Presenting indication of input to a touch-enabled pad on touch-enabled pad

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9703419-B2
Application number	US-201614994324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

In one aspect, an apparatus includes a housing, a touch-enabled pad coupled to the housing, a processor, and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory bears instructions executable by the processor to receive input to the touch-enabled pad and to present an indication of the input on the touch-enabled pad.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a touch-enabled pad coupled to the housing;
a processor; and
storage accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive input at the touch-enabled pad; and
present, on the touch-enabled pad, a representation of at least a portion of the input, the representation of at least the portion of the input not being presented using one or more of: a cathode ray tube display, a light-emitting diode display, a plasma display, a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
present a representation of at least a most-recently received threshold amount of the input.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
present a representation of only a most-recently received threshold amount of the input.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the representation of only the most-recently received threshold amount of the input is less than an entirety of the input that is received.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the threshold amount is a predetermined number of characters.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
identify characters from the input using handwriting recognition software.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a button coupled to the housing that is selectable to transmit at least one signal to the processor, and wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
in response to selection of the button, cease presenting the representation of the input.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch-enabled pad comprises a light-reactive substance, and wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
present the representation using the light-reactive substance.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the light-reactive substance is a glow-in-the-dark substance.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
determine whether the input is generated based on contact, with the touch-enabled pad, of a body part or an inanimate object;
present the representation responsive to a determination that the input is generated using a body part; and
decline to present the representation responsive to a determination that the input is generated using an inanimate object.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
determine whether the input is generated based on contact, with the touch-enabled pad, of a body part or an inanimate object;
present the representation responsive to a determination that the input is generated using an inanimate object; and
decline to present the representation responsive to a determination that the input is generated using a body part.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a display coupled to the housing, and wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
present a selector on the display that is selectable to command the apparatus to cease presenting the representation of the input.

13. A method, comprising:
receiving input at a touch-enabled pad mechanism; and
presenting, on the touch-enabled pad mechanism and using a device on which the touch-enabled pad mechanism is disposed, an indication of at least a portion of the input, the indication of at least the portion of the input not being presented using a cathode ray tube display, a light-emitting diode display, a plasma display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic light-emitting diode display.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
presenting the indication responsive to cessation of receipt of the input.

15. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
presenting the indication in at least a first color selected by a user via a user interface presented on a display, the first color being different from a second color of an exterior surface of the touch-enabled pad.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the touch-enabled pad mechanism comprises a light-reactive substance, and wherein the method comprises:
presenting the indication using the light-reactive substance.

17. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
presenting a selector on a display that is selectable to command the touch-enabled pad mechanism to cease presenting the indication.

18. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a touch-enabled pad coupled to the housing;
a processor; and
storage accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive input at the touch-enabled pad; and
present, on the touch-enabled pad, at least one indication pertaining to at least a portion of the input, the at least one indication not being presented using one or more of: a cathode ray tube display, a light-emitting diode display, a plasma display, a liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode display.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one indication comprises an indication that the received input matches a predefined handwriting signature.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
present the indication in response to expiration of a threshold time from when receipt of the input ceases.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Schantz Daniel Jordan
• Luttrell Wesley Abram
• Osborne Christopher Miles
• Conzola Vincent Charles

Classifications

• G06K9/222

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/0227

  Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer (G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/04812

  Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title