Mobile phone using tactile icons

Abstract

A mobile phone or telecommunications terminal that sends and receives tactile icons (tactile sensation patterns, including vibration patterns) discernible by feel to a user of the mobile phone or terminal, indicative of a message desired to be communicated between users of such a mobile phone or terminal (not information concerning the operation of the mobile phone or terminal). The mobile phone or terminal includes a source of tactile sensations (such as a vibratory device) that produces a tactile sensation in response to control signals issued by a controller when a message including a tactile icon is received; the control signals are based on instructions included in the mobile phone or terminal on how to interpret a tactile sensation pattern. The source of tactile sensations is for example an eccentric electric motor, a source of puffs of air, an electric signal, a razor-type linear vibrator, a solenoid, or a piezoelectric material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.