Touchpad with Reverse-Mounted Buttons

• US 20110242004A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Osann, Robert JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,502,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/169 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

Abstract

An assembly for attachment to a portable computer is described including a touchpad and associated buttons where the touchpad is mounted on one surface of the assembly and the associated “mouse” buttons are mounted on the reverse surface, the two surfaces facing in substantially opposite directions. The buttons are mounted in close proximity to the reverse-mounted touchpad such that the user can operate both the touchpad and the buttons simultaneously with the thumb and one or more fingers of the same hand. In one embodiment, the touchpad faces away from the user and is operated by a finger that is not the user'"'"'s thumb. In another embodiment, the touchpad faces the user and is operated by the user'"'"'s thumb. For all embodiments, the associated “mouse buttons” are mounted facing in the reverse direction relative to the touchpad.

Claims

1. An assembly appropriate for attaching to a portable computer including a touchpad and associated buttons, comprising:

a touchpad mounted on a first outer surface of the assembly; and

one or more buttons mounted on a second outer surface of the assembly; and

wherein said first and second outer surfaces face in substantially opposite directions.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the touchpad faces the user and is most readily operated with the user'"'"'s thumb.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the one or more buttons face the user and are most readily operated with the user'"'"'s thumb.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the touchpad faces in the direction substantially away from the user and is most readily operated with a finger of the user, not including the user'"'"'s thumb.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the one or more buttons face in the direction substantially away from the user and are most readily operated with one or more fingers of the user, not including the user'"'"'s thumb.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the assembly is designed to clip onto a side edge of the display panel of the portable computer.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein when attached to a side edge of the display panel of the portable computer, at least a portion of the touchpad and buttons are located to the side of the display panel.

8. The assembly of claim 6 wherein when attached to a side edge of the display panel of the portable computer, at least a portion of the touchpad is located behind the display panel.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the assembly is designed to clip onto an edge of the base of the portable computer.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the assembly is designed to plug into a port located on the base of the portable computer.

11. A method for operating cursor control input devices located on an assembly attached to a portable computer, comprising the steps of:

reaching behind the assembly attached to the portable computer with at least one finger of a first hand, wherein said at least one finger is not the thumb of said first hand; and

operating one of a touchpad and associated buttons located on the side of the assembly facing away from the user using said at least one finger, wherein only one of a touchpad or associated buttons is located on the side of the assembly facing away from the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further including:

simultaneous with operating a touchpad located on the side of the assembly facing the user with the thumb of said first hand, operating one or more associated buttons located on the side of the assembly facing away from the user with one or more fingers of the first hand.

13. The method of claim 11, further including:

simultaneous with operating a button located on the side of the assembly facing the user with the thumb of said first hand, operating a touchpad located on the side of the assembly facing away from the user with a finger of the first hand.

14. An assembly appropriate for mounting onto the edge of the display panel of a portable computer including a reverse-mounted touchpad and associated buttons, comprising:

a touchpad mounted on one outer surface of the assembly such that when the assembly is mounted on a user'"'"'s portable computer, the touchpad is located on the reverse side of the panel containing the portable computer'"'"'s display, said touchpad facing away from a user of said computer; and

one or more buttons mounted on the surface of the assembly such that when the assembly is mounted on a user'"'"'s portable computer, said one or more buttons are located on the front side of the panel containing the portable computer'"'"'s display, said one or more buttons facing the user; and

wherein said one or more buttons and said touchpad are located on the assembly such that the user can operate both the touchpad and said one or more buttons simultaneously with the thumb and one or more fingers of the same hand.

15. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising an electrical cable and a connector for connection to a communications port of said portable computer, said communications port also supplying power to the assembly.

16. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising a wireless communications interface for communicating between said assembly and said portable computer.