Soft Buttons for an Information Handling System

• US 20100251115A1
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhutani, Gurmeet Singh, Zwik, Leonard, Vega, Juan Rafael
• Application Number:
  US12/796,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251115A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An input system for use with an information handling system is disclosed. The input system may include a display device having a viewing area defined by a perimeter, a graphic user interface configured to display an input option within the viewing area adjacent the perimeter, a frame adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area, and a proximity sensing element associated with the frame and located outside the viewing area of the display device. The proximity sensing element may be configured to sense a user selecting the input option indicated by the graphic user interface.

Claims

1. An input system for use with an information handling system, the input system comprising:

a display device having a viewing area defined by a perimeter;

a graphic user interface configured to display an image within the viewing area adjacent the perimeter, the image indicating to a user an available input option;

a frame adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area; and

a proximity sensing element associated with the frame and located outside the viewing area of the display device;

wherein the proximity sensing element is configured to sense the user selecting the input option indicated by the graphic user interface.

2. An input system according to claim 1, wherein the frame includes a bezel.

3. An input system according to claim 1, wherein a user selecting the input option indicated by the graphic user interface includes the user touching the frame proximate the image displayed proximate the perimeter.

4. An input system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the graphic user interface configured to display a second image within the viewing area adjacent the perimeter, the second image indicating to a user a second available input option; and

the proximity sensing element configured to sense the user selecting the second input option indicated by the graphic user interface.

5. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensing element includes a capacitive proximity sensing element.

6. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the frame surrounds the entire viewing area of the display device.

7. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the graphic user interface is configured to display a plurality of images adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area, the plurality of images indicating to a user a plurality of available input options.

8. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and

an input device comprising;

a display device having a viewing area defined by a perimeter;

a graphic user interface configured to display an image within the viewing area adjacent the perimeter, the image indicating to a user an available input option;

a frame adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area; and

a proximity sensing element associated with the frame and located outside the viewing area of the display device;

wherein the proximity sensing element is configured to sense the user selecting the input option indicated by the graphic user interface;

wherein the input device is configured to communicate the selection of the input option to the processor.

9. An information handling system according to claim 8, wherein the proximity sensing element includes a capacitive proximity sensing element.

10. An information handling system according to claim 8, wherein the graphic user interface is configured to display a plurality of images adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area.

11. An information handling system according to claim 8, further comprising a second input device, the second input device comprising:

a flat sheet including a plurality of dedicated input options; and

a plurality of proximity sensing elements disposed adjacent the flat sheet.

12. An information handling system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of dedicated input options includes a QWERTY keyboard layout.

13. An information handling system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of proximity sensing elements disposed adjacent the flat sheet includes a plurality of capacitive sensing elements.

14. An information handling system according to claim 11, wherein the flat sheet comprises an injection molded plastic.

15. An information handling system according to claim 11, wherein the flat sheet comprises a PMMA sheet.

16. An information handling system according to claim 11, wherein the flat sheet comprises a glass sheet.

17. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions, stored on a tangible computer readable medium, for allowing a user to select an input option on a display device, the instructions comprising:

instructions for displaying an image within a viewing area of the display device and adjacent a perimeter of the display device, the image indicating to a user an available input option;

instructions for sensing a user selecting the input option through a proximity sensor; and

instructions for communicating the selection of the input option to a processor of an information handling system.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for displaying a plurality of input options adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising:

instructions for displaying a plurality of input options adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area; and

instructions for sensing a user selecting one of the plurality of input options through a proximity sensor.

20. A computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for sensing a user selecting an input option through a proximity sensor disposed adjacent a flat sheet, the flat sheet including a plurality of dedicated input options.