Computing device chording authentication and control

• US 9,740,839 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zafiris, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): GYORFI, THOMAS A
• Application Number:
  US14/458,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard

Abstract

Chording techniques are described that may be utilized in a variety of ways to provide inputs to a computing device. The computing device, for instance, may include sensors disposed on a housing of the computing device such that the sensors are configured to detect fingers of a user when grasping the device. Detection of a likely indexed relative position of the fingers of the user'"'"'s hand in relation to each other, and even an amount of pressure used by respective ones of the fingers, may be used to define and input chords that may be used to initiate operations of the computing device.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a housing;

a display device secured to the housing;

a plurality of sensors secured to the housing and disposed adjacent to a perimeter of the display device; and

one or more processors configured to

determine an orientation of the housing in three-dimensional space;

identify a plurality of inputs received from the plurality of sensors as one or more chords, wherein each of the one or more chords defines a substantially simultaneous collection of one or more of the plurality of inputs received from the plurality of sensors, and wherein each of the one or more chords indicates a relative position of one or more fingers of at least one hand of a user, in relation to each other, in grasping the housing;

determine whether the orientation of the housing is a first orientation or a second orientation different from the first orientation, wherein the display device is viewable by the user when the housing is in the first orientation, and wherein the display device is not viewable by the user when the housing is in the second orientation; and

responsive to determining, based at least in part on whether the orientation of the housing is the first orientation or the second orientation, that the one or more chords correspond to stored credentials of the user, authenticate the user to access functionality of the computing device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the plurality of inputs as the one or more chords at least by identifying, from the plurality of inputs, an amount of pressure applied by individual ones of the one or more fingers of the user.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, responsive to authenticating the user, unlock the computing device and permit access to applications of the computing device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are not part of the display device of the computing device.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to

responsive to determining that the orientation of the housing is the first orientation, modifying the plurality of inputs received from the plurality of sensors;

and

responsive to determining that the orientation of the housing is the second orientation, processing the plurality of inputs received from the plurality of sensors unmodified.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, responsive to authenticating the user, wake the computing device from a sleep or suspended state.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine, based on the one or more chords, a likelihood that at least one of the one or more fingers is not used to grasp the housing.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more chords is detectable using a different combination of the plurality of sensors.

9. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, based on a plurality of inputs received from a plurality of sensors coupled to the housing of the computing device, a relative position of and an amount of pressure applied by one or more fingers of at least one hand of a user used to grasp the housing of the computing device;

identifying, by the computing device, based on the relative position of and the amount of pressure applied by the one or more fingers, a sequence of chords as corresponding to one or more operations of the computing device, wherein each chord of the sequence defines a substantially simultaneous collection of one or more of the plurality of inputs received from the plurality of sensors;

determining, by the computing device, an orientation of a housing of the computing device in three-dimensional space;

determining, by the computing device, whether the orientation of the housing comprises a first orientation or a second orientation different from the first orientation, wherein a display device of the computing device is viewable by the user when the housing is in the first orientation, and wherein the display device is not viewable by the user when the housing is in the second orientation; and

responsive to identifying the sequence of chords and determining whether the orientation of the housing comprises the first orientation or the second orientation, initiating, by the computing device, the one or more operations of the computing device that correspond to the sequence of chords.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the orientation of the housing is the first orientation, modifying the plurality of inputs received from the plurality of sensors; and

responsive to determining that the orientation of the housing is the second orientation, processing the plurality of inputs received from the plurality of sensors unmodified.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first orientation results in a particular side of the housing as being oriented substantially upward relative to the user, and wherein the second orientation results in the particular side of the housing as not being oriented substantially upward relative to the user.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more operations include launching an application, unlocking the computing device, or initiating emergency functionality.

13. A computing device comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of sensors secured to the housing; and

one or more processors configured to

identify a plurality of inputs received from the plurality of sensors as at least one chord, the at least one chord defining a substantially simultaneous collection of one or more of the plurality of inputs received from the plurality of sensors, wherein the at least one chord indicates one or more of;

an amount of pressure of one or more fingers of at least one hand of a user in grasping the housing;

or

a relative position of the one or more fingers in relation to each other in grasping the housing; and

responsive to determining that the at least one chord corresponds to emergency functionality of the computing device, initiate the emergency functionality of the computing device to cause the one or more processors to initiate a communication with an external device, the communication comprising one of a telephone call or an electronic message.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the at least one chord is identified based on the amount of pressure and the relative position of the one or more fingers of the at least one hand in grasping the housing.

15. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising a display device, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine an orientation of the housing in three-dimensional space;

determine whether the orientation of the housing is a first orientation or a second orientation different from the first orientation, wherein the display device is viewable by the user when the housing is in the first orientation, and wherein the display device is not viewable by the user when the housing is in the second orientation; and

responsive to determining that the at least one chord corresponds to the emergency functionality and determining that the orientation of the housing is the first orientation, initiate the emergency functionality.

16. The computing device of claim 13, further comprising a display device, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine an orientation of the housing in three-dimensional space;

determine whether the orientation of the housing is a first orientation or a second orientation different from the first orientation, wherein the display device is viewable by the user when the housing is in the first orientation, and wherein the display device is not viewable by the user when the housing is in the second orientation; and

responsive to determining that the at least one chord corresponds to the emergency functionality and determining that the orientation of the housing is the second orientation, initiate the emergency functionality.