APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING FOR INTERACTION WITH CONTENT WITHIN A DIGITAL BEZEL

• US 20140055367A1
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Dearman, David Alexander, Setlur, Vidya Raghavan
• Granted Patent: US 9,720,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

An apparatus, method, and computer program product are described that provide for an active digital bezel area on a display of a device. Touch input may be received in a bezel area provided on the display, where user interaction with content presented within the bezel area at a location corresponding to the location of the touch input is initially disabled. A force component of the touch input may be detected and compared to a predetermined force threshold. In cases in which the force component of the touch input exceeds the predetermined force threshold, user interaction with the content at that location may be enabled. In this way, the force exerted by the user in applying a touch input in the bezel area may be considered an indication of the user'"'"'s intent to interact with corresponding content within the bezel, and such interactions may be provided for accordingly.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive touch input in a bezel area provided on a display, wherein user interaction with content presented within the bezel area at a location corresponding to a location of the touch input is initially disabled;

determine whether a force component of the touch input exceeds a predetermined force threshold; and

enable user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input in response to a determination that the force component of the touch input exceeds the predetermined force threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to enable user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input by removing a portion of the bezel area corresponding to the location of the touch input.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide for a visual indication of the enablement of user interaction with the content.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide for a haptic indication of the enablement of user interaction with the content.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined force threshold varies over a duration of the touch input.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to disable user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input subsequent to enablement following execution of an operation performed as a result of user interaction with the content.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to disable user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time following enablement of the user interaction, wherein the predetermined amount of time corresponds to the force component of the touch input.

8. A method comprising:

receiving touch input in a bezel area provided on a display, wherein user interaction with content presented within the bezel area at a location corresponding to a location of the touch input is initially disabled;

determining whether a force component of the touch input exceeds a predetermined force threshold; and

enabling user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input, via a processor, in response to a determination that the force component of the touch input exceeds the predetermined force threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein enabling user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input comprises removing a portion of the bezel area corresponding to the location of the touch input.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing for a visual indication or a haptic indication of the enablement of user interaction with the content.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined force threshold varies over a duration of the touch input.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising disabling user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input subsequent to enablement following execution of an operation performed as a result of user interaction with the content.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising disabling user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time following enablement of the user interaction, wherein the predetermined amount of time corresponds to the force component of the touch input.

14. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for:

receiving touch input in a bezel area provided on a display, wherein user interaction with content presented within the bezel area at a location corresponding to a location of the touch input is initially disabled;

determining whether a force component of the touch input exceeds a predetermined force threshold; and

enabling user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input in response to a determination that the force component of the touch input exceeds the predetermined force threshold.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, the program code instructions for enabling user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input are further configured for removing a portion of the bezel area corresponding to the location of the touch input.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program code instructions are further configured for providing for a visual indication of the enablement of user interaction with the content.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program code instructions are further configured for providing for a haptic indication of the enablement of user interaction with the content.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the predetermined force threshold varies over a duration of the touch input.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program code instructions are further configured for disabling user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input subsequent to enablement following execution of an operation performed as a result of user interaction with the content.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program code instructions are further configured for disabling user interaction with the content at the location corresponding to the location of the touch input upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time following enablement of the user interaction, wherein the predetermined amount of time corresponds to the force component of the touch input.