Graphic user interface having touch detectability

• US 6,988,247 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Janevski, Angel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/174,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/771, 715/851, 715/835, 715/837, 715/839, 345/130, 345/123, 345/169
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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: H03J 2200/26 Remote control device with touch screen display

Abstract

A control panel for an electrical/electronic device allows a user to use the control panel without looking at the control panel. The control panel is formed by a graphic user interface (GUI) having a display for displaying various control icons for controlling the device. The display is touch sensitive so that a user is able to select the control function by pressing on the appropriate control icon. The display further has touch detectability for enabling a user to distinguish between the icons by touch. The touch detectability may be in the form of the surface of the display having raised portion in the vicinity of the control icons. While the positioning of the raised portions may be fixed, to allow for changing layouts of the control icons, the display may be flexible and an array of actuators may underlie the display whereby the actuators are selectively activated to press against the underside of the display thereby raising the upper surface of the display in the vicinities of the control icons.

Claims

1. A control panel for an electrical/electronic device, said control panel comprising:

a graphic user interface (GUI) having a display for displaying various control icons representing various control functions for controlling the electrical/electronic device;

means for rendering touch sensitivity to said display enabling a user of the control panel to select the desired control function by touching the respective control icon; and

means for rendering touch detectability to the control icons on the display enabling a user to differentiate the various control icons by feel.

2. The control panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for rendering touch detectability comprises changing a surface quality of said display at said control icons such that said control icons may be distinguished, by touch, from surrounding areas of the display.

3. The control panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein said surface quality is an increased height of the display in the areas of the control icons.

4. The control panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein said surface quality is a lowering of the height of the display in the areas of the control icons.

5. The control panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein said display is flexible, and wherein said means for rendering touch detectability comprises an array of actuators positioned beneath said flexible display, and control means for activating select ones of said actuators to locally deform the flexible display in the areas of the control icons.

6. The control panel as claimed in claim 5, wherein said means for rendering touch sensitivity comprises:

means for detecting pressure on various ones of said select ones of said actuators resulting from a user pressing a corresponding control icon; and

means for identifying the selected control function.