Magnetic and electrostatic vibration-driven haptic touchscreen

A system, comprising:

• an electromagnetic puck;
• a positionable element with a planar contact surface supporting the electromagnetic puck;
• a vibration-inducing assembly operating to vibrate the positionable element, whereby the planar contact surface is oscillated along a first axis and is oscillated along a second axis transverse to the first axis;
• and
• a controller for selectively operating the electromagnetic puck to generate a magnetic field attracting the electromagnetic puck to the planar contact surface, wherein the magnetic field is of a magnitude great enough to attract the electromagnetic puck into abutting contact with the planar contact surface, whereby the electromagnetic puck is locked onto the planar contact surface and moves with the planar contact surface when the magnetic field is generated, and
• wherein the planar contact surface comprises a ferrous material.

A method of controllably moving an object on a contact surface, comprising:

• first vibrating a body including the contact surface along a first axis;
• second vibrating the body including the contact surface along a second axis transverse to the first axis;
• positioning the object on the contact surface at a first position;
• and
• over a period of time and during the first and second vibrating, varying the magnitude of an attractive force between the object and the contact surface, whereby the object is moved from the first position to a second position relative to the contact surface,
• wherein the contact surface comprises a ferrous material,
• wherein the attractive force is a magnetic field and the magnitude is varied to selectively lock the object to the contact surface and release the object from the contact surface,
• wherein the object comprises an electromagnetic puck, and
• wherein the varying comprises selectively providing power to an electromagnet housed on the electromagnetic puck during the period of time.