Tactile feedback in an electronic device

• US 8,373,549 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony, Hodge, Andrew, Zadesky, Stephen, Lindahl, Aram, Guetta, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/139,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.2, 340/497.1, 340/815.45, 340/815.48, 340/540, 340/562, 340/551, 340/568.1, 340/539.23, 340/539.32, 340/686.1, 340/687
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

An electronic device for providing tactile feedback is provided. The electronic device may provide tactile feedback using any suitable approach, including for example vibration, heat, electrical, visual, or any other type of feedback. The electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to detecting any particular status of the electronic device, receiving any particular input, or detecting any suitable communication received by the electronic device. For example, the electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to receiving a particular user input, or to detecting a user'"'"'s finger on a particular portion of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for providing tactile feedback as guidance for a user of an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying at least one selectable option on a display of the electronic device;

detecting a user input on the display;

providing tactile feedback at a first level to guide the user to the at least one selectable option in response to detecting the input; and

increasing the tactile feedback to a second level as the input moves towards the at least one selectable option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one selectable option comprises a key of one of a keyboard and a keypad.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

displaying further comprises displaying a plurality of selectable options;

detecting further comprises detecting the input moving towards a particular one of the plurality of selectable options; and

providing further comprises providing tactile feedback associated with the particular one of the plurality of selectable options, wherein different tactile feedback is associated with at least two of the plurality of selectable options.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

displaying a plurality of selectable options further comprises displaying at least one option for entering data and at least one option for removing entered data; and

the tactile feedback associated with the at least one option for entering data is different than the tactile feedback associated with the at least one option for removing entered data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing tactile feedback comprises providing at least one of vibration feedback, heat feedback, and electrical feedback.

6. A method for providing tactile feedback to a user of an electronic device, comprising:

detecting a portion of a user'"'"'s hand on a first location of the display at a first distance from a selectable option;

providing a first tactile feedback to the user in response to detecting the portion of the user'"'"'s hand on the first location;

detecting a portion of a user'"'"'s hand on a second location of the display at a second distance from the selectable option; and

providing a second tactile feedback to the user in response to detecting the portion of the user'"'"'s hand on the second location, the second tactile feedback being different from that of the first tactile feedback.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

detecting movement of the portion of the user'"'"'s hand from the first location to the second location on the display; and

providing tactile feedback as the portion of the user'"'"'s hand moves on the display.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining that the detected movement of the portion of the user'"'"'s hand from the first location to the second location on the display comprises an input to at least one of scroll and zoom the display; and

in response to determining, providing tactile feedback to the user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying at least one of a scrolling limit and a zooming limit of the display associated with the determined input; and

in response to identifying, providing tactile feedback to the user.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

tactile feedback is defined by at least one of a frequency, an amplitude, a change in frequency, a change in amplitude, a duration, and a period; and

at least one of a frequency, an amplitude, a change in frequency, a change in amplitude, a duration, and period of the first tactile feedback is different than that of the second tactile feedback.

11. A method for providing tactile feedback using an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of selectable options;

detecting an input adjacent to a particular one of the plurality of selectable options;

identifying particular tactile feedback associated with the particular one of the plurality of selectable options in response to detecting, wherein one of at least two different tactile feedback is associated with each of the plurality of selectable options; and

providing the identified tactile feedback at varying intensity based on a distance of the detected input from the particular one of the plurality of selected options.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

displaying further comprises displaying different types of options; and

a different tactile feedback is associated with each of the plurality of different types of options.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

displaying further comprises displaying a plurality of options in a plurality of different areas of the display; and

a different tactile feedback is associated with each of the plurality of different areas of the display.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting the input directly over the particular selectable option; and

ceasing the identified tactile feedback in response to detecting the input directly over the particular selectable option.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the particular selectable option;

in response to receiving, identifying particular tactile feedback associated with the selection of the particular selectable option; and

providing the identified tactile feedback.

16. A method for guiding a user providing textual input to an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying at least one field for receiving text;

receiving a user input in a vicinity of the at least one field;

determining a distance between the input and the at least one field; and

providing a first tactile feedback of varying intensity based on the determined distance in response to receiving.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of keys associated with characters to enter in the at least one field in response to receiving;

detecting an input over a particular key of the plurality of keys; and

providing a second tactile feedback in response to detecting.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying a plurality of keys further comprises displaying at least one of a keyboard and a keypad.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the particular key comprises a key associated with at least one of a “

F”

character, a “

J”

character, and a “

5”

character.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the particular key comprises a key associated with at least one of a delete instruction and an enter instruction.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first tactile feedback and the second tactile feedback are different.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying a cursor indicating a current text entry position in the at least one field;

determining that the input is located in the proximity of the cursor; and

providing a second tactile feedback in response to determining.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying text in the at least one field, wherein the displayed text comprises at least a line, a word and a character;

detecting an input over at least one of a displayed line, word and character; and

providing tactile feedback in response to detecting.

24. A device, comprising:

a capacitive touch display;

a tactile feedback component; and

processing circuitry operative to activate the tactile feedback component in response to a capacitance detection event on the capacitive touch display, wherein;

the tactile feedback component provides tactile feedback at a first level in response to the capacitive touch display detecting an input at a first distance from a displayed object; and

the tactile feedback component provides tactile feedback at a second level different from the first level in response to the capacitive touch display detecting an input at a second distance from the displayed object.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the capacitive touch display comprises a multi-touch capacitive detection system.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the capacitance detection event is associated with an input moving across the capacitive touch display.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the capacitive touch display is operative to:

detect a user'"'"'s finger on the capacitive touch display; and

generate a capacitive detection event in response to detecting.

28. The device of claim 24, wherein the processing circuitry is further operative to:

identify objects displayed on the capacitive touch display;

determine the spatial relation between the identified objects and the capacitance detection event; and

activate the tactile feedback component in response to determining.