A multimodal haptic feedback interface installed with a multimode haptic patch stimulates a skin area of a user to provide a haptic feedback including first and second haptic-feedback components to be sensed under static tactile sensing and dynamic tactile sensing, respectively. The patch is mounted with mechanical actuators, electrostimulation electrodes and thermoelectric pellets. The actuators generate a two-dimensional pattern of pressure on the skin area for generating the first haptic-feedback component. The electrostimulation electrodes electrically stimulates the skin area, causing the user to feel a vibration or pressure for generating the second haptic-feedback component. The actuators and electrostimulation electrodes are optimized only for static tactile sensing and dynamic tactile sensing, respectively, reducing an implementation cost while optimized for accuracy in haptic feedback generation. The thermoelectric pellets, realized as Peltier-effect heat pumps, generate a two-dimensional pattern of temperature change on the skin area for providing a thermal feedback to the user.

A surgical stapling system for stapling the tissue of a patient is disclosed. The stapling system comprises a housing, a shaft extending from the housing, and an end effector extending from the shaft. The end effector comprises a plurality of staples removably stored therein and, also, an anvil configured to deform the staples. The stapling system further comprises a firing mechanism configured to deploy the staples along a staple firing path longer than 60 mm, a camera configured to capture an image of the patient tissue, a display, and a controller configured to generate an image of the staple firing path, wherein the images are displayed on the display.

Knob on display (KoD) devices and related systems, methods, and devices are disclosed. A KoD device includes a touch surface including a conductive material. The touch surface is configured to be positioned in a released position and in a depressed position. The touch surface is configured to be positioned in the depressed position responsive to pressure applied to the touch surface. The KoD device also includes a push electrode pad configured to be positioned in engagement proximity to a touch sensor of a touch screen device in both the released position and the depressed position. The push electrode pad is electrically connected to the conductive material of the touch surface responsive to the depressed position and electrically isolated from the conductive material of the touch surface in the released position.

An information processing apparatus includes: a body having a top configured to allow a touch panel to be disposed thereon; and an input auxiliary device. The input auxiliary device includes: a frame including a first holding piece and a second holding piece configured to hold one side and another side of the body, respectively, to mount the frame on the top; and a key unit attachable to a backside of the frame. The one side includes: a card slot; and a second underside extending along the top toward the another side between the top and the card slot. The first holding piece is configured to be locked to the second underside.

Regarding a tactile presentation panel, a tactile presentation panel that has a tactile presentation knob having a conductive member placed on an operation surface and presents a tactile sense to a user via the tactile presentation knob includes a movement amount calculation circuit that calculates a movement amount of the tactile presentation knob from current coordinates on the tactile presentation panel of the tactile presentation knob and past coordinates of the tactile presentation knob, a tactile strength calculation circuit that calculates a tactile strength to be applied to the user based on the movement amount, and a tactile presentation circuit that sets a voltage signal waveform based on the tactile strength. The movement amount is at least one of a rotation angle and a rotation speed of the tactile presentation knob.

A push button-equipped touch panel includes a touch panel, a cover panel and a push button part. The cover panel is disposed on an operation surface side of the touch panel and has a through hole. The push button part is disposed in the through hole of the cover panel.

In one example, a method for modifying input with a dial includes creating a queue of input actions corresponding to one or more atomic operations for an application. The method can also include detecting a dial action from a dial, the dial action indicating a reversal operation for removing at least one input action from the queue of input actions or an addition operation for adding at least one input action to the queue of input actions. Furthermore, the method can include generating an intermediate representation of the one or more atomic operations based on the dial action from the dial.

A method of detecting shift of a rotatable interface is disclosed. The rotatable interface has a fixed base with a conductive region on a bottom surface, the fixed base attached to a display screen of an input device. The method includes providing, during a first time period, a reference signal to first and second sets of electrodes of the input device that are each capacitively coupled to the conductive region. The method further includes, during a second time period, providing the reference signal to the first set of electrodes, providing a sensing signal to the second set of electrodes, and receiving, during the second time period, a resulting signal on the second set of electrodes. The method still further includes determining a translation of the rotatable interface relative to the display screen based, at least in part, on the resulting signal values received during the second time period.

A system may include one or more finger-mounted devices such as finger devices with U-shaped housings configured to be mounted on a user's fingers while gathering sensor input and supplying haptic output. The sensors may include strain gauge circuitry mounted on elongated arms of the housing. When the arms move due to finger forces, the strain gauge circuitry can measure the arm movement. The sensors may also include ultrasonic sensors. An ultrasonic sensor may have an ultrasonic signal emitter and a corresponding ultrasonic signal detector configured to detect the ultrasonic signals after passing through a user's finger. A two-dimensional ultrasonic sensor may capture ultrasonic images of a user's finger pad. Ultrasonic proximity sensors may be used to measure distances between finger devices and external surfaces. Optical sensors and other sensors may also be used in the finger devices.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a tactile presentation control apparatus that can provide an operation feeling of a dial knob that allows intuitive operation by a tactile sense of the user, and is user-friendly. A tactile presentation control apparatus according to the present disclosure that has a tactile presentation knob placed on an operation surface and presents a tactile sense to the user via the tactile presentation knob. The tactile presentation control apparatus includes a tactile control unit that performs control to present different tactile senses to each of a plurality of operation regions on the operation surface when the tactile presentation knob is rotationally operated. When the tactile presentation knob is present in one of the operation regions, the tactile control unit performs control to present, as the tactile sense, a frictional force generated in the tactile presentation knob to the operation region.