Method for adjusting the user interface of a device

• US 9,229,571 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Ciesla, Craig, Yairi, Micah, Saal, Nathaniel Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): MARINELLI, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US14/054,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1801- 2004, 273457-458, 434113-114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• 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 3/0216 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of a keyboard for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1664
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A method adjusting a user interface experience for a device that includes providing a user interface to retrieve a user input, providing a tactile interface layer that defines a surface and includes a volume of fluid and a displacement device 10 that manipulates the volume of fluid to deform a particular region of the surface into a tactilely distinguishable formation retrieving a user preference between a first type, location, and/or timing and a second embodiment, location, and/or timing through the user interface, and manipulating the volume of fluid to deform a particular region of the surface into a tactilely distinguishable formation of one of the first and second type, location, and/or timing is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, for adjusting a user interface of a computing device, comprising:

displaying a range of parameter levels between a minimum parameter level and a maximum parameter level for a button rise time;

receiving a parameter level selection from the range of parameter levels;

receiving a retract time selection from a range of retract times between a minimum retract time and a maximum retract time;

rendering an input graphic on a display of the computing device;

correlating the parameter level selection with a rate of fluid displacement for the button rise time;

displacing a volume of fluid into a cavity arranged over the input graphic on the display at the rate of fluid displacement to expand a deformable region corresponding to the input graphic from a retracted setting into an expanded setting, the deformable region flush with an adjacent peripheral region in the retracted setting and offset above the peripheral region in the expanded setting;

displacing fluid, at a second flow rate, out of the cavity to retract the deformable region from the expanded setting into the retracted setting, wherein displacing fluid out of the cavity comprises displacing fluid out of the cavity at the second flow rate corresponding to the retract selection; and

sensing an input on the deformable region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a button firmness level selection from a range of button firmness levels between a minimum button firmness level and a maximum button firmness level, and wherein displacing the volume of fluid into the cavity comprises displacing the volume of fluid corresponding to the button firmness level selection into the cavity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displacing the volume of fluid into the cavity comprises displacing fluid into the cavity until a fluid pressure within the cavity reaches a target fluid pressure corresponding to the button firmness preference.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a button height selection from a range of button heights between a minimum button height and a maximum button height, and displacing the volume of fluid into the cavity to expand the deformable region according to the button height selection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displacing the volume of fluid into the cavity comprises correlating the button height preference with a target fluid volume between 0.003 milliliters and 0.1 milliliters and displacing the target fluid volume into the cavity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a button size selection from a range of button sizes between a minimum button size and a maximum button size;

wherein displacing the volume of fluid into the cavity comprises displacing the volume of fluid corresponding to the button size selection into the cavity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a second input graphic on the display, the second input graphic different from and adjacent the input graphic, and further comprising displacing a second volume of fluid into a second cavity arranged over the second input graphic on the display at a rate corresponding to the parameter level selection for the button rise time to expand a second deformable region corresponding to the second input graphic from a retracted setting into an expanded setting, the second deformable region flush with an adjacent peripheral region in the retracted setting and offset above the peripheral region in the expanded setting.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displacing the second volume of fluid into the second cavity comprises displacing the volume of fluid into the cavity and the second volume of fluid into the second cavity substantially simultaneously, the volume of fluid and the second volume of fluid substantially equivalent.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the input graphic on the display and displaying the second input graphic on the display comprise displaying a virtual alphabetical keyboard on the display, the input graphic and the deformable region corresponding to a first alphabetical character and the second input graphic and the second deformable region corresponding to a second alphabetical character.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the input on the deformable region comprises detecting a degree of change in capacitance of a capacitive touch sensor proximal the deformable region and correlating the degree of change in capacitance with an input on the deformable region.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displacing the volume of fluid into the cavity comprises actuating a pump fluidly coupled to the cavity for a duration of time corresponding to the parameter level selection for the button rise time.

12. A method for adjusting a user interface of a computing device comprising:

displaying a range of parameter levels between a minimum parameter level and a maximum parameter level for a button rise time;

receiving a parameter level selection from the range of parameter levels;

receiving a retract time selection from a range of retract times between a minimum retract time and a maximum retract time;

displaying a input graphic on a display of the computing device;

displacing fluid, at a flow rate corresponding to the parameter level selection for the button rise time, into a cavity arranged over the input graphic on the display to expand a deformable region corresponding to the input graphic from a retracted setting into an expanded setting, the deformable region flush with an adjacent peripheral region in the retracted setting and offset above the peripheral region in the expanded setting;

displacing fluid, at a second flow rate, out of the cavity to retract the deformable region from the expanded setting into the retracted setting, wherein displacing fluid out of the cavity comprises displacing fluid out of the cavity at the second flow rate corresponding to the retract time selection; and

sensing an input on the deformable region.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a button size selection from a range of button sizes between a minimum button size and a maximum button size;

wherein displacing the volume of fluid into the cavity comprises displacing the volume of fluid corresponding to the button size selection into the cavity.

14. A method for manipulating a tactile interface layer comprising a tactile layer, a substrate, and a displacement device, the tactile layer defining a deformable region and a peripheral region, the substrate defining a fluid channel and a cavity adjacent the deformable region and fluidly coupled to the fluid channel, the displacement device manipulating fluid through the fluid channel into the cavity, the method comprising:

displaying a range of parameter levels between a minimum parameter level and a maximum parameter level for a button height;

receiving a parameter level selection for a button height from the range of parameter levels;

receiving a retract time selection from a range of retract times between a minimum retract time and a maximum retract time;

rendering an input graphic on a display of the computing device substantially aligned with deformable region;

correlating the parameter level selection with a particular displacement volume of fluid;

defining a retracted setting of the deformable region substantially planar with the peripheral region and a maximum expanded setting offset from the peripheral region and tactilely distinguishable from the peripheral region, the maximum expanded setting substantially corresponding to the maximum parameter level;

displacing the particular displacement volume of fluid into the cavity to expand a deformable region corresponding to the input graphic from the retracted setting into a particular expanded setting corresponding to the parameter level selection; and

displacing fluid, at a second flow rate, out of the cavity to retract the deformable region from the expanded setting into the retracted setting, wherein displacing fluid out of the cavity comprises displacing fluid out of the cavity at the second flow rate corresponding to the retract time selection.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displacing the particular displacement volume of fluid into the cavity comprises displacing fluid into the cavity until a fluid pressure within the cavity reaches a target fluid pressure corresponding to the parameter level selection.