Receiving input at a computing device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving, at a mobile computing device, first input on a touchscreen of the computing device, wherein the mobile computing device has a housing with at least i) a first side that includes the touchscreen and ii) a second side with a non-touch sensitive surface;
in response to receiving the first input, causing a first operation to be performed by the mobile computing device;
determining, in response to performing the first operation, a group of operations that includes the first operation;
detecting, using one or more motion sensors that are located inside the housing of the mobile computing device, motion of the mobile computing device;
determining, based on the detected motion of the mobile computing device, whether a user tapped the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing of the mobile computing device, wherein the user is determined to have tapped the non-touch sensitive surface responsive to the mobile computing device detecting a contact with the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing of the mobile computing device, the contact having at least a threshold level of force as detected by the one or more motion sensors, wherein the threshold level of force indicates a distinction between a tap and other contact with the mobile computing device that is below the threshold level of force;
selecting, by the mobile computing device and in response to determining that the user tapped the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing, a second operation from the group of operations; and
causing the second operation to be performed.
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Abstract
This document describes technologies for interpreting physical contact with a non-touchscreen portion of a computing device'"'"'s housing (e.g., the computing device'"'"'s case) as input. For example, a user tapping his/her index finger against the back of a computing device, such as a smartphone or a tablet computing device, can be interpreted as input and can cause an operation to be performed by the computing device, such as turning the page of an electronic book that is being displayed by the computing device.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving, at a mobile computing device, first input on a touchscreen of the computing device, wherein the mobile computing device has a housing with at least i) a first side that includes the touchscreen and ii) a second side with a non-touch sensitive surface; in response to receiving the first input, causing a first operation to be performed by the mobile computing device; determining, in response to performing the first operation, a group of operations that includes the first operation; detecting, using one or more motion sensors that are located inside the housing of the mobile computing device, motion of the mobile computing device; determining, based on the detected motion of the mobile computing device, whether a user tapped the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing of the mobile computing device, wherein the user is determined to have tapped the non-touch sensitive surface responsive to the mobile computing device detecting a contact with the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing of the mobile computing device, the contact having at least a threshold level of force as detected by the one or more motion sensors, wherein the threshold level of force indicates a distinction between a tap and other contact with the mobile computing device that is below the threshold level of force; selecting, by the mobile computing device and in response to determining that the user tapped the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing, a second operation from the group of operations; and causing the second operation to be performed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22)
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18. A mobile computing device comprising:
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a touchscreen; a housing with at least i) a first side that includes the touchscreen and ii) a second side with a non-touch sensitive surface; one or more sensors that are located inside the housing and that are configured to detect movement of the mobile computing device; an input subsystem that is programmed to receive first input on the touchscreen of the computing device; a contact detection module that is programmed to determine whether a user has tapped the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing based, at least in part, on movement of the mobile computing device as detected by the one or more sensors, wherein the movement of the mobile computing device is determined to correspond to a threshold level of force as detected by the one or more sensors, the threshold level of force indicating a distinction between a tap and other contact with the mobile computing device that is below the threshold level of force; a previous operation tracker that is programmed to manage a group of operations that includes the first operation; an operation selection module that is programmed to select i) a first operation to perform in response to the first input and ii) a second operation from among the group of operations, wherein the first operation was added to the group of operations by the previous operation tracker after the first operation was performed; and a contact interpreter to cause the selected second operation to be performed.
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19. A computer program product embodied in a computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a computer system to perform operations comprising:
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receiving first input on a touchscreen of the computer system, wherein the computer system has a housing with at least i) a first side that includes the touchscreen and ii) a second side with a non-touch sensitive surface; in response to receiving the first input, causing a first operation to be performed by the computer system; determining, in response to performing the first operation, a group of operations that includes the first operation; detecting, using one or more motion sensors that are located inside the housing of the computer system, motion of the computer system; determining, based on the detected motion of the computer system, whether a user tapped the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing of the computer system, wherein the user is determined to have tapped the non-touch sensitive surface responsive to the computer system detecting a contact with the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing of the mobile computing device, the contact having at least a threshold level of force as detected by the one or motion sensors, wherein the threshold level of force indicates a distinction between a tap and other contact with the mobile computing device that is below the threshold level of force; selecting, in response to determining that the user tapped the non-touch sensitive surface of the second side of the housing, a second operation from the group of operations; and causing the second operation to be performed.
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Specification