Abstract: A portable information handling system includes a touch function row between a keyboard and a display that accepts touches at plural locations to initiate an on-screen-display user interface for a selected of plural functions based upon a touch location. A sliding movement at the touch function row commands presentation of plural function input keys at the display having one of the plural function input keys highlighted when the sliding movement touch corresponds to a touch location of the input key. The on-screen-display user interface presents different control interfaces when touches include multiple fingers and drag versus non-drag inputs, such as by automatically applying a submenu control to the simultaneous touch, like changing speaker volume and toggling a microphone between mute and unmute.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are provided for provisioning a database of trusted users stored locally within an information handling system (IHS) based on location. The systems and methods disclosed herein may be used to identify a location of the IHS, and provision a database of trusted users (e.g., a TMU database) stored locally with the IHS based on the identified location. The TMU database is initially provisioned with a set of trusted users (and associated TMU information) expected for the identified location. If the IHS moves to a different location, the systems and methods disclosed herein may automatically reprovision the TMU database with a set of trusted users (and associated TMU information) expected for the new location. This reduces re-enrollment and enables the systems and methods disclosed herein to intelligently manage the TMU database stored locally with the IHS.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are provided for provisioning a database of trusted users stored locally on one or more information handling systems. The systems and methods disclosed herein may utilize a database of trusted users (otherwise referred to as a trusted multi-user database, or TMU database), a database template and/or policy stored within a remote system (e.g., a cloud or backend server) to remotely manage and provision a TMU database stored locally within one or more information handling systems. In doing so, the systems and methods disclosed herein may be used to securely back-up and restore a TMU database stored locally with an IHS, remotely manage enrollment and provisioning of a TMU database stored locally within one or more information handling systems based on policy, and apply TMU configuration settings globally to the TMU databases stored locally within a plurality of information handling systems.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are provided for managing and operating a user presence detection (UPD) capable information handling system (IHS) within a multi-user environment. The systems and methods disclosed herein improve system security and reduce power loss in a UPD-capable IHS operated within a multi-user environment by continuously: (a) monitoring user presence within a field of view (FOV) of the UPD-capable IHS, (b) determining the identity of the user(s) present within the FOV by comparing biometric data obtained from the user(s) present within the FOV with biometric data contained within a database of trusted users, and (c) performing various actions, such as waking the IHS from a low power state or locking an active system session of the IHS, based on the identity of the user(s) present with FOV.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are provided for enrolling new users within a database of trusted users during an active system session. The disclosed systems and methods automate and streamline the process of enrolling new trusted users within a database of trusted users (otherwise referred to as a trusted multi-user database, or TMU database). In some embodiments, the systems and methods disclosed herein may initiate enrollment of a new user within a TMU database upon: (a) receiving confirmation from an authenticated user verifying acceptance of the new user as a trusted user, and (b) detecting a passive enrollment response from the new user. This enables the disclosed systems and methods to securely and efficiently enroll new trusted users within a TMU database, with limited user interaction.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are provided to monitor user presence, and manage various actions in response to user presence, within a system comprising multiple UPD-capable devices. In some embodiments, the systems and methods disclosed herein may collect user presence data from a plurality of UPD-capable devices, monitor the user presence data collected from the plurality of UPD-capable devices to accurately identify a user's presence, attention and/or engagement with a particular UPD-capable device, and manage various actions performed within the particular UPD-capable device based on said monitoring. In doing so, the systems and methods disclosed herein may reduce or eliminate problems that may otherwise occur when multiple UPD-capable devices are used within a system to monitor user presence.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are provided for controlling the enrollment status of trusted users included within a TMU database. More specifically, embodiments of systems and methods are disclosed to control the enrollment status of a trusted user enrolled within a TMU database based on time. In doing so, the disclosed systems and methods improve system security in an information handling system operated within a multi-user environment by: controlling how long a trusted user is given access to an active system session when the authenticated user walks away, and providing a way to continue or revoke the enrollment status of a trusted user for a subsequent system session based on time.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are provided for managing system wake events within an information handling system (IHS) located in a multi-user environment. In some embodiments, the systems and methods disclosed herein improve system security within an IHS located within a multi-user environment by: (a) monitoring user presence of one or more users present within a field of view (FOV) of the IHS during a system wake event, and (b) waking the IHS in a secure operating mode or a non-secured operating mode, based on the user(s) present with the FOV during the system wake event.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for collecting, distributing and managing notifications of user presence. More specifically, systems and methods are provided for collecting notifications of user presence that are generated by a first IHS and distributing the notifications of user presence to a second IHS for notification, aggregation and/or analysis of user presence events. In some embodiments, notifications of user presence may be collected from the first IHS and distributed to the second IHS to provide notification of user presence events to the second IHS (or a user of the second IHS). In other embodiments, the notifications of user presence generated by the first IHS may be aggregated and/or analyzed by the second IHS to generate various metrics for the user presence events that occur at the first IHS. In doing so, the disclosed embodiments enable security (and other policies) to be set in a data-based, empirically driven way.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods are provided for managing system configuration settings during an active system session, and for managing session retainment, based on user presence detected within a field of view (FOV) of an information handling system (IHS) and policy. The systems and methods described herein improve system security in an IHS operated within a multi-user environment by managing system configuration and session retainment when a trusted user or an unknown user is present within a FOV of the authenticated user's system during an active system session.

