Controllable tactile sensations in a consumer device

• US 9,405,371 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haptic Synergy LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: HJ Laboratories, LLC
• Inventors: Vartanian, Harry, Jurikson-Rhodes, Jaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Haley, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANK, EMILY J
• Application Number:
  US15/079,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20160209924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 131 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/85 characterised by tactile feedback features
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/05 electromechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/052 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/006 : Different feeling for different switch sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/038 : Prompting
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9643 : using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard

Abstract

An image displayed on a multi-touch display device is associated with a tactile area that has an individually programmable tactile vibration pattern. The image may be automatically associated with a tactile area in association with a sensor detected rotation. Subsequent to the rotation, the image may be automatically associated with the individually programmable tactile vibration pattern.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a controller configured to substantially individually control tactile areas on a multi-touch display device electrically coupled to the controller;

a processor configured to associate an image displayed on the multi-touch display device with a first tactile area of a plurality of tactile areas, wherein the first tactile area has a substantially individually programmable tactile vibration pattern;

wherein the image is substantially automatically associated with a second tactile area in association with a sensor detected rotation of the electronic device; and

wherein, subsequent to the rotation, the image is substantially automatically associated with the substantially individually programmable tactile vibration pattern.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the substantially individually programmable tactile vibration pattern is any one of a texturization, a gyration, a texturized gyration, or a texturized gyration pattern.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor is configured to provide a different programmable vibration pattern for the image in response to a zoom operation.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising at least one piezoelectric device or electo-active polymer (EAP) device in communication with the controller, wherein the at least one piezoelectric device or the electo-active polymer (EAP) device is configured to provide the substantially individually programmable tactile vibration pattern.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:

circuitry is configured to raise, by the electronic device, the first tactile area or the second tactile area to a height above a surface of the multi-touch display device.

6. A method performed by an electronic device, the method comprising:

controlling, substantially individually by a controller of the electronic device, tactile areas on a multi-touch display device electrically coupled to the controller;

associating, by a processor of the electronic device, an image displayed on the multi-touch display device with a first tactile area of a plurality of tactile areas, wherein the first tactile area has a substantially individually programmable tactile vibration pattern;

wherein the image is substantially automatically associated with a second tactile area in association with a sensor detected rotation of the electronic device; and

wherein, subsequent to the rotation, the image is substantially automatically associated with the substantially individually programmable tactile vibration pattern.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the substantially individually programmable tactile vibration pattern is any one of a texturization, a gyration, a texturized gyration, or a texturized gyration pattern.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

providing, by the processor, a different programmable vibration pattern for the image in response to a zoom operation.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising at least one piezoelectric device or electo-active polymer (EAP) device in communication with the controller, wherein the at least one piezoelectric device or the electo-active polymer (EAP) device is configured to provide the substantially individually programmable tactile vibration pattern.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

raising, by the electronic device, the first tactile area or the second tactile area to a height above a surface of the multi-touch display device.