Patent · US Active

Method for assisting user input to a device

US8619035B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
292References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 9, 2011
Grant dateDec 31, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 28, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0202
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for assisting user input to a device, comprising the steps of 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 that manipulates the volume of fluid to deform a plurality of particular regions of the surface into tactilely distinguishable formations that each represent a key of a key interface, allowing the user to provide input through the key interface, predicting a subsequent key input when a user provides an input through the key interface, and manipulating the volume of fluid to deform the plurality of particular regions into one of two types of tactilely distinguishable formations: a first type for tactilely distinguishable formations that represent a predicted key and a second type for tactilely distinguishable formations that represent an unpredicted key.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.