PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120262392A1
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sentelic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sentelic Corporation
• Inventors: LIN, JAOCHING, CHU, LINABEL, LEE, GARY
• Granted Patent: US 8,643,620 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 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• 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

A portable electronic device includes: a main module disposed in a main housing; a keyboard mounted on a mounting surface of the main housing and connected electrically to the main module; and a touch input unit mounted to the main housing and connected electrically to the main module. The touch input unit has first, second and third operating areas spaced apart from each other and exposed from the mounting surface of the main housing. The touch input unit generates an input signal corresponding to one touch point on any one of the first, second and third operating areas, and outputs the input signal to the main module such that the main module performs an operation corresponding to the input signal.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device:

a main housing having a mounting surface;

a main module disposed in said main housing;

a keyboard mounted on said mounting surface of said main housing and connected electrically to said main module; and

a touch input unit mounted to said main housing and connected electrically to said main module, said touch input unit having first, second and third operating areas spaced apart from each other and exposed from said mounting surface of said main housing, said touch input unit being capable of generating an input signal corresponding to at least one touch point on any one of said first, second and third operating areas, and outputting the input signal to said main module such that said main module performs an operation corresponding to the input signal from said touch input unit.

2. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said touch input unit includes

a first touch panel configured with said first operating area and operable to generate a first sensing output in response to at least one touch point on said first operating area,

a second touch panel configured with said second operating area and operable to generate a second sensing output in response to at least one touch point on said second operating area,

a third touch panel configured with said third operating area and operable to generate a third sensing output in response to at least one touch point on said third operating area,

a first controller coupled to said first touch panel and said main module, receiving the first sensing output from said first touch panel, and capable of generating a first input signal based on the first sensing output received thereby,

a second controller coupled to said second touch panel and said main module, receiving the second sensing output from said second touch panel, and capable of generating a second input signal based on the second sensing output received thereby, and

a third controller coupled to said third touch panel and said main module, receiving the third sensing output from said third touch panel, and capable of generating a third input signal based on the third sensing output received thereby; and

the input signal outputted by said touch input unit is one of the first, second and third input signals generated respectively by said first, second and third controllers.

3. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said first, second and third controllers further

detects, based on a corresponding one of the first, second and third sensing outputs from said first, second and third touch panels, whether a touch area of a single-touch point on a corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas is greater than a predetermined area and whether there is a multi-touch point on the corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas, and

ceases to generate a corresponding one of the first, second and third input signals upon determining that the touch area of the single-touch point on the corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas is greater than the predetermined area or that first predetermined movement of a multi-touch point on the corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas exists until second predetermined movement of a multi-touch point on the corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas is determined.

4. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said main module is capable of activating each of said first, second and third controllers to generate a corresponding one of the first, second and third input signals,

said portable electronic device further comprising a control switch unit disposed in said main housing, connected electrically to said main module, and operable to output a control signal to said main module such that said main module controls activation or deactivation of each of said first, second and third controllers based on the control signal from said control switch unit.

5. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said control switch unit includes a control key mounted on said mounting surface of said main housing, said control switch unit generating the control signal in response to the number of times of pressing said control key.

6. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said control switch unit includes first, second and third control keys mounted on said mounting surface of said main housing, and generates the control signal in response to pressing at least one said first, second and third control keys;

said main module activates said first controller and deactivates said second and third controllers based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said first control key;

said main module activates said second controller and deactivates said first and third controllers based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said second control key;

said main module activates said third controller and deactivates said first and second controllers based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said third control key;

said main module activates said first and second controllers and deactivates said third controller based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said first and second control keys;

said main module activates said second and third controllers and deactivates said first controller based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said second and third control keys;

said main module activates said first and third controllers and deactivates said second controller based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said first and third control keys; and

said main module activates said first, second and third controllers based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said first, second and third control keys.

7. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said touch input unit includes:

a touch panel configured with said first, second and third operating areas, and capable of generating a first sensing output in response to at least one touch point on said first operating area, generating a second sensing output in response to at least one touch point on said second operating area, and generating a third sensing output in response to at least one touch point on said third operating area; and

a controller coupled to said touch panel and said main module, and receiving the first, second and third sensing outputs from said touch panel, said controller being capable of generating a first input signal based the first sensing output, generating a second input signal based on the second sensing output, and gene rating a third input signal based on the third sensing output, the input signal being one of the first, second and third input signals and being outputted from said controller to said main module.

8. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said controller further

detects, based on each of the first, second and third sensing outputs from said touch panel, whether a touch area of a single-touch point on a corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas is greater than a predetermined area and whether there is a multi-touch point on the corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas, and

ceases to generate a corresponding one of the first, second and third input signals upon determining that the touch area of the single-touch point on the corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas is greater than the predetermined area or that first predetermined movement of a multi-touch point on the corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas exists until second predetermined movement of a multi-touch point on the corresponding one of said first, second and third operating areas is determined.

9. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said touch input unit further includes a control switch unit connected electrically to said controller, and operable to output a control signal to said controller;

said controller of said touch input unit is capable of selecting at least one of the first, second and third sensing outputs from said touch panel based on the control signal from said control switch unit so as to generate corresponding at least one of the first, second and third input signals.

10. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said control switch unit includes a control key, and generates the control signal in response to the number of times of pressing said control key.

11. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

said control switch unit includes a first control key, a second control key and a third control key, and generates the control signal in response to pressing at least one of said first, second and third control keys;

said controller is capable of selecting the first sensing output from said touch panel based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said first control key;

said controller is capable of selecting the second sensing output from said touch panel based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said second control key;

said controller is capable of selecting the third sensing output from said touch panel based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said third control key;

said controller is capable of selecting the first and second sensing outputs from said touch panel based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said first and second control keys;

said controller is capable of selecting the second and third sensing outputs from said touch panel based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said second and third control keys;

said controller is capable of selecting the first and third sensing outputs from said touch panel based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said first and third control keys; and

said controller is capable of selecting the first, second and third sensing outputs from said touch panel based on the control signal generated by said control switch unit in response to pressing said first, second and third control keys.

12. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input signal is associated with one of cursor control, numeral data input, and express function control.

13. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cover plate mounted detachably on said mounting surface of said main housing for covering said first, second and third operating areas of said touch input unit.