Wide touchpad on a portable computer

• US 20060044259A1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan, Chaudhri, Imran, Andre, Bartley K., Ording, Bas, Strickon, Joshua A., Ligtenberg, Chris, Huppi, Brian Q., Hotelling, Steven P., Christle, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,834,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

In one exemplary embodiment, a portable computer having a display assembly coupled to a base assembly to alternate between a closed position and an open position. Palm rest areas are formed by a touchpad disposed on the surface of the base assembly. In an alternative embodiment, a touchpad disposed on the base assembly has a width that extends substantially into the palm rests areas of the base assembly.

Claims

1. A portable computer, comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly, said base assembly having palm rest areas being positioned to support a user'"'"'s palms; and

a touchpad disposed on said base assembly, wherein said palm rest areas are formed by said touchpad.

2. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein said touchpad comprises regions having input device functionality, and wherein said touchpad is disposed in at least one of a left palm rest area and a right palm rest area.

3. The portable computer of claim 2, wherein said regions are capable of providing cursor control functionality and providing an area for a user to rest a body part.

4. The portable computer of claim 3, wherein one of said regions of said touchpad is capable of providing input device functionality concurrently while another of said regions provides an area for a user to rest a body part.

5. The portable computer of claim 3, further comprising a keyboard disposed adjacent to said touchpad, and wherein said touchpad extends along a width substantially from said left palm rest area to said right palm rest area.

6. The portable computer of claim 5, wherein said touchpad comprises a capacitive sensor touchpad.

7. A portable computer, comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly, said base assembly having a width and a length,

palm rest areas formed on a top surface of said base assembly; and

a wide touchpad disposed on said base assembly and extending substantially the entire width of said base assembly into said palm rest areas, said touchpad to operate as an input device.

8. The portable computer of claim 7, wherein a portion of said wide touchpad extends into said palm rest areas to support a user'"'"'s palms.

9. The portable computer of claim 7, wherein said touchpad has a width of about 100 mm to about 400 mm and a length between about 45 mm to about 200 mm.

10. The portable computer of claim 7, wherein said wide touchpad comprises a capacitive sensor touchpad.

11. A portable computer, comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly;

a keyboard disposed on a top surface of said base assembly for inputting data into said portable computer;

a palm rest formed adjacent to said keyboard; and

a touchpad disposed near said keyboard, wherein said touchpad comprises a first sensing region and a second sensing region, wherein said first region extends into said palm rest and said second sensing region operates as an input device.

12. The portable computer of claim 11, wherein said touchpad has a width that is substantially similar to a width of said keyboard.

13. The portable computer of claim 11, wherein said touchpad has a width that is greater than a width of said keyboard.

14. The portable computer of claim 11, wherein said keyboard and said touchpad occupy a substantial area of said top surface of said base assembly.

15. The portable computer of claim 11, wherein said touchpad comprises a capacitive sensor touchpad.

16. A portable computer, comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly to rotate between an open position and a closed position;

a keyboard and a touchpad disposed on said base assembly; and

a sensor disposed near said keyboard and said touchpad, wherein said sensor detects a hand location when a user'"'"'s hand is positioned over said keyboard.

17. The portable computer of claim 16, wherein said sensor comprises an infrared sensor disposed between said keyboard and said touchpad, and wherein said infrared sensor examines a plane extending upwards from a surface of said base assembly.

18. The portable computer of claim 17, wherein said sensor comprises an optical emitter-detector imager disposed between said keyboard and said touchpad, and wherein said optical emitter-detector imager examines a plane extending upwards from a surface of said base assembly.

19. The portable computer of claim 16, wherein said sensor comprises an imaging sensor disposed on said display assembly, and wherein said imaging sensor examines an area that includes said keyboard and said touchpad when said display assembly is in said open position.

20. The portable computer of claim 16, wherein a signal from said sensor changes a context of at least a portion of said touchpad.

21. A portable computer, comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly;

a keyboard and a touchpad disposed on said base assembly, said touchpad having a width that is substantially similar to a width of said keyboard; and

a hand sensor disposed between said keyboard and said touchpad, said hand sensor to detect a hand location relative to said keyboard.

22. The portable computer of claim 21, wherein when said hand sensor detects a hand extended over said keyboard, said touchpad operates a palm rest.

23. The portable computer of claim 21, wherein when said hand sensor does not detect a hand extended over said keyboard, said touchpad operates as an input device.

24. The portable computer of claim 22, wherein said hand sensor comprises an infrared sensor, and wherein said infrared sensor examines a plane extending upwards from a surface of said base assembly.

25. The portable computer of claim 21, wherein said hand sensor comprises an optical emitter-detector imager, and wherein said optical emitter-detector imager examines a plane extending upwards from a surface of said base assembly.

26. A portable computer, comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly, said base assembly having a touchpad and a keyboard disposed thereon; and

means for forming a palm rest with said touchpad.

27. The portable computer of claim 26, wherein means for forming further comprises means for detecting a hand location relative to said keyboard.

28. The portable computer of claim 27, wherein means for detecting further comprises means for operating said touchpad as a palm rest when said hand is not detected over said keyboard.

29. The portable computer of claim 27, wherein means for detecting further comprises means for operating said touchpad as an input device when said hand is detected over said keyboard.

30. A portable computer, comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly, said base assembly having palm rest areas being adequately large to support a user'"'"'s palms; and

one or more touchpads disposed on said base assembly, wherein said palm rest areas are formed by said one or more touchpads, and wherein at least a portion of said one or more touchpads is disposed in at least one of a left palm rest area and a right palm rest area.

31. The portable computer of claim 30, wherein said one or more touchpads comprises regions having input device functionality.

32. The portable computer of claim 31, wherein said regions are capable of providing cursor control functionality and providing an area for a user to rest a body part.

33. The portable computer of claim 32, wherein one of said regions of said touchpad is capable of providing input device functionality concurrently while another of said regions provides an area for a user to rest a body part.

34. The portable computer of claim 32, further comprising a keyboard disposed adjacent to said touchpad, and wherein said touchpad extends along a width substantially from said left palm rest area to said right palm rest area.

35. The portable computer of claim 34, wherein said touchpad comprises a capacitive sensor touchpad.