Intuitive thermal user interface
First Claim
1. An electronic device, comprising:
- a user-interface device having a surface that, during operation, receives a user selectable temperature setting to alter temperature of a temperature controlled environment based on tactile interaction with a user of the electronic device; and
a thermal mechanism, thermally coupled to a portion of the user-interface device, which, during operation, establishes a single temperature gradient on the surface based on the temperature setting and a temperature of the temperature controlled environment that includes the electronic device,wherein, during operation, the thermal mechanism dynamically modifies the temperature gradient so that, as the temperature setting is adjusted by the user to exceed and then progressively increase relative to the temperature of the temperature controlled environment, the thermal mechanism increases the temperature gradient, and, as the temperature setting is adjusted by the user to drop below and then progressively decrease relative to the temperature of the temperature controlled environment, the thermal mechanism decreases the temperature gradient, as user temperature setting input feedback.
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Abstract
An electronic device that provides thermal feedback to a user is described. In particular, when the user provides a setting via tactile interaction with a surface of a user-interface device in the electronic device, a thermal mechanism in the electronic device establishes a temperature gradient on the surface based on the setting. For example, the thermal mechanism may include a heat source that increases a temperature of the portion of the user-interface device and/or a heat sink that decreases a temperature of another portion of the user-interface device. Moreover, the thermal mechanism may dynamically modify the temperature gradient based on the tactile interaction and an environmental condition (such as the temperature) in an external environment that includes the electronic device. Note that the tactile interaction with the user may occur with a physical control object (such as a knob) and/or with a virtual icon displayed on a multi-touch display.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electronic device, comprising:
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a user-interface device having a surface that, during operation, receives a user selectable temperature setting to alter temperature of a temperature controlled environment based on tactile interaction with a user of the electronic device; and a thermal mechanism, thermally coupled to a portion of the user-interface device, which, during operation, establishes a single temperature gradient on the surface based on the temperature setting and a temperature of the temperature controlled environment that includes the electronic device, wherein, during operation, the thermal mechanism dynamically modifies the temperature gradient so that, as the temperature setting is adjusted by the user to exceed and then progressively increase relative to the temperature of the temperature controlled environment, the thermal mechanism increases the temperature gradient, and, as the temperature setting is adjusted by the user to drop below and then progressively decrease relative to the temperature of the temperature controlled environment, the thermal mechanism decreases the temperature gradient, as user temperature setting input feedback. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An electronic device, comprising:
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a user-interface device having a surface that, during operation, receives a user selectable temperature setting to alter temperature of a temperature controlled environment based on tactile interaction with a user of the electronic device; a thermal mechanism, thermally coupled to a portion of the user-interface device, which, during operation, establishes a single temperature gradient on the surface based on the temperature setting and a temperature of the temperature controlled environment that includes the electronic device, wherein, during operation, the thermal mechanism dynamically modifies the temperature gradient so that, as the temperature setting is adjusted by the user to exceed and then progressively increase relative to the temperature of the temperature controlled environment, the thermal mechanism increases the temperature gradient, and, as the temperature setting is adjusted by the user to drop below and then progressively decrease relative to the temperature of the temperature controlled environment, the thermal mechanism decreases the temperature gradient, as user temperature setting input feedback; and a control circuit, electrically coupled to the user-interface device, which, during operation, modifies a function of the electronic device to alter temperature of the temperature controlled environment based on the received temperature setting.
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20. An electronic-device-implemented method for interacting with a user, wherein the method comprises:
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receiving a user selectable temperature setting to alter temperature of a temperature controlled environment based on tactile interaction between the user and a surface of a user-interface device in the electronic device; and using a thermal mechanism in the electronic device to establish a single temperature gradient on the surface based on the temperature setting and a temperature of the temperature controlled environment that includes the electronic device, wherein the thermal mechanism dynamically modifies the temperature gradient so that, as the temperature setting is adjusted by the user to exceed and then progressively increase relative to the temperature of the temperature controlled environment, the thermal mechanism increases the temperature gradient, and, as the temperature setting is adjusted by the user to drop below and then progressively decrease relative to the temperature of the temperature controlled environment, the thermal mechanism decreases the temperature gradient, as user temperature setting input feedback; and wherein the thermal mechanism includes at least one of;
a heat source, and a heat sink.
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Specification