IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,678,571
Granted Patent B1
US 9,678,571 · App. 15/271,708 · Granted Jun 13, 2017

Devices, methods, and graphical user interfaces for generating tactile outputs

Inventors: Julien Y. Robert (Paris, FR); Tyler M. Fox (Santa Clara, CA); Camille Moussette (Los Gatos, CA); Viktor Miladinov (Palo Alto, CA); Jean-Pierre M. Mouilleseaux (San Francisco, CA); Madeleine S. Cordier (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
G06F3/016G06F3/0488
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,678,571
App. No.
15/271,708
Granted
Jun 13, 2017
Kind
B1
Abstract

An electronic device receives, at an application-independent module, from an application-specific module that is associated with a first application, information about an input directed to the user interface of the first application. An operation performed in the user interface of the first application in response to detecting the input is associated with a tactile output pattern specified by the application-specific module. The information about the input includes information indicating a magnitude of the operation performed in the user interface in response to detecting the input. The device generates a tactile output that corresponds to the operation performed in the user interface of the first application. The tactile output has the tactile output pattern specified by the application-specific module. The tactile output has an amplitude determined in accordance with the magnitude of the operation performed in the user interface of the first application in response to detecting the input.

Claims (45)

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface, and one or more tactile output generators:

receiving, at an application-independent module, from an application-specific module that is associated with a first application, information about an input directed to a user interface of the first application, wherein:

an operation performed in the user interface of the first application in response to detecting the input is associated with a tactile output pattern specified by the application-specific module; and

the information about the input includes information indicating a magnitude of the operation performed in the user interface in response to detecting the input; and

in response to receiving the information about the input directed to the user interface of the first application, generating, via the one or more tactile output generators, a tactile output that corresponds to the operation performed in the user interface of the first application, wherein:

the tactile output has the tactile output pattern specified by the application-specific module; and

the tactile output has an amplitude determined by the application-independent module in accordance with the magnitude of the operation performed in the user interface of the first application in response to detecting the input.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tactile output is further characterized by a vibration frequency, wherein the vibration frequency is selected based on the tactile output pattern.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the vibration frequency is less than 100 hertz.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amplitude of the tactile output is further determined in accordance with at least one of a velocity or mass of an object in a simulated collision or impact.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amplitude of the tactile output is further determined by applying a predefined physics model to one or more parameters of one or more displayed user interface elements or one or more parameters of a touch input.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnitude is provided by the first application.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnitude is provided by an operating system of the electronic device.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface;

one or more tactile output generators;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

receiving, at an application-independent module, from an application-specific module that is associated with a first application, information about an input directed to the user interface of the first application, wherein:

an operation performed in the user interface of the first application in response to detecting the input is associated with a tactile output pattern specified by the application-specific module; and

the information about the input includes information indicating a magnitude of the operation performed in the user interface in response to detecting the input; and

in response to receiving the information about the input directed to the user interface of the first application, generating, via the one or more tactile output generators, a tactile output that corresponds to the operation performed in the user interface of the first application, wherein:

the tactile output has the tactile output pattern specified by the application-specific module; and

the tactile output has an amplitude determined by the application-independent module in accordance with the magnitude of the operation performed in the user interface of the first application in response to detecting the input.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the tactile output is further characterized by a vibration frequency, wherein the vibration frequency is selected based on the tactile output pattern.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the vibration frequency is less than 100 hertz.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the amplitude of the tactile output is further determined in accordance with at least one of a velocity or mass of an object in a simulated collision or impact.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the amplitude of the tactile output is further determined by applying a predefined physics model to one or more parameters of one or more displayed user interface elements or one or more parameters of a touch input.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the magnitude is provided by the first application.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the magnitude is provided by an operating system of the electronic device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which, when executed by an electronic device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface, and one or more tactile output generators, cause the device to:

receive, at an application-independent module, from an application-specific module that is associated with a first application, information about an input directed to the user interface of the first application, wherein:

an operation performed in the user interface of the first application in response to detecting the input is associated with a tactile output pattern specified by the application-specific module; and

the information about the input includes information indicating a magnitude of the operation performed in the user interface in response to detecting the input; and

in response to receiving the information about the input directed to the user interface of the first application, generate, via the one or more tactile output generators, a tactile output that corresponds to the operation performed in the user interface of the first application, wherein:

the tactile output has the tactile output pattern specified by the application-specific module; and

the tactile output has an amplitude determined by the application-independent module in accordance with the magnitude of the operation performed in the user interface of the first application in response to detecting the input.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the tactile output is further characterized by a vibration frequency, wherein the vibration frequency is selected based on the tactile output pattern.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the vibration frequency is less than 100 hertz.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the amplitude of the tactile output is further determined in accordance with at least one of a velocity or mass of an object in a simulated collision or impact.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the amplitude of the tactile output is further determined by applying a predefined physics model to one or more parameters of one or more displayed user interface elements or one or more parameters of a touch input.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the magnitude is provided by the first application.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the magnitude is provided by an operating system of the electronic device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 27, 2017
From: ROBERT, JULIEN Y.; FOX, TYLER M.; MOUSSETTE, CAMILLE; MILADINOV, VIKTOR; MOUILLESEAUX, JEAN-PIERRE M.; CORDIER, MADELEINE S.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 041752/0816 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15271073 · Sep 20, 2016
Provisional Application 62384159 · Sep 6, 2016