Method and device for tactilely reading time on a touch screen

A mobile device that generates tactile representations which indicate time, the mobile device comprising:

• a touch screen that includes functionality to be able to be activated to electrovibrate in at least one portion of the touch screen;
• a transparent electrode layer that, when excited with an electrical signal applied to connectors used by a position-sensing driver, generates electrovibrations at different locations of the touch screen and corresponding to the time to provide a tactile presentation at the different locations and which indicates the time;
• and
• a processor that, in response to an application of pressure to or rubbing a portion of the touch screen:
• activates the touch screen;
• receives electrical signals specifying a current time;
• and
• activates the transparent electrode layer to generate a set of electrovibrations at predetermined locations of the touch screen and corresponding to the current time to provide haptic feedback to indicate a tactile representation of the current time at the predetermined locations;
• wherein the haptic feedback is configured to emulate shapes comprising:
• a first set of shapes only forming one or more numeric characters at a first predetermined location;
• and
• a second set of shapes having a different format than that of the first set of shapes at a second predetermined location, wherein the second predetermined location differs from the first predetermined location;
• wherein when the first set of shapes represents a current hour, the second set of shapes represents only elapsed minutes corresponding to the current time;
• and
• wherein when the first set of shapes represents the elapsed minutes, the second set of shapes represents only the current hour;
• and
• wherein a user by contacting the touch screen across the first set of shapes at the first predetermined location and the second set of shapes at the second predetermined location can sense and recognize, by the haptic feedback at the first predetermined location and the second predetermined location, the current time without having to view the touch screen.