Touchpad supporting two-side operation

• US 20060274050A1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lii, Jia-Yih
• Application Number:
  US11/318,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20060274050A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

For supporting two-side operation, a touchpad comprises a sensor, an insulator layer above the sensor for providing an operation area, and a button operation conductor under the sensor to be moved to connect to or approach the sensor for triggering a button function.

Claims

1. A touchpad supporting two-side operation, comprising:

a sensor;

an insulator layer above the sensor for providing an operation area;

a button operation conductor under the sensor; and

a real button arranged corresponding to the button operation conductor such that when the real button is pressed the button operation conductor will connect to or approach the sensor to activate a button function.

2. The touchpad of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of first axis conductors and second axis conductors arranged in a matrix.

3. The touchpad of claim 1, wherein the sensor is formed on a printed circuit board.

4. The touchpad of claim 3, further comprising a button area defined on a bottom surface of the printed circuit board such that when the real button is pressed the button operation conductor will touch the button area to trigger the button function.

5. The touchpad of claim 3, wherein the printed circuit board comprises a through-hole and a conductor line passing through the through-hole to connect to the sensor such that when the real button is pressed the button operation conductor will connect to the conductor line to trigger the button function.

6. A touchpad supporting two-side operation, comprising:

a first insulator layer for providing an operation area;

a bottom plate having a button operation conductor thereabove;

a capacitive sensing conductor between the first insulator layer and the bottom plate;

a real button corresponding to the button operation conductor arranged under the bottom plate; and

a second insulator layer between the capacitive sensing conductor and the bottom plate, having a hole for the button operation conductor to pass through to touch the capacitive sensing conductor to trigger a button function when the real button is pressed.

7. The touchpad of claim 6, wherein the capacitive sensing conductor comprises a plurality of first axis conductors and second axis conductors arranged in a matrix.

8. A touchpad supporting two-side operation, comprising:

a first insulator layer for providing an operation area;

a bottom plate;

a first axis conductor and a second axis conductor between the first insulator layer and the bottom plate;

a real button under the bottom plate; and

a second insulator layer between the first axis conductor and the second axis conductor, having a hole for the second axis conductor to pass through to touch the first axis conductor to trigger a button function when the real button is pressed.