TACTILE FEEDBACK FOR TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY

• US 20110248931A1
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: SHENFIELD, Alon, TONG, Kuo-Feng, WEBER, Arnett Ryan, GRANT, Christopher James
• Application Number:
  US12/756,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248931A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display, an actuator configured to impart a force on the touch-sensitive display to provide tactile feedback, and a controller configured to detect a touch based on input from the touch-sensitive display and to initiate the tactile feedback by the actuator.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

an actuator configured to impart a force on the touch-sensitive display to provide tactile feedback;

a controller configured to detect a touch based on input from the touch-sensitive overlay and to initiate the tactile feedback by the actuator.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, comprising at least one force sensor operably coupled to the controller to detect a force applied on the touch-sensitive display.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine when the force applied on the touch-sensitive display, exceeds a force threshold.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the tactile feedback is initiated in response to determining that a force applied on the touch-sensitive display, exceeds a force threshold.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, comprising a processor arranged and configured to receive touch location data from the controller and to receive a notification of the tactile feedback.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the notification of the tactile feedback comprises a notification of a first tactile feedback and notification of a second tactile feedback.

7. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the tactile feedback simulates at least one of depression of a switch and release of the switch.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises at least one piezoelectric actuator.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control a charge or voltage of the piezoelectric actuator to provide the tactile feedback.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, at a controller of an electronic device, touch location data from a touch-sensitive display;

initiating, by the controller, tactile feedback by providing an actuation signal to an actuator such that a force is imparted on the touch-sensitive display.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprising receiving, at the controller, force data from at least one force sensor to determine a magnitude of a force applied on the touch-sensitive display.

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising determining, at the controller, when the force applied on the touch-sensitive display, exceeds a force threshold.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the tactile feedback is initiated in response to determining that a force applied on the touch-sensitive display, exceeds a force threshold.

14. The method according to claim 10, comprising sending a notification of the touch location from the controller to a processor.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code executable by a controller of a portable electronic device to perform the method of claim 10.