User interface having changeable topography

• US 9,600,070 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chatterjee, Shuvo, Hoellwarth, Quin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US12/409,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,920 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/04886 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 user interface having changeable topography is disclosed. The user interface can have a shape changeable surface that can selectively alter according to an input so as to provide changeable topography of the user interface. The surface can include individual nodes that can raise above or lower below the initial surface. Alternatively, the surface can include a shape changeable material that can change the shape of portions thereof into discrete shapes above or below the initial surface. Alternatively, the surface can include a deformable material that can deform portions thereof into discrete forms above or below the initial surface. The changeable topography can define different user interface layouts. The user interface can, for example, be associated with input and/or output devices, such as touch pads, touch screens, and the like.

Claims

1. A user interface comprising:

a shape changeable surface including a display, the surface configured to selectively alter topography of the display according to an input including a touch event, the selectively altering including;

altering a height of a first region of the surface to a first height and concurrently displaying a user interface object in the first region of the surface;

while the first region is at the first height and the user interface object is displayed, sensing the touch event on the surface at one or more touch sensing nodes;

determining a surface location of the touch event based on touch information received from the one or more touch sensing nodes; and

in response to a determination that the surface location is in the first region of the surface, automatically altering one or more shape changeable nodes at the first region of the surface to alter the height of the first region of the surface to a second height.

2. The interface of claim 1, wherein the input includes at least one of a user interface state and a touch event.

3. The interface of claim 1, wherein the shape changeable surface comprises individual nodes configured to alter according to the input.

4. The interface of claim 3, wherein the individual nodes alter by raising above or lowering below the initial shape changeable surface.

5. The interface of claim 1, wherein the shape changeable surface comprises a deformable material configured to alter according to the input.

6. The interface of claim 5, wherein the deformable material alters by deforming portions of the material to discrete shapes above or below the initial shape changeable surface.

7. The interface of claim 1, wherein the shape changeable surface comprises a shape changeable material configured to alter according to the input.

8. The interface of claim 7, wherein the shape changeable material alters by changing portions of the material to discrete shapes above or below the initial shape changeable surface.

9. The interface of claim 1, further comprising an input region associated with the shape changeable surface and configured to receive the input.

10. The interface of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display at least one user interface element.

11. The interface of claim 1 incorporated into a touch sensitive device.

12. The interface of claim 11, the touch sensitive device incorporated into a computing system.

13. The interface of claim 1 incorporated into a mobile telephone.

14. The interface of claim 1 incorporated into a digital media player.

15. The interface of claim 1 incorporated into a personal computer.

16. A device for changing topography of a user interface comprising:

a plurality of nodes proximate to a surface of a user interface, the user interface including a display, wherein each node is proximate to a particular region of the surface and configured to selectively alter according to an input including a touch event, the selectively altering including;

altering a height of a first region of the surface to a first height and concurrently displaying a user interface object in the first region of the surface;

while the first region is at the first height and the user interface object is displayed, sensing the touch event on the surface at one or more touch sensing nodes;

determining a surface location of the touch event based on touch information received from the one or more touch sensing nodes; and

in response to a determination that the surface location is in the first region of the surface, automatically altering one or more shape changeable nodes at the first region of the surface to alter the height of the first region of the surface to a second height.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the nodes are electromechanical devices, each electromechanical device having an actuator configured to move according to the input so as to alter a proximate region of the surface.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the nodes are shape changeable nodes, each shape changeable node comprising shape changeable material configured to change shape according to the input so as to alter a proximate region of the surface.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the nodes are deformable nodes, each deformable node comprising deformable material configured to deform according to the input so as to alter a proximate region of the surface.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the nodes alter by at least one of raising, lowering, elongating, shortening, stretching, retracting, or rotating.

21. A method for changing a user interface topography, comprising:

altering a height of a first region of the surface to a first height and concurrently displaying a user interface object in the first region of the surface;

determining a user interface state, including, while the first region is at the first height and the user interface object is display, sensing a touch event on the surface at one or more touch sensing nodes and determining a surface location of the touch event based on touch information received from the one or more touch sensing nodes; and

configuring a user interface according to the determined user interface state, including, in response to the determination that the surface location is in the first region of the surface, automatically altering one or more shape changeable nodes at the first region of the surface to alter the height of the first region of the surface to a second height.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring the user interface comprises:

selecting one or more changeable regions of a surface of the user interface; and

altering the selected regions to change topography of the user interface.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring the user interface comprises adjusting a shape of the user interface to match preferences of the determined user interface state.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring the user interface comprises configuring touch characteristics of the user interface according to the determined user interface state.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein configuring the touch characteristics comprises setting active touch regions of the user interface configured to detect a touch and null touch regions of the user interface configured ignore a touch, the touch characteristics associated with topography of the user interface.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring the user interface comprises configuring display characteristics of the user interface according to the determined user interface state.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein configuring the display characteristics comprises displaying user interface elements associated with topography of the user interface.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving an input including at least one of the user interface state and a touch event.