Digital coin timepiece for tactilely determining elapsed time
OwnerAlexander Wellen, David James Princeinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A digital coin timepiece that generates a tactile presentation which indicates elapsed time including a body member that includes a tactilely readable display surface that provides haptic feedback comprising first vibrations in a first location on the display surface when the tactilely readable display surface is touched by a user, with the first vibrations providing haptic feedback representing an actual minute or elapsed minutes so that the user can determine the actual or approximate time without having to view the display surface.
Claims18
A digital coin timepiece, comprising:
- a body member, wherein the body member includes:
- a display surface;
- a border, wherein the border includes hour indicators at each hour position along the border, and wherein each hour indicator is illuminated with an LED light according to which 5 minute time period of elapsed time is occurring;
- a haptic motor inside the body member;
- and
- one or more sensors, wherein when the one or more sensors detect a physical touch to the display surface, the one or more sensors cause the haptic motor to generate a set of vibrations as haptic feedback, and wherein the haptic feedback includes:
- a first set of pulses having a first length, wherein the first set of pulses indicate an increment of minutes within a current hour;
- and
- a second set of pulses having a second length, wherein the second set of pulses indicate single minutes within the current hour, wherein a combination of the first set of pulses and the second set of pulses defines the elapsed time within the current hour, and wherein the first length and the second length are different.
A method for indicating an elapsed time on a digital coin timepiece, wherein the method comprises:
- detecting a physical touch to a display surface implemented on a body member of the digital coin timepiece, wherein the physical touch is detected through one or more sensors implemented in the body member;
- illuminating an LED light associated with a particular hour indicator of a set of hour indicators included on a border of the body member, wherein the LED light is illuminated according to a current 5 minute time period of elapsed time within a current hour, and wherein the set of hour indicators are included at each hour position on the border;
- generating, using a haptic motor inside the body member, a first set of pulses on the display surface, wherein the first set of pulses have a first length, and wherein the first set of pulses indicate an increment of minutes within the current hour;
- and
- generating, using the haptic motor, a second set of pulses on the display surface, wherein the second set of pulses have a second length, wherein a combination of the first set of pulses and the second set of pulses defines the elapsed time within the current hour, and wherein the first length and the second length are different.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.