Tactile output for wearable device

• US 10,772,394 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Michalske, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US15/253,817
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/14 characterised by the way of fastening to a wrist-watch or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 25/02 by feeling; Clocks or watches for blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 25/04 Alarm clocks or watches with devices stimulating the skin normal pocket or wrist alarm clocks G04B23/12
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/025 for measuring physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

A wearable item, such as an electronic device, is disclosed. The wearable item includes a flexible strap and actuators within the flexible strap. The actuators are configured to dynamically form protrusions along the flexible strap. The protrusions present tactilely-perceptible information, such as braille characters or other symbols.

Claims

1. A watch, comprising:

a computing component comprising;

a housing;

a display device;

a processing unit; and

a first data connector; and

a band comprising;

an attachment member that is removably securable to the housing;

a second data connector configured to operably connect to the first data connector when the attachment member is secured to the housing;

a flexible strap extending from the attachment member;

actuators within the flexible strap and configured to dynamically form protrusions along the flexible strap;

wherein the protrusions present tactilely-perceptible information based on a signal transmitted from the processing unit of the computing component and through the first data connector and the second data connector;

a first touch sensitive region positioned between adjacent pairs of the actuators, configured to detect contact at the first touch sensitive region by a finger of a user, and operatively coupled to the processing unit; and

a second touch sensitive region positioned between one of the actuators and an edge of the flexible strap, configured to detect contact at the second touch sensitive region by the finger of the user, and operatively coupled to the processing unit;

wherein the processing unit is configured to;

receive information from the first touch sensitive region and the second touch sensitive region;

determine, based on the information, whether the finger of the user is in a first orientation or a second orientation relative to the band; and

causing the actuators to form a pattern of deformations based on whether the finger of the user is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

2. The watch of claim 1, wherein the computing component further comprises:

an audio output device;

a touch-sensitive surface;

a biometric sensor; and

an orientation detector.

3. The watch of claim 2, wherein the actuators comprise movable pins configured to extend and retract to dynamically form the protrusions;

the flexible strap defines openings therein; and

the movable pins extend at least partially through respective openings when extended, thereby forming the protrusions.

4. The watch of claim 3, further comprising a layer covering the actuators;

wherein the movable pins locally deform the layer when the movable pins are extended.

5. The watch of claim 1, wherein the actuators comprise:

an actuation material having a first density when in a solid phase and a second density, lower than the first density, when in a liquid phase; and

a heating element configured to selectively change phase of the actuation material.

6. The watch of claim 5, wherein the actuators comprise movable pins configured to extend and retract to dynamically form the protrusions.

7. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a computing component; and

a band coupled to the computing component, and comprising;

an inner surface for contacting a wearer;

an outer surface opposite the inner surface; and

actuators, each of the actuators being configured to dynamically form tactile symbols along both the inner surface and outer surface.

8. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the actuators are first tactile output mechanisms;

the tactile symbols are first tactile symbols; and

the wearable electronic device further comprises second actuators configured to selectively form second tactile symbols along the inner surface.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein each of the actuators comprises a pin movable between:

a neutral position in which no tactile output is formed;

a first position in which tactile outputs are formed along the inner surface; and

a second position in which tactile outputs are formed along the outer surface.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the band further comprises:

a first layer defining the outer surface; and

a second layer defining the inner surface;

wherein the actuators are positioned between the first layer and the second layer and are configured to deform the first layer and the second layer to form the tactile symbols.

11. A method for providing tactile output via a band of a wearable electronic device, comprising:

receiving, at a band including actuators configured to selectively form deformations along a surface of the band, information from a computing component coupled to the band;

determining whether the computing component is in a first computing component orientation or a computing component second orientation; and

in response to receiving the information, causing a set of the actuators to form a pattern of deformations along the surface, the pattern being formed in a first pattern orientation relative to the band when the computing component is in the first computing component orientation or in a second pattern orientation relative to the band when the computing component is in the second computing component orientation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pattern comprises a braille pattern.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

receiving the information comprises receiving information corresponding to a time; and

the braille pattern comprises a braille representation of a digit of the time.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining an orientation of the computing component;

wherein forming the braille pattern comprises forming the braille representation of the digit based, at least in part, on the orientation of the computing component.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the pattern of deformations is a first pattern of deformations; and

the method further comprises;

detecting a touch on a touch sensitive component proximate the first pattern of deformations; and

in response to detecting the touch, causing the set of the actuators to form a second pattern of deformations corresponding to the information along the surface.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the surface is an outer surface of the band;

the set of the actuators is a first set of the actuators;

the pattern of deformations is a first pattern of deformations; and

the method further comprises;

receiving, at the band, additional information from the computing component; and

in response to receiving the additional information, causing a second set of the actuators to form a second pattern of deformations along an inner surface.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the pattern is a temporal pattern.