Haptic Character Entry Surface for Small-Screen Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data entry methods, such as keyboards and touch screens, face limitations in miniaturization, ergonomics, and efficiency, particularly for entering characters and functions on small devices, leading to discomfort and increased error rates.
Innovation Solution
A data entry device utilizing a touch-sensitive zone with haptic feedback that allows direct entry of characters through learned combinations of elementary finger movements, eliminating the need for separate active and inactive fields and minimizing the manipulation area, leveraging the sensitivity of fingers for precise positioning and gesture recognition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a virtual keyboard is displayed on a touch screen, then characters can be entered directly, but the screen surface area is occupied and the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the keyboard interface from the visual display domain and relocates it to the tactile domain. By using haptic feedback to simulate physical keyboard keys on the touch screen surface, the system provides keyboard functionality without occupying visual screen space or requiring a physical keyboard structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces haptic feedback as an intermediary between the user's finger and the touch screen. This intermediary layer provides tactile sensations that guide finger movement and key identification, enabling virtual keyboard operation with physical keyboard-like precision without the physical presence of actual keys.
2Volume of moving object
If the keyboard area is reduced to fit small devices, then device miniaturization is achieved, but key finding becomes difficult and error rates increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements real-time haptic feedback that responds to finger position and movement. As the finger approaches or contacts a virtual key position, the haptic feedback provides tactile signals (such as vibration patterns or resistance changes) that confirm key location and boundaries, enabling accurate key identification even in miniaturized layouts.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies localized haptic feedback properties to different regions of the touch screen corresponding to different keys. Each key position can have unique haptic characteristics (varying vibration frequencies, amplitudes, or temporal patterns), allowing users to distinguish between closely spaced keys through tactile differentiation rather than visual inspection.
3Ease of operation
If traditional keyboards are used, then character entry is straightforward, but the device cannot be miniaturized and ergonomics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of a physical keyboard and a touch screen into a single integrated interface. The touch screen surface serves both as a visual display and as a haptic keyboard surface, combining the space-saving advantages of touch interfaces with the operational simplicity of physical keyboards through haptic feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention makes the touch screen surface multi-functional by enabling it to serve as both a visual display area and a tactile keyboard interface simultaneously. The same physical surface provides visual feedback through display elements and tactile feedback through haptic actuators, eliminating the need for separate physical keyboard components.
4Device complexity
If selection methods are used instead of direct entry, then fewer keys are needed, but data entry becomes time-consuming and tiring
Solution Approach 1:
The invention prepares the user's finger for efficient data entry by providing haptic guidance before actual key contact. The haptic feedback system detects finger approach and provides preliminary tactile cues about upcoming key positions and patterns, allowing users to anticipate and execute finger movements more efficiently without visual attention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides a sensitive, easy-to-handle, and non-tiring data entry method that reduces errors and adapts to small spaces, enabling efficient entry of characters and functions with minimal training, suitable for various devices including remote controllers and air mouse functions.
Implementation Method 1
a touch sensitive zone on an outer surface thereof that can be touched by a finger of the user, a processor coupled to the touch sensitive zone for sensing when the touch sensitive zone is touched and interpreting the electronic signals generated by the touch sensitive zone
Implementation Method 2
In a further aspect the invention relates to a data entry device for entering predetermined characters by a finger or a stylus of a user and converting the characters into a sequence of electronic signals representing the entered characters... wherein a haptic feedback is used that facilitates data entry by the user
Data Source
AI summary
A data entry device for entering predetermined characters by the finger of a user and converting the characters into a sequence of electronic signals representing the entered characters, that comprises a touch sensitive zone (2) on an outer surface, a processor (58) coupled to the touch sensitive zone (2) for sensing the zone (2) is touched, the processor (58) is programmed to recognize predetermined elementary finger movements and combinations thereof and to associate each of them with a character, wherein a closed boundary (10) is defined on the surface of the device above a portion of the touch sensitive zone (2) that has at least one haptic property differing from the haptic properties of the surrounding area, whereby the finger can definitely sense when the boundary (10) is touched, and the boundary (10) has an interior area constituting a data entry field (11) that has a centre region (16) which has at least one haptic property differing from the haptic properties of the portion beyond the centre region (16), whereby the finger when touching the centre zone (16) can sense being on the centre region (16), and the processor (58) is programmed so as to recognize when the centre region (16) is touched for a predetermined duration by the finger and interprets this event as the beginning of the entry of a character and from that moment starts observing and analyzing the combination of the elementary finger movements as long as the finger touches the data entry field (11), and when the finger has finished touching the data entry field (11) this is interpreted by the processor (58) as the end of the entry of the character, wherein the elementary finger movements can be radial movements between the centre zone (16) and one of a plurality of predetermined discrete special positions along the boundary (10) in both directions and arced movements along the boundary (10) from one special position to a neighbouring special position.