Dynamically reconfigurable touchpad

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020356194-A1
Application number	US-201916408219-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 9, 2019
Priority date	May 9, 2019
Publication date	Nov 12, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for a dynamically reconfigurable touchpad are described. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: receive a configuration parameter from a user; and modify a touchpad by applying the configuration parameter to the operation of proximity sensors disposed under a non-display surface of the IHS.

First claim

1 . An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: receive training data associated with a first occurrence of a hand gesture from a user, the training data comprising a start phase, a motion phase, and an end phase of the hand gesture; and receive a second occurrence of the hand gesture by applying the configuration parameter the training data to the operation of proximity sensors disposed under a non-display surface comprising a touchpad of the IHS, the training data applied by comparing the start phase, the motion phase, and the end phase of the training data against the start phase, the motion phase, and the end phase associated with the second occurrence of the hand gesture, the hand gesture being void of any physical contact with the non-display surface.

2 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to receive a configuration parameter comprising at least one of: a size of an active touchpad area or a location of the active touchpad area on the touchpad.

3 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to receive a configuration parameter comprising at least one of: a size of a virtual notepad area or a location of the virtual notepad area on the touchpad.

4 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to receive a configuration parameter comprising at least one of: a size of a virtual button or a location of the virtual button on the touchpad.

5 . The IHS of claim 4 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to receive a configuration parameter comprising a hovering sensitivity setting.

6 . The IHS of claim 5 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to detect a hovering keystroke above the virtual button.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to detect the hand gesture over the touchpad, at least in part, by fitting proximity data obtained with the proximity sensors to a geometric model of a hand, wherein the hand gesture comprises a hand inclination, finger splaying, or item selection gesture.

9 . The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the non-display surface of the IHS comprises at least one of: a bezel or a surface opposite a display surface of the IHS.

10 . A method, comprising:
configuring a touchpad having proximity sensors disposed under a non-display surface of an Information Handling System (IHS) with at least one of: an active touchpad area, a virtual notepad area, or a virtual button, the touchpad configured by receiving training data associated with a first occurrence of a hand gesture from a user, the training data comprising a start phase, a motion phase, and an end phase of the hand gesture; and modifying at least one of: the active touchpad area, the virtual notepad area, or the virtual button to receive a second occurrence of the hand gesture by applying the training data to the operation of proximity sensors disposed under the non-display surface of the IHS, the training data applied by comparing the start phase, the motion phase, and the end phase of the training data against the start phase, the motion phase, and the end phase associated with the second occurrence of the hand gesture, the hand gesture being void of any physical contact with the non-display surface.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein configuring the touchpad further comprises configuring at least one of: a size of the active touchpad area or a location of the active touchpad area on the non-display surface.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein configuring the touchpad further comprises enabling gesture recognition over a non-active touchpad area.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein configuring the touchpad further comprises configuring at least one of: a size of the virtual notepad area or a location of the virtual notepad area on the non-display surface.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein configuring the touchpad further comprises applying a given palm rejection setting to the active touchpad area and a different palm rejection setting to the virtual notepad area.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein configuring the touchpad further comprises configuring at least one of: a size of the virtual button or a location of the virtual button on the non-display surface.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein configuring the touchpad further comprises applying a given hovering setting to the active touchpad area and a different hovering setting to the virtual button.

17 . A hardware memory device having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor of an Information Handling System (IHS), cause the IHS to:
configure a touchpad having proximity sensors disposed under a non-display surface of an Information Handling System (IHS) with an active touchpad area, a virtual notepad area, and a virtual button, the touchpad configured by receiving training data associated with a first occurrence of a hand gesture from a user, the training data comprising a start phase, a motion phase, and an end phase of the hand gesture; and modify at least one of: the active touchpad area, the virtual notepad area, or the virtual button to receive a second occurrence of the hand gesture by applying the training data to the operation of proximity sensors disposed under the non-display surface of the IHS, the training data applied by comparing the start phase, the motion phase, and the end phase of the training data against the start phase, the motion phase, and the end phase associated with the second occurrence of the hand gesture, the hand gesture being void of any physical contact with the non-display surface.

18 . The hardware memory device of claim 17 , wherein to modify the active touchpad area, the virtual notepad area, or the virtual button, the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to receive a selected position of the active touchpad area, the virtual notepad area, or the virtual button via the proximity sensors, and to change a current position of the active touchpad area, the virtual notepad area, or the virtual button to match the selected position.

19 . The hardware memory device of claim 17 , wherein to modify the active touchpad area, the virtual notepad area, or the virtual button, the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to receive a selected size of the active touchpad area, the virtual notepad area, or the virtual button via the proximity sensors, and to change a current size of the active touchpad area, the virtual notepad area, or the virtual button to match the selected size.

20 . The hardware memory device of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions, upon execution, further cause the IHS to modify at least one of: the active touchpad area, the virtual notepad area, or the virtual button by retrieving one or more stored configuration parameters associated with an identified user.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Kamepalli Srinivas
• Aurongzeb Deeder M
• Hijazi Mohammed K

Classifications

• G06F1/169

  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 title

• G06F3/04886

  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 · CPC title

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- 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 without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title

• G06F3/03547 Primary

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title