Touchpad

• US 7,620,174 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Bick, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US10/399,909
• Time in Patent Office: 3,311 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433.13, 379/433.07, 379/368, 379/419, 379/433.01, 379/433.04, 379/429, 379/428.01, 379/433.11, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/566, 455/90.3, 455/90.1, 455/90, 345/173, 348/14.09, 348/14.08
• US Class Current: 379/433.01
• 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 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A portable electronic apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus has a body portion and input means in the form of a touchpad. The touchpad is movable between a first relative position where it operates in a first mode, and a second relative position where it operates in a second mode. The touchpad is capable of receiving input data from one or both of its operational surfaces, so providing greater flexibility.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus comprising a body portion, and an input component in the form of a touchpad, wherein the body portion comprises a display and the touchpad is arranged so as to be substantially light permeable and is movable between a first relative position where it overlays the display and operates in a first mode that enables user input via the touchpad, and a second relative position where it does not overlay the display and operates in a second mode that enables user input via the touchpad.

2. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touchpad is movable between the first and second positions by a hinge mechanism.

3. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the hinge mechanism is arranged along a side of the apparatus.

4. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the first mode, a discrete region of the touchpad arranged for user input corresponds to a displayed item at a given region of the display.

5. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the second mode, the touchpad is arranged to receive user input so that relative motion across the touchpad is translated into a corresponding relative motion of a displayed element on the display.

6. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second positions correspond to respective extremes of movement of the touchpad.

7. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second position corresponds with the touchpad being positioned such that the touchpad and the display occupy opposing surfaces of the apparatus.

8. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touchpad is a capacitive touchpad.

9. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touchpad is arranged to be non-planar.

10. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touchpad is arranged to be rectangular.

11. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the second position, two surfaces of the touchpad are exposed for user input.

12. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each surface of the touchpad is operable independent of the other to generate user input.

13. A portable electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein both surfaces of the touchpad are operable simultaneously to generate user input.

14. A portable electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a telephone.

15. A portable electronic apparatus comprising a body portion, and an input component in the form of a touchpad, wherein the body portion comprises a display and the touchpad is arranged so as to be light permeable and is movable between a closed configuration where it overlays the display and operates in a mode corresponding to the closed configuration that enables user input via the touchpad, and an open configuration where it does not overlay the display and operates in a mode corresponding to the open configuration that enables user input via the touchpad.

16. A portable electronic apparatus comprising a body portion, and a touchpad for user input, wherein the body portion comprises a display and the touchpad is arranged so as to be substantially light permeable and is rotatable between a first relative position where it overlays the display and operates in a first user input mode that enables user input via the touchpad, and a second relative position where it does not overlay the display and operates in a second different user input mode that enables user input via the touchpad.