Touch surface for simulating materials

• US 9,317,118 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Puskarich, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRIS, DOROTHY H
• Application Number:
  US14/059,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A system for simulating materials using touch surfaces includes a touch surface, an actuator and/or an temperature control device, and a control unit. The control unit controls the actuator or the temperature control device to cause at least a portion of the touch surface to simulate a material. Such control may include utilizing the actuator to vibrate the surface to simulate the tactile sensation of texture. Such control may also include utilizing the temperature control device (such as a Peltier device) to control the temperature of the surface in order to simulate the thermal conductivity of a material. In some cases, the temperature control may be performed utilizing a temperature sensor to adjust the temperature of the surface. In various cases, the vibration and/or temperature may be varied over time, such as in response to one or more touches detected using one or more touch sensors.

Claims

1. A system for simulating materials using a touch surface, comprising:

a touch surface for an electronic device;

at least one temperature control device operable to control a temperature of at least a portion of the touch surface;

at least one actuator operable to vibrate the portion of the touch surface; and

at least one control unit that controls the at least one temperature control device and the at least one actuator to cause the portion of the touch surface to simulate a material;

wherein;

the at least one control unit varies the temperature of the portion of the touch surface based on a duration of a touch to simulate the material changing temperature in response to the touch over the duration; and

the at least one control unit controls heat produced by the at least one actuator to prevent interference with the simulation of the temperature of the material with the touch surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein simulating the material changing temperature in response to the touch over the duration comprises simulating the material increasing in temperature in response to a heat of the touch.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one temperature control device comprises at least one Peltier device.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one temperature sensor wherein the at least one control unit controls the at least one temperature control device based at least on a temperature of the touch surface detected by the at least one temperature sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one touch sensor that detects at least one characteristic of at least one touch on the touch surface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one control unit controls the at least one temperature control device based at least on at least one characteristic.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of at least one location of the at least one touch, at least one duration of the at least one touch, at least one movement associated with the at least one touch, or at least one force of the at least one touch.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one control unit varies the control of the at least one temperature control device over time based at least on data from the at least one touch sensor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein

the at least one control unit controls the actuator to increase vibration to cause the portion of the touch surface to simulate a rougher material and decrease vibration to cause the portion of the touch surface to simulate a material to simulate a smoother material.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein

the at least one control unit controls the at least one actuator to simulate a texture of the material.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control unit controls the at least one temperature control device to simulate a temperature of the material.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch surface comprises a plurality of portions that are each controllable by the at least one control unit to simulate the material.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control unit controls the at least one temperature control device to cause the portion of the touch surface to simulate an additional material.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch surface comprises at least one of a touch screen, a track pack, or a button element.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch surface comprises at least one of glass, plastic, or metal.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a layer of diamond material on the touch surface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the layer of diamond material comprises a chemical vapor deposited layer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the chemical vapor deposited layer comprises a carbon vapor deposited layer.