Electronic Device Having Display and Surrounding Touch Sensitive Bezel for User Interface and Control

• US 20060238517A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan, King, Nick, Hotelling, Steven P., Herbst, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,656,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• 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 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 electronic device has a display and has a touch sensitive bezel surrounding the display. Areas on the bezel are designated for controls used to operate the electronic device. Visual guides corresponding to the controls are displayed on the display adjacent the areas of the bezel designated for the controls. Touch data is generated by the bezel when a user touches an area of the bezel. The device determines which of the controls has been selected based on which designated area is associated with the touch data from the bezel. The device then initiates the determined control. The device can have a sensor for determining the orientation of the device. Based on the orientation, the device can alter the areas designated on the bezel for the controls and can alter the location of the visual guides for the display so that they match the altered areas on the bezel.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display positioned on the electronic device and having a perimeter;

at least one touch sensitive surface positioned on the electronic device adjacent at least a portion of the perimeter of the display; and

processing circuitry operatively connected to the display and to the at least one touch sensitive surface, the processing circuitry configured to;

designate at least one area of the at least one touch sensitive surface for at least one control;

generate at least one visual guide for the at least one control; and

present the at least one visual guide for display at a location on the display adjacent the at least one area designated for the at least one control.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to—

obtain touch data from the at least one touch sensitive surface, and

determine if the obtained touch data invokes the at least one control.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one touch sensitive surface comprises a force sensitive portion generating force data in response to a touch event, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to—

obtain force data from the force sensitive portion; and

govern an aspect of the at least one invoked control based on the obtained force data.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one touch sensitive surface comprises a multi-touch input surface capable of generating touch data in response to a plurality of touch events occurring simultaneously at a plurality of locations of the surface.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one touch sensitive surface comprises a bezel positioned around substantially the entire perimeter of the display.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one touch sensitive surface comprises a plurality of portions positioned around at least a plurality of sides of the perimeter of the display.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an orientation sensor operatively connected to the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to—

determine an orientation of the electronic device from orientation data obtained from the orientation sensor; and

designate the at least one area of the at least one touch sensitive surface based on the determined orientation.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to—

determine an orientation of content for the display, the content capable of being displayed in one of at least two orientations; and

designate the at least one area of the at least one touch sensitive surface based on the determined orientation of the content.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a housing having a face with an area, the display positioned on the face of the housing and substantially encompassing the area of the face.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a display positioned on the electronic device and having a perimeter;

a touch sensitive bezel positioned on the electronic device around at least a portion of the perimeter of the display; and

processing circuitry operatively connected to the touch sensitive bezel, the processing circuitry configured to;

obtain touch data from the touch sensitive bezel, and

determine if at least one control is invoked by the obtained touch data.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to initiate at least one operation for the electronic device based on the at least one determined control.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the touch sensitive bezel is positioned around substantially the entire perimeter of the display.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the touch sensitive bezel comprises a multi-touch input surface capable of generating touch data in response to a plurality of touch events occurring simultaneously at a plurality of locations of the surface.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the multi-touch input surface of the bezel comprises an array having a plurality of capacitive sensors arranged in rows and in columns substantially around the perimeter of the display.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein to obtain touch data from the multi-touch input surface of the bezel, the processing circuitry comprises acquisition circuitry having at least two first multiplexer circuits coupled to the rows of the array and having at least two second multiplexer circuits coupled to the columns of the array, the at least two first multiplexer circuits controllably connecting the rows of the array to a reference voltage and a storage capacitor, the at least two second multiplexer circuits controllably connecting the rows of the array to a reference voltage and a storage capacitor.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the touch sensitive bezel comprises:

a plurality of conductive pads arranged around at least a portion of the perimeter of the display;

a plurality of resistors interconnecting the conductive pads; and

an integrated circuit coupled to at least three approximately equidistant points of interconnected pads, the integrated circuit sensing measurements at the at least three points and determining a position of a touch event occurring on the bezel.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of pads comprise a plurality of conductive films on a surface of a circuit board surrounding the display.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of pads comprise a plurality of conductive films deposited on a surface of the display adjacent the perimeter.

19. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein to determine if the at least one control is invoked by the obtained touch data, the processing circuitry is configured to—

designate at least one area of the touch sensitive bezel for the at least one control;

compare the obtained touch data to the at least one designated area of the touch sensitive bezel; and

determine the at least control invoked by the obtained touch data based on the comparison.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is operatively connected to the display and is configured to—

generate at least one visual guide for the at least one control; and

present the at least one visual guide for display at a location on the display adjacent the at least one area designated for the at least one control.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising an orientation sensor operatively connected to the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to—

determine an orientation of the electronic device from orientation data obtained from the orientation sensor; and

designate the at least one area of the touch sensitive bezel for the at least one control based on the determined orientation.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to—

present content for the display in one of at least two orientations; and

designate the at least one area of the at least one touch sensitive bezel based on the orientation of the content.

23. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device comprises a housing having a face with an area, the display positioned on the face of the housing and substantially encompassing the area of the face.

24. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the touch sensitive bezel comprises a force sensitive portion generating force data in response to a touch event, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to—

obtain force data from the force sensitive portion of the touch sensitive bezel; and

govern an aspect of the at least one invoked control based on the obtained force data.

