Tactile feedback in an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10123300-B2
Application number	US-201615376002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2016
Priority date	Dec 31, 2007
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device for providing tactile feedback is provided. The electronic device may provide tactile feedback using any suitable approach, including for example vibration, heat, electrical, visual, or any other type of feedback. The electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to detecting any particular status of the electronic device, receiving any particular input, or detecting any suitable communication received by the electronic device. For example, the electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to identifying the current network of the device, the status of a particular electronic device component, or any other electronic device status. As another example, the electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to receiving a particular type of communication, or in response to receiving a communication from a particular contact. As still another example, the electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to receiving a particular user input, or to detecting a user's finger on a particular portion of the electronic device.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic notification device, comprising:
a communication unit;
a notification component; and
a processing unit coupled to the communication unit and the notification component, wherein:
the electronic notification device is in communication with a first electronic device; and
the processing unit is configured to:
receive, from the communication unit, a status of an ongoing communications operation between the first electronic device and a second electronic device; and
cause a notification regarding the status of the ongoing communications operation to be produced using the notification component;

wherein the status of the ongoing communications operation indicates information about the ongoing communications operation other than receipt of the ongoing communications operation.

2. The electronic notification device of claim 1 , wherein the notification comprises a tactile output.

3. The electronic notification device of claim 1 , wherein the notification comprises an audio output.

4. The electronic notification device of claim 1 , wherein the notification is user defined.

5. The electronic notification device of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit receives instructions regarding a type of the notification to provide regarding the status.

6. The electronic notification device of claim 1 , wherein the status of the ongoing communications operation is associated with an amount remaining in an associated communication account.

7. The electronic notification device of claim 1 , wherein the notification component comprises a vibrating component.

8. The electronic notification device of claim 1 , wherein the status of the ongoing communications operation comprises an indication regarding a type of data involved in the ongoing communications operation.

9. An electronic notification accessory, comprising:
a communication unit;
a haptic touch screen; and
a processing unit coupled to the communication unit and the haptic touch screen, wherein
the electronic notification accessory is in communication with a first electronic device; and
the processing unit:
receives, from the communication unit, a status of a communications operation involving the first electronic device; and
produces an output regarding the status of the communications operation;

wherein the output is:
a first type of output when the status of the communications operation relates to a received message and the received message is from a first group of senders; and
a second type of output when the received message is from a second group of senders that is distinct from the first group of senders.

10. The electronic notification accessory of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit produces the output by causing the haptic touch screen to produce a haptic output regarding the status of the communications operation and a visual output regarding the status of the communications operation.

11. The electronic notification accessory of claim 10 , wherein the visual output includes a contact name associated with a source of the communications operation.

12. The electronic notification accessory of claim 9 , wherein the status of the communications operation indicates that the first electronic device is switching between communications networks.

13. The electronic notification accessory of claim 9 , wherein the status of the communications operation indicates a duration of the communications operation.

14. The electronic notification accessory of claim 9 , wherein the status of the communications operation indicates a failure related to the communications operation.

15. An electronic device, comprising:
a communication unit; and
a processing unit coupled to the communication unit, wherein:
the electronic device is in communication with another electronic device; and
the processing unit is configured to:
determine a status of a communications operation between the electronic device and the other electronic device; and
cause an instruction to be transmitted to an electronic notification device using the communication unit, the instruction instructing the electronic notification device to provide a notification regarding the status of the communications operation; wherein:

the status of the communications operation comprises a received message;
the instruction is to provide a first notification when the received message is from a first group of senders; and
the instruction is to provide a second notification when the received message is from a second group of senders that is distinct from the first group of senders.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the electronic device and the other electronic device have enhanced functionality when wirelessly coupled.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the first notification and the second notification are different types of notifications.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the first notification is a haptic notification and the second notification is an audio notification.

19. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to cause an additional instruction to be transmitted to the electronic notification device using the communication unit that instructs the electronic notification device to provide an additional notification regarding an electronic mail communications operation.

20. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to cause an additional instruction to be transmitted to the electronic notification device using the communication unit that instructs the electronic notification device to provide an additional notification regarding an incoming telephone call.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Fadell Anthony
• Hodge Andrew Bart
• Zadesky Stephen P
• Lindahl Aram
• Guetta Anthony

Classifications

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G08B6/00

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• G06F2203/014

  Force feedback applied to GUI · CPC title

• G06F2203/04808

  Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen · CPC title

• G06F2203/04104

  Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger · CPC title