Method and devices for displaying graphical user interfaces based on user contact

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a computing device, two or more concurrent contacts with the computing device using a plurality of sensors positioned on different sides of the computing device, wherein the two or more concurrent contacts with the computing device form a grasping contact;

selecting, by the computing device, a bit map that corresponds to the detected two or more concurrent contacts, wherein the bit map is selected from among a plurality of bit maps representative of a plurality of different types of grasping contacts, and wherein each bit in the bit map represents a particular sensor in the plurality of sensors and each bit map of the plurality of bit maps is associated with a particular grasping contact of the plurality of different types of grasping contacts;

determining, by the computing device, that the selected bit map corresponds to a type of grasping contact among the plurality of different types of grasping contacts;

determining, by the computing device, a haptic effect based on the type of grasping contact; and

outputting, by the computing device, the haptic effect.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is determined based at least in part on a magnitude of a pressure of a contact of the two or more concurrent contacts.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grasping contact is determined according to a magnitude of a pressure of a contact of the two or more concurrent contacts and an orientation of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are coupled to a housing of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of grasping contact includes a vertically-oriented left-handed grasp, a vertically-oriented right-handed grasp, a vertically-oriented two-handed grasp, a horizontally-oriented left-handed grasp, a horizontally-oriented right-handed grasp, or a horizontally-oriented two-handed grasp.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software program code executable by a processor of a computing device for causing the computing device to:

detect two or more concurrent contacts with the computing device using a plurality of sensors positioned on different sides of the computing device, wherein the two or more concurrent contacts with the computing device form a grasping contact;

select a bit map that corresponds to the detected two or more concurrent contacts, wherein the bit map is selected from among a plurality of bit maps representative of a plurality of different types of grasping contacts, and wherein each bit in the bit map represents a particular sensor in the plurality of sensors and each bit map of the plurality of bit maps is associated with a particular grasping contact of the plurality of different types of grasping contacts;

determine that the selected bit map corresponds to a type of grasping contact among the plurality of different types of grasping contacts;

determine a haptic effect based on the type of grasping contact; and

transmit a haptic signal configured to cause a haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the haptic effect is determined based at least in part on a magnitude of a pressure of a contact of the two or more concurrent contacts.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the grasping contact is determined according to a magnitude of a pressure of a contact of the two or more concurrent contacts and an orientation of the computing device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of sensors are a plurality of pressure sensors coupled to a housing of the computing device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the type of grasping contact includes a vertically-oriented left-handed grasp, a vertically-oriented right-handed grasp, a vertically-oriented two-handed grasp, a horizontally-oriented left-handed grasp, a horizontally-oriented right-handed grasp, or a horizontally-oriented two-handed grasp.

11. A computing device comprising:

a plurality of sensors positioned on different sides of the computing device and configured to detect a plurality of contacts with the computing device;

a processor coupled to the plurality of sensors; and

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory comprising computer program code executable by the processor for causing the processor to:

detect two or more concurrent contacts with the computing device using the plurality of sensors, wherein the two or more concurrent contacts form a grasping contact;

select a bit map that corresponds to the detected two or more concurrent contacts, wherein the bit map is selected from among a plurality of bit maps representative of a plurality of different types of grasping contacts, and wherein each bit in the bit map represents a particular sensor in the plurality of sensors and each bit map of the plurality of bit maps is associated with a particular grasping contact of the plurality of different types of grasping contacts;

determine that the selected bit map corresponds to a type of grasping contact among the plurality of different types of grasping contacts;

determine a haptic effect based on the type of grasping contact; and

transmit a haptic signal to a haptic output device configured to cause the haptic output device to output the haptic effect.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , further comprising the haptic output device in communication with the processor, and wherein the memory further comprises computer program code executable by the processor for causing the processor to:

determine the haptic effect based on a magnitude of a pressure of a contact of the two or more concurrent contacts.

13. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the haptic effect is determined according to a magnitude of a pressure of a contact of the two or more concurrent contacts and an orientation of the computing device.

14. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensors include a plurality of pressure sensors coupled to a housing of the computing device.

15. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the type of grasping contact includes a vertically-oriented left-handed grasp, a vertically-oriented right-handed grasp, a vertically-oriented two-handed grasp, a horizontally-oriented left-handed grasp, a horizontally-oriented right-handed grasp, or a horizontally-oriented two-handed grasp.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is determined by correlating the type of grasping contact to the haptic effect in a library of haptic effects.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different types of grasping contacts includes all of a vertically-oriented left-handed grasp, a vertically-oriented right-handed grasp, a vertically-oriented two-handed grasp, a horizontally-oriented left-handed grasp, a horizontally-oriented right-handed grasp, and a horizontally-oriented two-handed grasp.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a mood of a user based on the grasping contact; and

configuring a graphical user interface (GUI) based at least in part on the mood.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising altering the haptic effect based at least in part on the mood.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is determined based on the type of grasping contact.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to identify the type of grasping contact.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the haptic effect is determined based on an orientation of the type of grasping contact.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the haptic effect is configured to indicate the orientation of the type of grasping contact.