User interface and methods

• US 9,052,790 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Yairi, Micah B., Culver, Todd A., Ciesla, Craig M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARINELLI, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US13/896,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

One variation of a method for controlling a dynamic tactile user interface includes: sensing a capacitance value across a portion of a cavity, a tactile layer defining a deformable region and a peripheral region, the peripheral region adjacent the deformable region, and the deformable region cooperating with the substrate to define the cavity; estimating a vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region according to the sensed capacitance value across the portion of the cavity; manipulating a fluid pressure within the cavity to modify a vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a difference between the estimated vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region and a target vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region; and sensing an input on the tactile surface according to a change in capacitance value across the portion of the cavity.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a dynamic tactile user interface comprising a tactile layer and a substrate, the method comprising:

sensing a capacitance value across a portion of a cavity, the tactile layer defining a deformable region and a peripheral region, the peripheral region adjacent the deformable region and coupled to the substrate opposite the tactile surface, and the deformable region cooperating with the substrate to define the cavity;

estimating a vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region according to the sensed capacitance value across the portion of the cavity;

manipulating a fluid pressure within the cavity to modify a vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a difference between the estimated vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region and a target vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region; and

sensing an input on the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a change in capacitance value across the portion of the cavity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the capacitance value comprises sensing a capacitance value across a first conductive pad and a second conductive pad adjacent the cavity, the first conductive pad electrically coupled to a longitudinal array of conductive pads patterned across the substrate, the second conductive pad electrically coupled to a lateral array of conductive pads patterned across the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the capacitance value across the portion of the cavity comprises measuring at least one of a charge voltage, a charge current, a charge time, a discharge time, and a transmit frequency across a first conductive pad and a second conductive pad arranged on the substrate proximal the deformable region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region comprises estimating the vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a comparison between the sensed capacitance value across the portion of the cavity and a stored capacitance map specifying vertical positions of the tactile surface of various deformable regions of the tactile layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region comprises verifying an estimated vertical position of the tactile surface with a fluid pressure within the cavity, the fluid pressure within the cavity correlated with a vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region comprises estimating the vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region according to a capacitance map of an electric field distribution across a portion of the substrate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein estimating the vertical position of the tactile surface comprises selecting a capacitance map, from a set of capacitance maps, according to estimated vertical positions of a set deformable regions of the tactile layer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein manipulating the fluid pressure within the cavity comprises displacing fluid through a fluid channel, defined by the substrate, and into the cavity to expand the deformable region.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein manipulating the fluid pressure within the cavity comprises modifying the vertical position of the tactile surface at the deformable region to approximate the target vertical position that defines an expanded setting, the tactile surface at the deformable region elevated above the tactile surface at the peripheral region in the expanded setting.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing the input on the tactile surface at the deformable region comprises detecting the input according to an output of a capacitive sensor coupled to the substrate and an expanded setting sensor input threshold specifying a minimum capacitive value change associated with an input on the deformable region in the expanded setting.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the input on the tactile surface at the deformable region comprises distinguishing a touch on the tactile surface at the deformable region and an inward deformation of the deformable region according to a magnitude of the change in capacitance value across the portion of the cavity.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a drive voltage of across a portion of a capacitive touch sensor according to the estimated vertical position of the deformable region, the capacitive touch sensor comprising a set of conductive pads patterned across the substrate and cooperating to sense capacitance values across portions of the tactile layer.