Morphable surface
OwnerAnne DeWitteinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A morphable surface including a support structure including a top surface and a bottom surface and at least one shape element including a head, a base plate, a post configured to connect the head and the base plate and be slidably disposed through an opening in the support structure, a spring configured to be disposed between the bottom surface of the support structure and the base plate, an actuator configured to urge against the base plate and be disposed in a first state and a second state, wherein the first state corresponds to a state in which the actuator is configured to push against the base plate in a push action in a first direction from the base plate to the head and the second state corresponds to a state in which the push action is removed, and a compressible element disposed between the actuator and the base plate.
Claims16
A morphable surface for receiving a tactile input of a user and displaying to the user, said morphable surface comprising:
- (a) a support structure comprising a top surface and a bottom surface;
- and
- (b) at least one shape element intersecting the support structure and movable relative thereto, said at least one shape element comprising:
- (i) a head;
- (ii) a base plate;
- (iii) at least one post configured to connect said head at a top end of said at least one post and said base plate at a bottom end of said at least one post, wherein said head is disposed above said support structure, said base plate is disposed below said support structure, and said at least one post extends through and physically intersects said support structure to guide translational movement of said at least one shape element relative to said support structure;
- (iv) a spring configured to be disposed between said bottom surface of said support structure and said base plate;
- (v) an actuator configured to urge against said base plate, said actuator further configured to be disposed in a first state and a second state, wherein said first state corresponds to a state in which said actuator is configured to push against said base plate in a push action in a first direction from said base plate to said head and said second state corresponds to a state in which said push action is removed;
- and
- (vi) a compressible element disposed between said actuator and said base plate,
- wherein when said actuator is disposed in said first state, said actuator comes in contact with said base plate and pushes against said base plate, compressing said spring and urging said head in said first direction, when said actuator is disposed in said second state, said push action is removed, allowing said spring to urge said head in said second direction, and wherein a tactile input applied by the user to said head causes compression of said compressible element and displacement of said base plate in said second direction while reducing compression of said spring.
A machine controller for controlling a first machine er and a second machine, said machine controller comprising:
- (a) a control surface comprising a plurality of alterable physical properties;
- and
- (b) a control device is functionally connected to said control surface and configured to:
- (i) communicate, in a first instance, with the first machine;
- (ii) communicate, in a second instance, with the second machine;
- (iii) receive, in the first instance, a first input from the first machine, said first input being indicative of a type of the first machine;
- (iv) receive, in the second instance, a first input from the second machine, said first input being indicative of a type of the second machine;
- (v) receive a second input from said control surface;
- (vi) generate a first instruction to change at least one of said plurality of alterable physical properties of said control surface into a first physical configuration associated with the first machine based on said first input received from the first machine;
- (vii) generate a second instruction to change at least one of said plurality of alterable physical properties of said control surface into a second physical configuration associated with the second machine based on said first input received from the second machine, wherein said second physical configuration is different from the first physical configuration;
- (vii) generate, in the first instance, a control instruction directed to the first machine in response to the second input;
- and
- (viii) in the second instance, a control instruction directed to the second machine in response to the second input,
- wherein each of the first machine and the second machine comprises a visual display and said machine controller is a remote controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.