Touch Screen with Tactile Feedback

Abstract

Examples of sensing a human touch to a touch screen and providing tactile and visual feedback are disclosed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device, an input responsive to a user's touch on a surface of a first layer of a touch screen;   generating an input signal associated with the input;   providing tactile feedback responsive to the user's touch via one or more micro electromechanical machines (MEMs) included in a second layer of the touch screen, the second layer of the touch screen being below the first layer of the touch screen and including at least one piezoelectric crystal; and   providing visual feedback via a third layer of the touch screen based on the input signal, the third layer of the touch screen being below the second layer of the touch screen,   wherein receiving the user's touch on the surface of the first layer comprises:
 inducing a voltage across the second layer by compressing the at least one piezoelectric crystal in the second layer in response to the user's touch on the surface of the first layer, and 
 inducing the tactile feedback provided via the one or more MEMs using the voltage induced across the second layer. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third layer comprises at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diodes (OLED) display, an interferometric modulator display (IMOD) or an electrophoretic display. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device includes one of a digital broadband telephony device, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant, a navigation device, a game player, a music player or a video player. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual feedback comprises highlighting, enlarging, or moving a visual representative of an image associated with the input. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the input is a selection of a thumbnail image and the visual feedback is displaying of a full image of the selected thumbnail image. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the input is a selection of a visual representation of an alphanumeric input and the visual feedback is displaying enlarged or highlighted visual representation, or displaying the visual representation in another portion of the touch screen. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus comprising:
 a first layer to generate an input signal in response to receiving a user's touch on a surface of the first layer, the input signal associated with a user input to a computing device;   a second layer, positioned below the first layer, to provide tactile feedback responsive to the user's touch, the second layer including one or more micro electromechanical machines (MEMs) and at least one piezoelectric crystal; and   a third layer, positioned below the second layer, to provide visual feedback responsive to the input signal generated by the first layer,   wherein the third layer is configured to display the visual feedback simultaneously with the tactile feedback,   wherein the visual feedback comprises an indicator configured to identify an intended action associated with the input signal to provide a visual confirmation to indicate that a user has made an intended selection, and   wherein the first layer:
 induces a voltage across the second layer by compressing the at least one piezoelectric crystal in the second layer in response to the user's touch on the surface of the first layer, and 
 induces the tactile feedback provided via the one or more MEMs using the voltage induced across the second layer. 
   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first layer comprises one or more sensors configured to sense the user's touch, and the one or more sensors use resistive, surface acoustic wave, capacitive, infrared, optical imaging, dispersive signal, or acoustic pulse recognition. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more MEMs provide tactile feedback via one of vibration, pushback, flexing or controlled pulse, and wherein the one or more sensors include indium tin oxide. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one piezoelectric crystal comprises one of gallium phosphate, quartz or tourmaline. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , where the third layer comprises at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diodes (OLED) display, an interferometric modulator display (IMOD) or an electrophoretic display. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are substantially transparent and wherein the visual feedback is visible through the first layer and through the second layer. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus  claim 7 , wherein the input signal comprises a request for a full screen image, wherein the third layer is configured to display the full screen image responsive to the input signal. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus  claim 7 , wherein the computing device includes one of a digital broadband telephony device, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant, a navigation device, a game player, a music player or a video player. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor and memory; and   a touch screen comprising:
 a first layer to generate an input signal in response to detection of a user's touch on a surface of the first layer, the input signal associated with a user input, 
 a second layer to provide tactile feedback responsive to the user's touch, wherein the second layer includes one or more micro electromechanical machines (MEMs) and the one or more MEMs comprise at least one piezoelectric crystals, and 
 a third layer to provide visual feedback responsive to the input signal generated by the first layer, 
 wherein the third layer is above the second layer and below the first layer, and 
 wherein the first layer:
 induces a voltage across the second layer by compressing the at least one piezoelectric crystal in the second layer in response to the user touch on the surface of the first layer, and 
 induces the tactile feedback provided via the one or more MEMs using the voltage induced across the second layer. 
 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first layer comprises one or more sensors configured to sense the user contact, and the one or more sensors use resistive, surface acoustic wave, capacitive, infrared, optical imaging, dispersive signal, or acoustic pulse recognition. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more MEMs provide tactile feedback via one of vibration, pushback, flexing or controlled pulse, and wherein the one or more sensors comprise indium tin oxide. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one piezoelectric crystal comprises one of gallium phosphate, quartz or tourmaline. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein when the input is a selection of a thumbnail image, the visual feedback is displaying of a full image of the selected thumbnail image, and when the input is a selection of a visual representation of an alphanumeric input, the visual feedback is displaying of enlarged or highlighted visual representation, or displaying of the visual representation in another portion of the touch screen. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , where the third layer to provide visual feedback comprises a display technology that includes one of liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diodes (OLED), interferometric modulator display (IMOD) or electrophoretic display.