Information processing apparatus and touch pad control method
First Claim
1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
- a main body;
a touch pad, provided on the main body, including a surface sheet and a light source that is provided on a back side of the surface sheet, the surface sheet including a plurality of light-transmissive areas having shapes corresponding to a plurality of virtual buttons disposed on a surface of the touch pad and passing light which is emitted from the light source; and
a control unit configured to control the touch pad in one of two modes,wherein a first mode is for making the touch pad to function as a pointing device and a second mode is for activating, in response to tapping of one of the plurality of virtual buttons, a function which is assigned to the tapped virtual button, the control unit turning off the light source in the first mode and turning on the light source in the second mode, the control unit controlling the touch pad in the second mode if an external pointing device is connected to the main body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a main body, a touch pad which is provided on the main body, a determination unit which determines whether an external pointing device is connected to the main body, and a control unit which controls the touch pad in one of a first mode for making the touch pad function as a pointing device and a second mode in which in response to tapping of one of a plurality of virtual buttons disposed on a surface of the touch pad, a function which is assigned to the tapped virtual button is activated, the control unit controlling the touch pad in the second mode if the external pointing device is connected to the main body.
31 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
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a main body; a touch pad, provided on the main body, including a surface sheet and a light source that is provided on a back side of the surface sheet, the surface sheet including a plurality of light-transmissive areas having shapes corresponding to a plurality of virtual buttons disposed on a surface of the touch pad and passing light which is emitted from the light source; and a control unit configured to control the touch pad in one of two modes, wherein a first mode is for making the touch pad to function as a pointing device and a second mode is for activating, in response to tapping of one of the plurality of virtual buttons, a function which is assigned to the tapped virtual button, the control unit turning off the light source in the first mode and turning on the light source in the second mode, the control unit controlling the touch pad in the second mode if an external pointing device is connected to the main body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A touch pad control method for controlling a touch pad which is provided on an information processing apparatus, comprising:
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determining whether an external pointing device is connected to the information processing apparatus; and controlling the touch pad in one of either two modes wherein a first mode is for making the touch pad to function as a pointing device and a second mode, in which in response to tapping of one of a plurality of virtual buttons disposed on a surface of the touch pad, a function which is assigned to the tapped virtual button is activated, said controlling including controlling the touch pad in the second mode if the external pointing device is connected to the information processing apparatus, wherein the touch pad includes a surface sheet and a light source which is provided on a back side of the surface sheet, the surface sheet having a plurality of light-transmissive areas which have shapes corresponding to the plurality of virtual buttons and pass light which is emitted from the light source, and said controlling includes turning off the light source in the first mode and turning on the light source in the second mode. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification