Dynamic tactile interface

• US 9,239,623 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Yairi, Micah, Rak, Roman, Jenkins, Jonathon, Ciesla, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Van
• Application Number:
  US14/480,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20150077366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A dynamic tactile interface including a substrate including a fluid conduit, a shelf adjacent the fluid conduit, and a fluid channel fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit; a flap including a distal end and a proximal end, the flap extending across the fluid conduit and hinged to the substrate at the proximal end; a tactile layer including a peripheral region and a deformable region adjacent the peripheral region and arranged over the flap, and a tactile surface opposite the substrate; and a displacement device displacing fluid to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting into an expanded setting, the distal end of the flap engaging the shelf in the retracted setting, and the distal end of the flap lifted off of the shelf and the deformable region in the expanded setting.

Claims

1. A dynamic tactile interface comprising:

a substrate comprising a fluid conduit, a shelf adjacent the fluid conduit, and a fluid channel fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit;

a flap comprising a distal end and a proximal end, the flap extending across the fluid conduit and hinged to the substrate at the proximal end;

a tactile layer comprising a peripheral region coupled to the substrate, a deformable region adjacent the peripheral region and arranged over the flap, and a tactile surface opposite the substrate;

a displacement device displacing fluid into the fluid channel and through the fluid conduit to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting into an expanded setting, the distal end of the flap engaging the shelf in the retracted setting, and the distal end of the flap lifted off of the shelf and the deformable region defining a formation tactilely distinguishable from the peripheral region in the expanded setting; and

a sensor coupled to the substrate and outputting a signal according to an input on the tactile surface.

2. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a substantially transparent material;

wherein the tactile layer comprises a substantially transparent material; and

wherein the flap comprises substantially transparent material.

3. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the shelf supports the flap against inward deformation into the fluid conduit, the shelf supporting the deformable across the fluid conduit region in the retracted setting.

4. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the flap and the substrate are physically coextensive.

5. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 4, wherein the flap and the substrate cooperate to define a flexure across the proximal end of the flap.

6. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 4, wherein the flap and the substrate cooperate to define a living hinge along the proximal end of the flap, the proximal end of the flap of a first thickness, the distal end of the flap of a second thickness greater than the first thickness.

7. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the shelf extends laterally across the fluid conduit;

and further comprising a second flap comprising a second distal end and a second proximal end, the flap extending longitudinally across the fluid conduit toward the shelf, the second flap hinged to the substrate at the second proximal end and extending longitudinally across the fluid conduit toward the distal end of the flap;

the tactile layer comprising a second deformable region adjacent the peripheral region and arranged over the second flap;

the distal end of the flap and the second distal end of the second flap simultaneously engaging the shelf in the retracted setting, and the distal end of the flap and the second distal end of the second flap elevated off of the shelf and the second deformable region defining a second formation tactilely distinguishable from the peripheral region in the expanded setting.

8. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a second fluid conduit, a second shelf adjacent the second fluid conduit opposite the fluid conduit, and a second fluid channel fluidly coupled to the second fluid conduit;

further comprising a second flap comprising a second distal end and a second proximal end, the second flap extending across the second fluid conduit and hinged to the substrate at the second proximal end adjacent the proximal end of the flap;

wherein the tactile layer comprises a second deformable region adjacent the peripheral region and arranged over the second flap; and

wherein the displacement device selectively displaces fluid into the fluid channel and the second fluid channel to selectively transition the deformable region and the second deformable region from the retracted setting into the expanded setting, the second distal end of the second flap engaging the second shelf in the retracted setting, and the second distal end of the second flap lifted off of the second shelf and the second deformable region defining a second formation tactilely distinguishable from the peripheral region in the expanded setting.

9. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the shelf is defined within the fluid conduit;

and wherein the flap comprises a pedestal extending into the fluid conduit and engaging the shelf in the retracted setting.

10. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein deformable region is connected to the flap across an exterior surface of the flap;

and wherein the tactile layer comprises a boundary region between the deformable region and the peripheral region, the boundary region substantially coincident a perimeter of the flap and extensible in response to displacement of fluid into the fluid conduit.

11. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the deformable region is coupled to the flap along a perimeter of the flap;

and wherein the flap defines a via communicating fluid from the fluid conduit into a cavity between the deformable region and the flap, the deformable region expanded outwardly from an exterior surface of the flap 111 the expanded setting.

12. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a group of fluid conduits;

further comprising a group of flaps, each flap 111 the group of flaps arranged over a fluid conduit in the group of fluid conduits;

wherein the tactile layer comprises an area defining group of deformable region, each deformable region in the group of deformable region arranged over a flap 111 the group of flaps; and

wherein the displacement device displaces fluid into fluid channels in the group of fluid conduits to substantially simultaneously transition the deformable regions in the group of deformable regions from the retracted setting into the expanded setting, each deformable region in the group of deformable regions substantially flush with the peripheral region in the retracted setting, and each deformable region in the group of deformable regions defining a formation tactilely distinguishable from the peripheral region in the expanded setting.

13. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 12, wherein deformable regions in the group of deformable regions cooperate to form a substantially smooth area of the tactile surface in the retracted setting and cooperate to form a textured area of the tactile surface in the expanded setting.

14. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the substrate opposite the tactile layer and rendering an image of a key adjacent the deformable region.

15. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 14, wherein the distal end of the flap defines a chamfer facing the shelf, an edge of the chamfer forming a sharp in an adjacent portion of the deformable region substantially aligned with a portion of a perimeter of the image of the key rendered on the display in the expanded setting.

16. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor interposed between the substrate and the display, the capacitive touch sensor outputting a signal corresponding to an input on a tactile surface of the tactile layer proximal the deformable region.

17. A dynamic tactile interface for arrangement over a touch-sensitive display of a computing device, the dynamic tactile interface comprising:

a substrate comprising a fluid conduit, a shelf adjacent an edge of the fluid conduit, and a fluid channel fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit;

a flap comprising a distal end and a proximal end, the flap extending across the fluid conduit and hinged to the substrate at the proximal end;

a tactile layer comprising a tactile surface opposite the substrate, a peripheral region coupled to the substrate, and a deformable region adjacent the peripheral region and arranged over the flap; and

a displacement device displacing fluid into the fluid channel and through the fluid conduit to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting into an expanded setting, the distal end of the flap engaging the shelf and the deformable region substantially flush with the peripheral region in the retracted setting, and the distal end of the flap lifted off of the shelf and the deformable region defining a formation tactilely distinguishable from the peripheral region in the expanded setting.

18. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 17, further comprising a housing transiently engaging a mobile computing device, the housing transiently retaining the substrate over a digital display of the mobile computing device.

19. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 17, wherein the substrate comprises a second fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the fluid channel and a second shelf adjacent the second fluid conduit opposite the fluid conduit;

further comprising a second flap comprising a second distal end and a second proximal end, the second flap extending across the second fluid conduit and hinged to the substrate at the second proximal end adjacent the proximal end of the flap;

wherein the tactile layer comprises a second deformable region adjacent the peripheral region and arranged over the second flap; and

wherein the displacement device displaces fluid into the fluid channel, through the fluid conduit, and through the second fluid conduit to substantially simultaneously transition the deformable region and the second deformable region from the retracted setting into the expanded setting, the second distal end of the second flap engaging the second shelf in the retracted setting, and the second distal end of the second flap lifted off of the second shelf and the second deformable region defining a second formation tactilely distinguishable from the peripheral region in the expanded setting.

20. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 17, wherein the flap and the substrate are physically coextensive, the flap and the substrate cooperating to define a living hinge along the proximal end of the flap, the proximal end of the flap of a first thickness, the distal end of the flap of a second thickness greater than the first thickness.

21. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 17, wherein the distal end of the flap defines a chamfer facing the shelf, an edge of the chamfer forming a sharp in an adjacent portion of the deformable region substantially aligned with a portion of a perimeter of an image of the key rendered on the touch-sensitive display in the expanded setting.

22. A dynamic tactile interface comprising:

a substrate comprising a fluid conduit, a shelf adjacent the fluid conduit, and a fluid channel fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit;

a flap comprising a distal end and a proximal end, the flap extending across the fluid conduit and hinged to the substrate at the proximal end;

a tactile layer comprising a peripheral region coupled to the substrate, a deformable region adjacent the peripheral region and arranged over the flap, and a tactile surface opposite the substrate;

a displacement device displacing fluid into the fluid channel and through the fluid conduit to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting into an expanded setting, the distal end of the flap engaging the shelf in the expanded setting, and the distal end of the flap below the shelf and the deformable region defining a formation tactilely distinguishable from the peripheral region in the retracted setting; and

a sensor coupled to the substrate and outputting a signal according to an input on the tactile surface.