Virtual periphery display buttons

• US 9,122,356 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ozias, Orin Michael, Mundt, Kevin Warren, Vega, Juan Rafael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles V
• Application Number:
  US12/261,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,497 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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

Abstract

An input device for use with an information handling system is disclosed. The input device may include a display device having a viewing area defined by a perimeter, a graphic user interface configured to display a virtual button within the viewing area adjacent the perimeter, a frame adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area, and a proximity sensing element associated with the frame and located outside the viewing area of the display device. The proximity sensing element may be configured to sense a user selecting the virtual button displayed by the graphic user interface.

Claims

1. An input device for use with an information handling system, the device comprising:

a display device having a viewing area defined by a perimeter;

a graphic user interface configured to display a plurality of virtual buttons within a contiguous region of the viewing area adjacent the perimeter;

a frame adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area; and

a proximity sensing element associated with the frame and located outside the viewing area of the display device;

wherein the proximity sensing element is configured to sense a user selecting one of the virtual buttons displayed by the graphic user interface.

2. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the frame includes a bezel.

3. An input device according to claim 1, wherein a user selecting the virtual button displayed by the graphic user interface includes the user touching the display device in the proximity of the virtual button.

4. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising the graphic user interface configured to denote a second virtual button outside of the viewing area and on the frame.

5. An input device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second virtual button on the frame; and

the proximity sensing element configured to sense a user selecting the second virtual button.

6. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensing element includes a capacitive proximity sensing element.

7. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the frame surrounds the entire viewing area of the display device.

8. An input device according to claim 1, wherein the graphic user interface is configured to display a plurality of virtual buttons adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area.

9. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and

an input device comprising;

a display device having a viewing area defined by a perimeter;

a graphic user interface configured to display a plurality of virtual buttons within a contiguous region of the viewing area adjacent the perimeter;

a frame adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area; and

a proximity sensing element associated with the frame and located outside the viewing area of the display device;

wherein the proximity sensing element is configured to sense a user selecting one of the virtual buttons displayed by the graphic user interface; and

wherein the input device is configured to communicate the selection of the virtual buttons to the processor.

10. An information handling system according to claim 9, wherein the frame includes a bezel.

11. An information handling system according to claim 9, wherein a user selecting the virtual button displayed by the graphic user interface includes the user touching the display device in the proximity of the virtual button.

12. An information handling system according to claim 9, further comprising the graphic user interface configured to denote a second virtual button outside of the viewing area and on the frame.

13. An information handling system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second virtual button on the frame; and

the proximity sensing element configured to sense a user selecting the second virtual button.

14. An information handling system according to claim 9, wherein the proximity sensing element includes a capacitive proximity sensing element.

15. An information handling system according to claim 9, wherein the frame surrounds the entire viewing area of the display device.

16. An information handling system according to claim 9, wherein the graphic user interface is configured to display a plurality of virtual buttons adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area.

17. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions, stored on a tangible computer readable medium, for allowing a user to select a virtual button on a display device, the instructions comprising:

instructions for displaying a plurality of virtual buttons within a contiguous region of a viewing area of the display device, the virtual button adjacent a perimeter defining the viewing area of the display device;

instructions for sensing a user selecting one of the virtual buttons; and

instructions for communicating the selection of one of the virtual buttons to a processor.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for displaying a plurality of virtual buttons adjacent the perimeter of the viewing area.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for displaying a second virtual button outside the viewing area of the display device.

20. A computer program product according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for:

displaying a second virtual button outside the viewing area of the display device; and

instructions for sensing a user selecting the second virtual button.