Haptic Profile Mapping for Sight-Free Button Identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices with physical buttons require direct line of sight and/or visual and/or audible feedback cues for operation, which can be cumbersome, ambiguous, and increase power consumption, especially when buttons are not in direct view or are occluded.
Innovation Solution
An electronic apparatus with an interactive area that provides tactile feedback through a sensing unit, response unit, and processing unit, utilizing tactile user profiles to associate functions with specific haptic responses, allowing users to identify functions by touch without visual or audible cues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If visual or audible feedback cues are provided on buttons, then user identification of button functions is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual and audible feedback systems with a tactile feedback mechanism. The interactive area generates haptic patterns through mechanical vibration when touched, allowing users to identify button functions through touch rather than sight or sound. This substitution eliminates the need for power-intensive display and audio systems while providing effective feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The tactile feedback system is activated only when a user actually touches the interactive area. The haptic pattern is generated on-demand through the sensing unit detecting touch and triggering the response unit, rather than continuously operating visual or audible indicators. This self-service approach minimizes power consumption by activating feedback only when needed.
2Loss of information
If visual feedback cues are displayed on buttons or device display, then user identification of button functions is improved, but line of sight is required and display power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual feedback mechanisms with tactile feedback. Instead of requiring users to see icons or text on buttons or displays, the interactive area generates haptic patterns through mechanical vibration that users can feel through touch. This substitution enables button function identification without line of sight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional visual information (icons and text on screens) to tactile information perceived through touch. By encoding button functions as distinct haptic patterns that users can feel, the system moves information delivery to a different sensory dimension, eliminating the need for visual line of sight.
3Loss of information
If audible feedback cues are provided, then user identification of button functions is improved, but content being listened to is interrupted or disturbed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces audible feedback with tactile feedback through haptic patterns. When users touch the interactive area, they feel vibrations that indicate button functions without any audio output. This substitution eliminates the harmful effect of audible feedback interrupting or disturbing music or other audio content.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple functions are assigned to physical buttons, then device functionality is improved, but user ambiguity about which function corresponds to which button increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic haptic feedback where the interactive area generates different vibration patterns depending on the current application context and button function. When a user touches a button, the system provides a haptic pattern that corresponds to the active function, allowing users to understand which function is currently assigned to which button through tactile sensation rather than visual indicators.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides immediate tactile feedback when users touch the interactive area. The haptic pattern generated in response to touch communicates the current button function to the user, creating a feedback loop that resolves ambiguity about function-button mapping. This feedback mechanism adapts to the current application state, providing clear information about which function is active on each button.
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
Enables users to interact with buttons confidently and efficiently without visual or audible cues, reducing power consumption and ambiguity, and allowing personalized tactile profiles across different devices.
Implementation Method 1
a sensing unit configured to sense a touch and/or a proximity of an object interacting with the interactive area
Implementation Method 2
a response unit configured to produce a tactile response from the interactive area to sensing the touch and/or the proximity of the object
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic apparatus (200a) comprising: —an interactive area (201a-c) configured to provide one or more functions of the electronic apparatus (200a); —a sensing unit (202) configured to sense a touch and/or a proximity of an object (203) interacting with the interactive area (201a-c); —a response unit (204) configured to produce a tactile response from the interactive area (201a-c) to sensing the touch and/or proximity of the object (203); —a processing unit (206) comprising circuitry configured to urge the response unit (204) to produce the tactile response, wherein the tactile response corresponds to one of the one or more functions provided by the interactive area (201a-c) in response to an interaction with the interactive area (201a-c) after the tactile response is provided; characterized in that the electronic apparatus further comprises—a receiver (220a) configured for receiving one or more tactile user profiles; wherein a respective tactile user profile defines one or more tactile responses produced from the interactive area (201a-c) by the response unit (204), wherein the tactile user profile comprises associations between a respective function out of the one or more functions provided by the interactive area (201a-c) and a corresponding tactile response.