Multi-zone touchscreen orientation

• US 8,830,203 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sultenfuss, Andrew T., Peana, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US13/533,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1809, 178 2001- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/107 Static hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A tablet portable information handling system touch screen display includes a touch surface that extends past the periphery of a display surface to accept touch inputs used to establish an orientation of images presented at the display surface. For example, thumb and palm touches at the touch surface outside the periphery of the display are analyzed to determine the orientation of the tablet information handling system so that images presented at the display align with the determined orientation.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions;

memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the instructions;

a touch screen display integrated with the housing and interfaced with the processor, the touch screen display having a display portion operable to present information as images in at least a first and second orientation and a touch portion operable to detect touches, the touch portion having a first zone that overlaps the display portion and a second zone that extends outside of a periphery of the display portion;

a touch controller interfaced with the touch portion and operable to detect touches in the first and second zones; and

an orientation module operable to analyze touches in the second zone to determine whether to present the images in the first or second orientation.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the orientation module commands a first orientation in response to a touch in the second zone proximate a first indicator and a second orientation in response to a touch in the second zone proximate a second indicator.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the orientation module analyzes touches at the second zone to detect a user grasp of the information handling system and applies the detected user grasp to select the first or second orientation.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 further comprising an accelerometer operable to detect a vertical orientation, the orientation module analyzing the vertical orientation detected by the accelerometer in combination with the detected user grasp to determine whether to present the images in the first or second orientation.

5. The information handling system of claim 3 further comprising one or more temperature sensors disposed proximate the second zone, the orientation module analyzing temperatures sensed by the temperature sensors to confirm a user grasp.

6. The information handling system of claim 3 further a camera operable to capture images proximate the display, the orientation module analyzing the captured images in combination with the detected user grasp to select the first or second orientation.

7. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the touches at the second zone comprise a pattern indicative of palms of a user pressed against opposing sides of the second zone.

8. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the touches at the second zone comprise a pattern indicative of thumbs pressed against opposing sides of the second zone.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first zone comprises capacitive touch sensors and the second zone comprises resistive touch sensors.

10. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first zone comprises capacitive touch sensors having a first gain and the second zone comprises capacitive touch sensors have a second gain, the second gain greater than the first gain.

11. A method for orienting images presented at an information handling system, the method comprising:

presenting an image at a display integrated in a housing;

detecting touches at a touch screen of the display, the touches at a periphery zone of the touch screen, the periphery zone extending past a periphery of the display; and

analyzing the touches at the periphery zone to determine an orientation for presenting the image at the display.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein analyzing the touches further comprises analyzing the touches as first and second thumbs grasping the touch screen at opposing sides of the housing.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein analyzing the touches further comprises analyzing the touches as first and second palms placed against the touch screen at opposing sides of the housing.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting an acceleration with an accelerometer integrated in the housing; and

analyzing the acceleration in combination with the touches at the periphery zone of the display to determine an orientation for presenting the image at the display.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting a temperature with a temperature sensor disposed proximate the periphery zone; and

analyzing the temperature in combination with the touches at the periphery zone of the display to determine an orientation for presenting the image at the display.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the touch screen comprises a first array density for detecting touches proximate the display and a second array density for detecting touches in the periphery zone.

17. A touch screen display comprising:

a display operable to present information as images, the display having a periphery;

a single touch surface disposed over the display and operable to detect touches, the touch surface extending past at least a portion of the display periphery;

a touch controller interfaced with the touch surface and operable to distinguish between touches at the touch surface within the display periphery and outside the display periphery; and

an orientation module operable to analyze touches outside the display periphery to determine whether to present the images in a first or second orientation.

18. The touch screen display of claim 17 further comprising:

an indicator disposed outside the display periphery;

wherein the touch controller is further operable to detect touches relative to the indicator and the orientation module is further operable to present the image in a first or second orientation responsive to touches relative to the indicator.

19. The touch screen display of claim 17 wherein the orientation module is further operable to determine thumb touches and to orient the images relative to the thumb touches.

20. The touch screen display of claim 17 wherein the orientation module is further operable to determine palm touches and to orient the images relative to the palm touches.