Haptic feedback for touchpads and other touch controls

A haptic feedback touch control for inputting signals to a computer and for outputting forces to a user of the touch control, the touch control comprising:

• a touch input device including an approximately planar touch surface operative to input a position signal to a processor of said computer based on a location on said touch surface which said user contacts, said position signal representing a location in two dimensions, wherein said computer positions a cursor in a graphical environment displayed on a display device based at least in part on said position signal;
• and
• an actuator coupled to said touch input device, said actuator coupled to an inertial mass, wherein said actuator outputs an inertial force approximately along an axis perpendicular to said planar touch surface, wherein said inertial force is transmitted through said touch input device to said user contacting said touch surface.

A method for providing haptic feedback to a touch input device that provides input to a computer device, said computer device implementing a graphical environment, the method comprising:

• providing said touch input device that is contacted by a user, said touch input device including at least one sensor for determining a location of said contact on a planar surface of said touch input device by said user and providing said computer device with a position signal indicating said location, wherein said computer device positions a cursor in said graphical environment based at least in part on said position signal;
• and
• providing an actuator coupled to said touch input device, said actuator receiving control signals derived, from force information output by said computer device, wherein said force information causes said actuator to output a force on said touch input device, said force being correlated with an interaction occurring in said graphical environment between said cursor and a different graphical object.