IP Library Granted Patent US 9,310,960
Granted Patent B2
US 9,310,960 · App. 14/198,961 · Granted Apr 12, 2016

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

Inventors: Daniel Jordan Schantz (Raleigh, NC); Wesley Abram Luttrell (Raleigh, NC); Christopher Miles Osborne (Cary, NC); Vincent Charles Conzola (Raleigh, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G06F3/04812G06F3/03545G06F3/03547G06F3/0412G06F3/04883G06F2203/04808
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,310,960
App. No.
14/198,961
Granted
Apr 12, 2016
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (36)

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 to the touch-enabled pad;

present an indication of the input for a threshold time; and

at the elapse of the threshold time, cease presenting the indication of the input, the indication presented on the touch-enabled pad;

wherein the touch-enabled pad comprises a material which non-permanently indents in areas to which input is directed, and wherein the material remains non-permanently indented in areas to which input is directed subsequent to cessation of the input; and

wherein the indication comprises at least one indentation corresponding to the input, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to transmit a signal to the touch-enabled pad for the touch-enabled pad to dissipate at least a portion of the at least one indentation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch-enabled pad does not comprise a touch-enabled display on any portion thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch-enabled pad does not comprise a cathode ray tube display, a light-emitting diode display, a plasma display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic light-emitting diode display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input is input from a pen, wherein the pen provides input to the touch-enabled pad when at least a portion of the pen is in contact with the touch-enabled pad.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the indication is a tracing of at least a portion of the input from the pen.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indication is a visual representation of at least a portion of the input.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the indication is a visual representation of the entirety of the input, wherein the indication is presented at least while the input is continuous.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indication is a representation of a threshold amount of most-recently received input.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch-enabled pad comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a film, a gel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein non-permanent indented areas are colored different than other areas of the touch-enabled pad.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal is transmitted responsive to a determination that the threshold time has expired, the threshold time being from receipt of at least a portion of the input.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input is first input, and wherein the signal is transmitted responsive to second input from a user.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the indication is presented at least substantially in real time as the input is received.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input is detected as handwriting and the indication is of the handwriting.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a touch-enabled pad coupled to the housing and having a non-discrete configuration and at least one discrete configuration;

a processor; and

storage accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to:

receive, from the touch-enabled pad, a signal indicative of input to the touch-enabled pad; and

present a representation of the input as one or more non-permanent indentations in the touch-enabled pad to establish a discrete configuration.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the input comprises handwriting.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to: present the representation of the input for a period established by a user of the apparatus using a configuration user interface.

18. A method, comprising: receiving input at a touch-enabled pad, the touch-enabled pad having a non-discrete configuration and at least one discrete configuration; and

using a processor to present a representation of the input as one or more non-permanent indentations in the touch-enabled pad to establish a discrete configuration.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the representation is a visual representation of at least a portion of the input.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the touch-enabled pad comprises a gel useable to establish at least one discrete configuration.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 069870/0670 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2019
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 049688/0741 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2014
From: SCHANTZ, DANIEL JORDAN; LUTTRELL, WESLEY ABRAM; OSBORNE, CHRISTOPHER MILES; CONZOLA, VINCENT CHARLES
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 032365/0429 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150253956A1 · Sep 10, 2015