Computing devices having swiping interfaces and methods of operating the same

• US 10,209,821 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts-Hoffman, Katie Leah, Parekh, Premal
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US15/451,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20170285843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 385116, 385146, 715 64, 715 69
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Computing devices may include one or more swiping interfaces provided on a base portion and/or a display portion of the computing device. For example, a computing device may include a display disposed within a housing, and a plurality of touch cells in a linear arrangement along an edge portion of the housing. Each of the plurality of touch cells may emit touch fields through the housing at a corresponding surface of the housing. The computing device may also include a processor that can execute machine-readable instructions, allowing the computing device to receive a plurality touch input signals from the plurality of touch cells, and to operate the computing device in response to the received plurality of touch input signals.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a first housing;

a display disposed within the first housing;

a first plurality of touch cells disposed within the first housing, in a linear arrangement outside of the display, wherein the first plurality of touch cells respectively emit a first plurality of signals through a first surface of the first housing;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a first plurality of touch input signals from the first plurality of touch cells; and

operate the computing device in accordance with the first plurality of touch input signals,

wherein, in one of a plurality of modes, the first plurality of touch input signals corresponds to a swiping input detected by the first plurality of touch cells along an edge portion of the first surface of the first housing, a pattern of the swiping input corresponding to a previously stored code to unlock the computing device from a standby state or an off state.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of touch cells are aligned along an interior edge portion of the first housing, adjacent to the first surface of the first housing.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch screen, the touch screen having a second plurality of touch cells arranged on an edge portion of the display, the second plurality of touch cells respectively emitting a second plurality of signals through a second surface of the housing, and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to:

receive a second plurality touch input signals from the second plurality touch cells; and

operate the computing device in accordance with the second plurality of touch input signals.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in operating the computing device in accordance with the first plurality of touch input signals, the instructions cause the processor to at least one of:

unlock the computing device for operation from the standby state or the off state;

adjust a volume level of the computing device;

adjust a brightness level of the display;

scroll contents of a window displayed on the display;

navigate a list of items displayed on the display;

move forward in a web browser window displayed on the display;

move backward in a web browser window displayed on the display;

or

open an application for execution by the processor.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the pattern of the swiping input is defined by a sequence including a plurality of pause points, a plurality of taps, or a combination of a plurality of pause points and taps, detected by the first plurality of touch cells at the first surface of the first housing, the plurality of pause points and/or plurality of taps defining the sequence being detected at a respective plurality of set positions on the first surface of the first housing corresponding to the previously stored code to unlock the computing device from the standby state or the off state.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a smudge resistant material.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first surface comprises at least one of a bezel surrounding a peripheral portion of the display, a lateral edge of the first housing, or a top surface of the first housing.

8. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second housing coupled to the first housing;

a keyboard disposed in the second housing; and

a second plurality of touch cells arranged along an edge portion of the second housing, the second plurality of touch cells respectively emitting a second plurality of signals through a second surface of the second housing,

wherein the instructions cause the processor to;

receive a second plurality of touch input signals from the second plurality touch cells; and

operate the computing device in accordance with the second plurality of touch input signals.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the second surface of the second housing comprises at least one of a border around the keyboard, a lateral edge portion of the second housing or a bottom surface of the second housing.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a portable computer, the computing device being selectively and foldably arrangeable in a plurality of different folded arrangements;

and

wherein the instructions cause the processor to;

operate the computing device in response to the first plurality of touch input signals in a first mode of the plurality of modes when the computing device is in a first folded arrangement; and

operate the computing device in a second mode of the plurality of modes in response to the first plurality of touch input signals when the computing device is in a second folded arrangement.

11. A method of operating a computing device having a housing and a display disposed within the housing, the method comprising:

operating a plurality of touch cells to respectively emit a plurality of signals through the housing, the plurality of touch cells being arranged linearly within the housing, along an edge portion of the housing, outside the display;

receiving a plurality of touch input signals from the plurality of touch cells; and

operating the computing device in response to the plurality of touch input signals, including;

detecting a swiping input at the edge portion of the housing corresponding to the plurality of touch input signals;

detecting a pattern associated with the swiping input and

in one of a plurality of modes, correlating the pattern with a previously stored code to unlock the computing device from a standby state or an off state, and

unlocking the computing device from the standby state or the off state in response to the plurality of touch input signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the plurality of touch input signals from the plurality of touch cells includes:

detecting the swiping input along an exterior surface of the housing, at a position on the exterior surface of the housing corresponding to a position of the plurality of touch cells within the housing; and

correlating the detected swiping input to the plurality of touch inputs signals for processing by a processor of the computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein operating the computing device in response to the plurality of touch input signals also includes, in another of the plurality of modes, at least one of:

adjusting a volume of the computing device;

adjusting a brightness of the display;

scrolling contents of a window displayed on the display;

navigating a list of items displayed on the display;

moving forward in a web browser window displayed on the display;

moving backward in a web browser window displayed on the display;

or

opening an application for execution by the computing device.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of touch inputs includes a plurality of taps detected by the plurality of touch cells at an exterior surface of the housing, the plurality of taps being detected at a respective plurality of set positions on the exterior surface of the housing corresponding to the previously stored code to unlock the computing device from the standby state or the off state.

15. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor causes the processor to execute a method, the method comprising:

operating a plurality of touch cells to respectively emit a plurality of signals through a housing of a computing device, the plurality of touch cells being arranged linearly within the housing, along an edge portion of the housing, outside a display positioned in the housing;

receiving a plurality of touch input signals from the plurality of touch cells; and

operating the computing device in response to the plurality of touch input signals, including;

detecting a swiping input at the edge portion of the housing corresponding to the plurality of touch input signals;

detecting a pattern associated with the swiping input and

in one of a plurality of modes, correlating the pattern with a previously stored code to unlock the computing device from a standby state or an off state, and

unlocking the computing device from the standby state or the off state in response to the plurality of touch input signals.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein, in receiving the plurality of touch input signals from the plurality of touch cells, the method also includes:

detecting the swiping input along an exterior surface of the housing, at a position on the exterior surface of the housing corresponding to a position of the plurality of touch cells within the housing;

comparing the detected pattern of the swiping input to the previously stored code; and

unlocking the computing device from the standby state or the off state in response to a determination that the pattern of the swiping input matches the previously stored code.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the pattern is defined by a sequence including a plurality of pause points, a plurality of taps, or a combination of pause points and taps detected at the exterior surface of the housing, the pattern of the swiping input matching the previously stored code when the plurality of pause points and/or plurality of taps defining the sequence are detected positions on the exterior surface of the housing corresponding to the previously stored code.