Low-Profile Tactile Output Apparatus with Perpendicular Dermal Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch screen interfaces provide inadequate haptic or tactile feedback, which can be awkward for users and less effective for disabled users requiring discrete indications, posing challenges for seamless human interaction with computing and communication devices.
Innovation Solution
A tactile output apparatus with a dermal contact surface and securing members, where movement of control cables actuates arms to move the dermal contact surface perpendicularly, providing a detectable tactile force on the user's skin, and can be controlled remotely via electromechanical actuators for enhanced comfort and placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If vibration-based indications are used to provide tactile feedback on touch screens, then some haptic information is provided to the user, but the feedback becomes awkward and unnatural for the user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs mechanical vibration through a vibration motor or actuator to generate tactile feedback. The vibration unit creates oscillatory motion that transmits haptic sensations to the user's finger or hand, providing tactile information without requiring actual mechanical button depression. This resolves the contradiction by delivering tactile feedback information while maintaining natural user interaction through vibration-based simulation of physical feedback.
2Loss of information
If vibration-based indications are used to provide tactile feedback, then haptic information is transmitted to the user, but the feedback becomes less effective for disabled users requiring more discrete indications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies localized tactile feedback by positioning the vibration unit at specific contact points where the user's finger or hand interacts with the device. The haptic feedback is concentrated at the dermal contact surface, providing discrete and localized tactile indications that are more effective for disabled users who require precise and distinct feedback signals rather than diffuse vibration.
3Device complexity
If a traditional button mechanism is replaced by a touch screen, then device complexity is reduced and space is saved, but haptic or tactile information to the user is largely eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the touch screen interface with a vibration feedback mechanism by integrating the vibration unit into or near the touch screen assembly. This combination allows the device to maintain the simplicity and space efficiency of a touch screen while adding haptic feedback capability, thus reducing device complexity compared to traditional mechanical buttons while preserving tactile information transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
A tactile output apparatus is provided that includes a dermal contact surface. The apparatus also includes a first securing member and a second securing member. A first arm may be pivotally coupled to the first securing member, and a second arm may be pivotally coupled to the second securing member. The first arm may also be pivotally coupled to the second arm at an arm pivot point, and the dermal contact surface may move with the arm pivot point. The first securing member may be movable along a first securing member travel path towards or away from the second securing member and movement of the first securing member along the first securing member travel path may cause responsive movement of the arm pivot point and the dermal contact surface in a direction having a movement component perpendicular to the first securing member travel path.