Tactile user interface device
First Claim
1. An apparatus including a pointing interface, comprising:
- a housing having a portion for a user to touch,a position detector responsive to a position of a user'"'"'s touch,an output interface responsive to the position detector for providing position information about touch events at the position detector to a computer running a general-purpose operating system,a display responsive to the operating system to display areas of both graphical and textual information, wherein positions on the display correspond to positions on the position detector and digital events on the display correspond to touch events on the position detector,a plurality of applications of different kinds running on the computer and operative to interact with the operating system to display at least some of the areas of graphical and textual information and to respond to the digital events,a configuration interface operative to define different associations between the digital events corresponding to the position information and tactile signals of differing types each corresponding to different particular applications interacting with the particular digital events,an input interface for receiving from the computer, in response to digital events corresponding to touch events at the position detector, the tactile signals of the particular different type that each correspond to the particular application interacting with a particular digital event in the computer, andan actuator that is fully mounted at one or more mounting locations that are in fixed relation to the housing portion and is responsive to the input interface, wherein the actuator is responsive to each of the particular tactile signals to produce and convey a particular tactile pressure wave to the user through the mounting locations to the portion of the housing for the user to touch.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer system includes a computer processor, an operating system operative in connection with the computer processor, and a display responsive to the operating system. The system also has a pointing device that includes a position sensor and a tactile actuator. A pointing device driver is responsive to the position sensor, and the tactile actuator is responsive to the pointing device driver. A general-purpose application is responsive to the pointing device driver and to the operating system and in communication with the display, and the pointing device driver is also responsive to the general purpose application. The system further includes a profile that maps region changes associated with material displayed on the screen to tactile signals to be sent to the tactile actuator.
20 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus including a pointing interface, comprising:
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a housing having a portion for a user to touch, a position detector responsive to a position of a user'"'"'s touch, an output interface responsive to the position detector for providing position information about touch events at the position detector to a computer running a general-purpose operating system, a display responsive to the operating system to display areas of both graphical and textual information, wherein positions on the display correspond to positions on the position detector and digital events on the display correspond to touch events on the position detector, a plurality of applications of different kinds running on the computer and operative to interact with the operating system to display at least some of the areas of graphical and textual information and to respond to the digital events, a configuration interface operative to define different associations between the digital events corresponding to the position information and tactile signals of differing types each corresponding to different particular applications interacting with the particular digital events, an input interface for receiving from the computer, in response to digital events corresponding to touch events at the position detector, the tactile signals of the particular different type that each correspond to the particular application interacting with a particular digital event in the computer, and an actuator that is fully mounted at one or more mounting locations that are in fixed relation to the housing portion and is responsive to the input interface, wherein the actuator is responsive to each of the particular tactile signals to produce and convey a particular tactile pressure wave to the user through the mounting locations to the portion of the housing for the user to touch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 21)
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11. A method of providing tactile feedback to a user, comprising:
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detecting a first position touched by a user on a touch surface, transmitting a first signal of a first type corresponding to the first detected position, detecting a first digital event of a first type caused by the first signal by a first application running on a computer running a general-purpose operating system and operative to display areas of both graphical and textual information on a display, updating the display based on signals transmitted from the touch surface, associating the first digital event with a first tactile signal of a first type, receiving the first tactile signal of the first type corresponding to the first position for which a signal corresponding to the first detected position has been transmitted, conveying for the first tactile signal received a tactile pressure wave to the user through the touch surface, temporarily refraining from conveying further tactile signals, detecting a second position touched by a user on the touch surface after the step of refraining, transmitting a second signal of the first type corresponding to the second detected position, detecting a second digital event of the first type caused by the second signal by a second application running on the computer running a general-purpose operating system and operative to display areas of both graphical and textual information on the display, associating the second digital event of the first type, detected by the second application, with a second tactile signal of a second type, receiving the second tactile signal of the second type corresponding to the second position for which a signal corresponding to the second detected position has been transmitted, and conveying for the second tactile signal received a tactile pressure wave to the user through the touch surface. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20)
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Specification