1. A method comprising: determining an interface mode corresponding to an application being executed by a terminal; determining, based on the interface mode, shapes for input keys associated with functions for controlling the application; and causing, at least in part, displaceable units to be offset from a surface of the terminal to form patterns of displaceable units corresponding to the shapes, wherein each shape is different and indicative of a different one of the functions.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the displaceable units are configured to positively and negatively displace from the surface.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a change in content displayed in association with the application; and causing, at least in part, at least one aspect of at least one of the input keys to be modified based on the change.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one aspect corresponds to at least one of the shape of the at least one input key, a position of a feature of the at least one input key, and the function associated with the at least one input key.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting user interaction with at least one of the input keys; and causing, at least in part, the at least one input key to be further offset from the surface based on at least one aspect of the user interaction.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one aspect corresponds to one or more magnitudes of pressure applied to one or more portions of the at least one input key.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting user interaction with at least one of the input keys; and causing, at least in part, the function and the shape of the at least one input key to be modified in association with the application and in response to detecting the user interaction.
8. An apparatus comprising: an array of displaceable units configured to be offset from a surface of the apparatus; and a controller configured to: determine an interface mode corresponding to an application executed in association with the apparatus, determine, based on the interface mode, shapes for input keys associated with functions for controlling the application, and cause, at least in part, a plurality of the array of displaceable units to be offset from the surface of the apparatus to form patterns of displaceable units corresponding to the shapes, wherein each shape is different and indicative of a different one of the functions.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least some of the array of displaceable units are configured to positively and negatively displace from the surface.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to: detect a change in content displayed in association with the application; and cause, at least in part, at least one aspect of at least one of the input keys to be modified based on the change.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one aspect corresponds to at least one of the shape of the at least one input key, a position of a feature of the at least one input key, and the function associated with the at least one input key.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one aspect corresponds to one or more magnitudes of pressure applied to one or more portions of the at least one input key.
13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to: detect user interaction with at least one of the input keys, and cause, at least in part, the at least one input key to be further offset from the surface based on at least one aspect of the user interaction.
14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to: detect user interaction with at least one of the input keys; and cause, at least in part, the function and the shape of the at least one input key to be modified in association with the application and in response to detection of the user interaction.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for receiving a directional gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, comprising:
detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;
determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined hitchhiker gesture;
determining a directional parameter from a shape of the one or more images;
associating the hitchhiker gesture with a user interface (UI) element; and
performing a directional action in accordance with the UI element.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined hitchhiker gesture by:
identifying four curled finger features;
identifying an extended thumb feature; and
identifying a palm heel feature.
3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code for receiving an approving gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, the program code for causing performance of a method comprising:
detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;
determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined stamp of approval gesture;
determining a centering parameter from the one or more images;
associating the stamp of approval gesture with a user interface (UI) element coincident with the centering parameter, the UI element accepting an approving input; and
providing the approving input to the UI element.
4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, the method further comprising determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined stamp of approval gesture by:
tracking the one or more images over time; and
determining that the one or more images rapidly appeared and then disappeared.
5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code for receiving a directional gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, the program code for causing performance of a method comprising:
detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;
determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined hitchhiker gesture;
determining a directional parameter from a shape of the one or more images;
associating the hitchhiker gesture with a user interface (UI) element; and
performing a directional action in accordance with the UI element.
6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, the method further comprising determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined hitchhiker gesture by:
identifying four curled finger features;
identifying an extended thumb feature; and
identifying a palm heel feature.
7. A method for receiving a security gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, comprising:
detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;
determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined unlock gesture comprising two fingers and two thumbs of two hands touching near a center of the sensor panel; and
performing an unlocking action.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined unlock gesture by:
identifying four initial images corresponding to the two fingers and two thumbs from the two hands; and
determining that the four initial images move towards the corners of the sensor panel over time.
9. A method for receiving a security gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, comprising:
detecting four images at the sensor panel, each image being near a different corner of the sensor panel;
determining that the four images correspond to a predetermined lock gesture comprising two fingers and two thumbs of two hands; and
performing a locking action.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined lock gesture by:
determining that the four initial images move towards a center of the sensor panel over time.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code for receiving a security gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, the program code for causing performance of a method comprising:
detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;
determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined unlock gesture comprising two fingers and two thumbs of two hands touching near a center of the sensor panel; and
performing an unlocking action.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the program code further for causing performance of a method comprising determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined unlock gesture by:
identifying four initial images corresponding to the two fingers and two thumbs from the two hands; and
determining that the four initial images move towards the corners of the sensor panel over time.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code for receiving a security gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, the program code for causing performance of a method comprising:
detecting four images at the sensor panel, each image being near a different corner of the sensor panel;
determining that the four images correspond to a predetermined lock gesture comprising two fingers and two thumbs of two hands; and
performing a locking action.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, the program code further for causing performance of a method comprising determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined lock gesture by:
determining that the four initial images move towards a center of the sensor panel over time.
15. A method for receiving an approving gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, comprising:
detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;
determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined stamp of approval gesture;
determining a centering parameter from the one or more images;
associating the stamp of approval gesture with a user interface (UI) element coincident with the centering parameter, the UI element accepting an approving input; and
providing the approving input to the UI element.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined stamp of approval gesture by:
tracking the one or more images over time; and
determining that the one or more images rapidly appeared and then disappeared.