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`or required, or glowing special effects that trace or outline a users fingers in contact
`
`with the touch surface, or otherwise provide visual feedback for the users of the
`
`device.
`
`In one implementation, the handheld device is configured to sense one or
`
`more touches and provide visual feedback in the area of the touches. In another
`
`implementation, the handheld device is configured to provide visual feedback on the
`
`touch surface, detect a touch in the area of the visual feedback, and to perform an
`
`action that is associated with the visual feedback.
`
`[00108]
`
`While this invention has been described in terms of several preferred
`
`embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, which fall Within
`
`the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative
`
`ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. It is
`
`therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all
`such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope
`
`of the present invention.
`
`30
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`What is claimed is:
`
`1.
`
`A hand held electronic device, comprising:
`
`a first touch sensing device located in a first region of the hand held electronic
`
`device; and
`
`a second touch sensing device located in a second region of the hand held
`
`electronic device, the second region being at a different location than the first region
`
`of the hand held electronic device.
`
`2.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a
`
`display that forms a viewing region of the hand held electronic device, and wherein
`
`the first touch sensing device is a touch screen positioned over the display in the
`
`viewing region of the display.
`
`3.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 2 further comprising a
`
`second display that forms a second viewing region of the hand held electronic device,
`
`and wherein the second touch sensing device is a second touch screen positioned over
`
`the second display in the second viewing region of the second display.
`
`4.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 3 wherein the first display
`
`is positioned on a first side of the hand held electronic device, and wherein the second
`
`display is positioned on a second side of the hand held electronic device, the second
`
`side being located opposite the first side.
`
`5.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 4 wherein the first side is
`
`the front side of the hand held electronic device, and wherein the second side is the
`
`back side of the hand held electronic device.
`
`6.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 2 wherein the second
`
`touch sensing device is a touch sensitive surface located on the hand held electronic
`
`device in a region other than the viewing region of the display.
`
`7.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 6 wherein the display is
`
`positioned on a first side of the hand held electronic device, and wherein the second
`
`touch sensing device is positioned on a second side of the hand held electronic
`
`device, the second side being located opposite the first side.
`
`8.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 6 wherein the touch
`
`sensitive surface is provided by a touch panel or a touch sensitive housing.
`
`9.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein the first touch
`
`sensing device is located on a first side of the housing, and wherein the second
`
`31
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`touching device is located on a second side of the housing, the second side being
`
`opposite the first side.
`
`10.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of
`
`the touch sensing devices is selected from a touchpad or touch sensitive housing of
`
`the hand held electronic device, and further comprising a visual feedback system
`
`capable of providing visual stimuli to a touch surface of the at least one of the touch
`
`sensing devices.
`
`11.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 10 wherein the visual
`
`stimuli is mapped to the sensor elements of the touch surface.
`
`12.
`
`The hand held device as recited in claims 1 wherein at least one touch sensing
`
`device is a touch screen positioned over a display.
`
`13.
`
`The hand held device as recited in claim 20 wherein the display is configured
`
`to fill the entire front surface of the handheld device.
`
`14.
`
`The hand held device as recited in claim 1 or 20 wherein at least one touch
`
`sensing device is a touch pad.
`
`15.
`
`The hand held device as recited in claims 1 or 20 wherein at least one touch
`
`sensing device is a touch sensitive housing.
`
`16.
`
`The hand held device as recited in claim 1 wherein the touch sensing devices
`
`are the only input means of the handheld device.
`
`17.
`
`The hand held device as recited in claim 1 wherein the touch sensing devices
`
`are all multi touch capacitive touch sensing devices.
`
`1 8.
`
`The hand held device as recited in claim 1 wherein the hand held device
`
`includes a front surface, and wherein the front surface does not include any physical
`
`actuators.
`
`19.
`
`A hand held electronic device, comprising:
`
`a housing;
`
`a display located on a first side of the housing;
`
`a touch sensing device located on a second side of the housing, the second
`
`side being opposite the first side.
