Tactile touch sensor system and method
A tactile touch sensor (TTS) system and method allowing physical augmentation of a high-resolution touch sensor array (TSA) is disclosed. Physical augmentation is accomplished using a TSA physical overlay (TPO) placed on top of the TSA. The TPO is constructed to transmit forces to the underlying TSA. Force transmission is accomplished by either using a flexible overlay or with a rigid mechanical overlay that transmits user forces exerted on the overlay to the underlying TSA. Incorporation of TPO identifiers (TPI) within the TPO permits identification of the TPO by a TPO detector (TPD) allowing operational characteristics of the TSA to be automatically reconfigured to conform to the currently applied TPO structure by a user computing device (UCD). The UCD may be configured to automatically load an appropriate application software driver (ASD) in response to a TPI read by the TPD from the currently applied TPO.
1. A tactile touch sensor system comprising:
an overlay associated with a functionality and capable of receiving a first force;
an identifier associated with the overlay;
a touch sensor array coupled to the overlay and comprising a first force sensing element and a second force sensing element configured to detect the first force; and
wherein
the overlay is capable of transmitting a first portion associated with the first force to the first element and a second portion associated with the first force to the second element, wherein the first portion and the second portion are unequal; and
the touch sensor array generates a first touch data based on the force.
2. The tactile touch sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the first touch data comprises an input for the functionality.
3. The tactile touch sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the functionality is an application program.
4. The tactile touch sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the tactile touch sensor system is configured for the functionality based on the identifier.
5. The tactile touch sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the overlay includes an indicator associated with the identifier.
6. The tactile touch sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the [identifier] comprises one of a group consisting of a magnet, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a dot pattern, a raised indicia, an antenna coupled to a microcontroller, an optical indicia, a shorting bar, a conductive electrode, and a conductive bar.
7. The tactile touch sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the overlay is detachably coupled to the touch sensor array.
8. The tactile touch sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor array is capable of generating a second touch data based on a second force received on the overlay in a same user input as the first force.
9. A method for operating a tactile touch sensor system comprising:
coupling an overlay associated with a functionality to a touch sensor array;
associating an identifier with the overlay;
receiving a first force on the overlay;
transmitting a first force from the overlay to the touch sensor array;
detecting a first magnitude of a first portion of the first force applied at a first portion of the touch area;
detecting a second magnitude of a second portion of the first force applied at a second portion of the touch area; and
generating a first touch data based on the first force;
wherein the first portion and the second portion are unequal.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first touch data comprises an input for the functionality.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the functionality is an application program.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising configuring the tactile touch sensor system for the functionality based on the identifier.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the overlay includes an indicator associated with the identifier.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identifier comprises one of a group consisting of a magnet, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a dot pattern, a raised indicia, an antenna coupled to a microcontroller, an optical indicia, a shorting bar, a conductive electrode, and a conductive bar.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the overlay is detachably coupled to the touch sensor array.
16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising generating a second touch data based on a second force received on the overlay in a same user input as the first force.
17. An overlay comprising:
a first contact location for receiving a first force;
a second contact location for transmitting the first force to a touch sensor array; and
means for indicating a functionality associated with the overlay; wherein,
the touch sensor array comprises a first force sensing element configured to detect a first portion of the first force and a second force sensing element configured to detect a second portion of the first force; and
the first portion and the second portion are unequal.
18. The overlay of claim 17 , wherein the functionality is an application program.
19. The overlay of claim 17 , wherein the means for indicating is associated with an identifier.
20. The overlay of claim 17 , wherein the means for indicating comprises one of a group consisting of a magnet, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a dot pattern, a raised indicia, an antenna coupled to a microcontroller, an optical indicia, a shorting bar, a conductive electrode, and a conductive bar.