Method of providing tactile feedback and electronic device

• US 8,451,255 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Katarina Pavlikova
• Inventors: Weber, Arnett Ryan, Tong, Kuo-Feng, Grant, Christopher James, Pavlikova, Katarina, Lu, Yingying
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/780,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345173-178
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A method includes detecting, at a first time, a first touch associated with a first touch value that meets one of a first touch threshold and a second touch threshold, detecting, at a second time, a second touch associated with a second touch value that meets one of the first touch threshold and the second touch threshold, providing first tactile feedback at the first time, and providing second tactile feedback at the second time when the time period between the first time and the second time meets a time threshold.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, at a first time, a first touch associated with a first touch value that meets one of a first touch threshold and a second touch threshold;

detecting, at a second time, a second touch associated with a second touch value that meets one of the first touch threshold and the second touch threshold, wherein the second touch is detected before the first touch is discontinued;

providing first tactile feedback at the first time;

providing second tactile feedback at the second time in response to determining that the time period between the first time and the second time meets a time threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising not providing the second tactile feedback in response to determining that the time period does not meet the time threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time threshold is substantially the same as a period of scanning for touch values.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first tactile feedback and the second tactile feedback are different.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first tactile feedback and the second tactile feedback comprise simulation of depression or release of a switch.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first touch value comprises a force value.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining touch values for the first and second touches at points of time separated by a time period substantially the same as the time threshold.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time threshold comprises a fixed period of time.

9. A computer-readable storage device having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to perform the method of claim 1.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the the first tactile feedback is provided in response to the first touch and the second tactile feedback is provided in response to the second touch.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

an actuator;

at least one processor operably coupled to the touch-sensitive display and the actuator and configured to;

detect, at a first time, a first touch associated with a first touch value that meets one of a first touch threshold and a second touch threshold;

detect, at a second time, a second touch associated with a second touch value that meets one of the first touch threshold and the second touch threshold, wherein the second touch is detected before the first touch is discontinued;

provide first tactile feedback at the first time;

provide second tactile feedback at the second time in response to determining that the time period between the first time and the second time meets a time threshold.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to not provide the second tactile feedback in response to determining that the time period does not meet the time threshold.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the time threshold is substantially the same as a period of scanning for touch values.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the first tactile feedback and the second tactile feedback are different.

15. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the actuator comprises at least one piezoelectric actuator.

16. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first tactile feedback and the second tactile feedback comprise simulation of depression or release of a switch.

17. The electronic device according to claim 11, comprising one or more force sensors operably coupled to the processor, wherein at least one of the first touch value and the second touch value is a force value.

18. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the time threshold comprises a fixed period of time.

19. A method comprising:

detecting a first threshold-meeting change in a touch value associated with a first touch on a touch-sensitive display;

detecting a second threshold-meeting change in a touch value associated with a second touch on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second touch is detected before the first touch is discontinued;

in response to determining at least one of the first threshold-meeting change and the second threshold-meeting change is a change to meet a first touch value threshold, providing first tactile feedback;

in response to determining that the first threshold-meeting change and the second threshold-meeting change are changes that meet a second touch-value threshold, providing second tactile feedback.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first threshold-meeting change and the second threshold-meeting change occur during a predetermined period of time.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the first tactile feedback and the second tactile feedback comprises simulation of depression or release of a switch.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein in response to determining that the second threshold-meeting change occurs beyond a predetermined period of time of the first threshold-meeting change and is a change to meet a second touch value, the method comprises providing the second tactile feedback.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the touch value comprises a force value.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first threshold-meeting change and the second threshold-meeting change occur during a predetermined period of time and wherein the predetermined period of time comprises a period of scanning.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first threshold-meeting change and the second threshold-meeting change occur during a predetermined period of time and wherein the predetermined period of time comprises a fixed period of time.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein the the first tactile feedback is provided in response to the first touch and the second tactile feedback is provided in response to the second touch.

27. A method comprising:

detecting a first touch at a first time and a second touch at a second time on a touch-sensitive display, wherein the second touch is detected before the first touch ends;

determining a first touch value associated with the first touch and a second touch value associated with the second touch, wherein the first touch value and the second touch value are threshold-meeting values;

when the time between the first time and the second time meet a time threshold, providing first tactile feedback at the first time and second tactile feedback at the second time;

when the time between the first time and the second time does not meet a time threshold, providing the first tactile feedback at the first time and not providing the second tactile feedback.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the time threshold is substantially the same as a period of scanning.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the time threshold is a fixed period of time.

30. A method comprising:

detecting a first touch and a second touch within a predetermined time period, wherein the first touch meets at least one touch threshold and the second touch meets the at least one touch threshold, providing first tactile feedback in response to detecting the first touch, and not providing second tactile feedback in response to the second touch;

detecting a third touch and a fourth touch separated by at least the predetermined time period, wherein the third touch meets the at least one touch threshold and the fourth touch meets the at least one touch threshold, and providing second tactile feedback in response to detecting the third touch and third tactile feedback in response to detecting the fourth touch.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein no touch is detected between the third touch and the fourth touch.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the first tactile feedback and the second tactile feedback are different than the third tactile feedback.