Portable computer having touch pad input control function

• US 6,266,050 B1
• Filed: 08/10/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Chong-Yok, Oh, Jae-Choeul
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIZIALI, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US09/131,277
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/162, 345/168, 345/169, 345/172, 345/173, 345/174, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.07, 178/20.01, 178/20.02
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A portable computer having a touch pad as the pointing device adopts a touch pad input control function in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The portable computer system is provided with an input device interface for receiving pointing data generated in the touch pad and for detecting a quantity of time elapsing between occurrence of the pointing data. When the quantity of time exceeds a preset value, the input device interface disables input of the pointing data from the touch pad. The input operation of the pointing data is resumed when pointing data corresponding to a predetermined pattern is inputted. Preferably, the predetermined pattern corresponds to a closed curve which disregards the area and curvature of the closed curve. According to the principles of the present invention, unnecessary pointing operations which occur during inadvertent touches of the touch pad can be effectively prevented.

Claims

1. An apparatus operating a touch-sensitive touchpad unit coupled to a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

a touch pad unit being coupled to a computer system, said touchpad unit generating first, second, and third pointer data respectively corresponding to a first, a second, and a third touching of said touch pad unit, each one of said touchings having a beginning and an end;

an interface unit being coupled to said touch pad unit, receiving said first, second, and third pointer data from said touch pad unit, transmitting a first control signal corresponding to said first pointer data from said interface unit, detecting a first quantity of time corresponding to time elapsing after said end of said first touching, not transmitting a second control signal corresponding to said second pointer data from said interface unit when said first quantity of time exceeds a predetermined quantity of time; and

a central processing unit being coupled to said interface unit, receiving said first control signal from said interface unit, and transforming said first control signal to a pointer to be displayed at a first position on a monitor coupled to said computer system, said first position on said monitor corresponding to said first control signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interface unit further comprises a microprocessor and a memory storing a control routine controlling said transmitting of said first control signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interface unit further comprises a pointer data buffer coupled between an output terminal of said interface unit and an input terminal of said central processing unit, said pointer data buffer storing said first control signal received from said output terminal of said interface unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said pointer data buffer operates in accordance with a first-in-first-out sequential structure of processing control data, said first control signal being received by said pointer data buffer from said output terminal of said interface unit prior to said third control signal being received by said pointer data buffer from said output terminal of said interface unit, and said first control signal being transmitted to said central processing unit prior to said third control signal being transmitted to said central processing unit, said control data corresponding to said first and third control signals transmitted from said output terminal of said interface unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said predetermined quantity of time corresponds to three seconds.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interface unit transmits said third control signal from said interface unit to said central processing unit when said first quantity of time exceeds said predetermined quantity of time and said third pointer data corresponds to predetermined pointer data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said predetermined pointer data corresponds to a predetermined touching of said touch pad unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said predetermined touching of said touch pad unit corresponds to a closed curve.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, said closed curve enclosing a predetermined area.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said touch pad unit detects said first, second, and third touching.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer system corresponds to a portable computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said touch pad unit is mounted adjacent to a keyboard installed at a top surface of a main body of said computer system.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said touch pad unit enables a user to control said pointer displayed on said monitor of said computer system.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first, second, and third pointer data respectively correspond to a first, a second, and a third direction of movement of said pointer displayed on said monitor of said computer system.

15. An apparatus controlling a touch-sensitive touch pad unit coupled to a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

a touch pad unit being coupled to a computer system, generating first and second pointer data respectively corresponding to a first and second touching of said touch pad unit, and transmitting said first and second pointer data, said second touching beginning after said first touching ends;

an interface unit being coupled to said touch pad unit, receiving said first pointer data, transmitting a first control signal corresponding to said first pointer data, detecting a first quantity of time elapsing after said first touching ends, transmitting a second control signal corresponding to said second pointer data when said first quantity of time does not exceed a predetermined quantity of time, and not transmitting said second control signal when said first quantity of time does exceed said predetermined quantity of time; and

a central processing unit being coupled to said interface unit and receiving said first control signal from said interface unit and transforming said first control signal to a pointer to be displayed at a first position on a monitor coupled to said computer system, said first position on said monitor corresponding to said first control signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said central processing unit receives said second control signal from said interface unit and transforms said second control signal to said pointer to be displayed at a second position on said monitor coupled to said computer system when said first quantity of time does not exceed said predetermined quantity of time, said second position on said monitor corresponding to said second control signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said interface unit further comprises a microprocessor and a memory storing a control routine controlling said transmitting of said first control signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said interface unit further comprises a pointer data buffer coupled between an output terminal of said interface unit and an input terminal of said central processing unit, said pointer data buffer storing said first control signal received from said output terminal of said interface unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said pointer data buffer operates in accordance with a first-in-first-out sequential structure of processing control data, said first control signal being received by said pointer data buffer from said output terminal of said interface unit prior to said second control signal being received by said pointer data buffer from said output terminal of said interface unit, and said first control signal being transmitted to said central processing unit prior to said second control signal being transmitted to said central processing unit, said control data corresponding to said first and second control signals transmitted from said output terminal of said interface unit.

