Abstract: The stylus directional force sensing technique described herein employs a directional tip sensor which measures the magnitude and direction of force applied to a stylus tip. This information is then used to control the behavior of the stylus in an application. In one embodiment, this simple design only measures the stylus angle when the tip is actually pressing on the surface. This has the added benefit of reducing power requirements and computational complexity.

Abstract: Captured data is obtained, including various types of captured or recorded data (e.g., image data, audio data, video data, etc.) and/or metadata describing various aspects of the capture device and/or the manner in which the data is captured. One or more elements of the captured data that can be replaced by one or more substitute elements are determined, the replaceable elements are removed from the captured data, and links to the substitute elements are associated with the captured data. Links to additional elements to enhance the captured data are also associated with the captured data. Enhanced content can subsequently be constructed based on the captured data as well as the links to the substitute elements and additional elements.

Abstract: Photosensor array gesture detection techniques are described. In one or more embodiments, a computing device includes an array of photosensors. The photosensor array can be configured in various ways to measure changes in the amount of light that occur based upon a user's hand position above the photosensor array. In at least some embodiments, capacitance associated with the photosensors is charged and data regarding discharge rates for the sensors is collected that is indicative of the amount of incident light. Sequential changes in the amount of light that is measured across the array of photosensors can be used to determine positioning and/or movement of the user's hand in three dimensions (e.g., track position/motion in three-dimensional (3D) space relative to the computing device.) Accordingly, various gestures can be defined in terms of input obtained via the photosensor array and recognized to trigger corresponding operations by the computing device.

Abstract: Audio feedback techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a signal is received from a pressure sensitive key of an input device and audio feedback is determined, from the signal, which is to be output as corresponding to the pressure sensitive key. The determined audio feedback is then caused to be output.

Abstract: Grip-based device adaptations are described in which a touch-aware skin of a device is employed to adapt device behavior in various ways. The touch-aware skin may include a plurality of sensors from which a device may obtain input and decode the input to determine grip characteristics indicative of a user's grip. On-screen keyboards and other input elements may then be configured and located in a user interface according to a determined grip. In at least some embodiments, a gesture defined to facilitate selective launch of on-screen input element may be recognized and used in conjunction with grip characteristics to launch the on-screen input element in dependence upon grip. Additionally, touch and gesture recognition parameters may be adjusted according to a determined grip to reduce misrecognition.

Abstract: Different types of user inputs can be input by a user via a keyboard of an input device. These different types of user inputs include, for example, key strikes, multi-touch interactions, single finger motions, and/or mouse clicks. Touch information regarding the pressure applied to the keys of a pressure sensitive keyboard over time (or the contact area of the user input for other types of keyboards over time) is used to classify the intent of the user input as one of the various types of user inputs.

Abstract: Different types of user inputs can be input by a user via a keyboard of an input device. These different types of user inputs include, for example, key strikes, multi-touch interactions, single finger motions, and/or mouse clicks. Touch information regarding the pressure applied to the keys of a pressure sensitive keyboard over time (or the contact area of the user input for other types of keyboards over time) is used to classify the intent of the user input as one of the various types of user inputs.

Abstract: Pressure sensitive key techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a device includes at least one pressure sensitive key having a flexible contact layer spaced apart from a sensor substrate by a spacer layer, the flexible contact layer configured to flex responsive to pressure to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input, for a computing device, associated with the pressure sensitive key. At least one of the flexible contact layer or the sensor substrate are configured to at least partially normalize an output resulting from pressure applied at a first location of the flexible contact layer with an output resulting from pressure applied at a second location of the flexible contact layer that has lesser flexibility than the first location.

Abstract: Pressure sensitive key techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a device includes at least one pressure sensitive key having a flexible contact layer spaced apart from a sensor substrate by a spacer layer, the flexible contact layer configured to flex responsive to pressure to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input, for a computing device, associated with the pressure sensitive key. At least one of the flexible contact layer or the sensor substrate are configured to at least partially normalize an output resulting from pressure applied at a first location of the flexible contact layer with an output resulting from pressure applied at a second location of the flexible contact layer that has lesser flexibility than the first location.

Abstract: Force concentrator techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a pressure sensitive key includes a sensor substrate having a plurality of conductors, a flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate and configured to flex to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input; and a force concentrator layer disposed proximal to the flexible contact layer on a side opposite the sensor substrate. The force concentrator layer has a pad disposed thereon that is configured to cause pressure applied to the force concentrator layer to be channeled through the pad to cause the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate to initiate the input.

Abstract: Pressure sensitive key techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a device includes at least one pressure sensitive key having a flexible contact layer spaced apart from a sensor substrate by a spacer layer, the flexible contact layer configured to flex responsive to pressure to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input, for a computing device, associated with the pressure sensitive key. At least one of the flexible contact layer or the sensor substrate are configured to at least partially normalize an output resulting from pressure applied at a first location of the flexible contact layer with an output resulting from pressure applied at a second location of the flexible contact layer that has lesser flexibility than the first location.

Abstract: A pressure sensitive keyboard includes multiple pressure sensors associated with the keys of the keyboard. In response to pressure applied to one or more keys of the keyboard, a determination is made as to whether the pressure applied is a key strike (a user selection of a key). Various different factors can be used in determining whether the pressure applied is a key strike, such as the amount of the pressure applied, a rate at which the pressure is applied, a number of keys to which pressure is applied, when the pressure is applied relative to previous key strikes, and so forth.

Abstract: Input device writing surface techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a connection portion configured to form a communicative and physical coupling to a computing device sufficient to secure the input device to the computing device. The input device also includes an input portion having a writing surface configured to perform a change in optical states that is viewable by the user, the change in the optical states performable without use of electronic computation.

Abstract: This document describes embodiments of a low-latency touch-input device. The low-latency touch-input device receives writing as input to the device and temporarily displays the writing on a physical layer that overlays a touchscreen display of the device. The writing is displayed instantaneously on the physical layer before the touch-input device processes the input. The low-latency touch-input device then processes the input to generate a digital representation of the writing and renders the digital representation of the writing on the touchscreen display to replace the writing displayed on the physical layer.

Abstract: Techniques involving presentations are described. In one or more implementations, a user interface is output by a computing device that includes a slide of a presentation, the slide having an object that is output for display in three dimensions. Responsive to receipt of one or more inputs by the computing device, how the object in the slide is output for display in the three dimensions is altered.

Abstract: Skinnable touch device grip pattern techniques are described herein. A touch-aware skin may be configured to substantially cover the outer surfaces of a computing device. The touch-aware skin may include a plurality of skin sensors configured to detect interaction with the skin at defined locations. The computing device may include one or more modules operable to obtain input from the plurality of skin sensors and decode the input to determine grips patterns that indicate how the computing device is being held by a user. Various functionality provided by the computing device may be selectively enabled and/or adapted based on a determined grip pattern such that the provided functionality may change to match the grip pattern.

Abstract: A “Contact Discriminator” provides various techniques for differentiating between valid and invalid contacts received from any input methodology by one or more touch-sensitive surfaces of a touch-sensitive computing device. Examples of contacts include single, sequential, concurrent, or simultaneous user finger touches (including gesture type touches), pen or stylus touches or inputs, hover-type inputs, or any combination thereof. The Contact Discriminator then acts on valid contacts (i.e., contacts intended as inputs) while rejecting or ignoring invalid contacts or inputs. Advantageously, the Contact Discriminator is further capable of disabling or ignoring regions of input surfaces, such tablet touch screens, that are expected to receive unintentional contacts, or intentional contacts not intended as inputs, for device or application control purposes.