Operation method for a trackpad equipped with pushbutton function

• US 20100289751A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E-Lead Electronic Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: E-Lead Electronic Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US12/453,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20100289751A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing 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

An operation method for a trackpad equipped with pushbutton function aims to control operation of a screen in a cursor movement mode or a button input mode by detecting finger touch conditions on a trackpad. The method is adopted on a trackpad apparatus consisting of a touchpad movable up and down and a pushbutton located beneath the touchpad. The touchpad has at least one cursor zone and one button zone that are incorporated with the operation method to get conditions of the finger and the touchpad. The method includes at least the steps of: a. the finger touches the cursor zone and performs depressing or release depressing action to function as a cursor control command; b. the finger touches the cursor zone and slides into the button zone to do depressing or release depressing action to function as the cursor control command; c. the finger touches the button zone and slides into the cursor zone to do depressing or releasing depressing action to function as the cursor control command; d. the finger touches the cursor zone and slides into the button zone, and leaves the touchpad and then touches the previous spot of the button zone within a set time period to function as the cursor control command; and e. the finger directly touches the button zone and depresses without sliding to function as a button control command. Through the method of the invention users can control the cursor on the screen through the touchpad, and also enter the button control command through the touchpad. Thus user'"'"'s labor of moving back and forth between the touchpad and a keyboard can be alleviated.

Claims

1. An operation method for a trackpad equipped with pushbutton function operable on a trackpad apparatus which has a touchpad movable up and down and having at least one cursor zone and one button zone and a pushbutton beneath the touchpad, the method comprising at least the steps of:

a. touching the cursor zone by a user'"'"'s finger and depressing or releasing the depressing to function as a cursor control command;

b. touching the finger on the cursor zone and sliding the finger into the button zone to perform the depressing or the releasing the depressing to function as the cursor control command;

c. touching the finger on the button zone and sliding the finger into the cursor zone to perform the depressing or the releasing the depressing to function as the cursor control command;

d. touching the finger on the cursor zone and sliding the finger into the button zone and leaving the finger from the touchpad and touching the finger on a previous touching spot on the button zone again within a set time period and performing the depressing or the releasing the depressing to function as the cursor control command, and

e. touching directly the button zone and depressing without sliding to function as a button control command

2. The operation method of claim 1, wherein at the step e the finger starts sliding in the button zone to exceed a set distance after depressing of the pushbutton with the finger through the touchpad to function as control cursor movement.

3. The operation method of claim 1, wherein at the step e the finger starts sliding in the button zone from a scope of one pushbutton to another scope of another pushbutton after having depressed the pushbutton through the touch pad to perform the depressing at a final depressing spot which functions as a button input.

4. The operation method of claim 1, wherein at the step e the finger starts sliding in the button zone towards the button zone after having depressed the pushbutton with the finger through the touchpad to function as controlling cursor movement;

sliding of the finger towards a neighboring button zone not functioning as the controlling cursor movement.

5. The operation method of claim 1, wherein at the step e the finger depresses the button zone for a time period longer than a first set time period to execute button input.

6. The operation method of claim 1, wherein at the step e the finger depresses the button zone without releasing for a time period smaller than a second set time period to execute button input.