Haptic interaction via magnetic force
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsHenri A. AUTIO, Kenneth Mikael MAJANDER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A touch-screen device, a touch-screen stylus, and a method to provide haptic feedback to a user of a touch-screen device. The method comprises steps of recognizing the relative position of the tip of a touch-screen stylus relative to a sensory surface of the touch-screen device; asserting a haptic-force signal that varies in response to the relative position; and passing a controlled, variable electric current through an electromagnetic circuit to exert a magnetic force between the touch-screen device and the touch-screen stylus, wherein the electric current is varied in dependence on the haptic-force signal.
Claims20
A touch-screen device comprising:
- a position sensor configured to sense a relative position of a magnetically attractable tip of a touch-screen stylus relative to a sensory surface of the touch-screen device;
- an electromagnetic circuit carrying an electric current and forming, in proportion to the electric current, a magnetic force to attract the magnetically attractable tip to the sensory surface;
- and
- a drive circuit configured to receive a haptic-force signal and to vary the magnetic force by varying the electric current in dependence on the haptic force signal, wherein the haptic-force signal is varied in dependence on the relative position.
A touch-screen stylus for a magnetically attractable touch-screen device, the touch-screen stylus comprising:
- an electromagnetic circuit arranged at a tip of the touch-screen stylus, the electromagnetic circuit carrying an electric current and forming, in proportion to the electric current, a magnetic force to attract the touch-screen device to the tip;
- and
- a drive circuit configured to receive a haptic-force signal and to vary the magnetic force by varying the electric current in dependence on the haptic-force signal, wherein the haptic force signal is varied in dependence on a relative position of the tip relative to a sensory surface of a touch-screen device.
A method to provide haptic feedback to a user of a touch-screen device, the method comprising:
- recognizing a relative position of a tip of a touch-screen stylus relative to a sensory surface of the touch-screen device;
- asserting a haptic-force signal that varies in dependence on the relative position;
- and
- passing a controlled, variable electric current through an electromagnetic circuit to exert a magnetic force between the touch-screen device and the touch-screen stylus, wherein the electric current is varied in dependence on the haptic-force signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.