A portable electronic device (100) includes a controllable skin texture surface (104) and control logic (200) that is operative to change a tactile configuration of at least a portion of the controllable skin texture surface (104) in response to at least any one (i.e., one or more) of: a received wireless signal, a battery level change condition, an incoming call, information from a proximity sensor, sound sensor, light sensor, data representing a user of the device, or data representing completion of a user authentication sequence. The controllable skin texture surface (104) may form part of a non-user interface portion or a user interface portion, such as a function key, keypad or other operational element of the device. In one example, a portable electronic device employs a controllable skin texture surface that includes a mechanical skin texture surface actuation structure and a flexible skin structure that moves in response to mechanical movement caused by the mechanical skin texture surface actuation structure to change a tactile configuration of at least a portion of the controllable skin texture surface of the device.

Method and apparatus for controlling a skin texture surface on a device

A device (2600) includes a controllable skin texture (2606) defining a keypad (2610), a sensor (2602), and control logic (200). The sensor senses a proximity of a pointing element (2900) to a particular key (2800, 2808, 2902, 2908) of the keypad based on a user input. The control logic adjusts a height of the particular key with respect to another key of the keypad in response to the sensor sensing the proximity of the pointing element to the particular key. In one example, the device includes a display (2700) for displaying a plurality of keys (2612). The control logic adjusts visual characteristics of the particular key (2800, 2808, 2902, 2908) and an adjacent key (2802, 2810, 2904, 2910) with respect to each other and with respect to other keys of the plurality of keys in response to the sensor sensing the proximity of the pointing element to the particular key.

Method and apparatus for controlling a keypad of a device

A mobile communication device may include logic configured to receive input on a touch sensitive surface of a device and heat a substance to produce an expansion of the substance in response to the received input, where the expansion of the substance provides tactile feedback to a user indicating that the device has received the input.

Touch sensitive display with tactile feedback

An apparatus and method for providing and configuring an elevated, indented, or texturized display device is disclosed. Processes are also given involving elevated, indented, or texturized portions of a display device. By providing an elevated, indented, or texturized display device enhanced input/output functions are provided.

Apparatus and method for providing an elevated, indented, or texturized display device

A tactile display for providing tactile feedback has a touch surface layer formed of a plurality of pixels. Each pixel has an aperture for ejecting a fluid, and a valve for opening and closing the aperture. The valve is operable to modulate the fluid ejection through the aperture at a frequency selected for detection by the somatic sensors of a human finger.

Tactile display using distributed fluid ejection

An electrothermal actuated refreshable Braille cells, display systems using the cells, and methods for actuating refreshable Braille cells/displays. One method according to the invention comprises at least the following steps: a) providing power to a microheater within a cylinder, wherein the cylinder has a membrane at a first end and a microheater at a second end, and fluid in between; b) heating the fluid with the microheater, thereby causing it to expand; and c) allowing the membrane at the first end to bulge out, thereby forming a dot .

Ethan Smith

Papers

Electrothermal refreshable braille cell and method for actuating same