Patent ID: 6414674
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An input/output (I/O) touch pad for receiving user inputs and generating dynamically alterable visual and tactile location indicators, said I/O touch pad comprising:an interactive surface including a plurality of addressable unit locations that are selectively enabled to form location indicators for assisting a user to locate corresponding input regions on said interactive surface, said interactive surface comprising: a visual output layer including a matrix of individually addressable visual output elements, wherein each of said individually addressable visual output elements is situated at one of said plurality of addressable unit locations; and a tactile output layer including a matrix of individually addressable tactile output elements, wherein each of said individually addressable visual output elements is situated at one of said plurality of addressable unit locations such that each of said tactile output elements is co-located with a corresponding one of said plurality of visual output elements within each of said plurality of addressable unit locations, and wherein each of said tactile output elements is a heating element situated beneath its corresponding visual output element.