Touch-Sensitive Bezel Techniques

• US 20140132551A1
• Filed: 11/12/2012
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bathiche, Steven Nabil
• Granted Patent: US 9,582,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Touch-sensitive bezel techniques are described. In one or more implementations, touch sensors located in a display portion and a bezel portion detect a touch input and determine, based on one or more characteristics of the touch input, a likelihood that a user intends or does not intend to interact with the computing device. A location of a centroid of an area of the touch input is on such characteristic that can be utilized. In at least some implementations, the bezel portion has display capabilities such that when a touch input is detected, the display capabilities in a region of the bezel portion can be made active to cause a menu to be displayed in the region of the bezel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a touch input using one or more touch sensors located in a bezel portion and a display portion of a display device of a computing device; and

determining, based on one or more characteristics of the touch input, a likelihood that a user does not intend to interact with the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, the one or more characteristics of the touch input comprising a size of the touch input, a shape of the touch input, a location of the touch input, a velocity of the touch input, a distance the touch input travels, a centroid of the touch input, or a lifetime of the touch input.

3. The method of claim 1, the determining comprising:

calculating a centroid of the touch input;

determining a location of the centroid relative to the bezel portion of the display device; and

determining that the location of the centroid is within the bezel portion of the display device.

4. The method of claim 1, the determining comprising determining that the touch input is likely indicative of a user holding the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the touch input is detected using one or more touch sensors located in the display portion.

6. The method of claim 1, the one or more touch sensors comprising one or more capacitive touch sensors.

7. A device comprising:

one or more touch sensors included in a display portion of a display device and in a bezel portion of the display device, the one or more touch sensors configured to detect a touch input; and

one or more modules configured to determine a likelihood of whether the touch input is indicative of a user'"'"'s intention to interact with a user interface displayed by the display device of the device or a user'"'"'s intention to not interact with the user interface displayed by the display device of the device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more modules are configured to determine the likelihood by determining a location of a centroid relative to the display portion or the bezel portion of the display device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more modules are configured to determine the likelihood by determining that the touch input is likely indicative of the user'"'"'s intention to interact with the user interface when the location of the centroid falls within an area corresponding to the display portion of the display device.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more modules are configured to determine the likelihood by determining that the touch input is likely indicative of the user'"'"'s intention to not interact with the user interface when the location of the centroid falls within an area corresponding to the bezel portion of the display.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more modules are configured to determine the likelihood by determining the that the touch input is likely indicative of a user holding the device.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the one or more touch sensors included in the bezel portion extends from the display portion into the bezel portion.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the one or more touch sensors extending from the display portion into the bezel portion comprise one or more capacitive touch sensors.

14. A method comprising:

detecting a touch input using one or more touch sensors located in a bezel portion and a display portion of a display device of a computing device while display capabilities of a region of the bezel portion are inactive; and

responsive to the detecting of the touch input, making the display capabilities of the region of the bezel portion active effective to cause a menu to be displayed in the region.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the making of the display capabilities active is performed responsive to determining that a location of a centroid of the touch input is within an area corresponding to the bezel portion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the touch input is within an area corresponding to the display portion.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

detecting a subsequent touch input using one or more touch sensors located in the region while the display capabilities of the bezel portion are active; and

determining a likelihood that the subsequent touch input is indicative of a user'"'"'s intention to interact with the menu.

18. The method of claim 17, the determining comprising determining that a location of a centroid of the subsequent touch input is within an area corresponding to the region.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the making the display capabilities of the region is performed responsive to determining that the touch input is indicative of a user'"'"'s intention to interact with the computing device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the making the display capabilities of the region is performed responsive to the touch input lasting about 0.25 seconds or less.