Audio/visual device user interface with tactile feedback
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a touch sensor having a touch-sensitive surface that is manually operable with a digit of a hand of a user, and on which at least a portion of a racetrack surface is defined;
an actuator coupled to the touch sensor to cause vibratory movement of the touch sensor;
a processing device; and
a storage accessible to the processing device and storing a sequence of instructions that when executed by the processing device, causes the processing device to, in response to an indication of the digit touching the racetrack surface at a position on the racetrack surface;
cause a marker to be visually displayed at a location on a menu visually displayed on a display element that corresponds to the position on the racetrack surface, wherein the menu is disposed about a periphery of the display element surrounding a display area at which a visual portion of an audio/visual program is displayed and the shape of the racetrack surface corresponds to the shape of the menu;
cause the display area to be reduced in size to accommodate the menu, and cause the visual portion of the audio/visual program to be rescaled based on the reduced size;
store menu data corresponding to a location of a plurality of menu items on the menu and virtual textures associated with the plurality of menu items;
employ the menu data to determine a virtual texture that corresponds to the location of the marker on the menu; and
operate the actuator to cause vibratory movement of the touch sensor to provide a perception of the virtual texture, wherein a virtual texture of a menu item displayed on the menu differs from a virtual texture of a space between menu items displayed on the menu.
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Abstract
A user interface for an audio/visual device includes a touch sensor in which the touch sensor is vibrated by an actuator coupled thereto to provide a user with a virtual texture for a corresponding menu on which the user is provided with the impression that menu item have textures, where the menu may extend about the periphery of a display element so as to at least partially surround a display area in which a visual portion of an audio/visual program may be played and possibly in a manner corresponding to how a surface defined on the touch sensor at least partially surrounds another manually-operable control.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a touch sensor having a touch-sensitive surface that is manually operable with a digit of a hand of a user, and on which at least a portion of a racetrack surface is defined; an actuator coupled to the touch sensor to cause vibratory movement of the touch sensor; a processing device; and a storage accessible to the processing device and storing a sequence of instructions that when executed by the processing device, causes the processing device to, in response to an indication of the digit touching the racetrack surface at a position on the racetrack surface; cause a marker to be visually displayed at a location on a menu visually displayed on a display element that corresponds to the position on the racetrack surface, wherein the menu is disposed about a periphery of the display element surrounding a display area at which a visual portion of an audio/visual program is displayed and the shape of the racetrack surface corresponds to the shape of the menu; cause the display area to be reduced in size to accommodate the menu, and cause the visual portion of the audio/visual program to be rescaled based on the reduced size; store menu data corresponding to a location of a plurality of menu items on the menu and virtual textures associated with the plurality of menu items; employ the menu data to determine a virtual texture that corresponds to the location of the marker on the menu; and operate the actuator to cause vibratory movement of the touch sensor to provide a perception of the virtual texture, wherein a virtual texture of a menu item displayed on the menu differs from a virtual texture of a space between menu items displayed on the menu. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 24)
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13. A method comprising:
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causing a marker to be visually displayed at a location on a menu visually displayed on a display element that corresponds to a position at which a digit of a hand of a user touches a portion of a racetrack surface defined on a manually-operable touch-sensitive surface of a touch sensor, wherein the menu is disposed about a periphery of the display element surrounding a display area at which a visual portion of an audio/visual program is displayed and the shape of the racetrack surface corresponds to the shape of the menu; causing the display area to be reduced in size to accommodate the menu, and causing the visual portion of the audio/visual program to be rescaled based on the reduced size; storing menu data corresponding to a location of a plurality of menu items on the menu and virtual textures associated with the plurality of menu items; employing the menu data to determine a virtual texture that corresponds to the location of the marker on the menu; and operating an actuator coupled to the touch sensor to cause vibratory movement of the touch sensor to provide a perception of the virtual texture, wherein a virtual texture of a menu item displayed on the menu differs from a virtual texture of a space between menu items displayed on the menu. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25)
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26. An apparatus comprising:
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a touch sensor having a touch-sensitive surface that is manually operable with a digit of a hand of a user, and on which at least a portion of a racetrack surface is defined; an actuator coupled to the touch sensor to cause vibratory movement of the touch sensor; a processing device; and a storage accessible to the processing device and storing a sequence of instructions that when executed by the processing device, causes the processing device to, in response to an indication of the digit touching the racetrack surface at a position on the racetrack surface; cause a marker to be visually displayed at a location on a menu visually displayed on a display element that corresponds to the position on the racetrack surface, wherein the menu is disposed about a periphery of the display element surrounding a display area at which a visual portion of an audio/visual program is displayed and the shape of the racetrack surface corresponds to the shape of the menu, and wherein the audio/visual program is received from one of a plurality of sources and the content of the menu depends on the source of the audio/visual program and a set of functions supported by the source; store menu data corresponding to a location of a plurality of menu items on the menu and virtual textures associated with the plurality of menu items; employ the menu data to determine a virtual texture that corresponds to the location of the marker on the menu; and operate the actuator to cause vibratory movement of the touch sensor to provide a perception of the virtual texture, wherein a virtual texture of a menu item displayed on the menu differs from a virtual texture of a space between menu items displayed on the menu.
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Specification