Touchscreen Haptic Controller Using Customized Stencil Openings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touchscreen devices lack tactile feedback, requiring users to rely solely on visual cues for interaction, which can be limiting for individuals with visual impairments or in environments where visual attention is undesired.
Innovation Solution
A haptic controller system using a stencil with customized openings attached to a touchscreen surface, allowing users to interact through tactile feedback by recognizing and responding to touch events on the customized shapes, providing feedback independent of visual cues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a traditional touchscreen is used, then visual feedback is provided for user interaction, but tactile feedback is absent requiring users to rely solely on vision
Solution Approach 1:
A stencil with customized openings is introduced as an intermediary layer between the user and the touchscreen. This stencil provides tactile cues through its physical structure, allowing users to feel and recognize button positions and shapes without visual assistance, while still enabling touch input to the underlying touchscreen interface.
2Loss of information
If visual feedback is used for touchscreen interaction, then selection confirmation is achieved, but visual attention is required which can be limiting for individuals with visual impairments or in environments where visual attention is undesired
Solution Approach 1:
The stencil divides the touchscreen interface into distinct tactile segments corresponding to different interactive elements. Each opening in the stencil represents a separate controllable element, allowing users to perceive and interact with individual buttons through touch alone, independent of visual display content.
3Loss of information
If a stencil with customized openings is added to provide tactile feedback, then tactile and haptic feedback is enabled for user interaction, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stencil serves as a simple intermediary component that adds tactile feedback functionality without requiring complex integration into the touchscreen's internal structure. This external attachment layer provides haptic cues through its physical design while leaving the underlying touchscreen technology unchanged.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples of systems and methods for a haptic controller include a touchscreen including a touchscreen surface, a stencil including one or more openings having customized shapes, and one or more processors. Each customized shape is associated with one of the one or more preloaded shapes. The stencil is attached to the touchscreen surface. The one or more processors are operable to detect a touch event with one of one or more registered interactors on the touchscreen surface, and operate the touchscreen according to the touch event and the one of the one or more registered interactors. Each registered interaction is associated with one of the one or more preloaded shapes.