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Audio/visual device user interface with tactile feedback

  • US 9,201,584 B2
  • Filed: 04/17/2012
  • Issued: 12/01/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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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