Information handling devices with touch-based reflective display
View Patent ↗Devices, methods and products are described that provide information handling devices with touch-based reflective display. One aspect provides a method comprising: providing a touchable control having one or more areas, said one or more areas providing both reflective display and accepting touch-based input; displaying data on a display device of an information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas; ascertaining touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and executing one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input. Other embodiments are described.
1. A method comprising:
providing reflective display in reflective display layer of a touchable control having one or more areas, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed;
said touchable control area being disposed in a keyboard area among a plurality of mechanical keys of an information handling device;
displaying data on a display device of the information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas;
ascertaining, using a non-display touch sensitive layer located with the reflective display layer of the touchable control, touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
executing one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more areas of said touchable control area comprise a plurality of logically defined areas.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said touchable control area comprises a haptic feedback layer.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said non-display touch sensitive layer comprises one of a capacitive touch-based input sensing layer, a resistive touch-based input sensing layer, and an inductive touch-based input sensing layer.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said executing one or more functions comprises one or more of:
providing haptic feedback responsive to said touch-based input; and
providing audible feedback responsive to said touch-based input.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a default configuration for one or more areas on the touchable control area;
ascertaining an event for updating said default configuration; and
updating said default configuration to an updated configuration responsive to said event.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said updated configuration comprises a different reflective display on one or more areas of said touchable control area.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said updated configuration comprises a different touch zone configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein said event comprises one or more of an application related event, a power state change event; a connected device related event, and a user input event.
10. An information handling device comprising:
a touchable control area having one or more areas, said one or more areas comprising a reflective display layer that provides reflective display and a non-display touch sensitive layer located with the reflective display layer that ascertains touch-based input, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed;
said touchable control area being disposed in a keyboard area among a plurality of mechanical keys;
a display device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas; and
one or more processors;
wherein, responsive to execution of computer program instructions accessible to one or more processors, the information handling device:
displays data on the display device;
ascertains touch-based input to said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
executes one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input.
11. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said one or more areas of said touchable control area comprise a plurality of logically defined areas.
12. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said touchable control area comprises a haptic feedback layer.
13. The information handling device of claim 12 , wherein said non-display touch sensitive layer comprises one of a capacitive touch-based input sensing layer, a resistive touch-based input sensing layer, and an inductive touch-based input sensing layer.
14. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein to execute one or more functions comprises one or more of:
providing haptic feedback responsive to said touch-based input; and
providing audible feedback responsive to said touch-based input.
15. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said information handling device is further configured to:
provide a default configuration for one or more areas on the touchable control area;
ascertain an event for updating said default configuration; and
update said default configuration to an updated configuration responsive to said event.
16. The information handling device of claim 15 , wherein said updated configuration comprises one or more of:
a different reflective display on one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
a different touch zone configuration for said one or more areas of said touchable control area.
17. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said event comprises one or more of an application related event, a power state change event; a connected device related event, and a user input event.
18. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein said touchable control area comprises a non-back lit reflective display layer;
wherein said non-back lit reflective display layer overlays a touch sensitive display layer.
19. The information handling device of claim 10 , wherein the touchable control area is disposed in a keyboard area in place of mechanical function keys.
20. A program product comprising:
a storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising:
computer readable program code that provides reflective display in reflective display layer of a touchable control having one or more areas, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed;
said touchable control area being disposed in a keyboard area among a plurality of mechanical keys of an information handling device;
computer readable program code that displays data on a display device of the information handling device which does not overlap the reflective display of said one or more areas;
computer readable program code that ascertains touch-based input provided to a non-display touch sensitive layer located with the reflective display layer of said one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
computer readable program code that executes one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input.
21. An information handling device comprising:
a display device;
a touchable control area having a reflective display layer, a touch-based input sensing layer disposed underneath the reflective display layer, and a haptic feedback layer disposed underneath the touch-based input sensing layer, wherein said reflective display substantially only draws power when the display contents are changed;
said touchable control area being disposed in a keyboard area among a plurality of mechanical keys; and
one or more processors;
wherein, responsive to execution of computer program instructions accessible to one or more processors, the information handling device is configured to:
display data on the display device;
ascertain touch-based input to one or more areas of said touchable control area; and
execute one or more functions responsive to said touch-based input.