METHOD AND TOUCHPAD INTERFACE DEVICE USING LIGHT FOR DISPLAYING LEVEL

• US 20090160671A1
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: SHIH, HUNG-WU, LO, HAO-SHENG, PENG, HSUEH-CHIH, CHEN, TSAN-SHENG, KUO, YAN-LIN
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/815.400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96042 with illumination

Abstract

A touchpad interface device comprises a sensing board, a light guide plate, a control panel, and a plurality of lighting elements.

The control panel includes a plurality of transparent areas and a plurality of covering areas to form a plurality of patterns. Users can understand the operating functionality of the control panel according to the plurality of patterns, wherein the plurality of patterns comprise a plurality of scale patterns, and the plurality of scale patterns have a volume adjusting area.

The plurality of light members is located under the control panel and corresponding to the volume adjusting area. When the plurality of lighting elements illuminate, the scale patterns at the corresponding position are illuminated.

Claims

1. A touchpad interface device installed in an electronic device and used as an input interface for a user, the touchpad interface device comprising:

a control panel having a plurality of transparent areas and a plurality of covering areas forming a plurality of patterns such that the user can understand the operating functionality of the control panel according to the plurality of patterns, wherein the plurality of pattern comprises a plurality of scale patterns, and the plurality of scale patterns comprises a volume adjusting area;

a sensing board disposed under the control panel for sensing physical contact, wherein the sensing board has a volume adjustment sensing area corresponding to the position of the volume adjusting area; and

a plurality of lighting elements disposed under the control panel and at a position corresponding to the volume adjusting area, wherein when the lighting elements illuminate, the scale patterns at the corresponding position are illuminated;

whereby when the user touches the volume adjusting area, the volume adjustment sensing area is activated to control the brightness of the lighting element such that the plurality of scale patterns are illuminated, wherein more scale patterns being illuminated indicates the volume is at a higher level, and the user is made aware of the level of the volume by the brightness of the scale pattern.

2. The touchpad interface device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of scale patterns are aligned, the illuminated scale patterns are contiguous, and the non-illuminated scale patterns are also contiguous.

3. The touchpad interface device as claimed in claim 2, wherein an area between the illuminated scale patterns and the non-illuminated scale patterns is defined as an adjusting area;

if the physical contact first occurs in the adjusting area and then moves in the direction of the non-illuminated scale patterns, the volume is increased and the number of illuminated scale patterns increases; and

if the physical contact first occurs in the adjusting area and then moves in the direction of the illuminated scale patterns, the volume is decreased and the number of illuminated scale patterns decreases.

4. The touchpad interface device as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the user first touches the illuminated scale patterns and then moves to the non-illuminated scale patterns, the volume is increased, and the number of the illuminated scale patterns increases;

when the user first touches the non-illuminated scale patterns and then moves to the illuminated scale patterns, the volume is decreased, and the number of the illuminated scale patterns decreases.

5. The touchpad interface device as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a light guide plate disposed between the control panel and the sensing board, wherein the light guide plate has a plurality of light emitting faces corresponding to the volume adjusting area, and an interference slit is disposed between each light emitting face.

6. The touchpad interface device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control panel has an inner surface and an outer surface, and the plurality of covering areas have a plurality of first cover layers and a plurality of second cover layers, wherein the plurality of first cover layers are disposed on the inner surface, and the plurality of second cover layers are disposed on the outer surface.

7. The touchpad interface device as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one second cover layer is disposed on at least one corresponding position in the transparent areas.

8. A portable electronic device having a touchpad interface device used as an input interface for a user, the touchpad interface device comprising:

a control panel having a plurality of transparent areas and a plurality of covering areas forming a plurality of patterns such that the user can understand the operating functionality of the control panel according to the plurality of patterns, wherein the plurality of patterns comprise a plurality of scale patterns, and the plurality of scale patterns comprise a volume adjusting area;

a sensing board disposed under the control panel for sensing physical contact;

wherein the sensing board has a volume adjustment sensing area corresponding to the position of the volume adjusting area; and

a plurality of lighting elements disposed under the control panel and at a position corresponding to the volume adjusting area;

wherein when the lighting elements illuminate, the scale patterns at the corresponding position are illuminated;

wherein when the user touches the volume adjusting area, the volume adjustment sensing area is activated to control the brightness of the lighting element such that the plurality of scale patterns are illuminated;

wherein more scale patterns being illuminated indicates the volume is at a higher level, and the user is made aware of the level of the volume by the brightness of the scale pattern.

9. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the portable electronic device is a portable computer which has a computer keyboard, and the touchpad interface device is disposed next to the computer keyboard.

10. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of scale patterns are aligned, the illuminated scale patterns are contiguous, and the non-illuminated scale patterns are also contiguous.

11. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein an area between the illuminated scale patterns and the non-illuminated scale patterns is defined as an adjusting area;

if the physical contact first occurs in the adjusting area and then moves in the direction of the non-illuminated scale patterns, the volume is turned up, and the number of illuminated scale patterns increases; and

if the physical contact first occurs in the adjusting area and then moves in the direction of the illuminated scale patterns, the volume is decreased, and the number of illuminated scale patterns decreases.

12. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein when the user first touches the illuminated scale patterns and then moves the finger to the non-illuminated scale patterns, the volume is increased, and the number of the illuminated scale patterns increases;

when the user first touches the non-illuminated scale patterns and then moves the finger to the illuminated scale patterns, the volume is decreased, and the number of the illuminated scale patterns decreases.

13. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a light guide plate disposed between the control panel and the sensing board, wherein the light guide plate has a plurality of light emitting faces corresponding to the volume adjusting area, and an interference slit is disposed between each light emitting face.

14. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control panel further comprises a player control area, and the sensing board has a player control sensing area at a position corresponding to the player control area, and wherein the light guide plate comprises a first light guide plate and a second light guide plate;

wherein the first light guide plate is disposed at a position corresponding to the volume adjusting area, the second light guide plate is disposed at a position corresponding to the player control area, and a gap exists between the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate in order to prevent light interference.

15. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control panel has an inner surface and an outer surface, and the plurality of covering areas have a plurality of first cover layers and a plurality of second cover layers, wherein the plurality of first cover layers are disposed on the inner surface, and the plurality of second cover layers are disposed on the outer surface, and at least one second cover layer is disposed on at least one corresponding position in the transparent areas.

16. A portable electronic device having a touchpad interface device used as an input interface for a user, the touchpad interface device comprising:

a control panel comprising a volume adjusting area and a player control area, wherein the volume adjusting area and the player control area comprise a plurality of transparent areas and a plurality of covering areas forming a plurality of patterns such that the user can understand the operating functionality of the control panel according to the plurality of patterns;

a light guide plate disposed under the control panel;

a sensing board disposed under the control panel for sensing physical contact;

wherein the sensing board has a volume adjustment sensing area corresponding to the position of the volume adjusting area and a player control sensing area corresponding to the player control area; and

a plurality of lighting elements disposed under the control panel, the light guide plate guiding light from the plurality of lighting elements to the control panel.

17. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the portable electronic device is a portable computer which has a computer keyboard, and the touchpad interface device is disposed next to the computer keyboard.

18. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the plurality of patterns comprise the plurality of scale patterns, the plurality of scale patterns are located in the volume adjusting area, and the plurality of lighting elements are disposed at a position corresponding to the volume adjusting area, such that when the lighting elements at the position corresponding to the volume adjusting area illuminate, the scale patterns at the corresponding position are illuminated;

wherein when the user touches the volume adjusting area, the volume adjustment sensing area is activated to control the brightness of the lighting element such that the plurality of scale patterns are illuminated, wherein more scale patterns being illuminated indicates the volume is at a higher level, and the user is made aware of the level of the volume by the brightness of the scale pattern.

19. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the plurality of scale patterns are aligned, the illuminated scale patterns are contiguous, and the non-illuminated scale patterns are also contiguous.

20. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein an area between the illuminated scale patterns and the non-illuminated scale patterns is defined as an adjusting area;

if the physical contact first occurs in the adjusting area and then moves in the direction of the non-illuminated scale patterns, the volume is turned up, and the number of illuminated scale patterns increases; and

if the physical contact first occurs in the adjusting area and then moves in the direction of the illuminated scale patterns, the volume is decreased, and the number of illuminated scale patterns decreases.

21. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 19, wherein when the user first touches the illuminated scale patterns and then moves the finger to the non-illuminated scale patterns, the volume is increased, and the number of the illuminated scale patterns increases;

when the user first touches the non-illuminated scale patterns and then moves the finger to the illuminated scale patterns, the volume is decreased, and the number of the illuminated scale patterns decreases.

22. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the light guide plate has a plurality of light emitting faces corresponding to the volume adjusting area, and an interference slit is disposed between each light emitting face.

23. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the light guide plate comprises a first light guide plate and a second light guide plate;

wherein the first light guide plate is disposed at a position corresponding to the volume adjusting area, the second light guide plate is disposed at a position corresponding to the player control area, and a gap exists between the first light guide plate and the second light guide plate in order to prevent light interference.

24. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the control panel has an inner surface and an outer surface, and the plurality of covering areas has a plurality of first cover layers and a plurality of second cover layers, wherein the plurality of first cover layers are disposed on the inner surface, and the plurality of second cover layers are disposed on the outer surface, and at least one second cover layer is disposed on at least one corresponding position in the transparent areas.