Information handling devices with touch-based reflective display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8994641-B2
Application number	US-201113222585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2011
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	Mar 31, 2015
Grant date	Mar 31, 2015

Abstract

Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method comprising: providing a touchable control having one or more areas, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; displaying data on a display device of an information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas; ascertaining touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and executing one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input. Other embodiments are described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing reflective display in reflective display layer of a touchable control having one or more areas, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed;
said touchable control area being disposed in a keyboard area among a plurality of mechanical keys of an information handling device;
displaying data on a display device of the information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas;
ascertaining, using a non-display touch sensitive layer located with the reflective display layer of the touchable control, touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
executing one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more areas of said touchable control area comprise a plurality of logically defined areas.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said touchable control area comprises a haptic feedback layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said non-display touch sensitive layer comprises one of a capacitive touch-based input sensing layer, a resistive touch-based input sensing layer, and an inductive touch-based input sensing layer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said executing one or more functions comprises one or more of:
providing haptic feedback responsive to said touch-based input; and
providing audible feedback responsive to said touch-based input.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a default configuration for one or more areas on the touchable control area;
ascertaining an event for updating said default configuration; and
updating said default configuration to an updated configuration responsive to said event.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said updated configuration comprises a different reflective display on one or more areas of said touchable control area.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said updated configuration comprises a different touch zone configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein said event comprises one or more of an application related event, a power state change event; a connected device related event, and a user input event.

10. An information handling device comprising:
a touchable control area having one or more areas, said one or more areas comprising a reflective display layer that provides reflective display and a non-display touch sensitive layer located with the reflective display layer that ascertains touch-based input, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed;
said touchable control area being disposed in a keyboard area among a plurality of mechanical keys;
a display device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas; and
one or more processors;
wherein, responsive to execution of computer program instructions accessible to one or more processors, the information handling device:
displays data on the display device;
ascertains touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
executes one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input.

11. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said one or more areas of said touchable control area comprise a plurality of logically defined areas.

12. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said touchable control area comprises a haptic feedback layer.

13. The information handling device of claim 12 , wherein said non-display touch sensitive layer comprises one of a capacitive touch-based input sensing layer, a resistive touch-based input sensing layer, and an inductive touch-based input sensing layer.

14. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein to execute one or more functions comprises one or more of:
providing haptic feedback responsive to said touch-based input; and
providing audible feedback responsive to said touch-based input.

15. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said information handling device is further configured to:
provide a default configuration for one or more areas on the touchable control area;
ascertain an event for updating said default configuration; and
update said default configuration to an updated configuration responsive to said event.

16. The information handling device of claim 15 , wherein said updated configuration comprises one or more of:
a different reflective display on one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
a different touch zone configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area.

17. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said event comprises one or more of an application related event, a power state change event; a connected device related event, and a user input event.

18. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said touchable control area comprises a non-back lit reflective display layer;
wherein said non-back lit reflective display layer overlays a touch sensitive display layer.

19. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein the touchable control area is disposed in a keyboard area in place of mechanical function keys.

20. A program product comprising:
a storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising:
computer readable program code that provides reflective display in reflective display layer of a touchable control having one or more areas, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed;
said touchable control area being disposed in a keyboard area among a plurality of mechanical keys of an information handling device;
computer readable program code that displays data on a display device of the information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas;
computer readable program code that ascertains touch-based input provided to a non-display touch sensitive layer located with the reflective display layer of said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
computer readable program code that executes one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input.

21. An information handling device comprising:
a display device;
a touchable control area having a reflective display layer, a touch-based input sensing layer disposed underneath the reflective display layer, and a haptic feedback layer disposed underneath the touch-based input sensing layer, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed;
said touchable control area being disposed in a keyboard area among a plurality of mechanical keys; and
one or more processors;
wherein, responsive to execution of computer program instructions accessible to one or more processors, the information handling device is configured to:
display data on the display device;
ascertain touch-based input to one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
execute one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input.

Assignees

• Stewart Aaron M
• Smith Adam M
• Sluchak Thomas J
• Skinner Jeffrey E
• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Stewart Aaron M
• Smith Adam M
• Sluchak Thomas J
• Skinner Jeffrey E

Classifications

• G06F3/041 Primary

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F3/0416

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/0213

  Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick (for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033) · CPC title

• G06F3/021 Primary

  Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner · CPC title

• G06F3/0443 Primary

  using a single layer of sensing electrodes · CPC title