A processor may identify that a user is interacting with a device, where the interacting is identified from the user touching the device. The processor may receive tactile data associated with the user from one or more tactile sensors. The processor may extract, utilizing an AI model, one or more features of the tactile data. The processor may classify, utilizing the AI model, the tactile data as having a tactile data characteristic. The processor may output the classification to an interaction management module.

An input device including a housing and a depressible key plate disposed thereon. The key plate includes a front user-accessible portion, a pivot support portion, and a rear portion. A shaft is disposed in the pivot support portion, where the key plate rotates with respect to the shaft. A force sensor is disposed in the housing and in contact with a bottom surface of the front portion of the key plate, and activates in response to receiving a predetermined force by the bottom surface of the front portion of the key plate. The depressible key plate depresses in response to receiving a predetermined depression force on the top surface. A biasing mechanism is disposed in the housing and in contact with the bottom surface of the rear portion of the key plate to provide an upward force tuned to be substantially equal to the predetermined depression force.

A touch-sensitive rotary control device with an illumination function includes a rotary encoder having a conductive outer casing and a rotatable shaft extending from it, the shaft operating as a light guide for a light source located in the rotary encoder, a conductive sleeve mechanically coupled to and surrounding the side of shaft, and electrically coupled to the conductive outer casing of the rotary encoder, so that touch-sensitivity is provided and light is allowed to exit the shaft and such that the device can be provided as a kit of parts or form part of a mixing console.

An operating device includes a push operation mechanism to be push-operated by an operator, and a drive transmission mechanism to transmit a drive force for presenting the operator with a tactile stimuli-operational feeling via the push operation mechanism. The push operation mechanism is configured to be engageable with the drive transmission mechanism. The drive transmission mechanism is configured to switch between a non-engagement position to allow the push operation of the user without being engaged with the push operation mechanism and an engagement position to allow the transmission of the drive force by being engaged with the push operation mechanism.

Broadly speaking, embodiments of the present techniques provide haptic button assemblies with a shape memory alloy actuator (SMA) in which the haptic button has a low profile while still providing a satisfying tactile response or sensation to a user. Advantageously, the haptic button assemblies may have a profile that, for example, enables the assembly to be incorporated into the free space along an edge of a portable computing device. The haptic assemblies may for example, be arranged to move the button perpendicularly with respect to the edge of the device.

A control apparatus includes a main body unit, a plurality of moving members each of which is movably supported by the main body unit, a magneto rheological fluid provided between the main body unit and each of the plurality of moving members or between each of the plurality of moving members, and one magnetic field generator configured to apply a magnetic field to the magneto rheological fluid.

The operating device for a vehicle is provided with a housing having a front face with a receiving opening being delimited by an opening edge, and having a rear wall, and with an operating element being arranged in the receiving opening at a distance from the opening edge thereof and having an operating surface, said operating element having a front face provided with the operating surface, a rear face, and a delimiting edge region. The operating device further comprises a holding element having a bottom wall and support parts which protrude from the bottom wall and end below the delimiting edge region of the operating element and are mechanically coupled to the operating element in the delimiting edge region. The bottom wall of the holding element has a central region which is spaced from the support parts and within which the bottom wall of the holding element is supported against the rear wall of the housing. A manual actuation of the operating element is detected by multiple actuation sensors which are arranged between the bottom wall of the holding element and the rear wall of the housing within the surrounding region that surrounds the central region of the bottom wall of the holding element and is arranged at a distance from the rear wall of the housing. An evaluation unit receives the signals from the actuation sensors and evaluates said signals for the purpose of detecting a manual actuation of the operating element performed with a predefinable minimum pressing force.

A haptic generator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a driving signal generator and a haptic device. The driving signal generator may be configured to receive a sound signal and generate a driving signal including an impact driving signal and an inertia driving signal. The haptic device may be configured to generate impact vibrations pursuant to the impact driving signal and generate rotational inertia vibrations pursuant to the inertia driving signal, the rotational inertia vibrations being different from the impact vibrations. The impact driving signal and the inertia driving signal may be generated based on different properties of the sound signal.

In one aspect, an apparatus for receiving input and/or generating output comprises a key assembly. The key assembly comprises a key cover, a magnet, and an electromagnet. The magnet is coupled to the key cover. The electromagnet is operable to displace the key cover based on whether the key assembly is in an active state or an inactive state. In the active state, the electromagnet is operable to raise the key cover to a first position based on generation of a magnetic field. In the inactive state, the electromagnet is operable to lower the key cover to a second position based on cessation of the magnetic field.

A peripheral device for a computing system comprises an electrical switch and a user depressible button. An electrostatic brake is attached to the user depressible button and controls a force profile of the keystroke of the user depressible button. The button is coupled to and is configured to actuate the electrical switch at the end of the keystroke. A movable electrode is coupled to the depressible button and a stationary electrode is positioned parallel to and proximate the movable electrode. A dielectric material is positioned between the movable electrode and the stationary electrode forming an electrostatic brake. An electrical circuit is coupled to the first and the second electrodes and is configured to apply a voltage potential between the first and the second electrodes to apply a resistive force to the depressible button.