Abstract: An automatic impedance matching system that can read the input impedance of an EMAT electrical circuit and automatically select the appropriate impedance matching by combining components from a built-in selection of matching circuitry. A Vector Network Analyzer or similar impedance measuring circuit is connected to the EMAT electrical circuit and measures the impedance of the EMAT RF coil, coil cable, and conductive material to be inspected at a given material lift-off, and relies on the information to the system processor. The processor uses this information to adjust the overall impedance by selecting appropriate capacitors and transformer taps on a programmable impedance matching circuit connected between the system pulser/receiver and the RF coil cable. The system can work in either pulse-echo (same transmitter and receiver) or pitch-catch (different transmitter and receiver).

Abstract: A method of providing different customized display presentations for a sports contest that includes generating a different customized presentation for each respective user account of a plurality of user accounts including one or both of a representation of at least one user sports player for the sports contest and a representation of at least one opponent sports player for the sports contest. Each of the different customized presentations are different based on one or both of the identity and different real-time game actions of the different plurality of user sports players and the identity and different real-time game actions of the at least one opponent sports player. The different customized presentations include one or both of an animation depicting the representation of the at least one user sports player for the sports contest and the representation of the at least one opponent sports player for the sports contest.

Abstract: A method includes outputting, for display, a graphical user interface that includes a graphical slider, the graphical slider including a trackbar that defines an axis in a first direction and a position indicator located at a first position along the trackbar. The method also includes receiving data indicative of a user input including a first displacement in the first direction and a second displacement in a second direction, the first direction perpendicular to the second direction. The method also includes mapping, based on both the first displacement in the first direction and the second displacement in the second direction, the user input to a second position along the trackbar. The method further includes outputting, for display, an updated graphical user interface that includes the position indicator at the second position along the trackbar.

Abstract: A method includes a processor of an electronic device receiving first input signals from a first sensor in response to user contact at a first edge of the device and second input signals from a second sensor in response to user contact at a second edge of the electronic device. The first and second sensors are covered by a housing of the device. The processor determines an external context of the device based on analysis of the first input signals and the second input signals. The determined external context indicates at least a position of the device relative to a user or an orientation of the device relative to a user. Responsive to determining the external context, the electronic device executes a particular user input action.

Abstract: An apparatus for sensing user input to an electronic device is described. The apparatus utilizes multiple strain gauge (“SG”) sensing units which are each disposed adjacent an inner surface of the device housing. The SGs are configured to detect a particular type of user input administered to the sides of the device housing based on at least one of: the magnitude of strain applied to the SGs, the relative location of the applied strain, and the duration of the applied strain. The SGs are further configured to detect a second type of user input administered to a display screen of the electronic device caused by bowing of the device housing caused by user contact with the display screen.

Abstract: A method includes a processor of an electronic device receiving first input signals from a first sensor in response to user contact at a first edge of the device and second input signals from a second sensor in response to user contact at a second edge of the electronic device. The first and second sensors are covered by a housing of the device. The processor determines an external context of the device based on analysis of the first input signals and the second input signals. The determined external context indicates at least a position of the device relative to a user or an orientation of the device relative to a user. Responsive to determining the external context, the electronic device executes a particular user input action.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for one-handed, touch-free interaction with smartwatches. An optical sensor in the smartwatch detects a user's hand and finger movements on the arm wearing the smartwatch. The gesture detection and recognition approaches in this design are lightweight and efficient to operate on small devices.

Abstract: A computing device is described that receives indications representative of a user input entered at a region of a presence-sensitive screen over a duration of time. The computing device may determine, based on the indications representative of the user input, a plurality of multi-dimensional heatmaps indicative of the user input. Based on the plurality of multi-dimensional heatmaps, the computing device may determine changes, over the duration of time, in a shape of the plurality of multi-dimensional heatmaps, and determine, responsive to the changes in the shape of the plurality of multi-dimensional heatmaps, a classification of the user input. The computing device may then perform an operation associated with the classification of the user input.

Abstract: An apparatus utilizes multiple strain gauge (“SG”) sensing units which are each disposed adjacent an inner surface of the device housing. Electrical voltage generated by the SGs is amplified by one or more amplifiers to maximize the resolution between a voltage output of an SG when in a non-pressed state and a voltage output of the SG when in a pressed state. Additionally, an electronic circuit is configured to identify a baseline voltage output for an SG over a period of time for comparing to a voltage output for the SG when the SG is in a pressed state such that the pressed state of the SG can be identified by the electronic circuit by comparing a current output voltage of the SG to the identified baseline voltage.

Abstract: A method includes a processor of an electronic device receiving first input signals from a first sensor in response to user contact at a first edge of the device and second input signals from a second sensor in response to user contact at a second edge of the electronic device. The first and second sensors are covered by a housing of the device. The processor determines an external context of the device based on analysis of the first input signals and the second input signals. The determined external context indicates at least a position of the device relative to a user or an orientation of the device relative to a user. Responsive to determining the external context, the electronic device executes a particular user input action.

