Patent Application
20130044100
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable device including a microfluidic display. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable device integrating a microfluidic interface with elements of a corresponding visual display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals are developed to provide wireless communication between users. As technology has advanced, mobile terminals now provide many additional features beyond simple telephone conversation. For example, mobile terminals are now able to provide additional functions such as an alarm, a Short Messaging Service (SMS), a Multimedia Message Service (MMS), E-mail, games, remote control of short range communication, an image capturing function using a mounted digital camera, a multimedia function for providing audio and video content, a scheduling function, and many more. With the plurality of features now provided, a mobile terminal has effectively become a necessity of daily life.
One area of recent development in mobile terminal technology is in the use of microfluidic devices, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,820 to Fare, et al. Such microfluidic devices can be integrated with a substrate and used to pump fluid from one or more reservoirs to specific locations in the substrate and back. When combined with a display of a mobile device, variations on the order of 1 millimeter in a thickness (height) of the display surface can be achieved.
Referring to
The mobile terminal 100 further includes a microfluidic layer 150. The microfluidic layer 150 is substantially transparent, so the touch sensor and display 140 may be viewed through it. The microfluidic layer 150 also has a relatively flexible surface. If fluid is pumped to a particular coordinate of the microfluidic layer 150, the microfluidic layer 150 becomes thicker at that location. This difference in thickness is both visible to normal vision and perceivable to the touch. Further, the microfluidic layer is thin enough that the touch sensor and display 140 beneath it can detect a touch on the microfluidic layer 150.
Referring to
Referring to
The related art of microfluidic displays addresses technical issues related to pumping fluids in the microfluidic display.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and method for providing an integrated user interface to the microfluidic display.
The above information is only for background purposes to aid understanding of the present invention. Applicant has made no determination, and makes no assertion, as to whether any of the above might qualify as Prior Art with respect to the present invention.
Aspects of the present invention are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for integration of a user interface for a microfluidic display.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a portable device for providing an integrated user interface for microfluidic display is provided. The device includes a touchscreen and a microfluidic display being substantially transparent and superimposed over the touchscreen. A surface of the microfluidic display deforms in accordance with a touchscreen input item.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a portable device for providing an integrated user interface for microfluidic display is provided. The device includes a visual display and a microfluidic display being substantially transparent and superimposed on the visual display. A surface of the microfluidic display deforms in accordance with a visual element of a picture or video displayed in the visual display.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a portable device is provided. The device includes a processor, a Braille input unit, and a microfluidic display. A surface of the microfluidic display deforms to output Braille text.
Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures.
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.
The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.
By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a portable device for providing a software integrated user interface for microfluidic display.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a surface of the microfluidic display is deformed in accordance with a touchscreen input item or icon. Although the deformation primarily described in this example is a raising or increase of the thickness of the display, the present invention is not limited thereto.
Referring to the user interface of
Referring to the user interface of
Further, when a user touches the button 440, the user will feel a tactile difference from the surrounding surface 450. This difference of feeling a raised button surface facilitates both a more accurate and a more comfortable user experience; pressing the microfluidic button may be more similar to pressing a conventional mechanical button than tapping on a glass touchscreen.
Selectable elements according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention are not limited to buttons, but may for example include icons, scroll bars, text hyperlinks, etc.
Similarly, selectable elements according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention are not limited to a raised surface, but may also include a groove or depression that is lower than the surrounding surface.
Referring to
Referring to the microfluidic display 510 of
In a similar manner to the exemplary embodiment of
Further, similar to the exemplary embodiment of
In this exemplary embodiment, the microfluidic display 510 may remove the fluid from the raised area after the movement ceases, such that the display returns to the uniform surface of
In an alternate example, a user might desire to use a ‘retro’ dialing ring to dial phone numbers. In previous generation telephones, a user would dial a number by sequentially placing a fingertip in a cutout hole on a perimeter of a dialing ring, physically rotate the ring thereby until the hole reached an end location, and remove the fingertip from the hole, whereupon a spring would reverse the rotation of the dialing ring until it returned to its original position. In this example, the display surface would be deformed so as to be raised by default, and lowered in the locations of the holes in a dialing ring. The lowered “holes” would rotate in coordination with the user's movement of the selected dialing ring number “hole”.
