HAPTIC NOTIFICATIONS UTILIZING HAPTIC INPUT DEVICES

• US 20160011664A1
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ligtenberg, Christiaan A., Silvanto, Mikael M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,886,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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

Abstract

An electronic device may include a haptic input device, such as a haptic trackpad, that provides tactile feedback when receiving input. The electronic device may determine that one or more system level events occurs and utilize the haptic input device to provide one or more haptic notifications via one or more surfaces other than the haptic input device, such as a portion of a housing of the electronic device. In some cases, the electronic device may be configurable between a first position where the haptic input device is exposed and a second configuration where the haptic input device is covered but the surface via which the haptic notification may be provided is still exposed.

Claims

1. An electronic device operative to generate a haptic notification, comprising:

a housing;

a haptic input device that provides tactile feedback when receiving input; and

a processing unit;

wherein the haptic input device provides a haptic notification via a portion of the housing other than the haptic input device when the processing unit determines a system level event occurs wherein the system level event is an event that originates from an operating system, firmware, hardware component, hardware driver, or kernel of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configurable between:

a first position where the haptic input device is exposed; and

a second position where the haptic input device is covered.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein:

the electronic device comprises a laptop computer;

the haptic input device comprises a trackpad;

the first position comprises a laptop open position;

the second position comprises a laptop closed position; and

the system level event comprises connection of the laptop computer to a power input.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the portion of the housing is exposed in the closed position.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the system level event comprises at least one of:

connecting a power connector of the electronic device to a power source;

or disconnecting the power connector from the power source.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the haptic input device provides the haptic notification via the portion of the housing other than the haptic input device when:

the processing unit determines the system level event occurs; and

another notification mechanism normally utilized to provide notifications regarding the system level event is unavailable.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processing unit determines whether or not the notification mechanism is available upon determining the system level event occurred.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the notification mechanism comprises a graphical element displayed on a display.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the notification mechanism is unavailable because the display is covered.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the haptic notification includes a vibration.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the haptic notification includes a combination of a vibration and a sound.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the haptic notification is different than the tactile feedback.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the haptic input device comprises a haptic trackpad.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portion of the housing is not contacted by a user when providing input to the haptic input device.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the haptic notification is unique to the system level event.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the haptic input device provides a first haptic notification when the processing unit determines a first system level event occurs; and

the haptic input device provides a second haptic notification when the processing unit determines a second system level event occurs.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the haptic input device provides the first haptic notification via a first portion of the housing and the second haptic notification via a second portion of the housing.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the haptic notification includes a haptic output that is at least one of stronger than a haptic output provided as part of the tactile feedback or weaker than the haptic output provided as part of the tactile feedback.

19. A system operative to generate a haptic notification, comprising:

a housing;

a haptic input device that provides tactile feedback when receiving input; and

a processing unit;

wherein the haptic input device provides a haptic notification via a portion of the housing other than the haptic input device when the processing unit determines a system level event occurs and wherein the system level event is an event that originates from an operating system, firmware, hardware component, hardware driver, or kernel of the system.

20. A method for providing haptic notifications, comprising:

determining a system level event occurs for an electronic device that includes a haptic input device that provides tactile feedback when receiving input wherein the system level event is an event that originates from an operating system, firmware, hardware component, hardware driver, or kernel of the electronic device; and

providing a haptic notification associated with the system level event using the haptic input device via a portion of a housing other than the haptic input device.