Granted Patent B1

US 6,976,215 · App. 09/918,789 · Granted Dec 13, 2005

Abstract

Claims (27)

1. A physical pushbutton user interface for enabling a user to preview the effect of activating a pushbutton, comprising:

preview sensing means for sensing an input to the pushbutton that does not produce an activation of the pushbutton, but determines the nature of the input and preview display functionality of the pushbutton; and

preview display means for displaying, in response to the sensed input, a preview comprising at least a portion of content data that would be provided as output if the pushbutton were activated, wherein the content of the preview varies in accordance with the degree of force applied to the pushbutton.

2. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , wherein the preview sensing means further comprises a force-sensitive resistor.

3. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , wherein the preview sensing means further comprises a potentiometer.

4. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , wherein the preview sensing means further comprises a strain gauge.

5. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , wherein the preview display means further comprises a visual display.

6. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , wherein the preview display means further comprises an audio display.

7. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , wherein the preview display means further comprises a haptic display.

8. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , further comprising an activation sensing means for sensing an input to the pushbutton that produces an activation of the pushbutton.

9. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 8 , wherein the preview sensing means senses motion of the pushbutton along an axis that is the same as an axis along which the activation sensing means senses motion.

10. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 8 , wherein the preview sensing means senses motion of the pushbutton along an axis that is different from an axis along which the activation sensing means senses motion.

11. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 10 , wherein the preview sensing means senses motion of the pushbutton along an axis that is orthogonal to an axis along which the activation sensing means senses motion.

12. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , wherein the interface enables a user to preview the effect of activating any of a multiplicity of pushbuttons, the pushbutton user interface further comprising means for identifying to which of the multiplicity of pushbuttons an input has been provided, wherein the preview sensing means is adapted to sense an input to the identified pushbutton that does not produce an activation of the identified pushbutton, and the preview display means is adapted to produce, in response to the sensed input, a display of a preview indicating the effect of activating the identified pushbutton.

13. User interface apparatus for enabling a user to preview the effect of activating a mechanical input apparatus, comprising:

preview sensing means for sensing an input to the mechanical input apparatus that does not produce an activation of the mechanical input apparatus, but determines the nature of the input and preview display functionality of the mechanical input apparatus; and

preview display means for displaying, in response to the sensed input, a preview comprising at least a portion of content data that would be provided as output if the mechanical input apparatus were activated, wherein the content of the preview varies in accordance with the degree of force applied to the input to the mechanical input apparatus.

14. User interface apparatus as in claim 13 , wherein the mechanical input apparatus comprises a doorknob.

15. User interface apparatus as in claim 13 , wherein the mechanical input apparatus comprises a mechanical switching apparatus.

16. A method for enabling a user to preview the effect of activating a physical pushbutton, comprising the steps of:

sensing an input to the pushbutton that does not produce an activation of the pushbutton, but determines the nature of the input and preview display functionality of the pushbutton; and

displaying, in response to the sensed input, a preview comprising at least a portion of content data that would be provided as output if the pushbutton were activated, wherein the content of the preview varies in accordance with the degree of force applied to the pushbutton.

17. A computer readable storage medium or media on which is stored one or more computer programs for enabling a user to preview the effect of activating a physical pushbutton, the one or more computer programs comprising:

instructions for sensing an input to the pushbutton that does not produce an activation of the pushbutton, but determines the nature of the input and preview display functionality of the pushbutton; and

instructions for displaying, in response to the sensed input, a preview comprising at least a portion of content data that would be provided as output if the pushbutton were activated, wherein the content of the preview varies in accordance with the degree of force applied to the pushbutton.

18. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , wherein the preview display means further comprises an olfactory display.

19. A pushbutton user interface as in claim 1 , wherein the preview display means further comprises a taste display.

Assignments (9)