Idea: Vibrator as keyboard click

[Ole Tange]

On 12/28/06, Sean Moss-Pultz <sean_mosko at fic.com.tw> wrote:
> On 12/27/06 8:28 AM, "Ole Tange" <openmoko.org at tange.dk> wrote:
>
> > The Neo only has a touch screen which makes it hard to feel if a key
> > is pressed. A click sound can help, but sound can be annoying to your
> > environment. Visual feedback helps, but it would be nice to feel it
> > too.
> >
> > You could have the phone move slightly if the vibrator is activated
> > for a very short time (e.g. 50 ms). This would give a silent, yet
> > destinctive feedback.
>
> Very cool idea!...but I think I remember hearing from somebody that this is
> patented. Does anybody here know?

First: You probably do not want to know if it _is_ the case. In the US
you cannot assume that a patent will be deemed valid by the courts
just because the USPTO has granted the patent. If you are infringing a
patent and the courts find it valid, you may be liable for damages. If
you knowingly infringed the patent damages will rise (I seem to
remember with a factor of 2).

Second: I have searched http://www.google.com/patents and found nothing.


/Ole (who has spent more than a man year on the software patent issue)