Wide touchpad on a portable computer

• US 8,098,233 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steven P., Ligtenberg, Chris, Kerr, Duncan, Andre, Bartley K., Strickon, Joshua A., Huppi, Brian Q., Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US11/731,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-178
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 data processing system comprising:

an image sensor configured to detect a user'"'"'s hand location relative to a touch sensitive surface and a keyboard, wherein the touch sensitive surface is configured to act as an input device, the touch sensitive surface having a two dimensional surface capable of outputting location information of a touch on the touch sensitive surface, wherein the location information relates to a location of the touch with regard to the touch sensitive surface; and

a display screen coupled to the touch sensitive surface, wherein the display screen is configured to change an image on the display screen based upon location information output from the touch sensitive surface and the detected hand location.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein an image captured by the image sensor is used in processing an output for the display screen.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein an object is moveable based upon the output from the touch sensitive surface.

4. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising at least one processor which is coupled to the image sensor configured to process an input for the display screen.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the image sensor is coupled in a position above the user'"'"'s hand.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the touch sensitive surface is a touchpad.

7. A machine implemented method comprising:

detecting, with an image sensor, a user'"'"'s hand location relative to a touch sensitive surface and a keyboard, wherein the touch sensitive surface is configured to act as an input device, the touch sensitive surface having a two dimensional surface capable of outputting location information of a touch on the touch sensitive surface, wherein the location information relates to a location of the touch with regard to the touch sensitive surface; and

displaying a user interface on a display screen which is coupled to the touch sensitive surface, wherein the display screen is configured to change an image on the display screen based upon location information output from the touch sensitive surface and the detected hand location.

8. The method as in claim 7 wherein an image captured by the image sensor is used in processing an output for the display screen.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein an object is moveable based upon the output from the touch sensitive surface.

10. The method of claim 7 additionally comprising processing the image from an image sensor for display on the display screen.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the processing includes determining intentional contact onto the touch sensitive surface.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the touch sensitive surface is a touchpad.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the imaging sensor is configured in a position above the user'"'"'s hand.

14. A machine readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a data processing system, cause said system to perform a method comprising:

detecting, with an image sensor, a user'"'"'s hand location relative to a touch sensitive surface and a keyboard, wherein the touch sensitive surface is configured to act as an input device, the touch sensitive surface having a two dimensional surface capable of outputting location information of a touch on the touch sensitive surface, wherein the location information relates to a location of the touch with regard to the touch sensitive surface; and

displaying a user interface on a display screen which is coupled to the touch sensitive surface, wherein the display screen is configured to change an image on the display screen based upon location information output from the touch sensitive surface and the detected hand location.

15. The medium as in claim 14 wherein an image captured by the image sensor is used in processing an output for the display screen.

16. The medium of claim 15 wherein an object is moveable based upon the output from the touch sensitive surface.

17. The medium of claim 14 additionally comprising processing an image from the image sensor for display on the display screen.

18. The medium of claim 17 wherein the processing includes determining intentional contact onto the touch sensitive surface.

19. The medium of claim 14 wherein the touch sensitive surface is a touchpad.

20. The medium of claim 14 wherein the imaging sensor is configured in a position above the user'"'"'s hand.

21. A machine implemented method for sensing the location of a user'"'"'s hand on a touchpad, comprising:

detecting the location of a user'"'"'s hand on the touchpad and relative to a keyboard with an imaging sensor, wherein the touchpad is part of a computer system and is configured to allow the user to interact with an object on a display screen, the touchpad having a two dimensional surface capable of outputting location information relating to a location of a touch on the touchpad with regard to the two dimensional surface; and

accepting user input from the touchpad to interact with the object based upon the detected hand location.

22. The method of claim 21 additionally comprising determining whether a contact on the touchpad by the user'"'"'s hand is an intentional input to interact with the object.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the determining includes processing an image captured by the imaging sensor of the user'"'"'s hand to determine whether there is an intentional input.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the user interacts with the object by moving the object.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the object is moveable on the display screen.

26. A machine readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a data processing system, cause said system to perform a method comprising:

detecting the location of a user'"'"'s hand on a touchpad and relative to a keyboard with an imaging sensor, wherein the touchpad is part of a computer system and is configured to allow the user to interact with an object on a display screen, the touchpad having a two dimensional surface capable of outputting location information relating to a location of a touch on the touchpad with regard to the two dimensional surface; and

accepting user input from the touchpad to interact with the object based upon the detected location of the hand.

27. The medium of claim 26 additionally comprising determining whether a contact on the touchpad by the user'"'"'s hand is an intentional input to interact with the object.

28. The medium of claim 27 wherein the determining includes processing an image captured by the imaging sensor of the user'"'"'s hand to determine whether there is an intentional input.

29. The medium of claim 26 wherein the user interacts with the object by moving the object.

30. The medium of claim 26 wherein the object is moveable on the display screen.

31. A computer user interface, comprising:

a base assembly;

a keyboard mounted on the base assembly;

a touchpad mounted on the base assembly, the touchpad configured to act as an input device and having a two dimensional surface capable of outputting location information relating to a location of a touch on the touchpad with regard to the two dimensional surface; and

an imaging sensor coupled to the base assembly, wherein the imaging sensor detects the location of a user'"'"'s hand relative to the touchpad and the keyboard as an input for interaction with an object on a display screen.

32. The interface of claim 31 additionally comprising a processor coupled to the base assembly, wherein the processor processes an image of the user'"'"'s hand in determining an output for the display screen.

33. The interface of claim 31 wherein the interface is on a portable computer.

34. The interface of claim 31 wherein the imaging sensor is coupled above the user'"'"'s hand.

35. The interface of claim 31 wherein the imaging sensor is configured to capture live video of the user.