APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INTERACTIVE DISPLAY WITH TACTILE FEEDBACK

• US 20090315831A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tactile Displays, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tactile Displays, LLC
• Inventors: Gray, R. O'Neal
• Granted Patent: US 8,217,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• 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: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An electronic device including an interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode. The interactive display comprises an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at last a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode, and a substantially transparent physical keypad that provides tactile feedback to a user indicating location of keys within the imaged keypad.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode, the interactive display comprising;

an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode; and

a substantially transparent physical keypad that provides tactile feedback to a user indicating location of keys within the imaged keypad.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the physical keypad provides tactile feedback only when the interactive display is in the interactive mode.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the physical keypad comprises piezoelectric material.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the piezoelectric material is quartz.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the physical keypad is made of a magnetostrictive material.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the physical keypad is permanently modified to provide tactile feedback.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image display device is selected from one of the following types of image display devices:

liquid crystal displays, digital light processor displays, plasma displays and light emitting diode displays.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a touchscreen panel disposed over the image display device.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the physical keypad is integral to the touchscreen panel.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the physical keypad is separate from the touchscreen panel.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the physical keypad comprises physical keys that extend through corresponding openings in the touchscreen panel.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising one or more actuators that move at least one of the physical keypad and the touchscreen panel relative to one another so that the physical keys protrude through the openings in the touchscreen panel when the interactive display is in the interactive mode.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is selected from one of the following types of electronic devices:

cell phones, personal digital assistants, automatic teller machines and data input devices.

14. An interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode, the interactive display comprising:

an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode; and

a substantially transparent physical keypad that provides tactile feedback to a user indicating location of keys within the imaged keypad.

15. The interactive display of claim 14, wherein the physical keypad provides tactile feedback only when the interactive display is in the interactive mode.

16. The interactive display of claim 15, wherein the physical keypad comprises piezoelectric material.

17. The interactive display of claim 16, wherein the piezoelectric material is quartz.

18. The interactive display of claim 15, wherein the physical keypad is made of a magnetostrictive material.

19. The interactive display of claim 14, wherein the physical keypad is permanently modified to provide tactile feedback.

20. The interactive display of claim 14, wherein the image display device is selected from one of the following types of image display devices:

liquid crystal displays, digital light processor displays, plasma displays and light emitting diode displays.

21. The interactive display of claim 14, further comprising a touchscreen panel disposed over the image display device.

22. The interactive display of claim 21, wherein the physical keypad is integral to the touchscreen panel.

23. The interactive display of claim 21, wherein the physical keypad is separate from the touchscreen panel.

24. The interactive display of claim 23, wherein the physical keypad comprises physical keys that extend through corresponding openings in the touchscreen panel.

25. The interactive display of claim 24, further comprising one or more actuators that move at least one of the physical keypad and the touchscreen panel relative to one another so that the physical keys protrude through the openings in the touchscreen panel when the interactive display is in the interactive mode.

26. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising the step of incorporating the interactive display of claim 14 into the electronic device.

27. A method of manufacturing an interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode, comprising the steps of:

providing an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode;

disposing a physical keypad over the image display device, the physical keypad comprising at least one physical key;

providing a touchscreen display comprising an opening that corresponds to the at least one physical key; and

disposing the touchscreen display over the physical keypad so that the at least one physical key extends through the opening in the touchscreen display when the interactive display is in the interactive mode.

28. A method of manufacturing an interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode, comprising the steps of:

providing an image display device that displays a user-interactive imaged keypad in at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the interactive mode and that displays other image data in the at least a portion of the image display device when the interactive display is in the non-interactive mode, the imaged keypad comprising at least one imaged key;

disposing a touchscreen display over the image display device; and

disposing a physical keypad over the display device, the physical keypad comprising at least one physical key that corresponds with the at least one imaged key when the interactive display is in the interactive mode.

29. A method of operating an interactive display having an interactive mode and a non-interactive mode, comprising the steps of:

generating a first control signal instructing the interactive display to switch to the interactive mode;

based on the first control signal, providing a user-interactive imaged keypad comprising one or more imaged keys within an image display device of the interactive display;

based on the first control signal, providing user access to one or more physical keys that correspond with the one or more imaged keys, the one or more physical keys providing tactile feedback to the user;

generating a second control signal instructing the interactive display to switch to the non-interactive mode;

based on the second control signal, providing other image data to replace the imaged keypad displayed in the image display device; and

based on the second control signal, reducing user access to the one or more physical keys.