Universal user interface device
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a user interface including;
a first layer comprising a plurality of mechanical input controls actuatable to provide a corresponding first set of input functionality for controlling at least one of an application, service, or computing device, wherein each mechanical input control maps to an independent function; and
a second layer comprising a grid of touch sensitive input control areas arranged in a flower configuration including a central touch sensitive input area surrounded by a plurality of additional touch sensitive input areas, with each touch sensitive input control area comprising at least one touch sensitive sensor, wherein;
each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently from each of the other touch sensitive input control areas;
each touch sensitive input control area of the grid of touch sensitive input control areas is on top of a corresponding mechanical input control area of the plurality of mechanical input controls; and
computer-executable instructions stored in memory and executable by a processor to receive touch input from the user interface, the computer-executable instructions configured to;
process the touch input to confirm receipt of a directional swipe gesture including consecutively-received inputs from at least two of the touch sensitive input control areas, the at least two of the touch sensitive input control areas including the central touch sensitive input area and one of the touch sensitive input control areas forming a periphery of the flower configuration; and
execute an application control action response to recognition of the directional swipe gesture.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible, scalable hardware input device for interacting with a variety of devices ranging from a phone, to a media playback device to a steering wheel or a tablet PC is provided. The input device includes a set of mechanical input controls, each mapping to one or more independent functions and a set of touch sensitive input control areas (e.g., capacitive), where each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently. In addition, one or more of the touch sensitive input control areas interchangeably overlay one or more of the mechanical input controls, whereby interaction with the touch sensitive input control areas is processed together to determine a corresponding function for controlling the application, service or computing device.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a user interface including; a first layer comprising a plurality of mechanical input controls actuatable to provide a corresponding first set of input functionality for controlling at least one of an application, service, or computing device, wherein each mechanical input control maps to an independent function; and a second layer comprising a grid of touch sensitive input control areas arranged in a flower configuration including a central touch sensitive input area surrounded by a plurality of additional touch sensitive input areas, with each touch sensitive input control area comprising at least one touch sensitive sensor, wherein; each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently from each of the other touch sensitive input control areas; each touch sensitive input control area of the grid of touch sensitive input control areas is on top of a corresponding mechanical input control area of the plurality of mechanical input controls; and computer-executable instructions stored in memory and executable by a processor to receive touch input from the user interface, the computer-executable instructions configured to; process the touch input to confirm receipt of a directional swipe gesture including consecutively-received inputs from at least two of the touch sensitive input control areas, the at least two of the touch sensitive input control areas including the central touch sensitive input area and one of the touch sensitive input control areas forming a periphery of the flower configuration; and execute an application control action response to recognition of the directional swipe gesture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 21)
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8. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a user interface, a first input from a first layer, the first layer comprising a plurality of mechanical input controls actuatable to provide a corresponding first set of input functionality for controlling at least one of an application, service, or computing device, wherein each mechanical input control maps to an independent function; and receiving, by the user interface, a second input from a second layer, the second layer comprising a grid of touch sensitive input control areas arranged in a flower configuration including a central touch sensitive input area surrounded by a plurality of additional touch sensitive input areas, with each touch sensitive input control area comprising at least one touch sensitive sensor, wherein; each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently from each of the other touch sensitive input control areas; and each touch sensitive input control area of the grid of touch sensitive input control areas is on top of a corresponding mechanical input control area of the of the plurality of mechanical input controls; processing touch input to confirm receipt of a directional swipe gesture receipt at the user interface, the directional swipe gesture including consecutively-received inputs from at least two of the touch sensitive input control areas, the at least two of the touch sensitive input control areas including the central touch sensitive input area and one of the touch sensitive input control areas forming a periphery of the flower configuration; and executing an application control action response to recognition of the directional swipe gesture. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22)
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16. One or more memory devices encoding computer-executable instructions comprising:
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receiving, by a user interface, a first input from a first layer, the first layer comprising a plurality of mechanical input controls actuatable to provide a corresponding first set of input functionality for controlling at least one of an application, service, or computing device, wherein each mechanical input control maps to an independent function; and receiving, by the user interface, a second input from a second layer, the second layer comprising a grid of touch sensitive input control areas arranged in a flower configuration including a central touch sensitive input area surrounded by a plurality of additional touch sensitive input areas, with each touch sensitive input control area comprising at least one touch sensitive sensor, wherein; each touch sensitive input control area receives touch input independently from each of the other touch sensitive input control areas; each touch sensitive input control area of the grid of touch sensitive input control areas is on top of a corresponding mechanical input control area of the of the plurality of mechanical input controls; and processing touch input to confirm receipt of a directional swipe gesture receipt at the user interface, the directional swipe gesture including consecutively-received inputs from at least two of the touch sensitive input control areas, the at least two of the touch sensitive input control areas including the central touch sensitive input area and one of the touch sensitive input control areas forming a periphery of the flower configuration; and executing an application control action response to recognition of the directional swipe gesture. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 23)
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Specification