Dynamic tactile interface

• US 8,358,204 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Eldering, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T.
• Application Number:
  US13/311,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20120075087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.2, 340/407.1, 340/539.11, 340/384.7, 340/7.6, 340/7.61, 345/157, 345/163, 345/173, 345/175
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for exciting a dynamic tactile interface having a plurality of electrodes includes identifying an area within an image that is capable of tactile feedback and identifying a first subset of the plurality of electrodes in the dynamic tactile interface that correspond to the plurality of areas. A voltage is applied to each of the electrodes of to the plurality of electrodes to create a desired state for each electrode corresponding to the areas capable of tactile feedback. The dynamic tactile interface can be implemented as part of a viewable display type of device, or as a device without any viewable display.

Claims

1. A method of using a dynamic tactile interface having a plurality of feedback elements, the method comprising:

identifying an area within an image that is capable of tactile feedback;

identifying, by a controller, a set of the feedback elements in the dynamic tactile interface corresponding to the area; and

activating each of the feedback elements in the set to create a desired state for each feedback element corresponding to the area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating each of the feedback elements includes at least in part applying a voltage to the feedback elements such that each of the feedback elements in the set creates one of an indent state or a protrusion state for the respective feedback element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of feedback elements are arranged in a cell matrix pattern.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a row and a column for each feedback element in the set; and

sending activation signals to a row encoder and a column encoder corresponding to the row and the column for each of the feedback elements in the set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a visual image displayed using the dynamic tactile interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is a Braille symbol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image represents an actuator in a keypad.

8. A dynamic tactile interface comprising:

an electrostatic film capable of having at least an indent state and a protrusion state;

a plurality of feedback elements arranged in a matrix configuration and positioned below the electrostatic film; and

a controller configured to determine at least one area within an image that is configured for tactile feedback, determine a set of the feedback elements that correspond to the at least one area, and send signals to activate the set of feedback elements.

9. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 8, wherein the set of feedback elements are activated at least in part by an application of voltage such that each of the feedback elements in the set creates one of an indent state or a protrusion state for the respective feedback element.

10. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 8, further comprising a row encoder coupled to the plurality of feedback elements and a column encoder coupled to the plurality of feedback elements, wherein the controller is configured to control the row encoder and the column encoder to address the plurality of feedback elements.

11. An apparatus for interfacing with a dynamic tactile interface, the tactile interface comprising a film capable of having an indent state and a protrusion state, a plurality of feedback elements positioned below the film and arranged in a cell matrix pattern, the apparatus comprising:

a controller coupled to the plurality of feedback elements, the controller configured to determine one or more areas within an image on the dynamic tactile interface that are configured for tactile feedback, determine a set of the feedback elements that correspond to the one or more areas, and send activation signals to activate the set of feedback elements.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the set of the feedback elements is activated by an application of voltage such that each of the feedback elements in the set creates one of the indent state or the protrusion state for the respective feedback element.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to determine a row and a column for each of the feedback elements in the set, and send the activation signals to a row encoder and a column encoder corresponding to the row and the column for each of the feedback elements in the set.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the areas configured for tactile feedback include virtual buttons.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the areas configured for tactile feedback include tactile feedback to distinguish a first virtual button from a second virtual button.

16. An article of manufacture for using a dynamic tactile interface having a plurality of feedback elements, the article of manufacture comprising non-transitory machine-readable medium holding machine executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

identifying an area of a screen configured for tactile feedback by analyzing an image displayed on the screen;

identifying a set of the feedback elements in the dynamic tactile interface corresponding to the area of the screen; and

sending a signal to a controller to activate each of the feedback elements in the set to create a desired state for each feedback element corresponding to the area of the screen.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein activation of the feedback elements includes at least in part applying a voltage to the feedback elements such that each of the feedback elements in the set creates one of an indent state or a protrusion state for the respective feedback element.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the plurality of feedback elements are arranged in a cell matrix pattern.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein activation of the feedback elements in the set comprises:

determining a row and a column for each feedback element in the set; and

sending activation signals to a row encoder and a column encoder corresponding to the row and the column for each of the feedback elements in the set.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the image represents an actuator in a keypad.