# US 10,120,563 B2 · User interface for liquid container > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,563 B2 - Document ID: US10120563B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/779,524 - Filed: 2014-12-24 - Published: 2017-07-06 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-24 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Intel Corporation - Inventors: Zhanglin Liu; Jiqiang Song; Chao Zhang; Ying Gao; Dennis Luan; Haibing Xie; Dongping Jony Liu; Randolph Wang; Bin Luo; Ho Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120563B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text - A47G 19/14: Coffee or tea pots (filters, strainers A47J31/06) - G06F 1/1613: {for portable computers (cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202)} - G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]} - G06F 1/1643: {the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615)} - G06F 1/1652: {the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable} - G06F 1/1694: {the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer} - G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers} - G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 2203/04102: Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - A47G: HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT (book-ends A47B5/00; knives B26B) ## Abstract A container, such as a beverage container or a mug, may include electronics to run applications. In some examples, the container may include a display for visually displaying icons, menus, data, and other elements. In some examples, the container may include one or more sensors, such as touch sensitivity built into the display or a separate touch-sensitive panel, and/or a motion sensor. In some examples, the container may use the one or more sensors to receive input from a user to run interactive applications on the display. In some examples, the container may recognize particular forms of input, such as user swipes in specified directions and/or for specified durations on the touch-sensitive display, and/or motion of the container in specified directions to execute specified commands for the applications. The recognized input may form a user interface for the user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a container shaped to contain liquid; a touch-sensitive display disposed on an outer surface of the container to sense swipe patterns, wherein the touch-sensitive display comprises a touch sensitive element accessible from the outer surface of the container, and an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed below the touch sensitive element and included in a wall of the container, the touch-sensitive element and the outer surface of the container being sufficiently thin to transmit light from the LEDs therethrough when the array is operational, the touch-sensitive element and the outer surface of the container being sufficiently thick to mask the array of LEDs when the array is non-operational; and a user interface module to translate a sensed swipe pattern on the touch-sensitive display into a corresponding interface command. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the container includes a handle coupled to the outer surface of the container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein when the container is powered up, the touch-sensitive display displays a root menu; and wherein from the root menu, the user interface module translates a swipe toward or away from the handle into a selection to advance through root icons on the touch-sensitive display, the root icons including an application menu icon and a tool menu icon. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface module translates a touch on the application menu icon into a selection of an application menu on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein from the application menu, the user interface module translates a swipe toward or away from the handle into a selection to advance through application icons on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein from the application menu, the user interface module translates a touch on an application icon into a selection to run a corresponding application on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein from a running application, the user interface module translates a prolonged touch on the touch-sensitive display into a selection to exit the running application and return to the application menu on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein from the application menu, the user interface module translates a prolonged touch on the touch-sensitive display into a selection to exit the application menu and return to the root menu on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface module translates a touch on the tool menu icon into a selection of a tool menu on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein from the tool menu, the user interface module translates a swipe toward or away from the handle into a selection to advance through tool icons on the touch-sensitive display; wherein from the tool menu, the user interface module translates a touch on a tool icon into a selection to run a corresponding tool on the touch-sensitive display; and wherein from the tool menu, the user interface module translates a prolonged touch on the touch-sensitive display into a selection to exit the tool menu and return to the root menu on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein from a running tool, the user interface module translates a prolonged touch on the touch-sensitive display into a selection to exit the running tool and return to the tool menu on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface module comprises: a touch panel driver to process a signal from the touch-sensitive display; a normal gesture recognition module to extract a swipe from the processed signal from the touch panel driver; and a container gesture translator to translate the extracted swipe into the corresponding interface command. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the container is a porcelain mug. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive element is disposed on the outer surface of the container. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive element is disposed below the outer surface of the container and included in a wall of the container. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive display further comprises: an LED holder disposed below the array of LEDs and included in a wall of the container. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: electronics disposed on or in the container; wherein the electronics, when operational: receive input and output from the touch-sensitive display; control the illumination of the LEDs in the array; and store energy in a battery to power the touch-sensitive display and the array of LEDs. ### Claim 18 A method for receiving an interface command from a container shaped to contain liquid, the method comprising: sensing a swipe pattern with a touch-sensitive display disposed on an outer surface of the container, wherein the touch-sensitive display comprises a touch sensitive element accessible from the outer surface of the container, and an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed below the touch sensitive element and included in a wall of the container, the touch-sensitive element and the outer surface of the container being sufficiently thin to transmit light from the LEDs therethrough when the array is operational, the touch-sensitive element and the outer surface of the container being sufficiently thick to mask the array of LEDs when the array is non-operational; and translating the sensed swipe pattern into a corresponding interface command with a user interface module. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the container includes a handle coupled to the outer surface of the container. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein when the container is powered up, displaying a root menu on the touch-sensitive display; and further comprising: from the root menu, translating a swipe toward or away from the handle into a selection to advance through root icons on the touch-sensitive display, the root icons including an application menu icon and a tool menu icon. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising: translating a touch on the application menu icon into a selection of an application menu on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising: from the application menu, translating a swipe toward or away from the handle into a selection to advance through application icons on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising: from the application menu, translating a touch on an application icon into a selection to run a corresponding application on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising: from the application menu, translating a prolonged touch on the touch-sensitive display into a selection to exit the application menu and return to the root menu on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising: translating a prolonged touch on the touch-sensitive display into a selection to exit a running application; and displaying the application menu on the touch-sensitive display. ### Claim 26 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein translating the sensed swipe pattern into a corresponding interface command with a user interface module comprises: processing a signal from the touch-sensitive display; extracting a swipe from the processed signal; and translating the swipe into the corresponding interface command.