Abstract: A method includes one or more processors of an electronic device receiving signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the device. The signals are received in response to external contact being provided to the edge of the device. At least one processor determines a distribution of forces applied to the sensors based on the input signals. Based on the determined distribution of forces, the processor determines: i) a location of the external contact that is offset from a location of each of the multiple sensors, and ii) a magnitude of the force of the external contact. The processor detects whether sensing criteria has been satisfied based on an analysis of: i) the location of the external contact and ii) the magnitude of the force of the external contact. Responsive to detecting that sensing criteria has been satisfied, the processor executes a user input action.

Abstract: An apparatus for sensing user input to an electronic device is described. The apparatus utilizes multiple strain gauge (“SG”) sensing units which are each disposed adjacent an inner surface of the device housing. The SGs are configured to detect a particular type of user input administered to the sides of the device housing based on at least one of: the magnitude of strain applied to the SGs, the relative location of the applied strain, and the duration of the applied strain. The SGs are further configured to detect a second type of user input administered to a display screen of the electronic device caused by bowing of the device housing caused by user contact with the display screen.

Abstract: A method includes a processor of an electronic device receiving first input signals from a first sensor in response to user contact at a first edge of the device and second input signals from a second sensor in response to user contact at a second edge of the electronic device. The first and second sensors are covered by a housing of the device. The processor determines an external context of the device based on analysis of the first input signals and the second input signals. The determined external context indicates at least a position of the device relative to a user or an orientation of the device relative to a user. Responsive to determining the external context, the electronic device executes a particular user input action.

Abstract: A method includes one or more processors of an electronic device receiving signals from multiple sensors located along an edge of the device. The signals are received in response to external contact being provided to the edge of the device. At least one processor determines a distribution of forces applied to the sensors based on the input signals. Based on the determined distribution of forces, the processor determines: i) a location of the external contact that is offset from a location of each of the multiple sensors, and ii) a magnitude of the force of the external contact. The processor detects whether sensing criteria has been satisfied based on an analysis of: i) the location of the external contact and ii) the magnitude of the force of the external contact. Responsive to detecting that sensing criteria has been satisfied, the processor executes a user input action.

Abstract: An apparatus utilizes multiple strain gauge (“SG”) sensing units which are each disposed adjacent an inner surface of the device housing. Electrical voltage generated by the SGs is amplified by one or more amplifiers to maximize the resolution between a voltage output of an SG when in a non-pressed state and a voltage output of the SG when in a pressed state. Additionally, an electronic circuit is configured to identify a baseline voltage output for an SG over a period of time for comparing to a voltage output for the SG when the SG is in a pressed state such that the pressed state of the SG can be identified by the electronic circuit by comparing a current output voltage of the SG to the identified baseline voltage.

Abstract: An apparatus utilizes multiple strain gauge (“SG”) sensing units which are each disposed adjacent an inner surface of the device housing. Electrical voltage generated by the SGs is amplified by one or more amplifiers to maximize the resolution between a voltage output of an SG when in a non-pressed state and a voltage output of the SG when in a pressed state. Additionally, an electronic circuit is configured to identify a baseline voltage output for an SG over a period of time for comparing to a voltage output for the SG when the SG is in a pressed state such that the pressed state of the SG can be identified by the electronic circuit by comparing a current output voltage of the SG to the identified baseline voltage.

Abstract: A smartphone case can include one or more piezotransductive materials (e.g., piezoelectric, piezomagnetic, piezoluminescent, etc.) positioned at one or more contact locations of the smartphone case. For example, a piezoelectric material can be positioned at multiple different locations of the smartphone case at which users may physically contact the smartphone case when holding the case. The piezoelectric material can generate an electric charge when pressure is applied to the material, and the generated electric charge can pass through an electromagnetic coil as an electric current to produce a magnetic field which one or more sensors (e.g., one or more magnetometers) of a smartphone that is housed within the smartphone case may be able to detect.

Abstract: In one example, a device includes at least one processor and at least one module operable by the at least one processor to output, for display, a graphical user interface including a graphical keyboard and one or more text suggestion regions, and select, based at least in part on an indication of gesture input, at least one key of the graphical keyboard. The at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to determine a plurality of candidate character strings, determine past interaction data that comprises a representation of a past user input corresponding to at least one candidate character string while the at least one candidate character string was previously displayed in at least one of the one or more text suggestion regions, and output the at least one candidate character string for display in one of the one or more text suggestion regions.

Abstract: In one example, a method includes outputting, by a computing device and for display, a graphical user interface including a plurality of text suggestion regions. The method further includes receiving, by the computing device, an indication of gesture input detected at a presence-sensitive input device, and selecting, based at least in part on the indication of the gesture input, a candidate character string from a plurality of candidate character strings. The method further includes determining that the candidate character string was previously selected while being displayed within a particular text suggestion region from the plurality of text suggestion regions, and outputting, for display and based at least in part on determining that the candidate character string was previously selected while being displayed within the particular text suggestion region, the candidate character string within the particular text suggestion region.

Abstract: A computing device receives an indication of user input that corresponds to a series of one or more characters. The computing device determines, based at least in part on the series of one or more characters, a plurality of character strings. The computing device determines a score for each respective character string based at least in part on a probability in a particular language of the respective character string occurring, an estimate of time to be saved by a user if the user were to select the respective character string, and an estimate of time to be expended by the user to analyze the respective character string. The computing device outputs at least a portion of the plurality of character strings. The portion of the plurality of character strings is determined based at least in part on the score for each respective character string from the plurality of character strings.