Housing as an I/O device
First Claim
1. An electronic device comprising:
- a housing having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface;
a first sensor placed within the housing adjacent to the inner surface, wherein the first sensor senses an object at a given distance from the outer surface of the wall;
a second sensor that begins seeking radio frequency signals from the object in response to the first sensor sensing the object at the given distance;
an output element placed within the housing adjacent to the inner surface; and
a controller coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor and the output element, wherein the controller activates the output element in response to the first sensor sensing the object at the given distance and the radio frequency signals from the object that are received by the second sensor.
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Abstract
There are provided systems, devices and methods for operating a housing for an electronic device as an input/output (I/O) device. In one embodiment, an electronic device includes a housing configured to function as an integrated housing and I/O device and one or more sensors obscured by a panel of the housing. The one or more sensors being configured to sense via the panel of the housing. The electronic device further includes a processing unit communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and configured to interpret electrical signals generated by the one or more sensors. One or more output devices are communicatively coupled to the processing unit and configured to provide an output in response to the one or more sensors generating an electrical signal.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electronic device comprising:
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a housing having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface; a first sensor placed within the housing adjacent to the inner surface, wherein the first sensor senses an object at a given distance from the outer surface of the wall; a second sensor that begins seeking radio frequency signals from the object in response to the first sensor sensing the object at the given distance; an output element placed within the housing adjacent to the inner surface; and a controller coupled to the first sensor, the second sensor and the output element, wherein the controller activates the output element in response to the first sensor sensing the object at the given distance and the radio frequency signals from the object that are received by the second sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An electronic device comprising:
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a housing; a plurality of sensors formed within the housing, wherein the plurality of sensors is hidden from view by a panel of the housing and is configured to receive input through the panel; a processing unit within the housing, wherein the processing unit is coupled to the plurality of sensors, and wherein the processing unit is configured to interpret electrical signals generated by at least one of the plurality of sensors; and a plurality of output devices within the housing, wherein the plurality of output devices is coupled to the processing unit, and wherein at least one of the plurality of output devices is configured to provide an output through the panel in response to one of the plurality of sensors generating an electrical signal. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating an electronic device having a housing wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, the method comprising:
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with a first sensor in the electronic device, sensing an object at a given distance from the outer surface; with a second sensor in the electronic device, seeking radio frequency signals from the object in response to sensing the object at the given distance with the first sensor; and with a controller in the electronic device, activating an output element in the electronic device in response to sensing the object at the given distance and the radio frequency signals from the object that are received with the second sensor. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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18. The method defined in 17, wherein the second sensor begins seeking the radio frequency signals only in response to sensing the object at the given distance with the first sensor.
Specification