Abstract: Notifications can be managed across ecosystems. A centralized hub can implement a learning engine that uses an algorithm to evaluate incoming notifications that are intended for a user that uses multiple computing devices having different ecosystems. The algorithm can be configured to determine on which of the user's computing devices the notifications should be presented given a particular context. Agents executing on the user's computing devices can monitor how the user interacts with the notifications and provide indications of such interactions to the learning engine. The learning engine can then update its algorithm based on the user's interactions to cause future notifications to be delivered to the user via the ecosystem that is most appropriate for a given context in which each notification is received.

Abstract: Notifications can be managed across ecosystems. A centralized hub can implement a learning engine that uses an algorithm to evaluate incoming notifications that are intended for a user that uses multiple computing devices having different ecosystems. The algorithm can be configured to determine on which of the user's computing devices the notifications should be presented given a particular context. Agents executing on the user's computing devices can monitor how the user interacts with the notifications and provide indications of such interactions to the learning engine. The learning engine can then update its algorithm based on the user's interactions to cause future notifications to be delivered to the user via the ecosystem that is most appropriate for a given context in which each notification is received.

Abstract: A method for emulating writing devices using a haptic pen is disclosed herein. The method may include receiving, by a first microcontroller unit of the haptic pen, a device configuration indicating a writing device to be emulated. The first microcontroller unit may cause transmitters of the haptic pen to transmit a beacon to a second microcontroller unit of a display. The first microcontroller unit may receive contextual inputs from the second microcontroller unit that indicate an orientation of the haptic pen in relation to the display. The first microcontroller unit may apply a respective weight to each of the contextual inputs based on the device configuration and may cause a haptic response based on the respective weights applied to each of the contextual inputs. The haptic response causes the haptic pen to emulate the writing device.

Abstract: A method for emulating writing devices using a haptic pen is disclosed herein. The method may include receiving, by a first microcontroller unit of the haptic pen, a device configuration indicating a writing device to be emulated. The first microcontroller unit may cause transmitters of the haptic pen to transmit a beacon to a second microcontroller unit of a display. The first microcontroller unit may receive contextual inputs from the second microcontroller unit that indicate an orientation of the haptic pen in relation to the display. The first microcontroller unit may apply a respective weight to each of the contextual inputs based on the device configuration and may cause a haptic response based on the respective weights applied to each of the contextual inputs. The haptic response causes the haptic pen to emulate the writing device.

Abstract: An information handling system includes first and second displays, and a display controller. The display controller provides a visual output to the first and second display based on a display mode. A processor selects a mask display mode as a default display mode, determines a content type of the visual output, selects a split display mode when the content type is a first content type, determines a physical flatness of the information handling system when the content type is a second content type, and selects the split display mode when the physical flatness is greater than a flatness threshold.

Abstract: An information handling system includes first and second displays, and a display controller. The display controller provides a visual output to the first and second display based on a display mode. A processor selects a mask display mode as a default display mode, determines a content type of the visual output, selects a split display mode when the content type is a first content type, determines a physical flatness of the information handling system when the content type is a second content type, and selects the split display mode when the physical flatness is greater than a flatness threshold.

Abstract: A pen device includes a battery, a logic unit and a wireless transceiver configured to transmit detected pen device inputs by a user to an IHS (Information Handling System). A touchpad extending around a circumference of the pen device includes capacitive layers configured to detect the user contacting the touchpad. The touchpad also includes pressure-sensitive layers configured to detect a force applied by the user in contacting the touchpad. The combination of inputs from the layers of the touchpad provides the location and pressure of the user's contact with the touchpad. These touchpad inputs in combination with the detected movement of the pen device support detection of inputs such as taps, squeezes and gestures that may serve as inputs to an application operating on the IHS. Utilizing the pen device in this manner, a user may provide various types of application inputs without interruption from the user's current workflow.

Abstract: An information handling system operating a heuristic user presence based power management system may comprise a video display and a processor operatively connected to a memory, operating an information handling system according to a full power protocol. The processor may execute machine readable executable code instructions of the heuristic user presence based power management system to receive one or more inputs indicating user absence determined based on information gathered by one or more of a plurality of sensor devices, identify a user absence confidence level associated with the one or more inputs indicating user absence in a human absence confidence table stored in the memory, and to initiate a low power protocol after a first preset time period, if the identified user absence confidence level meets a preset low power threshold value.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for dynamically controlling a multi-modal camera system to take advantage of the benefits of sensing gestures with a 2D camera, while overcoming the challenges associated with 2D cameras for performing gesture detection. In certain embodiments, the multi-modal camera system includes an RGB camera and a depth camera, thus providing both a 2D and a 3D capture mode.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for dynamically controlling a multi-modal camera system to take advantage of the benefits of sensing gestures with a 2D camera, while overcoming the challenges associated with 2D cameras for performing gesture detection. In certain embodiments, the multi-modal camera system includes an RGB camera and a depth camera, thus providing both a 2D and a 3D capture mode.