Virtual Soft Keys in Graphic User Interface with Side Mounted Touchpad Input Device
In one embodiment, virtual soft keys of a computing devices are implemented with a side-mounted touchpad.
1 . A method, comprising:
displaying one or more icons in a display mounted adjacent to a side-mounted touchpad of a computing device;
in response to a tap event on the side-mounted touchpad, determining a location of the touchpad corresponding to the tap event;
determining a particular icon of the one or more icons that is adjacent to the location of the tap event; and
initiating an action corresponding to the particular icon.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying one or more icons in a display mounted adjacent to a side-mounted touchpad of a computing device comprises:
displaying the one or more icons in the display mounted adjacent to the side-mounted touchpad of the computing device in response to a user input.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the user input is a touch input.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the action comprises launching an application hosted by the computing device.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the action comprising initiating a function of an application hosted by the computing device.
6 . An apparatus, comprising:
a device housing;
a memory;
one or more processors;
a display;
a side-mounted touchpad disposed on a lateral side of the device housing;
a program comprising computer-readable instructions operative, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to:
display one or more icons in the display adjacent to the side-mounted touchpad;
in response to a tap event on the touchpad, determine a location of the touchpad corresponding to the tap event;
determine a particular icon of the one or more icons that is adjacent to the location of the tap event; and
initiate an action corresponding to the particular icon.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the display comprises a touch screen.
8 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the side-mounted touchpad comprises a concave touch surface.
9 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein, to display one or more icons in the display adjacent to the side-mounted touchpad, comprises instructions operative to cause the one or more programs to:
display the one or more icons in the display mounted adjacent to the side-mounted touchpad of the computing device in response to a user input.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the user input is a touch input.
11 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the action comprises launching an application hosted by the apparatus.
12 . The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the action comprises initiating a function of an application hosted by the apparatus.
13 . One or more computer readable tangible storage media embodying software operable when executed by a computing device to:
display one or more icons in a display mounted adjacent to a side-mounted touchpad of the computing device;
in response to a tap event on the side-mounted touchpad, determine a location of the touchpad corresponding to the tap event;
determine a particular icon of the one or more icons that is adjacent to the location of the tap event; and
initiate an action corresponding to the particular icon.
14 . The media of claim 13 , wherein to display one or more icons in a display mounted adjacent to a side-mounted touchpad of the computing device, further comprises software operable when executed by the computing device to:
display the one or more icons in the display mounted adjacent to the side-mounted touchpad of the computing device in response to a user input.
15 . The media of claim 14 , wherein the user input is a touch input.
16 . The media of claim 13 , wherein the action comprises launching an application hosted by the computing device.
17 . The media of claim 13 , wherein the action comprises initiating a function of an application hosted by the computing device.