Patent ID: 7420547
Filing Date: 2008-09-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A data processing system comprising: a display device for displaying display screen elements within a variable screen layout; an input device for applying a variable tactile sensation to a user; and a processing device for generating display screen data comprising data for each of the display screen elements within the variable screen layout and sending the display screen data to the display device; wherein the processing device dynamically generates a tactile sensation control pattern that defines a force pattern associated with all of the display screen elements within the variable screen layout as a function off (1) a data structure that defines different tactile sensation force patterns for each display screen element within the variable screen layout based upon respective types of display elements and (2) an arrangement of the display elements within the variable screen layout, at the time that the display screen data is sent to the display device, and stores the dynamically generated tactile sensation control pattern so that subsequently the tactile sensation applied to the user via the input device while the display elements are being displayed on the display screen is calculated by the processing device in accordance with the dynamically generated tactile sensation control pattern.