The US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Google that reveals their intentions to bring backside controls to future android devices that could turn a page of an ebook, article on the web or flip to next or previous views of photos and perhaps music albums in a playlist. Apple first introduced this idea for future tablets back in 2006,
so the race is now on. Apple has sat on a number of great ideas over the years and never acted on them. So it just might be Google that's hungry enough to actually bring this feature to market first. In the end: may the best team win.
Google Invents Simple Backside Device Touch Controls
Google's invention covers simple backside device touch controls that will be applied to future Android devices.
Jumping to the chase, Google's patent FIG. 1 shown below is a conceptual diagram of an Android smartphone identifying an operation to perform in response to non-touchscreen contact being detected on the backside of the Android device's backside housing.
Google states that this could apply to other future devices such as a tablet, ebook, Chromebook or other devices.
Google's patent FIG. 3 shown below is a conceptual diagram indicating how detected torque on a computing device can indicate a location on the device where contact with the device was received.
Preview Mode
The diagram depicted in Google's patent FIG. 4 above shows the computing device providing a preview of an operation through four different points in time.
Google adds that the mobile device may provide visual, audible, and/or tactile feedback to the user indicating that the tap input on the backside housing has been detected, such as a click sound, beep or vibration.
Google's patent application was originally filed in Q3 2012 under serial number 593117 and recently published by the US Patent Office.
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Sites Covering our Original Report
A special thanks goes out to both Reddit and NU for their extraodinary suport of our report. Cheers!
Ars Technica, NU The Netherlands, Phandroid, Android Community, Intomobile, Unocero Mexico, Android Guys, International Business Times Italy, Android TV Germany, Movil Zona Spain, TuttoAndroid Italy, Android-hk Hong Kong China, Tech2, TechHive Germany, CNET France and Laptopmag
BGR, Talk Android, Eju TV Spanish, Venture Beat, MojAndroid Slovak Republic, myphone Greece, Pocketnow, Gizmodo Germany, Android Authority, Digital Life Greece, The Gadget Square, Computlenta Russia, Fredzone France, Webnews Italy, Mobilguru Turkey, MacSurfer, Reddit, iAndroid Israel, Techmundo, Accessoweb, Twitter, and Facebook, El Android Libre Spanish
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