AUGMENTED TOUCH CONTROL FOR HAND-HELD DEVICES

• US 20140078086A1
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Bledsoe, J. Daren, Goss, Steven M., Zimmerman, Gary D., Montierth, Mark D., Carlson, Gregory F., Salvatori, Phillip
• Application Number:
  US14/028,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078086A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• 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 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

In various embodiments, the present disclosure describes hand-held devices with one or more touch-sensitive areas. The hand-held devices include a housing occupying each of a first plane, a second plane, and a third plane. A first exterior surface of the housing occupies the first plane and includes a first touch-sensitive area responsive to user touch. A second exterior surface of the housing occupies the second plane and includes a second touch-sensitive area responsive to user touch. A third exterior surface of the housing occupies the third plane and includes a display screen. A user interface module causes display of a user interface on the display screen and interprets at least one of (i) user touch of the first touch-sensitive area as a command to interact with the user interface or (ii) user touch of the second touch-sensitive area as a command to interact with the user interface.

Claims

1. A hand-held device, comprising:

a housing occupying each of a first plane, a second plane, and a third plane, wherein

(i) a first exterior surface of the housing occupying the first plane includes a first touch-sensitive area that is responsive to user touch;

(ii) a second exterior surface of the housing occupying the second plane includes a second touch-sensitive area that is responsive to user touch;

(iii) a third exterior surface of the housing occupying the third plane includes a display screen; and

a user interface module configured to cause display a user interface on the display screen, wherein the user interface module is further configured to interpret at least one of (i) user touch of the first touch-sensitive area as a command to interact with the user interface or (ii) user touch of the second touch-sensitive area as a command to interact with the user interface.

2. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the user interface module is further configured to (i) based at least on user touch of at least one of the first touch-sensitive area or the second touch-sensitive area, determine how the hand-held device is being held, and (ii) based on how the hand-held device is being held, adjust the display of the user interface on the display screen.

3. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the user interface module is further configured to interpret simultaneous user touch of the first touch-sensitive area and the second touch-sensitive area as the command to interact with the user interface.

4. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the user interface module is further configured to:

determine, based on the user touch of both the first touch-sensitive area and the second touch-sensitive area, a number of digits touching one of the first touch-sensitive area or the second touch-sensitive area; and

based at least on the number of digits placed on one of (i) the first touch-sensitive area or (ii) the second touch-sensitive area, interpret the user touch of at least one of the first touch-sensitive area and the second touch-sensitive area as the command to manipulate the user interface.

5. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the manipulation of the user interface is at least one of a scroll action, magnification of the user interface, display of a menu, text entry, selection of a hot key, or an unlock of the hand-held device.

6. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein:

the first touch-sensitive area is a touch pad; and

the first exterior surface is a physically opposite exterior surface from the third exterior surface that includes the display screen.

7. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein:

the first touch-sensitive area is a touch pad;

the first exterior surface is a physically opposite exterior surface from the third exterior surface; and

the user interface module is further configured to display a cursor control associated with the touch pad within the user interface.

8. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the display screen is a touch-sensitive display screen.

9. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the command is a user-programmed command.

10. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein the user interface module is further configured to enable the interpretation of the user touch of the first touch-sensitive area as the command upon detecting the user touch of the second touch-sensitive area.

11. A method comprising:

detecting touch of a first touch-sensitive control occupying a first plane of a housing of a hand-held device;

detecting touch of a second touch-sensitive control occupying a second plane of the housing of the hand-held device;

causing display of a user interface on a display screen occupying a third plane of the housing of the hand-held device; and

interpreting at least one of (i) the touch of the first touch-sensitive control as a command to perform a user input function of the user interface displayed on the display screen or (ii) the touch of the second touch-sensitive control as a command to perform a user input function of the user interface displayed on the display screen.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

based at least on how the hand-held device is being held, enabling the user input function.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the touch of the second touch-sensitive area is interpreted as the command; and

the method further comprises, in response to detection of the touch of the first touch-sensitive area, enabling the interpretation of the touch of the second touch-sensitive area as the command to perform the user input function.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a number of touches of the first touch-sensitive control; and

based at least on the number of touches of the first touch-sensitive control, enabling of the user input function.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

based at least on the touch of the first touch-sensitive area, determining how the hand-held device is being held; and

based on how the hand-held device is being held, adjusting display of the user interface.

16. A method comprising:

causing display of a user interface on a touch-sensitive display screen disposed on a front of a housing of a hand-held device; and

interpreting user touch on a first touch-sensitive area disposed on a back of the housing of the hand-held device as a first command to manipulate a cursor control of the user interface, wherein the back of the hand-held device is opposite to the front of the hand-held device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first touch-sensitive display area is a touch pad; and

the method further comprises, in response to touch of the first touch-sensitive element, changing location of the cursor control within the user interface.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

based on touch of a second touch-sensitive area, enabling interpretation of the touch of the first touch-sensitive area as the first command,

wherein the second touch-sensitive area is disposed on one of a side, top, or bottom of the hand-held device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising;

interpreting simultaneous user touch of the first touch-sensitive area and a second touch-sensitive area as a second command to manipulate the user interface,

wherein the second touch-sensitive area is disposed on one of a side, top, or bottom of the hand-held device.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

based on how the hand-held device is being held, enabling interpretation of the touch of the first touch-sensitive area as the first command.