Tactile interface for a computing device

• US 9,588,684 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tactus Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Yairi, Micah
• Primary Examiner(s): Merkoulova, Olga
• Application Number:
  US14/815,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20160179272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• 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

Abstract

A tactile interface for a computing device includes a tactile layer defining a primary guide and a secondary guide. The primary guide is tactilely distinguishable from an adjacent peripheral region and arranged adjacent a first input region of a touch-sensitive surface. The secondary guide is tactilely distinguishable from the adjacent peripheral region, arranged adjacent a second input region of the touch-sensitive surface, and defines a peripheral boundary of a range of motion of a finger moving between the primary guide and the secondary guide. The first input region is independent from the primary guide, the second input region independent from the secondary guide.

Claims

1. A dynamic tactile interface for a computing device, comprising:

a substrate defining a fluid channel and a fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the fluid channel;

a tactile layer defining a primary guide and a secondary guide, the primary guide tactilely distinguishable from an adjacent peripheral region and arranged adjacent a first input region of a touch-sensitive surface, the secondary guide tactilely distinguishable from the adjacent peripheral region, arranged adjacent a second input region of the touch-sensitive surface, and defining a peripheral boundary of a range of motion of a finger or thumb moving between the primary guide and the secondary guide; and

a displacement device causing the tactile layer to transition from the retracted setting to the expanded setting and from the expanded setting to the retracted setting.

2. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the primary guide is positioned on the tactile layer in a position associated with rendered virtual image provided through a display of the computing device.

3. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the primary guide defines a flat-top button positioned above rendered virtual image.

4. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the rendered virtual image includes home keys of a keyboard.

5. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the secondary guides are positioned along a swipe path for a thumb or finger moving from the primary guide to the secondary guide.

6. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the primary guide transitions to the expanded setting in response to an event at the computing device, the displacement device displacing liquid from a reservoir into a variable volume displaced below the deformable region to expand the region.

7. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the primary guide transitions from the expanded setting to the retracted setting in response to an event at the computing device, the displacement device displacing liquid from a reservoir into a variable volume displaced below the deformable region to expand the region.

8. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the secondary guide is arranged adjacent to a secondary rendered virtual image.

9. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, further comprising a second primary guide and a second secondary guide, the first primary guide and the first primary guide positioned within a distance of each other suitable for a first finger or thumb of a user to engage both the first primary guide and the first primary guide, the second primary guide and the second secondary guide positioned within a distance of each other suitable for a second finger or thumb of a user to engage both second primary guide and the second secondary guide.

10. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 9, wherein the first primary guide and the first secondary guide expand in response to a first event at the computing device and the second primary guide and the second secondary guide expand in response to a second event at the computing device.

11. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 9, wherein the first finger or thumb is on a right hand of the user and the second finger or thumb is on the left hand of the user.

12. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, further including a touch sensor, the touch sensor expanding or retracting the secondary guide in response to detecting contact at the primary guide.

13. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional sets of a primary guide and corresponding secondary guide, each set of primary guide and secondary guide selectable and expandable via one or more touch sensors.

14. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the secondary guide includes a rigid, static and tacitly distinguishable feature substantially resistant to deforming.

15. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the primary guide and secondary guide have a similar shape type and different size.

16. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the primary guide is positioned between two adjacent keys in a rendered virtual keyboard.

17. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the secondary guide is positioned between two adjacent keys in a rendered virtual keyboard.

18. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, further including a transition guide having tacitly a distinguishable feature that tacitly directs the user'"'"'s finger from the primary guide to the secondary guide.

19. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the transition guide includes a depressed track vertically offset from the tactile layer.

20. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, wherein the transition guide includes multiple depressed tracks vertically offset from the tactile layer.

21. The dynamic tactile interface of claim 1, the displacement device including a fluid vessel and an actuator, the actuator displacing fluid from the fluid vessel into the tactile layer to transition the tactile layer from the retracted setting to the expanded setting and from the tactile layer into the fluid vessel to transition the tactile layer from the expanded setting to the retracted setting.