Wide touchpad on a portable computer

• US 20070182722A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bartley Andre, Bas Ording, Brian Huppi, Chris Ligtenberg, Duncan Kerr, Greg Christie, Imran Chaudhri, Joshua Strickon, Steven Hotelling
• Original Assignee: Bartley Andre, Bas Ording, Brian Huppi, Chris Ligtenberg, Duncan Kerr, Greg Christie, Imran Chaudhri, Joshua Strickon, Steven Hotelling
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan, Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas, Strickon, Joshua, Ligtenberg, Chris, Huppi, Brian, Hotelling, Steven, Andre, Bartley
• Granted Patent: US 8,098,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 data processing system comprising:

an image sensor configured to detect a user'"'"'s hand location relative to a touch sensitive surface which is configured to act as an input device; and

a display screen coupled to the touch sensitive surface, wherein the display screen is configured to display a signal based upon an output from the touch sensitive surface.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein an image captured by the image sensor is used in processing an output for the display screen.

3. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising at least one processor which is coupled to the image sensor configured to process the input for the display screen.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the image sensor is coupled in a position above the user'"'"'s hand.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the touch sensitive surface is a touch pad.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the object is moveable.

7. A machine implemented method comprising:

detecting a user'"'"'s hand relative to a touch sensitive surface which is configured to act as an input device; and

displaying a user interface on a display screen which is coupled to the touch sensitive surface, wherein the display screen is configured to display a signal based upon an output from the touch sensitive surface.

8. The method as in claim 7 wherein an image captured by the image sensor is used in processing an output for the display screen.

9. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising processing an image from an image sensor for display on the display screen.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the processing includes determining intentional contact onto the touch sensitive surface.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the touch sensitive surface is a touchpad.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the detecting is performed by an imaging sensor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the imaging sensor is configured in a position above the user'"'"'s hand.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the object is moveable.

15. A machine readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a data processing system, will cause said system to perform a method comprising:

detecting a user'"'"'s hand relative to a touch sensitive surface which is configured to act as an input device; and

displaying a user interface on a display screen which is coupled to the touch sensitive surface, wherein the display screen is configured to display a signal based upon an output from the touch sensitive surface.

16. The medium as in claim 15 wherein an image captured by the image sensor is used in processing an output for the display screen.

17. The medium of claim 15 additionally comprising processing an image from an image sensor for display on the display screen.

18. The medium of claim 17 wherein the processing includes determining intentional contact onto the touch sensitive surface.

19. The medium of claim 15 wherein the touch sensitive surface is a touchpad.

20. The medium of claim 15 wherein the detecting is performed by an imaging sensor.

21. The medium of claim 20 wherein the imaging sensor is configured in a position above the user'"'"'s hand.

22. The medium of claim 16 wherein the object is moveable.

23. A machine implemented method for sensing the location of a user'"'"'s hand on a touch pad, comprising:

detecting the location of a user'"'"'s hand over a touchpad with an imaging sensor, wherein the touchpad is part of a computer system and is configured to allow the user to interact with an object on a display screen; and

accepting user input from the touchpad to interact with the object.

24. The method of claim 23 additionally comprising determining whether a contact on the touchpad by the user'"'"'s hand is an intentional input to interact with the object.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the determining includes processing an image captured by the imaging sensor of the user'"'"'s hand to determine whether there is an intentional input.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the user interacts with the object by moving the object.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the object is moveable on the display screen.

28. A machine readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a data processing system, will cause said system to perform a method comprising:

detecting the location of a user'"'"'s hand over a touchpad with an imaging sensor, wherein the touchpad is part of a computer system and is configured to allow the user to interact with an object on a display screen; and

accepting user input from the touchpad to interact with the object.

29. The medium of claim 28 additionally comprising determining whether a contact on the touchpad by the user'"'"'s hand is an intentional input to interact with the object.

30. The medium of claim 29 wherein the determining includes processing an image captured by the imaging sensor of the user'"'"'s hand to determine whether there is an intentional input.

31. The medium of claim 28 wherein the user interacts with the object by moving the object.

32. The medium of claim 28 wherein the object is moveable on the display screen.

33. A computer user interface, comprising:

a base assembly;

a touchpad mounted on the base assembly, the touchpad configured to act as an input device; and

an imaging sensor coupled to the base assembly, wherein the imaging sensor detects the location of a user'"'"'s hand as an input for interaction with an object on a display screen.

34. The interface of claim 33 additionally comprising a processor coupled to the base assembly, wherein the processor processes an image of the user'"'"'s hand in determining an output for the display screen.

35. The interface of claim 33 wherein the interface is on a portable computer.

36. The interface of claim 33 wherein the imaging sensor is coupled above the user'"'"'s hand.

37. The interface of claim 33 wherein the imaging sensor is configured to capture live video of the user.