Feedback by modifying stiffness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185267-A1
Application number	US-201514857548-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for modifying a stiffness of at least a portion of a vehicle component includes one or more devices coupled to the vehicle component and a processor coupled to the one or more devices. The processor is configured to determine that a software application has switched from a first mode to a second mode and cause the one or more devices to modify the stiffness of the at least a portion of the vehicle component from a first stiffness associated with the first mode to a second stiffness associated with the second mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for modifying the stiffness of a vehicle component, the system comprising:
one or more devices coupled to the vehicle component; a processor coupled to the one or more devices, the processor configured to:
determine that a software application has switched from a first mode to a second mode; and
cause the one or more devices to modify a stiffness of at least a portion of the vehicle component from a first stiffness associated with the first mode to a second stiffness associated with the second mode.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second stiffness indicates an available type of touch input.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the touch input causes movement of a graphical user interface (GUI) element.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first mode corresponds to a first level of a menu hierarchy and the second mode corresponds to a second level of the menu hierarchy.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more devices comprise at least one of an actuator, a piston, a spring, and an electromagnet coupled to a surface of the at least a portion of the vehicle component.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more devices modify the stiffness of the at least a portion of the vehicle component by changing a resistance to movement of a surface of the vehicle component based on touch input.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the vehicle component comprises an area having the second stiffness, wherein the area is configured to receive touch input for modifying a GUI element.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle component comprises an armrest, a knob, or a steering wheel.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein modifying the stiffness comprises alternating the at least a portion of the vehicle component between the first stiffness and the second stiffness in a repeating pattern, wherein the repeating pattern is associated with the second mode.

10 . A method for modifying the stiffness of a surface of a vehicle component, the method comprising:
determining that a software application has switched from a first mode to a second mode; and causing one or more devices to modify a stiffness of at least a portion of the surface from a first stiffness associated with the first mode to a second stiffness associated with the second mode.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second stiffness is higher than the first stiffness, and a function associated with a graphical user interface (GUI) is selected in response to touch input on the surface.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second stiffness indicates an available type of touch input.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the surface is coupled to one or more particle jammers configured to modify the stiffness of the at least a portion of the surface from the first stiffness to the second stiffness.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the touch input causes movement of a GUI element.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first mode corresponds to a first level of a menu hierarchy associated with the software application and the second mode corresponds to a second level of the menu hierarchy associated with the software application.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least a portion of the surface comprises an elongated area having the second stiffness, wherein the elongated area is configured to receive touch input associated with modifying a GUI element.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein modifying the GUI element comprises scrolling the GUI element in response to the touch input.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising modifying a parameter of a vehicle control system in response to the touch input.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to modify a stiffness of a surface of a vehicle, by performing the steps of:
receiving input selecting a mode of a software application; and causing at least a portion of the surface of the vehicle to change from a first stiffness to a second stiffness associated with the mode, wherein the at least a portion of the surface is configured to receive touch input.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , further comprising:
receiving second input selecting a second mode of the software application; and in response, causing the at least a portion of the surface of the vehicle to change from the second stiffness to the first stiffness.

Assignees

• Harman Int Ind

Inventors

• Nahman Jaime Elliot
• Marti Stefan
• Di Censo Davide
• Spasojevic Mirjana

Classifications

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• B60N2/763

  adjustable · CPC title

• G05B19/0423 Primary

  Input/output · CPC title

• G06F2203/014

  Force feedback applied to GUI · CPC title