Mechanism for employing and facilitating an edge thumb sensor at a computing device

• US 9,041,676 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Graumann, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/976,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20130271414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 178 1801- 1907, 345173-178
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A mechanism is described for employing and facilitating a thumb sensor at a computing device. A method of embodiments of the invention includes extending a touch panel of a computing device into a flap of the touch panel to be used as a side sensor of the computing device, and sensing a use of the side sensor, the use including touching of the side sensor by a user, where sensing may include detecting a change at one or more intersecting points of a plurality of intersecting points of conductive lines. The method may further include facilitating an action in response to the use of the side sensor.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

extending a touch panel of a computing device into a flap of the touch panel to be used as a unified touch sensor of the computing device, wherein extending includes unifying the touch panel and the flap into the unified touch sensor, wherein unifying includes adding scanning traces to the touch panel to project a unified capacitive sensing to the flap;

sensing a use of the unified touch sensor, the use comprising touching of the unified touch sensor by a user, and wherein sensing comprises detecting a change at one or more intersecting points of a plurality of intersecting points of conductive lines running between the touch panel and the flap to provide the unified capacitive sensing throughout the unified touch sensor; and

facilitating an action in response to the use of the unified touch sensor.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the use to determine an intended purpose of the use by the user, and selecting an action in response to the use and in accordance with the determined intended purpose.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein sensing further comprises receiving a message relating to the use of the unified touch sensor from the one or more intersecting points of the plurality of intersecting points, wherein the plurality of intersecting points are generated by placing first conductive lines provided in the touch panel over second conductive lines provided in the flap.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unified touch sensor includes one or more side sensors placed at one or more sides of the computing device, wherein the unified touch sensor is provided at a ninety degree angle from the touch panel on the front of the computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unified touch sensor comprises a thumb sensor to be triggered by a user touch provided through a user thumb or one or more user fingers.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises one or more of a mobile computing device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a set-top box, wherein the mobile computing device comprises one or more of a smartphone, a handheld computing device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a tablet computer, and wherein the laptop computer comprises a notebook or a netbook.

7. A system comprising:

a computing device having a memory to store instructions for facilitating a thumb sensor mechanism, and a processing device to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions cause the processing device to;

extend a touch panel of the computing device into a flap of the touch panel to be used as a unified touch sensor of the computing device, wherein extending includes unifying the touch panel and the flap into the unified touch sensor, wherein unifying includes adding scanning traces to the touch panel to project a unified capacitive sensing to the flap;

sense a use of the unified touch sensor, the use comprising touching of the unified touch sensor by a user, and wherein sensing comprises detecting a change at one or more intersecting points of a plurality of intersecting points of conductive lines running between the touch panel and the flap to provide the unified capacitive sensing throughout the unified touch sensor; and

facilitate an action in response to the use of the unified touch sensor.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing device is further to analyze the use to determine an intended purpose of the use by the user, and selecting an action in response to the use and in accordance with the determined intended purpose.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein sensing further comprises receiving a message relating to the use of the unified touch sensor from the one or more intersecting points of the plurality of intersecting points, wherein the plurality of intersecting points are generated by placing first conductive lines provided in the touch panel over second conductive lines provided in the flap.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the unified touch sensor includes one or more side sensors placed at one or more sides of the computing device, wherein the unified touch sensor is provided at a ninety degree angle from the touch panel on the front of the computing device.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the unified touch sensor comprises a thumb sensor to be triggered by a user touch provided through a user thumb or one or more user fingers.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the computing device comprises one or more of a mobile computing device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a set-top box, wherein the mobile computing device comprises one or more of a smartphone, a handheld computing device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a tablet computer, and wherein the laptop computer comprises a notebook or a netbook.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

extend a touch panel of a computing device into a flap of the touch panel to be used as a unified touch sensor of the computing device, wherein extending includes unifying the touch panel and the flap into the unified touch sensor, wherein unifying includes adding scanning traces to the touch panel to project a unified capacitive sensing to the flap;

sense a use of the unified touch sensor, the use comprising touching of the unified touch sensor by a user, and wherein sensing comprises detecting a change at one or more intersecting points of a plurality of intersecting points of conductive lines running between the touch panel and the flap to provide the unified capacitive sensing throughout the unified touch sensor; and

facilitate an action in response to the use of the unified touch sensor.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the machine is further to analyze the use to determine an intended purpose of the use by the user, and selecting an action in response to the use and in accordance with the determined intended purpose.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein sensing further comprises receiving a message relating to the use of the unified touch sensor from the one or more intersecting points of the plurality of intersecting points, wherein the plurality of intersecting points are generated by placing first conductive lines provided in the touch panel over second conductive lines provided in the flap.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the unified touch sensor includes one or more side sensors placed at one or more sides of the computing device, wherein the unified touch sensor is provided at a ninety degree angle from the touch panel on the front of the computing device.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the unified touch sensor comprises a thumb sensor to be triggered by a user touch provided through a user thumb or one or more user fingers.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computing device comprises one or more of a mobile computing device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, and a set-top box, wherein the mobile computing device comprises one or more of a smartphone, a handheld computing device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a tablet computer, and wherein the laptop computer comprises a notebook or a netbook.