20. An apparatus operating a touch-sensitive touch pad unit coupled to a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

a touch pad unit being coupled to a computer system, said touch pad unit generating first, second, and third pointer data respectively corresponding to a first, a second, and a third touching of said touch pad unit, each one of said touchings having a beginning and an end;

a switch being coupled to said touch pad unit and also to a local reference potential, controlling a transmission of said first, second, and third pointer data to said local reference potential, said switch having a first position causing said first, second, and third pointer data to be transmitted to said local reference potential, and said switch having a second position causing said first, second, and third pointer data to not be transmitted to said local reference potential;

an interface unit being coupled to said touch pad unit, receiving said first, second, and third pointer data from said touch pad unit when said switch is in said second position, transmitting a first control signal corresponding to said first pointer data from said interface unit, detecting a first quantity of time corresponding to time elapsing after said end of said first touching, not transmitting a second control signal corresponding to said second pointer data from said interface unit when said first quantity of time exceeds a predetermined quantity of time; and

a central processing unit being coupled to said interface unit, receiving said first control signal from said interface unit, and transforming said first control signal to a pointer to be displayed at a first position on a monitor coupled to said computer system, said first position on said monitor corresponding to said first control signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said interface unit transmits said third control signal from said interface unit to said central processing unit when said first quantity of time exceeds said predetermined quantity of time and said third pointer data corresponds to predetermined pointer data.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said predetermined pointer data corresponds to a predetermined touching of said touch pad unit.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said predetermined touching of said touch pad unit corresponds to a closed curve.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, said closed curve enclosing a predetermined area.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a keyboard being coupled to said computer system and including a plurality of keys, wherein said switch corresponds to a bypass key selected from among said plurality of keys.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said bypass key corresponds to a first key to be operated in combination with a second key, said first and second keys being selected from among said plurality of keys.

27. A method of controlling a touch-sensitive touch pad unit coupled to a computer system, comprising the steps of:

detecting whether pointer data is generated by a touch pad unit after a predetermined quantity of time has elapsed, said pointer data being generated by said touch pad unit when a user performs a second touching of said touch pad unit, said touch pad unit being coupled to a computer system, and said touch pad unit enabling a user to control a pointer displayed on a monitor coupled to said computer system, measurement of said predetermined quantity of time starting when a first touching of said touch pad unit ends;

when said pointer data is generated by said touch pad unit before said predetermined quantity of time has elapsed, transmitting a control signal corresponding to said pointer data;

when said pointer data is generated by said touch pad unit after said predetermined quantity of time has elapsed, not transmitting said control signal corresponding to said pointer data;

detecting when said pointer data corresponds to predetermined pointer data; and

when said pointer data is generated by said touch pad unit after said predetermined quantity of time has elapsed and said pointer data corresponds to said predetermined pointer data, transmitting said control signal corresponding to said pointer data.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said predetermined pointer data corresponds to a predetermined touching of said touch pad unit.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said predetermined touching of said touch pad unit corresponds to a closed curve.

30. The method of claim 29, said closed curve enclosing a predetermined area.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said pointer data generated by said touch pad unit is transmitted to an interface unit, said interface unit being coupled to said touch pad unit.

32. The method of claim 31, said interface unit transmitting said control signal to a central processing unit, said central processing unit being coupled to said interface unit.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said interface unit further comprises a microprocessor and a memory storing a control routine controlling said transmitting of said control signal.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said interface unit further comprises a pointer data buffer coupled between an output terminal of said interface unit and an input terminal of said central processing unit, said pointer data buffer storing said control signal received from said output terminal of said interface unit.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said control signal corresponds to a plurality of control signals, and said pointer data buffer operates in accordance with a first-in-first-out sequential structure of processing control data, a first control signal of said plurality of control signals being received by said pointer data buffer from said output terminal of said interface unit prior to a second control signal of said plurality of control signals being received by said pointer data buffer from said output terminal of said interface unit, and said first control signal being transmitted to said central processing unit prior to said second control signal being transmitted to said central processing unit, said control data corresponding to said plurality of control signals transmitted from said output terminal of said interface unit.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein said predetermined quantity of time corresponds to three seconds.