that provides tactile feedback to a user indicating location of keys within the imaged keypad.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode, the interactive display comprising;

an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode;

a substantially transparent physical keypad that provides tactile feedback to a user indicating location of keys within the imaged keypad, the physical keypad comprising one or more physical keys;

a touchscreen panel disposed over the image display device, the one or more physical keys extending through corresponding openings in the touchscreen panel, the physical keypad being fixed relative to the touchscreen; and

one or more actuators that move the touchscreen panel between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the physical keypad so that the one or more physical keys protrude through the openings in the touchscreen panel when the touchscreen panel is in the lowered position and the interactive display is in the interactive mode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image display device is selected from one of the following types of image display devices:

liquid crystal displays, digital light processor displays, plasma displays and light emitting diode displays.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the physical keypad is separate from the touchscreen panel.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is selected from one of the following types of electronic devices:

cell phones, personal digital assistants, automatic teller machines and data input devices.

5. An interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode, the interactive display comprising:

an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode; and

a substantially transparent physical keypad that provides tactile feedback to a user indicating location of keys within the imaged keypad, the physical keypad comprising one or more physical keys;

a touchscreen panel disposed over the image display device, the one or more physical keys extending through corresponding openings in the touchscreen panel, the physical keypad being fixed relative to the touchscreen; and

one or more actuators that move the touchscreen panel between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the physical keypad so that the one or more physical keys protrude through the openings in the touchscreen panel when the touchscreen panel is in the lowered position and the interactive display is in the interactive mode.

6. The interactive display of claim 5, wherein the physical keypad provides tactile feedback only when the interactive display is in the interactive mode.

7. The interactive display of claim 5, wherein the image display device is selected from one of the following types of image display devices:

liquid crystal displays, digital light processor displays, plasma displays and light emitting diode displays.

8. The interactive display of claim 5, wherein the physical keypad is separate from the touchscreen panel.

9. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising the step of incorporating the interactive display of claim 5 into the electronic device.

10. A method of manufacturing an interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode, comprising the steps of:

providing an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode;

disposing a physical keypad over the image display device, the physical keypad comprising at least one physical key;

providing a touchscreen display comprising an opening that corresponds to the at least one physical key so that the physical keypad is fixed relative to the touchscreen display;

providing one or more actuators operatively connected to the touchscreen display adapted to move the touchscreen display between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the physical keypad so that the at least one physical key extends through the opening in the touchscreen display when the touchscreen display is in the lowered position and the interactive display is in the interactive mode.