Use of Bezel as an Input Mechanism

• US 20110209097A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kenneth P., Yatani, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 9,310,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Bezel gestures for touch displays are described. In at least some embodiments, the bezel of a device is used to extend functionality that is accessible through the use of so-called bezel gestures. In at least some embodiments, off-screen motion can be used, by virtue of the bezel, to create screen input through a bezel gesture. Bezel gestures can include single-finger bezel gestures, multiple-finger/same-hand bezel gestures, and/or multiple-finger, different-hand bezel gestures.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a touch input on a bezel of a device; and

responsive to receiving the touch input, accessing a functionality associated with the received touch input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input comprises one or more finger input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a tap on the bezel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a tap combination on the bezel.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising ascertaining a location on the bezel at which the touch input is received and, responsive to said ascertaining, mapping the touch input to a particular functionality.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising ascertaining a region on a bezel side at which the touch input is received and, responsive to said ascertaining, mapping the touch input to a particular functionality.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving is performed independent of any input received via a hardware input instrumentality located on the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input comprises the only user input that is utilized to access the functionality.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the functionality is associated with deselecting one or more objects on a canvas associated with the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the functionality comprises one or more of:

object selection, object manipulation, or context menu activation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the functionality comprises one or more of:

object selection, object manipulation, or context menu activation, and wherein the touch input comprises the only user input that is utilized to access the functionality.

12. A method comprising:

displaying a visual affordance on a display device associated with a computing device;

receiving a bezel gesture input relative to the visual affordance; and

,

accessing functionality associated with the received bezel gesture input.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the visual affordance is associated with a drop down bezel menu configured to enable the functionality to be accessed through the bezel gesture input.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the visual affordance comprises a semi-transparent strip adjacent a bezel of the computing device.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising, prior to displaying the visual affordance, receiving an input associated with a bezel of the computing device and, responsive to receiving the input, displaying the visual affordance.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising, prior to displaying the visual affordance, receiving an input associated with a bezel of the computing device and, responsive to receiving the input, displaying the visual affordance, wherein the input associated with the bezel comprises a hover over the bezel.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising, prior to displaying the visual affordance, receiving an input associated with a bezel of the computing device and, responsive to receiving the input, displaying the visual affordance, wherein the input associated with the bezel comprises a physical engagement of the bezel.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause a computing device to implement a method comprising:

receiving a touch-input on a bezel of the device;

ascertaining a functionality associated with the touch-input; and

accessing the ascertained functionality associated with the touch-input.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the touch-input is the only input received in order to access the ascertained functionality.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the touch-input comprises an input selected from the group comprising:

a tap, a tap combination, a hold, a tap/hold combination, or a slide.