Methods and apparatus related to a scratch pad region of a computing device

• US 8,624,837 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Han, Amy
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US13/073,306
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• 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 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

In one general aspect, a computing device can include a display, a touchpad configured for moving a cursor on the display, and a keyboard for inputting input into the computing device. The computing device also can include a scratch region mutually exclusive from the touchpad and the keyboard. The scratch region can be configured to receive input to the computing device based on contact with the scratch region. An interaction detection module can be configured to detect an interaction with the scratch region, and configured to generate an indicator of the interaction. The computing device can also include a scratch region analyzer configured to define an alphanumeric character based on the indicator of the interaction with the scratch region.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a display;

a touchpad configured for moving a cursor on the display;

a keyboard for inputting input into the computing device;

a scratch region mutually exclusive from the touchpad and the keyboard, the scratch region being configured to receive input to the computing device based on contact with the scratch region;

an interaction detection module configured to detect an interaction with the scratch region, and configured to generate an indicator of the interaction; and

a scratch region analyzer configured to define an alphanumeric character based on the indicator of the interaction with the scratch region.

2. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

an extension configured to be moved from a stowed configured to a deployed configuration, the scratch region being defined within a portion of the extension,

the scratch region analyzer being changed from an inactive state to an active state when the extension is moved from the stowed configured to the deployed configuration.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the scratch region is a first scratch region defined by a first region of the computing device, the interaction is a first interaction,

the computing device, further comprising:

a second scratch region defined by a second region of the computing device mutually exclusive with the first region of the computing device, the interaction detection module configured to detect a second interaction and configured to generate an indicator of the second interaction,

the scratch region analyzer configured to define an interpretation of the second interaction based on the indicator of the second interaction with the second scratch region.

4. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first display included in a display portion of the computing device; and

a second display included in a base portion of the computing device, the second display is configured to display a representation of the indicator of the interaction during at least a portion of a time period that the interaction with the scratch region occurs.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the touchpad is disposed within a first plane co-planar with a first side of a base portion of the computing device, the scratch region is disposed within a second plane co-planar with a second side of the base portion of the computing device, the first plane is substantially parallel to the second plane.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the scratch region defines an area on a base portion of the computing device,

the computing device further comprising:

a memory configured to store an interpretation; and

a display portion slidably coupled to the base portion of the computing device and configured to slidably move from a first position with respect to the base portion of the computing device to a second position with respect to the base portion of the computing device, the scratch region being disposed between the base portion and the display portion when the display portion is in the first position, the scratch region being exposed when the display portion is in the second position.

7. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display of the computing device configured to change from an illuminating mode to a non-illuminating mode; and

a button configured to change the scratch region analyzer from an off-state to an on-state when the button is actuated and while the display is in the non-illuminating mode.

8. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a button configured to trigger storage of the alphanumeric character as part of a note page in response to the button being actuated.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein:

the interaction is a first interaction,

the interaction detection module is configured to detect a second interaction with the scratch region and configured to generate an indicator of the second interaction,

the scratch region analyzer is configured to associate the indicator of the second interaction with an instruction, and

the scratch region analyzer is configured to define the alphanumeric character based on the indicator of the interaction in response to the instruction.

10. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a base portion of the computing device; and

a display portion of the computing device coupled to the base portion of the computing device, the interaction detection module and the scratch region analyzer being in an active state when the display portion of the computing device and the base portion of the computing device define a closed configuration, the keyboard being disposed between the display portion of the computing device and the base portion of the computing device when the display portion of the computing device and the base portion of the computing device are in the closed configuration.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed cause a computing device to perform a process, the instructions comprising instructions to:

detect a plurality of interactions with a scratch region of the computing device, the scratch region being mutually exclusive from a touchpad for moving a cursor of the computing device and from a keyboard of the computing device;

generate an indicator of a first interaction from the plurality of interactions, and an indicator of a second interaction from the plurality of interactions;

associate the indicator of the first interaction from the plurality of interactions with an interpretation instruction; and

interpret, in response to the interpretation instruction, the second interaction from the plurality of interactions as an alphanumeric character based on the indicator of the second interaction from the plurality of interactions.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the generating of the indicator of the first interaction and the indicator of the second interaction are performed while a display of the computing device is in an inactive state.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of interactions is a first plurality of interactions during a first time period,

the instructions further comprising instructions to:

detect a second plurality of interactions with the scratch region of the computing device during a second time period different from the first time period;

determine that an orientation condition is unsatisfied during the second time period; and

discard the second portion of the plurality of interactions in response to the orientation condition being unsatisfied.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to:

generate an indicator of a third interaction from the plurality of interactions;

associate the indicator of the third interaction from the plurality of interactions with a pagination instruction; and

trigger storage, in response to the pagination instruction, of the alphanumeric character as a portion of a note page.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to:

generate an indicator of a third interaction from the plurality of interactions;

associate the indicator of the third interaction from the plurality of interactions with a delete instruction;

trigger storage of the indicator of the second interaction in a memory at a first time; and

remove, in response to the delete instruction and at a second time after the first time, the indicator of the second interaction from the memory.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to:

associate an indicator of a teaching interaction with the interpretation instruction during a learning time period, the associating includes comparing the indicator of the first interaction with the indicator of the teaching interaction.

17. A method, comprising:

changing at least a portion of a scratch device included in a computing device from an inactive state to an active state in response to a first interaction with a scratch region of the scratch device, the changing is performed while a primary operating system of the computing device is in an inactive state;

defining an indicator of the first interaction;

defining an indicator of a second interaction with the scratch region of the scratch device; and

associating the indicator of the first interaction from the plurality of interactions with an instruction configured to trigger processing of the indicator of the second interaction from the plurality of interactions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the changing the at least the portion of the scratch device from the active state to the inactive state in response to the computing device being changed from an open position to a closed position.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

triggering display of a representation of the indicator of the first interaction during at least a portion of a time period that the first interaction with the scratch region occurs; and

defining, in response to the instruction, an interpretation of the second interaction based on the indicator of the second interaction.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating an image on a display of the computing device;

receiving an input from a keyboard of the computing device; and

moving a cursor on the display in response to an input from a touchpad, the scratch region of the scratch device being mutually exclusive from the touchpad and from the keyboard.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the second interaction represents an alphanumeric character, the instruction is configured to trigger processing of the indicator of the second interaction, the first interaction is a gesture configured to trigger execution of the instruction.