Tactile feedback in an electronic device

• US 8,138,896 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony, Hodge, Andrew, Zadesky, Stephen, Lindahl, Aram, Guetta, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/139,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20090167509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.2, 340/815.47, 340/815.48, 340/815.6, 340/540, 340/686.1, 340/407.1
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

An electronic device for providing tactile feedback is provided. The electronic device may provide tactile feedback using any suitable approach, including for example vibration, heat, electrical, visual, or any other type of feedback. The electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to detecting any particular status of the electronic device, receiving any particular input, or detecting any suitable communication received by the electronic device. For example, the electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to identifying the current network of the device, the status of a particular electronic device component, or any other electronic device status. As another example, the electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to receiving a particular type of communication, or in response to receiving a communication from a particular contact.

Claims

1. A method for providing tactile feedback to a user of an electronic device, the method comprising:

determining that the electronic device is within a communications network;

detecting the type of communications network; and

providing tactile feedback to the user based on the detected type of communications network in response to detecting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting further comprises detecting whether the type of the communications network is one of a WiFi network and a cellular network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a communications operation using the communications network;

identifying a current status of the ongoing communications operation; and

providing tactile feedback in response to identifying.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying further comprises identifying at least one of a duration of the communications operation, an amount of data sent as part of the communications operation, and an amount of data received as part of the communications operation.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying further comprises identifying at least one of an amount of communications credit remaining in an account associated with the user and an amount of communications credit used by the ongoing communications operation.

6. A method for providing tactile feedback to a user of an electronic device, the method comprising:

determining that the electronic device is within a communications network;

receiving a communication over the communications network;

detecting the type of communications network providing the received communication;

identifying tactile feedback associated with the detected type of communications network, wherein different tactile feedback is associated with different types of communications networks; and

providing the identified tactile feedback to the user in response to identifying.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the type of the received communication further comprises one of a telephone call, a voicemail, an email, a text message, a media message, a chat request, and a fax.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a source of the received communication;

identifying tactile feedback associated with the determined source; and

providing the identified tactile feedback to the user in response to identifying the tactile feedback associated with the determined source.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the source of the received communication further comprises determining a contact from whom the communication was received.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying a tactile feedback associated with the determined source further comprises identifying a tactile feedback associated with the determined contact from a contact profile stored in the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a particular tactile feedback to associate with at least one of a type of communication and a source of communications; and

associating the selected particular tactile feedback with the at least one of a type of communication and a source of communications.

12. An electronic device operative to provide tactile feedback to a user of the electronic device, the electronic device comprising a processor, memory, a bus, a power supply, and a tactile feedback component, the processor operative to:

determine the current status of available electronic device resources, wherein the electronic devices resources comprise at least one of the memory, bus, power supply, and processor;

identify particular tactile feedback associated with the determined current status of the available electronic device resources in response to determining; and

direct the tactile feedback component to provide the identified tactile feedback to the user.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine whether the available electronic device resources exceed a minimum floor; and

direct the tactile feedback component to provide the identified tactile feedback in response to determining that the available electronic device resources do not exceed the minimum floor.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine whether a particular electronic device resource exceeds a minimum floor associated with the particular electronic device resource;

identify a particular tactile feedback associated with the particular electronic device resource in response to determining that the particular electronic device resource exceeds a minimum floor associated with the particular electronic device resource; and

direct the tactile feedback component to provide the identified tactile feedback associated with the particular electronic device resource.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operative to direct the tactile feedback component to provide at least one of vibration feedback, heat feedback, and electrical feedback.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein tactile feedback provided by the tactile feedback component is characterized by at least one of a frequency, an amplitude, a change in frequency, a change in amplitude, a duration, and period.

17. A method for providing tactile feedback to a user of an electronic device, comprising:

defining a destination;

establishing an initial location of the electronic device;

identifying the current location of the electronic device;

determining whether the current location is nearer the destination than the initial location; and

providing tactile feedback using the electronic device in response to determining that the current location is nearer the destination than the initial location.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a path from the initial location to the destination;

determining whether the identified current location is on the identified path; and

providing tactile feedback in response to determining that the identified current location is not on the identified path.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein providing tactile feedback further comprises:

determining the distance between the identified current location and the path;

identifying at least one of a frequency and amplitude of tactile feedback to provide in response to determining the distance; and

providing tactile feedback having the identified at least one of the frequency and amplitude.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a path from the initial location to the destination;

wherein identifying further comprises identifying at least two current locations at two successive times;

wherein determining further comprises that the earlier of the at least two current positions is nearer the destination than the later of the at least two current positions; and

providing tactile feedback to the user in response to determining.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of destinations; and

associating different tactile feedback with each of the plurality of destinations.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

identifying the one of the plurality of destinations nearest the current location of the electronic device;

identifying the particular tactile feedback associated with the identified one of the plurality of destinations in response to identifying the one of the plurality of destinations; and

providing tactile feedback using the identified tactile feedback.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein identifying a plurality of destinations further comprises identifying a plurality of locations associated with search results provided by the user.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying a map;

displaying an ending pin marking the location of the destination on the map; and

displaying a marker identifying the current location of the electronic device on the map.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

displaying an initial pin marking the initial location of the electronic device; and

displaying a path between the initial pin and the ending pin.