In the example of a retro dialing ring, underlying numbers of the face of an older telephone would remain stationary and visible while the ring rotated. In this exemplary embodiment, the ten visual telephone number digits (‘1’, ‘2ABC’, ‘3DEF’, etc.) would remain stationary on the display, and only the tactile microfluidic display of the dialing ring itself would rotate on the screen.
Referring to
For example, if a user presses a touch display to generate a series of concentric rings 610 and 620 alternating in different colors on the display screen, the microfluidic display can then be tuned to deform the display surface to match a selection of the rings 610, for example, one color. That is, the display may be programmed to have the microfluidic display deformations track arbitrary visual elements.
More generally, with this exemplary embodiment, the surface of the microfluidic display may be altered to match any underlying visual image. A design language, outside the scope of the present application, will be provided to trigger if an element on screen corresponds to a synchronized deformed display by the microfluidic display. The language would provide information to be encoded with the visual image indicating that, if the image is displayed on a microfluidic display, the locations and extent to which the microfluidic display should deform. In an exemplary embodiment, the microfluidic display will deform in accordance with visual elements of the visual image, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
In another example, the microfluidic display may be programmed to provide a low relief reproduction of an image, similar to a cameo carving, if such relief meta-data information is included with the image.
A variation of this embodiment may be employed in a video playback. Video streams may contain meta-data in the header of frames to identify the coordinate positions of one or more key objects to deform. For example, a hockey puck for a hockey game may be identified by coordinates in each frame of a hockey game, and the display will deform the location of the hockey puck to provide better clarity on the hockey puck's location.
That is, in this exemplary embodiment, metadata may be included with any still or moving visual image, such that the microfluidic display will deform accordingly.
In the examples described above, the deformation tracks the location of a visual element within the picture or video, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another example, a deformation may be indicated independently of any visual element. For example, a game may include a maze element that is indicated only by tactile following of the screen deformation. Similarly, a maze may have different microfluidic deformations and visual displays, such as to indicate a transparent level superimposed over a connected level underneath it.
Referring to
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the key input unit 730 will include Braille keys, and the display unit 740 will include a microfluidic display. The microfluidic display may be used to output Braille text for the visually impaired. Such an interface would be useful in environments where an audio output is not acceptable, such as in a theatre, or in an environment where an audio output is not practical, such as at a rock concert. The device can be set to display the Braille text a page at a time; alternatively, the device can be set to scroll the Braille text in different directions according to a user's input.
In one example of a Braille display, the entire display face provides Braille text.
In another example, a Braille text output would be combined with a visual display such that a visually impaired person and a sighted person may simultaneously use the display. Thus, a Braille reader can “show” a composed or received message to a sighted companion who cannot read Braille.
In one example, the Braille text would be encoded as subtitles with a picture or video, such that a seeing-impaired person may read along as a normally sighted person views the picture or video on the same display. In an exemplary embodiment, the Braille subtitles would include descriptions of or commentary on the displayed visual picture or video, although the present invention is not limited thereto.
In another example, the entire display face would display Braille text superimposed over corresponding visual text, such that the seeing-impaired person and the normally sighted person could read the same document simultaneously on the display. In this example, a couple may silently refer to a program while attending a play.
In a variation of this example, a document or signal could be translated into two or more languages, such that the visually displayed text is in a first language and the Braille text is in a second language. According to one exemplary embodiment, a device of sufficient computing power could translate and display the text in real time. According to another exemplary embodiment, a source document or signal would be pre-translated into multiple languages, and the device may be set by the user to independently set each of the visual text display and the Braille display to any of the available languages.
While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
