WIDE TOUCHPAD ON A PORTABLE COMPUTER

• US 20180067571A1
• Filed: 11/07/2017
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: HOTELLING, Steven P., LIGTENBERG, Chris A., KERR, Duncan Robert, ANDRE, Bartley K., STRICKON, Joshua A., HUPPI, Brian Q., CHAUDHRI, Imran, CHRISTIE, Gregory N., ORDING, Bas
• Granted Patent: US 11,379,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive 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

In one exemplary embodiment, a portable computer having a display assembly coupled to a base assembly to alternate between a closed position and an open position. Palm rest areas are formed by a touchpad disposed on the surface of the base assembly. In an alternative embodiment, a touchpad disposed on the base assembly has a width that extends substantially into the palm rests areas of the base assembly.

Claims

1. A first electronic device, comprising:

a first sensor array input device configured to detect a presence of a first object; and

a subsystem communicatively coupled to the first sensor array input device and capable of communication with a second electronic device;

wherein the first electronic device is configurable for switching operational states when a second object is detected at a second input device on the second electronic device regardless of a presence or an absence of the first object at the first sensor array input device.

2. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor array input device comprises a plurality of touch sensors configured to detect a touching of the first object.

3. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is further configurable for switching operational states when the second electronic device detects that the second object is hovering over the second input device.

4. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein switching operational states comprises switching a function between active and inactive states.

5. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein switching operational states comprises switching between a first power consumption state and a second power consumption state.

6. The first electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a display communicatively coupled to the subsystem, wherein switching operational states enables switching the display from a first display state to a second display state.

7. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is further configurable for switching operational states when the second electronic device detects that the second object is touching the second input device.

8. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor array input device is in a different location as compared to the second input device.

9. The first electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second electronic device comprises one or more proximity sensors configured to detect a hovering of the second object.

10. A method performed by a first electronic device having a first sensor array input device configured to detect a presence of a first object, comprising:

receiving one or more sense signals indicating detection of a second object at a second input device on a second electronic device; and

switching operational states in the first electronic device when the one or more sense signals indicating detection of the second object are received, regardless of a presence or an absence of the first object at the first sensor array input device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a touching of the first object at the first sensor array input device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising switching operational states in the first electronic device when the second electronic device detects that the second object is hovering over the second input device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein switching operational states comprises switching a function between active and inactive states.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein switching operational states comprises switching between a first power consumption state and a second power consumption state.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein switching operational states enables switching a display of the first electronic device from a first display state to a second display state.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising switching operational states when the second electronic device detects that the second object is touching the second input device.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising locating the first sensor array input device in a different location as compared to the second input device.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a hovering of the second object over the second electronic device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for performing a method at a first electronic device having a first sensor array input device configured to detect a presence of a first object, the method comprising:

receiving one or more sense signals indicating detection of a second object at a second input device on a second electronic device; and

switching operational states in the first electronic device when the one or more sense signals indicating detection of the second object are received, regardless of a presence or an absence of the first object at the first sensor array input device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein switching operational states comprises switching a function between active and inactive states.