TOUCHPAD WITH STRIP-SHAPED INPUT AREA
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A touchpad with an input area having a straight or curved main line of extension comprises a support element, a cover having a first surface facing away from the support element and a second surface facing towards the support element and one or more spacers arranged at a periphery of the input area. The one or more spacers mount the cover on the support element in such a way that the cover spans over the support plate in the input area while it is depressible towards the support element by a force acting on the input area of the touchpad. A resistive trace is so arranged on the support element that it extends along the main line of extension of the input area. At least one terminal contacts the resistive trace at a particular point of the main line of extension of the input area and a set of detection electrodes is arranged on the second surface of the cover in facing relationship with the resistive trace. The detection electrodes are configured and arranged for capacitively detecting a position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus when the user'"'"'s finger or stylus is in proximity of or in light touch with the first surface of the cover, and for resistively detecting a position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus when the user'"'"'s finger or stylus depresses the cover and so brings at least one of the detection electrodes into electrical contact with the resistive trace.
122 Citations
27 Claims
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1-13. -13. (canceled)
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14. A touchpad with a strip-shaped input area having a straight or curved main line of extension, said touchpad comprising
a support element a cover having a first surface facing away from said support element and a second surface facing towards said support element, said cover being arranged in spaced relationship with respect to said support element in such a way that said cover spans over said support plate in said input area, said cover being depressible towards said support element by a force acting on the input area of said touchpad; -
a resistive trace arranged on said support element, said resistive trace extending along the main line of extension of said input area, at least one terminal contacting said resistive trace at a particular point of the main line of extension of said input area, a set of detection electrodes arranged on the second surface of the cover in facing relationship with said resistive trace, said detection electrodes being configured and arranged to capacitively detect a position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus when the user'"'"'s finger or stylus is in proximity of or in light touch with the first surface of said cover, and to resistively detect a position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus when the user'"'"'s finger or stylus depresses said cover and so brings at least one of said detection electrodes into electrical contact with said resistive trace. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An electronic appliance comprising a touchpad, with a strip-shaped input area having a straight or curved main line of extension,
wherein said touchpad comprises a support element a cover having a first surface facing away from said support element and a second surface facing towards said support element, said cover being arranged in spaced relationship with respect to said support element in such a way that said cover spans over said support plate in said input area, said cover being depressible towards said support element by a force acting on the input area of said touchpad; -
a resistive trace arranged on said support element, said resistive trace extending along the main line of extension of said input area; at least one terminal contacting said resistive trace at a particular point of the main line of extension of said input area, a set of detection electrodes arranged on the second surface of the cover in facing relationship with said resistive trace, said detection electrodes being configured and arranged to capacitively detect a position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus when the user'"'"'s finger or stylus is in proximity of or in light touch with the first surface of said cover, and to resistively detect a position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus when the user'"'"'s finger or stylus depresses said cover and so brings at least one of said detection electrodes into electrical contact with said resistive trace; a detection circuit configured and arranged to operate in a first and a second mode of detection, wherein said detection circuit while in said first mode of detection, determines quantities indicative of capacitive coupling between said detection electrodes and a user'"'"'s finger or stylus and outputs the position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus based upon said quantities indicative of capacitive coupling; and while in said second mode of detection, determines quantities indicative of resistive coupling between said detection electrodes and said at least one terminal and outputs the position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus based upon said quantities indicative of resistive coupling; wherein said electronic appliance is configured and arranged to operate either in a first or a second input mode, wherein, in said first input mode, said electronic appliance is responsive to the position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus outputted by said detection circuit based upon said quantities indicative of capacitive coupling, wherein, in said second input mode, said electronic appliance is responsive to the position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus outputted by said detection circuit based upon said quantities indicative of resistive coupling, and wherein the response of said electronic appliance to the position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus outputted by said detection circuit is different for the two input modes. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification