Apparatus and method for receiving input

• US 9,268,442 B1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hobbs, Nicholas Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ketema, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US13/737,427
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• 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

According to aspects of the disclosure, an input device may include a first adjustment region, a second adjustment region, a connector region, a function region, and a display region. In one example, a user may access a particular function by providing a gesture to the function region. The user may then continue the gesture from the function region to the connector region for a predetermined length along the connector region. Once a particular function is accessed, a user may control the parameters or settings associated with that particular function via one or both of the first adjustment region and second adjustment region. For example, a user may provide a gesture to either the first or second adjustment region in order to modify parameters associated with the function.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a user input device comprising;

a first input surface configured to receive user input, the first input surface disposed on a first side of the user input device;

a second input surface configured to receive user input, the second input surface disposed on the first side of the user input device; and

a display device disposed adjacent a second side of the user input device, the display device being disposed at a fixed first distance from the first input surface and at a fixed second distance from the second input surface, with the first distance being different from the second distance; and

a display surface disposed on the first side of the user input device, configured to display a graphic, the display surface being entirely disposed a fixed third distance from the display device, the third distance being between the first and second distance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input device is translucent.

3. The system of claim 1, the user input device further comprising a third input surface configured to receive user input, the third input surface disposed on the first side of the user input device and being disposed at a distance from the display device equal to the second distance.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the third input surface further comprises a plurality of third input surfaces.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first input surface is circular.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first input surface is convex with respect to the second side.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the first input surface is configured to receive at least one of a horizontal swipe, vertical swipe and tap.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second input is a circular ring.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second input surface surrounds the first input surface.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second input is recessed with respect to the first side of the user input device.

11. A user input device having a first side and a second side, comprising:

a first input surface configured to receive user input, the first input surface disposed on the first side and having a fixed first height with respect to the second side;

a second input surface configured to receive user input, the second input surface disposed on the first side of the user input device and having a fixed second height with respect to the second side;

a display surface disposed on the first side of the user input device configured to display a graphic, the display surface entirely disposed at a fixed third height with respect to the second side that is less than the first height and greater than the second height.

12. The user input device of claim 11, further comprising a third input surface configured to receive a third user input, the third input surface disposed on the first side of the user input device and having a fourth height with respect to the second side that is equal to the second input surface.

13. The user input device of claim 12, wherein the third input surface further comprises a plurality of third input surfaces.

14. The user input device of claim 11, wherein the first input surface is circular.

15. The user input device of claim 14, wherein the first input surface is convex with respect to the second side.

16. The user input device of claim 14, wherein the first input surface is configured to receive a horizontal swipe, vertical swipe or tap.

17. The user input device of claim 11, wherein the second input is a circular ring.

18. The user input device of claim 17, wherein the second input surface surrounds the first input surface.

19. The user input device of claim 17, wherein the second input is recessed with respect to the first side of the input device.

20. A method of receiving input, comprising:

receiving a first user input at a first input surface, the first input surface being disposed on a first side of a user input device and having a fixed first height with respect to a second side of the user input device;

receiving a second user input at a second input surface, the second user input being disposed on the first side of the user input device and having a fixed second height with respect to the second side of the user input device, the second height being less than the first height; and

displaying, on a display surface disposed on the first side of the user input device, a graphic;

wherein the display surface is entirely disposed at a fixed third height with respect to the second side that is less than the first height and greater than the second height.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first user input comprises at least one of a horizontal swipe, a vertical swipe, or a tap.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second user input comprises a circular swipe.

23. A system comprising:

a display;

a translucent input device overlaying the display;

the input device comprising a surface and an output, the output providing signals indicative of a location at which the surface was touched and the surface comprising;

a first touch sensitive portion disposed a fixed first distance from the display,

a second touch sensitive portion disposed a fixed second distance from the display, the second distance being farther from the display than the first touch sensitive portion, and

a transition portion disposed between the first touch sensitive portion and the second touch sensitive portion, the transition portion being configured to be perceptibly distinguishable, based on human touch, from the first and second touch sensitive portions; and

a display surface configured to display a graphic, the display surface entirely disposed a fixed third distance from the display, the third distance being shorter than the second distance and greater than the first distance.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a processor, a memory accessible by the processor and instructions stored in the memory and accessible by the processor, wherein the instructions include:

displaying on the display a first visual feature corresponding with a first function at a location corresponding with the first touch sensitive portion, displaying on the display a second visual feature corresponding with a different function at a location corresponding with the second touch sensitive portion, and performing the first function when the output indicates that the first touch sensitive portion was touched and the second function when the output indicates that the second touch sensitive portion was touched.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein a shape of the transition portion relative to the plane is a curve.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the shape is a circle.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein a cross section of a transition portion, relative to a plane orthogonal to the plane of display edges, is at least partially curved.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the input device is configured to output data indicative of a swipe gesture, wherein the first touch sensitive portion is configured to receive a swipe gesture without touching the second touch sensitive portion, and wherein the second touch sensitive portion is configured to receive a swipe gesture without touching the first touch sensitive portion.

29. The system of claim 23 wherein the transition portion is touch sensitive and the output indicates when the transition portion was touched.