Control system with ridge interface and method of operation thereof

• US 9,323,334 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hu, Yuchang, Treskunov, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ritchie, Darlene M
• Application Number:
  US13/767,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20130234941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 715/740, 715/804, 715/863, 463/33, 726/19
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A control system includes: a ridge interface configured to perform a gesture therewith; and a control unit, coupled to the ridge interface, configured to interpret the gesture for controlling a device.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a ridge interface configured to;

receiving a gesture with the ridge interface permanently and physically protruding from a surface of a display screen;

detect a size of a contact area on a surface of the ridge interface associated with the gesture for distinguishing control for a tiered functionality; and

a control unit, coupled to the ridge interface, configured to interpret the gesture and the size of the contact area for controlling a device.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to provide a user authentication without a user'"'"'s knowledge of the user authentication being performed based on the gesture on the ridge interface.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to provide a user authentication and configured to send a command to hide unauthorized content on the device when the user authentication failed.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the ridge interface includes a ridge base interface, a ridge left interface, and a ridge right interface; and

the control unit is configured to interpret the gesture simultaneously on the ridge base interface and either the ridge right interface or the ridge left interface.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to send a command for operating the device to mimic the action of the gesture on a target icon shown on the device.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to send a command for operating the device based on a current state of the device.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to send a command for operating the device based on the gesture at an end of the ridge interface.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ridge interface includes a ridge base interface, a ridge left interface, and a ridge right interface surrounding a trackpad.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ridge interface includes a ridge base interface, a ridge left interface, and a ridge right interface with the ridge left interface, and the ridge right interface in a perpendicular configuration with the ridge base interface.

10. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the control unit is configured to provide the user authentication and configured to send a command to continue to operate the device when the user authentication failed without the user'"'"'s knowledge of the failure of the user authentication.

11. A method of operation of a control system comprising:

receiving a gesture on a ridge interface permanently and physically protruding from a surface of a display screen of a first device;

detecting a size of a contact area on a surface of the ridge interface associated with the gesture for distinguishing control for a tiered functionality; and

interpreting the gesture and the size of the contact area with a control unit for controlling a second device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein interpreting the gesture for controlling the second device includes providing a user authentication without a user'"'"'s knowledge of the user authentication being performed based on the gesture on the ridge interface.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein interpreting the gesture includes providing a user authentication for hiding unauthorized content on the second device when the user authentication failed.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein recognizing the gesture on the ridge interface includes recognizing the gesture simultaneously on a ridge base interface and either a ridge right interface or a ridge left interface.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein interpreting the gesture for controlling the second device includes sending a command for operating the second device to mimic the action of the gesture on a target icon shown on the second device.

16. A method of operation of a control system comprising:

receiving a command for interacting with a first device based on a gesture and a size of a contact area on a surface of a ridge interface permanently and physically protruding from a surface of a display screen of the first device, the size of the contact area associated with the gesture for distinguishing control for a tiered functionality and the display screen; and

operating a second device based on the command and a current state of the second device.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

receiving the command includes receiving a user authentication; and

further comprising;

hiding unauthorized content on the second device when the user authentication failed without the user'"'"'s knowledge of the failure of the user authentication.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein operating the second device based on the command includes mimicking an action on the second device based on the gesture.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein receiving the command for interacting with the first device includes receiving the command for interacting with the first device based on the gesture simultaneously on a ridge base interface and either of a ridge left interface or a ridge right interface.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

receiving the command includes receiving a user authentication; and

further comprising;

continuing to operate the second device when the user authentication failed without the user'"'"'s knowledge of the failure of the user authentication.