02/19, 9:40am
Localizing feedback, distinct cooling system among innovations
A clever way of making sure haptic vibratory feedback is restricted to a specific area, the overall design of the Retina MacBook Pro and the structure-strengthening design of the RMBP's vents have all been given patent protection by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The latter patent complements one already awarded earlier for the asymmetrical fans used in the RMBP to suppress fan noise, while the haptic feedback patent hints at future changes for iOS devices.
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11/27, 2:49pm
Settlement covers Google-branded, Motorola handsets only
Google has settled in a patent lawsuit with touch technology company Immersion over infringement of the latter's IP in haptic touchscreen technology. The lawsuit has taken nine months to close, and predates Google's ownership of Motorola, and has ended with the search giant licensing the patents in question, compensating for previous Motorola device shipments, and intending to pay for patent usage in smartphones developed by the company in the future.
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11/22, 1:34pm
Roller design uses actuators to alter stylus tip resistance
Sony has recently filed a number of patents related to haptic feedback via friction, instead of the vibration method that most devices use. A "rolling contact ball gripping mechanism" on the end of a stylus uses actuators to increase or decrease the ball's resistance to rolling, making it easier or harder to move the stylus across a screen.
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08/10, 6:30pm
Electrostatic field generator offers multiple touch sensations
A team at Disney Research has created a new wearable tactile technology that effectively changes the sensation felt when touching physical objects, using electricity. Revel can add artificial tactile sensations to almost any surface or object, without having to use the motors and actuators currently employed by touchscreen haptic feedback found in phones and tablets, and force feedback rumbling found in game controllers.
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