Haptic input device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsAleksandar Pance, Omar Sze Leung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment of a haptic input device may include a receiver configured to receive a signal from a touch-based user interface device. The signal may include a control signal or a look-up value. The haptic input device may also include a decoder coupled to the receiver and configured to decode the signal from the touch-based user interface device, at least one sensor configured to determine at least one characteristic of the haptic input device, a controller coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to transmit a control signal, a haptic actuator coupled to the controller, and a transmitter coupled to the at least one sensor.
Claims16
A haptic input device held by a user, comprising:
- a housing defining a tapered input end to interact with a screen of a touch-based user interface device, the housing enclosing:
- a receiver within the tapered input end and configured to wirelessly receive a signal from the touch-based user interface device, the received signal corresponding to a touch input gesture provided to the screen by the user and detected by the touch-based user interface device;
- a decoder to extract an input signal from the received signal;
- a controller to generate a control signal based on the input signal;
- a haptic actuator to provide a first haptic feedback response corresponding to the control signal;
- a sensor to determine an orientation of the haptic input device relative to the touch-based user interface device;
- and
- a transmitter to transmit the orientation to the touch-based user interface device;
- wherein
- the haptic actuator is configured to provide a second haptic feedback based on the orientation.
A method for providing haptic feedback, comprising:
- detecting an input gesture by at least one input sensor of a touch-sensitive input device, the input gesture performed by a stylus in contact with a touch screen surface of the touch-sensitive input device;
- deriving, by a processor within the touch-sensitive input device, an orientation characteristic of the stylus;
- receiving, by the processor, a signal from the stylus comprising a acceleration characteristic of the stylus;
- determining, by the processor, a haptic response based on the orientation characteristic, the acceleration characteristic, and the input gesture;
- and
- transmitting a haptic output signal to the stylus, the haptic output signal comprising a look-up value corresponding to the haptic response, the output signal instructing the stylus to provide the haptic response.
A haptic input device, comprising:
- a housing comprising an input end and a sensor end, the input end configured to contact a touch-sensitive surface of a user interface device;
- a receiver within the input end and configured to receive a modulated signal from the user interface device, the modulated signal corresponding to a gesture input provided by the input end to the touch-sensitive surface;
- a demodulator in communication with the receiver and configured to extract an input signal from the modulated signal;
- a sensor within the sensor end and configured to provide sensor data based on an orientation characteristic of the haptic input device relative to the user interface surface;
- and
- a controller in communication with the demodulator and the sensor and configured to generate a control signal based in part on the input signal and in part on the sensor data;
- a haptic actuator coupled to the controller and configured to provide a haptic feedback response based on the control signal;
- and
- a transmitter configured to transmit the sensor data to the user interface device such that an output of the user interface device is modified based on the sensor data;
- wherein the sensor end is opposite the input end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.