Slate computer with tactile home keys
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Slate computer comprising:
- a housing;
a processor in the housing;
a touch sensitive screen on the housing and communicating with the processor, the screen defining at least part of a surface of the computer; and
plural discrete areas on the surface, the discrete areas having different tactile characteristics than the surface, the discrete areas being arranged on the surface to mimic home keys of a keyboard, the slate computer having no physical keyboard.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Fingertip-sized discrete areas are provided on a slate computer and have different tactile characteristics than the remainder of the surface on which they are disposed. The discrete areas are arranged to mimic home keys of a keyboard and each discrete area corresponds to a respective home key. In this way, a user is given tactile feedback of when fingers are properly placed in the home position, with home key finger placement triggering the presentation of a full keyboard on screen. Other embodiments do not use tactilely distinct keys, with simultaneous placement of two or more fingers on the computer triggering display of the virtual keyboard.
13 Citations
21 Claims
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1. Slate computer comprising:
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a housing; a processor in the housing; a touch sensitive screen on the housing and communicating with the processor, the screen defining at least part of a surface of the computer; and plural discrete areas on the surface, the discrete areas having different tactile characteristics than the surface, the discrete areas being arranged on the surface to mimic home keys of a keyboard, the slate computer having no physical keyboard. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Computer comprising:
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processor; housing bearing the processor; touch sensitive screen on the housing communicating with the processor; and plural discrete areas on the screen, each discrete area being tactilely discriminable from areas of the screen outside the discrete areas. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. Method comprising:
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providing a touch sensitive computer screen on a computer; defining how many of plural discrete areas corresponding to home keys of a keyboard on the computer must be touched simultaneously to indicate a desire to display an image of a keyboard, the computer not having a physical keyboard; and presenting an image of a keyboard on the screen in response to sensing pressure on all of the plural areas. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification