User interface system

• US 8,553,005 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Ciesla, Craig Michael, Yairi, Micah B
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARINELLI, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US13/414,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20120223914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 345/104, 178 1801- 2004, 434112-117
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

The user interface system of the preferred embodiment includes: a layer defining a surface, a substrate supporting the layer and at least partially defining a cavity, a displacement device coupled to the cavity and adapted to expand the cavity thereby deforming a particular region of the surface, a touch sensor coupled to the substrate and adapted to sense a user touch proximate the particular region of the surface, and a display coupled to the substrate and adapted to output images to the user. The user interface system of the preferred embodiments has been specifically designed to be incorporated into an electronic device, such as the display of a mobile phone, but may be incorporated in any suitable device that interfaces with a user in both a visual and tactile manner.

Claims

1. A user interface comprising:

a substrate comprising an attachment surface and defining a fluid channel adjacent the attachment surface;

a tactile layer comprising an input region and a particular region, the input region attached to the substrate at the attachment surface, the particular region adjacent the input region, disconnected from the substrate, and substantially enclosing the fluid channel, the tactile layer defining a tactile surface opposite the substrate;

a displacement device configured to displace fluid through the fluid channel to transition the particular region between a retracted setting and an expanded setting, the tactile surface flush across the input region and the particular region in the retracted setting and the tactile surface at the particular region offset from the tactile surface at the input region to define a guide along an edge of the input region in the expanded setting;

a sensor coupled to the substrate and configured to detect inputs on the tactile surface; and

a processor electrically coupled to the sensor and configured to respond to an input at the input region and to disregard an input at the particular region in response to the particular region in the expanded setting.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the tactile surface is planar across the input region, and wherein the tactile surface is continuous across the input region and the particular region.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the tactile layer defines a back surface opposite the tactile surface, and wherein, in the retracted setting, a portion of the back surface at the particular region is in contact with the substrate.

4. The user interface of claim 3, wherein, in the expanded setting, the portion of the back surface at the particular region is elevated off of the substrate and above a portion of the tactile surface at the input region.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive touch sensor.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the sensor is interposed between the tactile layer and the substrate, the input region mounted to the substrate via the sensor.

7. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the substrate opposite the tactile layer and configured to visually output an image through the tactile surface.

8. The user interface of claim 7, wherein the display is configured to output the image that comprises an image of an input key substantially aligned with the input region.

9. The user interface of claim 1, wherein, in the expanded setting, the input region defines an input key of a QWERTY keyboard and the particular region defines a guide along a portion of a perimeter of the input key.

10. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the displacement device comprises a pump.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the displacement device is configured to displace fluid into the fluid channel to transition the particular region into the expanded setting and to displace fluid out of the fluid channel to transition the particular region into the retracted setting.

12. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to interpret a touch on the tactile surface at the input region as a first input type in response to the particular region in the retracted setting and as a second input type in response to the particular region in the expanded setting.

13. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises a second attachment surface adjacent the fluid channel, wherein the tactile layer further comprises a second input region attached to the substrate at the second attachment face, wherein the particular region further defines a guide along an edge of the second input region in the expanded setting, wherein the processor is further configured to respond to an input on the tactile surface at the second input region and to disregard inputs at the particular region in the expanded setting.

14. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the tactile layer is of uniform thickness across the input region and the particular region and comprises a plurality of layers.

15. The user interface of claim 1 incorporated into an electronic device selected from the group consisting of:

an automotive console, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a television, a radio, a desk phone, a mobile phone, a PDA, a personal navigation device, a personal media player, a camera, and a watch.

16. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the input region defines an elongated swipe input region and the particular region defines an elongated guide along a length of the elongated swipe input region in the expanded setting.

17. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the substrate defines a second fluid channel, wherein the tactile layer further comprises a second particular region adjacent the input region and opposite the particular region, disconnected from the substrate, and substantially enclosing the second fluid channel, wherein the displacement device is further configured to displace fluid through the second fluid channel to transition the second particular region between a retracted setting and an expanded setting, the tactile surface flush across the input region and the second particular region in the retracted setting and the tactile surface at the second particular region offset from the tactile surface at the input region to define a second guide along a second edge of the input region in the expanded setting, and wherein the processor is configured selectively respond to inputs on the tactile surface at the input region between the particular region and the second particular region in response to the particular region and the second particular region in expanded settings.

18. The user interface of claim 17, wherein input region defines an annulus, wherein the particular region defines a center of the annulus, and wherein the second particular region borders an outer perimeter of the annulus, the sensor configured to detect an input on the tactile surface at the annulus, the input guided between the particular region and the second particular region in the expanded settings.

19. A user interface comprising:

a substrate comprising an attachment surface and defining a fluid channel adjacent the attachment surface;

a tactile layer comprising an input region and a particular region, the input region attached to the substrate at the attachment surface, the particular region adjacent the input region, disconnected from the substrate, and substantially enclosing the fluid channel, the tactile layer defining a tactile surface opposite the substrate;

a displacement device configured to displace fluid through the fluid channel to transition the particular region between a retracted setting and an expanded setting, the tactile surface flush across the input region and the particular region in the retracted setting and the tactile surface at the particular region offset from the tactile surface at the input region to define a guide along an edge of the input region in the expanded setting;

a sensor system coupled to the substrate, configured to detect inputs on the tactile surface at the input region and at the particular region in the retracted setting, and to detect inputs on the tactile surface at the input region and to disregard inputs on the tactile surface at the particular region in the expanded setting.

20. The user interface of claim 19, wherein the sensor system comprises a processor and a capacitive touch sensor electrically coupled to the processor.

21. The user interface of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to preferentially respond to an input on the tactile surface at the input region over an input on the tactile surface at the particular region in the expanded setting.