Patent ID: 8947383
Filing Date: 2015-02-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A user interface comprising: a substrate comprising an attachment face, a cavity adjacent the attachment face, and a fluid channel fluidly coupled to the cavity; a tactile layer comprising a tactile surface and a back surface opposite the tactile surface, the back surface coupled to the attachment face at a first region of the tactile layer, the back surface arranged over the cavity and disconnected from the substrate at a deformable region of the tactile layer; a displacement device configured to displace fluid through the fluid channel and into the cavity to transition the deformable region from a retracted setting into an expanded setting, the deformable region defining a first tactile formation in the retracted setting, and the deformable region elevated above the first region and defining a second tactile formation tactilely distinguishable from the first formation in the expanded setting; a first conductor arranged over the cavity and supported by the deformable region; a second conductor supported by the substrate adjacent the cavity and opposite the first conductor, capacitively coupled to the first conductor, offset from the first conductor by a first distance in the retracted setting, and offset from the first conductor by a second distance greater than the first distance in the expanded setting; and a processor detecting an input on the deformable region in response to a change in capacitance between the first conductor and the second conductor.