25. An electronic device, comprising:

a display positioned on the electronic device and having a perimeter;

a multi-touch input bezel positioned on the electronic device substantially around the perimeter of the display; and

processing circuitry operatively connected to the display and the multi-touch input bezel, the processing circuitry designating one or more areas on the multi-touch input bezel for one or more controls used to operate the electronic device, the processing circuitry generating one or more visual guides corresponding to the one or more controls and sending visual data to the display for displaying the one or more visual guides on the display adjacent the one or more areas on the multi-touch input bezel designated for the one or more controls, the processing circuitry obtaining touch data from the multi-touch input bezel and determining if at least one of the one or more controls that corresponds to the designated areas is invoked by the obtained touch data.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the multi-touch input bezel is positioned around the entire perimeter of the display.

27. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the multi-touch input bezel is capable of generating touch data in response to a plurality of touch events occurring simultaneously at a plurality of locations of the bezel.

28. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the multi-touch input bezel comprises an array having a plurality of capacitive sensors arranged in rows and in columns substantially around the perimeter of the display.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein to obtain the touch data for the multi-touch input bezel, the processing circuitry comprises acquisition circuitry having at least two first multiplexer circuits coupled to the rows of the array and having at least two second multiplexer circuits coupled to the columns of the array, the at least two first multiplexer circuits controllably connecting the rows of the array to a reference voltage and a storage capacitor, the at least two second multiplexer circuits controllably connecting the rows of the array to a reference voltage and a storage capacitor.

30. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein to determine if at least one of the one or more controls that corresponds to the designated areas is invoked by the obtained touch data, the processing circuitry compares the obtained touch data to the one or more areas of the multi-touch input bezel designated for the one or more controls and determines the at least control invoked by the obtained touch data based on the comparison.

31. The electronic device of claim 25, further comprising an orientation sensor operatively connected to the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry determines an orientation of the electronic device from orientation data obtained from the orientation sensor, and wherein the processing circuitry designates the one or more areas of the multi-touch input bezel for the one or more controls based on the determined orientation.

32. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the processing circuitry presents content for the display in one of at least two orientations and designates the at least one area on the at least one touch sensitive bezel based on the orientation of the content.

33. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the electronic device comprises a housing having a face with an area, the display positioned in the face of the housing and substantially encompassing the area of the face.

34. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the multi-touch input bezel comprises a force sensitive portion generating force data in response to a touch event, and wherein the processing circuitry obtains force data from the force sensitive portion and governs an aspect of the at least one invoked control based on the obtained force data.

35. An electronic device, comprising:

a display positioned on the electronic device and having a perimeter;

means positioned on the electronic for obtaining touch data from adjacent the perimeter of the display;

means for designating one or more areas adjacent the perimeter of the display for one or more controls;

means for generating one or more visual guides for the one or more controls;

means for presenting the one or more visual guides for display at one or more locations on the display adjacent the one or more designated areas;

means for determining if at least one of the one or more controls is invoked by obtained touch data; and

means for operating the electronic device with the at least one invoked control.

36. The electronic device of claim 35, further comprising:

means for determining an orientation of the electronic device; and

means for designating the one or more areas based on the determined orientation of the electronic device.

37. The electronic device of claim 35, further comprising:

means for presenting content on the display in one of at least two orientations; and

means for designating the one or more areas based on the orientation of the content.

38. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the means for determining if at least one of the one or more controls is invoked by the obtained touch data comprises means for recognizing touch gestures based on the obtained touch data.

39. The electronic device of claim 35, further comprising:

means for obtaining force data in response to a touch event, and

means for governing an aspect of the at least one invoked control based on the obtained force data.

40. A user interface method for operating an electronic device having a display and a touch sensitive bezel substantially surrounding the display, the method comprising:

presenting content on the display;

designating one or more areas of the touch sensitive bezel for one or more controls of the electronic device;

presenting one or more visual guides at a perimeter of the display adjacent to the one or more designated areas;

detecting touch data on the touch sensitive bezel;

determining which of the controls is invoked by the touch data; and

operating the electronic device with the invoked control.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of presenting one or more visual guides at a perimeter of the display adjacent to the one or more designated areas comprises superimposing the visual guides over the content presented on the display.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of presenting one or more visual guides at a perimeter of the display adjacent to the one or more designated areas comprises presenting the visual guides at the perimeter after being implicated by a user action selected from the group consisting of touching a predetermined portion of the touch sensitive bezel, making a predetermined touch gesture on the touch sensitive bezel, and moving the electronic device.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of designating one or more areas of the touch sensitive bezel for one or more controls of the electronic device comprises:

associating one or more areas of the touch sensitive bezel with the one or more controls; and

associating one or more touch gestures on the one or more associated control areas with the one or more controls.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the act of determining which of the controls is invoked by the touch data comprises:

determining if the touch data includes the one or more associated control areas; and

determining from the touch data if the one or more touch gestures associated with the one or more controls have occurred on the one or more associated control areas.

45. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

determining an orientation of the electronic device; and

designating the one or more areas of the touch sensitive bezel for the one or more controls based on the determined orientation.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein the act of presenting content on the display comprises presenting content in one of at least two orientations on the display, and wherein the method further comprises designating the one or more areas on the touch sensitive bezel based on the orientation of the content.