Mechanism for employing and facilitating an edge thumb sensor at a computing device

• US 10,416,795 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Graumann, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/702,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20150309607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345173-178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A mechanism is described for employing and facilitating a thumb sensor at a computing device. A method of embodiments of the invention includes extending a touch panel of a computing device into a flap of the touch panel to be used as a side sensor of the computing device, and sensing a use of the side sensor, the use including touching of the side sensor by a user, where sensing may include detecting a change at one or more intersecting points of a plurality of intersecting points of conductive lines. The method may further include facilitating an action in response to the use of the side sensor.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a sensor, the method comprising:

extending a touch panel of a computing device using a flap representing an edge of the computing device in order to create a unified touch sensor of the computing device, the flap coupled with the touch panel through a flexible joint,

wherein the touch panel is not continuous with the flap representing the edge of the computing device and the flexible joint separates the flap from the touch panel,

wherein extending the touch panel includes unifying the touch panel and the edge into the unified touch sensor, and

wherein unifying includes facilitating the touch panel to adopt scanning traces from the flap to project unified capacitive sensing to the edge.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unified touch sensor includes:

one or more side sensors placed at one or more sides of the computing device, wherein the unified touch sensor is provided at a 90°

degree angle from the touch panel on a front of the computing device, wherein the unified capacitive sensing to facilitate sensing of a user touch to the unified touch sensor, wherein sensing includes detecting a change at one or more intersecting points of a plurality of intersecting points of conductive lines running between the touch panel and the edge.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unified touch sensor includes:

one or more side sensors placed at one or more sides of the computing device, wherein the unified touch sensor is provided at an angle other than ninety degrees from the touch panel on a front of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unified touch sensor comprises a thumb sensor to be triggered by a user touch provided through a user thumb or one or more user fingers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises one or more of a mobile computing device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a set-top box, wherein the mobile computing device comprises one or more of a smartphone, a handheld computing device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a tablet computer, and wherein the laptop computer comprises a notebook or a netbook.

6. A method for a touch sensor comprising:

sensing a user touch to a unified touch sensor of a computing device;

extending a touch panel of the computing device using a flap representing an edge of the computing device, the flap coupled with the touch panel through a flexible joint,

wherein the touch panel is not continuous with the flap representing the edge of the computing device and the flexible joint separates the flap from the touch panel,

wherein extending the touch panel includes unifying the touch panel and the edge into the unified touch sensor,

wherein unifying includes facilitating the touch panel to adopt scanning traces from the flap to project unified capacitive sensing to the edge; and

facilitating an action in response to the user touch of the unified touch sensor.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

analyzing the use to determine an intended purpose of the use by the user; and

selecting an action in response to the use and in accordance with the determined intended purpose, wherein the unified capacitive sensing to facilitate the sensing of the user touch to the unified touch sensor, wherein sensing includes detecting a change at one or more intersecting points of a plurality of intersecting points of conductive lines running between the touch panel and the edge.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein sensing further comprises receiving a message relating to the use of the unified touch sensor from the one or more intersecting points of the plurality of intersecting points, wherein the plurality of intersecting points are generated by placing first conductive lines provided in the touch panel over second conductive lines provided in the edge of the computing device.

9. A system comprising:

a computing device having a memory to store instructions for facilitating an edge sensor mechanism, and a processing device to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions cause the processing device to;

sense a user touch to a unified touch sensor of the computing device;

extend a touch panel of the computing device using a flap representing an edge of the computing device in order to create a unified touch sensor of the computing device, the flap coupled to the touch panel through a flexible joint,

wherein the touch panel is not continuous with the flap representing the edge of the computing device and the flexible joint separates the flap from the touch panel,

wherein extending the touch panel includes unifying the touch panel and the edge into the unified touch sensor,

wherein unifying includes facilitating the touch panel to adopt scanning traces from the flap to project unified capacitive sensing to the edge, wherein the edge serves as the unified touch sensor such that the touch panel adopts scanning traces to project unified capacitive sensing to the edge.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further to analyze the use to:

determine an intended purpose of the use by the user; and

select an action in response to the use and in accordance with the determined intended purpose, wherein the unified capacitive sensing to facilitate sensing of a user touch to the unified touch sensor, wherein sensing includes detecting a change at one or more intersecting points of a plurality of intersecting points of conductive lines running between the touch panel and the edge.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein sensing further comprises:

receiving a message relating to the use of the unified touch sensor from the one or more intersecting points of the plurality of intersecting points, wherein the plurality of intersecting points are generated by placing first conductive lines provided in the touch panel over second conductive lines provided in the edge.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the unified touch sensor includes one or more side sensors placed at one or more sides of the computing device, wherein the unified touch sensor is provided at a ninety degree angle from the touch panel on a front of the computing device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the unified touch sensor includes one or more side sensors placed at one or more sides of the computing device, wherein the unified touch sensor is provided at an angle other than ninety degrees from the touch panel on a front of the computing device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the unified touch sensor comprises a thumb sensor to be triggered by a user touch provided through a user thumb or one or more user fingers.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device comprises one or more of a mobile computing device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a set-top box, wherein the mobile computing device comprises one or more of a smartphone, a handheld computing device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a tablet computer, and wherein the laptop computer comprises a notebook or a netbook.