Graphical User Interface Interaction Using Secondary Touch Input Device

• US 20130100035A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Papakipos, Matthew Nicholas, Cahill, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/276,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20130100035A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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

In one embodiment, a user of a mobile device comprising a front-side display and a back-side touch surface selects a control key mode for an application user interface displayed in the front-side display by using touch input on the back-side touch surface.

Claims

1. An apparatus of a first user, comprising:

a device housing;

a memory;

one or more main processors;

one or more sensors;

a first display disposed on a front side of the device housing;

a touch surface disposed on a back side of the device housing;

a program comprising computer-readable instructions operative, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to;

in response to a touch event generated by the touch surface during presentation of an application user interface at the first display;

select a control key mode for the application user interface based on the touch event; and

process one or more user inputs at the application user interface based in part on the selected control key mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to select a control key mode for the application user interface based on the touch event, the program further comprises computer readable instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

select a control key mode for the application user interface based on one or more locations of the touch surface corresponding to the touch event.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to select a control key mode for the application user interface based on the touch event, the program further comprises computer readable instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

select a control key mode for the application user interface based on a number of touches to the touch surface of the touch event.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to select a control key mode for the application user interface based on the touch event, the program further comprises computer readable instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

select a control key mode for the application user interface based on duration of contact to the touch surface of the touch event.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the program further comprises computer readable instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

indicating in the application user interface a selection of one or more control key modes.

6. An apparatus of a first user, comprising:

a device housing;

a memory;

one or more main processors;

one or more sensors;

a first display disposed on a front side of the device housing;

a touch surface disposed on a lateral side of the device housing;

a program comprising computer-readable instructions operative, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to;

in response to a touch event generated by the touch surface during presentation of an application user interface at the first display;

select a control key mode for the application user interface based on the touch event; and

process one or more user inputs at the application user interface based in part on the selected control key mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein to select a control key mode for the application user interface based on the touch event, the program further comprises computer readable instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

select a control key mode for the application user interface based on one or more locations of the touch surface corresponding to the touch event.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein to select a control key mode for the application user interface based on the touch event, the program further comprises computer readable instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

select a control key mode for the application user interface based on a number of touches to the touch surface of the touch event.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein to select a control key mode for the application user interface based on the touch event, the program further comprises computer readable instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

select a control key mode for the application user interface based on duration of contact to the touch surface of the touch event.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program further comprises computer readable instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

indicating in the application user interface a selection of one or more control key modes.