# US 10,768,740 B2 · Input axis rotations

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- Number: US 10,768,740 B2
- Document ID: US10768740B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/772,470
- Filed: 2016-03-03
- Published: 2018-11-15
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Alexander W. Clark; Kent E. Biggs
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768740B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
- G06F 3/0421: {by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen}
- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- G06F 2203/0339: Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Example implementations relate to touch-sensitive input devices. As an example, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises instructions that when executed cause a controller of an electronic device to receive, via a touch-sensitive input device of the electronic device, a touch input. The instructions also cause the controller to determine whether the touch input corresponds to a re-orientation input. The instructions further cause the controller to, in response to a determination that the touch input corresponds to the re-orientation input, rotate an input axis associated with the touch sensitive input device from a first orientation to a second orientation based on the re-orientation input.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed cause an electronic device to:
receive, via a touch-sensitive input device associated with an input axis at a first orientation, a first touch input comprising a swipe across the touch-sensitive input device along a first input device axis;
in response to the first touch input, cause a pointer in a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed in a display device to move along a first GUI axis, wherein the display device is separate from the touch-sensitive input device;
detect a re-orientation input;
in response to detecting the re-orientation input, rotate the input axis associated with the touch-sensitive input device from the first orientation to a second orientation that is different from the first orientation;
receive, via the touch-sensitive input device associated with the input axis at the second orientation, a second touch input comprising a swipe across the touch-sensitive input device along a second input device axis that is different from the first input device axis; and
in response to the second touch input, cause the pointer in the GUI displayed in the display device to also move along the first GUI axis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the electronic device to:
identify a location of the re-orientation input relative to the touch-sensitive input device;
determine an anchor point based on the location; and
rotate the input axis based on the anchor point, wherein a vertical axis of the input axis is aligned with the anchor point in the second orientation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the input axis comprises the vertical axis and a horizontal axis.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is to remain stationary when the input axis is rotated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the re-orientation input is according to a direction of a user gesture relative to a side of a touch-sensitive input device of the electronic device, based on measurements of a subset of a plurality of light-sensitive sensors, and wherein the subset comprises multiple light-sensitive sensors of the plurality of light-sensitive sensors, and
wherein the instructions when executed cause the electronic device to determine an anchor point defined by a position of a sensor in the subset, and wherein the input axis intersects the anchor point.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein if the subset includes an odd number of light-sensitive sensors, a middle light-sensitive sensor of the odd number of light-sensitive sensors defines the anchor point.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein if the subset includes an even number of light-sensitive sensors, middle light-sensitive sensors of the even number of light-sensitive sensors define the anchor point.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the plurality of light-sensitive sensors are arranged as a circular band of sensors around the touch-sensitive input device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein a first sensor of the plurality of sensors is aligned with a first side of a plurality of sides of the touch-sensitive input device, and a second sensor of the plurality of sensors is aligned with a second side of the plurality of sides,
wherein the user gesture comprises a hand or finger of a user reaching across the first sensor and towards the touch-sensitive input device, and wherein the detected direction crosses the first side,
wherein a first axis of the input axis when in the second orientation is aligned with the first side, and a second axis of the input axis when in the second orientation intersects the anchor point, and
wherein the first axis of the input axis when in the first orientation is aligned with the second side, and the second axis of the input axis when in the first orientation intersects an anchor point defined by the second sensor aligned with the second side.

### Claim 10

An electronic device comprising:
a touch-sensitive input device;
a display device separate from the touch-sensitive input device;
a plurality of sensors surrounding the touch-sensitive input device; and
a controller coupled to the touch-sensitive input device and the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is to:
receive, via the touch-sensitive input device associated with an input axis at a first orientation, a first touch input comprising a swipe across the touch-sensitive input device along a first input device axis,
in response to the first touch input, cause a pointer in a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed in the display device to move along a first GUI axis,
detect, via a subset of the plurality of sensors, a direction of a user gesture relative to a side of the touch-sensitive input device, wherein the subset comprises multiple sensors of the plurality of sensors,
determine an anchor point that is defined by a position of a sensor in the subset,
rotate the input axis associated with the touch-sensitive input device from the first orientation to a second orientation based on the detected direction, wherein a first axis of the input axis when in the second orientation intersects the anchor point,
receive, via the touch-sensitive input device associated with the input axis at the second orientation, a second touch input comprising a swipe across the touch-sensitive input device along a second input device axis that is different from the first input device axis, and
in response to the second touch input, cause the pointer in the GUI displayed in the display device to also move along the first GUI axis.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise light-sensitive sensors.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:
a plurality of indicators that are selectively activated to indicate to which side of the touch-sensitive input device the input axis is aligned.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the input axis comprises the first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The electronic device of claim 10, wherein a first sensor of the plurality of sensors is aligned with a first side of a plurality of sides of the touch-sensitive input device, and a second sensor of the plurality of sensors is aligned with a second side of the plurality of sides,
wherein the user gesture comprises a hand or finger of a user reaching across the first sensor and towards the touch-sensitive input device, and wherein the detected direction crosses the first side,
wherein a second axis of the input axis when in the second orientation is aligned with the first side, and
wherein the second axis of the input axis when in the first orientation is aligned with the second side, and the first axis of the input axis when in the first orientation intersects an anchor point defined by the second sensor aligned with the second side.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The electronic device of claim 10, wherein if the subset includes an odd number of sensors, a middle sensor of the odd number of sensors defines the anchor point.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The electronic device of claim 10, wherein if the subset includes an even number of sensors, middle sensors of the even number of sensors define the anchor point.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged as a circular band of sensors around the touch-sensitive input device.

### Claim 18

An electronic device comprising:
a touch-sensitive input device;
a display device separate from the touch-sensitive input device; and
a controller to:
receive, via the touch-sensitive input device associated with an input axis at a first orientation, a first touch input comprising a swipe across the touch-sensitive input device along a first input device axis,
in response to the first touch input, cause a pointer in a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed in the display device to move along a first GUI axis,
detect a re-orientation input,
in response to detecting the re-orientation input, rotate the input axis associated with the touch-sensitive input device from the first orientation to a second orientation that is different from the first orientation,
receive, via the touch-sensitive input device associated with the input axis at the second orientation, a second touch input comprising a swipe across the touch-sensitive input device along a second input device axis that is different from the first input device axis, and
in response to the second touch input, cause the pointer in the GUI displayed in the display device to also move along the first GUI axis.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller is to:
identify a location of the re-orientation input relative to the touch-sensitive input device;
determine an anchor point based on the location; and
rotate the input axis based on the anchor point, wherein a vertical axis of the input axis is aligned with the anchor point in the second orientation.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the input axis comprises the vertical axis and a horizontal axis.