`
`20.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 19 wherein the touch
`
`sensing device is sized and dimensioned similarly to the display and wherein the
`
`center point of the touch sensing device coincides with the center point of the display,
`
`21.
`
`The hand held electronic device as recited in claim 19 wherein the sensing
`
`nodes of the touch sensing device are mapped to the display.
`
`32
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`22.
`
`A handheld device, comprising:
`
`p
`a housing; and
`a sensor arrangement disposed underneath an outer surface of the housing, the
`
`sensor arrangement being configured to detect the presence of an object on at least a
`
`portion of the housing.
`
`23.
`
`The handheld device as recited in claim 22 wherein the sensor arrangement
`
`covers the entire housing so that the entire housing is touch sensitive.
`
`24.
`
`The handheld device as recited in claims 22 or 23 wherein the sensor
`
`arrangement is a multipoint sensor arrangement capable of detecting the presence of
`
`more than one object at the same time.
`
`25.
`
`The handheld device as recited in claims 22, 23, or 24 further comprising a
`
`display positioned within an opening in the housing, and a touch screen positioned
`
`over the display.
`
`26.
`
`The hand held device as recited in claim 22—25 further comprising a Visual
`
`feedback system capable of providing visual stimuli to the outer surface of the
`
`housing, the visual stimuli being mapped to the sensor elements of the sensor
`
`arrangement.
`
`27.
`
`A method for operating a handheld device, comprising:
`
`determining if a user is touching the handheld device;
`
`determining the user based on the user’s touch;
`
`configuring the handheld device based on the user.
`
`28.
`
`The method as recited in claim 27 wherein the step of determining the user
`
`includes determining the handedness of the user.
`
`29.
`
`The method as recited in claim 27 wherein the step of determining the user
`
`includes determining the identity of the user.
`
`30.
`
`The method as recited in claim 27 wherein the step of configuring the
`
`handheld device includes setting the buttons of the handheld device.
`
`31.
`
`The method as recited in claim 30 wherein the button settings are based on the
`
`handedness of the user or wherein the button settings are based on the identity of the
`user.
`
`32.
`
`The method as recited in claim 30 wherein the buttons are based on relative
`
`mapping or absolute mapping wherein absolute mapping includes, providing one or
`
`more button zones; generating a hand signal; determining which button zone was
`
`selected based on the hand signal; and generating a button signal based on the
`
`33
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`selected button zone and wherein relative mapping includes, generating a first hand
`
`signal; generating a second hand signal; determining the difference between the first
`
`and second hand signals; and generating a button signal based on the difference
`
`between the first and second hand signals.
`
`33.
`
`The method as recited in claim 27 wherein the step of determining the user
`
`includes:
`
`providing baseline hand signals;
`
`generating a current hand signal when a user grabs the handheld device;
`
`comparing the current hand signal to at least one baseline hand signal; and
`
`determining a characteristic of the user based on the current and baseline hand
`
`signals.
`
`34.
`
`The method as recited in claim 33 wherein the step of determining includes
`
`determining if the current hand signal is similar to one of the baseline hand signals or
`
`determining if the current hand signal is different than one of the baseline hand
`
`signals.
`
`35.
`
`The method as recited in claim 33 wherein the baseline hand signals
`
`correspond to right and left hand signals, and wherein the characteristic of the user
`
`corresponds to the handedness of the user; or wherein the baseline hand signals
`
`correspond to a particular user’s hand signal, and wherein the characteristic of the
`
`user corresponds to the identity of the user.
`
`34
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`1/12
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`/1OB
`
`/1OC
`
`FIG 18
`
`FIG 1C
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`2/12
`
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`WO 2006/096501
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`3/12
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`100
`
`FIG. 10
`
`
`
`
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`WO 2006/096501
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`4/12
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`
`
`130
`
`136
`
`
`
`FIG. 13
`
`