US 12,293,020 B2
Method and device for tactilely reading time on a touch screen
Alexander Wellen, Redondo Beach, CA (US)
Appl. No. 16/310,404
Filed by Alexander Wellen, Redondo Beach, CA (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 10, 2016, PCT No. PCT/US2016/046288
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 14, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/031009, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 15, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0332173 A1, Oct. 31, 2019
Int. Cl. G06F 3/01 (2006.01); G06F 3/041 (2006.01); G06F 3/044 (2006.01); G06F 3/04883 (2022.01)
CPC G06F 3/016 (2013.01) [G06F 3/04144 (2019.05); G06F 3/0443 (2019.05); G06F 3/04883 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method that generates tactile representations which indicate time on a mobile device, the method comprising:
providing a mobile device that is operated by a touch screen, with the touch screen including functionality to be able to be activated to electrovibrate in at least one portion touch screen; and
in response to an application to or rubbing a portion of the touch screen:
activating the touch screen;
receiving electrical signals specifying a current time on the touch screen; and
applying the electrical signals to connectors used by a position-sensing driver to excite a transparent electrode layer of the mobile device, wherein when the transparent electrode layer is excited, the transparent electrode layer generates electrovibrations at predetermined locations of the mobile device and corresponding to the current time to provide haptic feedback to indicate a tactile presentation of the current time at the predetermined locations;
wherein the haptic feedback is configured to emulate shapes comprising:
a first set of shapes only forming one or more numeric characters at a first predetermined location; and
a second set of shapes having a different format than that of the first set of shapes at a second predetermined location, wherein the second predetermined location differs from the first predetermined location;
wherein when the first set of shapes represents a current hour, the second set of shapes represents only elapsed minutes corresponding to the current time; and
wherein when the first set of shapes represents the elapsed minutes, the second set of shapes represents only the current hour; and
wherein a user by contacting the touch screen across the first set of shapes at the first predetermined location and the second set of shapes at the second predetermined location can sense and recognize, by the haptic feedback at the first predetermined location and the second predetermined location, the current time without having to view the touch screen.