Device off-plane surface touch activation
A computing device includes a housing and a display assembly having a screen. The housing at least partially circumvents the screen so that the screen is viewable. A touch sensor is provided with a portion of the housing having a different planar orientation than a remainder of the housing. For example, the touch sensor may be provided with a portion of the housing that is off-plane with the screen of the display assembly. A processor is provided within the housing to detect a first user interaction with the touch sensor, and to interpret the first user interaction as a first user input. The processor further executes one or more instructions in response to the first user input.
1. A computing device comprising:
a housing;
a display assembly including a screen, wherein the housing at least partially circumvents the screen so that the screen is viewable;
a touch sensor provided with a portion of the housing having a different planar orientation than a remainder of the housing; and
a processor provided within the housing, the processor operating to:
detect a first user interaction with the touch sensor when rendering paginated content of an e-book;
interpret the first user interaction as a page transition input that is indicative of a particular page transition value and of a selection of a page transition type from multiple possible page transition types; and
execute one or more operations to transition rendering of the paginated content based on the indicated page transition value and the selection of the page transition type.
2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the first user interaction includes at least one of a finger tap or a finger swipe.
3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensor is provided with a portion of the housing that is off-plane with the screen of the display assembly.
4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a non-planar back surface, and wherein the touch sensor is provided on a first plane of the back surface.
5. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the first plane has a different size, shape, or orientation than each remaining plane of the back surface.
6. The computing device of claim 5 , wherein the shape of the first plane is asymmetric.
7. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the touch sensor substantially encompasses the first plane of the back surface.
8. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a non-planar front surface, and wherein the touch sensor is provided on a first plane of the front surface.
9. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the first plane has a different size, shape, or orientation than each remaining plane of the front surface.
10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the touch sensor substantially encompasses the first plane of the front surface.
11. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the page transition value is indicative of either a forward page transition or a reverse page transition.
12. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the processor interprets the first user interaction based on one or more characteristics of the first user interaction.
13. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the processor detects the first user interaction as one or more taps, and wherein the one or more characteristics include at least one of a number of taps, a pattern of taps, or a location of multiple taps.
14. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the processor detects the first user interaction as a swipe, and the wherein the one or more characteristics include at least one of a direction of the swipe.
15. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the multiple possible page transition types include at least one of a chapter transition or a page cluster transition.
16. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the page transition value is indicative of either a forward page transition or a reverse page transition.
17. A method for operating a computing device, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:
detecting a first user interaction with a touch sensor when rendering paginated content of an e-book, wherein the touch sensor is provided with a portion of a housing of the computing device that has a different planar orientation than a remainder of the housing;
interpreting the first user interaction as a page transition input that is indicative of a particular page transition value and of a selection of a page transition type from multiple possible page transition types; and
executing one or more operations to transition rendering of the paginated content based on the indicated page transition value and the selection of the page transition type.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the multiple possible page transition types include a chapter transition, a page cluster transition, and a single page transition.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions, that when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations that include:
detecting a first user interaction with a touch sensor when rendering paginated content of an e-book, wherein the touch sensor is provided with a portion of a housing of the computing device that has a different planar orientation than a remainder of the housing;
interpreting the first user interaction as a page transition input that is indicative of a particular page transition value and of a selection of a page transition type from multiple possible page transition types; and
executing one or more operations to transition rendering of the paginated content based on the indicated page transition value and the selection of the page transition type.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the multiple possible page transition types include a chapter transition, a page cluster transition, and a single page transition.