Capacitive input device with removable cover

• US 8,987,624 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhutani, Gurmeet Singh, Yang, Shih-Wei, Huang, Kuo-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): GIRARDI, VANESSA MARY
• Application Number:
  US13/464,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 200/600, 341/33, 361/292, 361/299.3, 361/301.1
• US Class Current: 200/600
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard

Abstract

An information handling system can include a base, a printed circuit board including a capacitive switch, and a cover. The printed circuit board can be attached to the base, and the cover can lie adjacent to the printed circuit board. The capacitive switch can be configured to change state when an object is close to the cover. The cover can be configured such that it can be detached from the remainder of the information handling system while the printed circuit board remains attached to the base. The configuration of the printed circuit board and cover can be particularly useful when maintaining a keyboard or a touch pad or when replacing the cover.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a printed circuit board including a capacitive switch, wherein the printed circuit board is attached within a base of the information handling system;

a cover associated with the printed circuit board; and

a plurality of fasteners to set a distance between the cover and the printed circuit board, a first fastener of the fasteners to attach the cover to the base, and a second fastener of the fasteners to attached the printed circuit board to the base, wherein;

the cover is configured such that it can be detached from the first fastener and a remainder of the information handling system while the printed circuit board remains attached to the base via the second fastener;

the distance between the cover and the printed circuit board is a height difference between the first fastener and the second fastener; and

the fasteners are configured to reproduce the distance between the cover and the printed circuit board when the cover is reattached to the second fastener.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising a compressible member lying between the cover and the capacitive switch.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein the compressible member abuts the cover and the capacitive switch.

4. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein no compressible member is disposed between the cover and the capacitive switch.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a housing of a portable information handling system.

6. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising a film overlying the cover.

7. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises a hinge.

8. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the cover does not include an electrical component.

9. An information handling system comprising:

a base;

a printed circuit board including a capacitive switch, wherein the printed circuit board is attached within the base;

a cover associated with the printed circuit board; and

a plurality of fasteners to set a distance between the cover and the printed circuit board, a first fastener of the fasteners to attach the cover to the base, and a second fastener of the fasteners to attached the printed circuit board to the base, wherein;

the capacitive switch is configured to change state when an object is close to the cover;

the cover is configured such that it can be detached from the first fastener and a remainder of the information handling system while the printed circuit board remains attached to the base via the second fastener;

the distance between the cover and the printed circuit board is a height difference between the first fastener and the second fastener; and

the fasteners are configured to reproduce the distance between the cover and the printed circuit board when the cover is reattached to the second fastener.

10. The information handling system of claim 9, further comprising a compressible member lying between the cover and the capacitive switch.

11. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the compressible member abuts the cover and the capacitive switch.

12. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein the cover further comprises a hinge.

13. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein the cover does not include an electrical component.

14. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein the base comprises a chassis of a portable information handling system.

15. A method of using an information handling system comprising:

providing the information handling system comprising a base, a printed circuit board including a capacitive switch, and a first cover, wherein;

the printed circuit board is attached to the base via a first fastener of a plurality of fasteners, the cover is attached to the base via a second fastener, wherein the fasteners set a distance between the first cover and the printed circuit board, the distance between the cover and the printed circuit board is a height difference between the first fastener and the second fastener; and

the first cover lying adjacent to the printed circuit board, and the first cover is configured such that it can be detached from a second fastener of the fasteners and a remainder of the information handling system while the printed circuit board remains attached to the base via the first fastener, and wherein the fasteners produce a same distance between another cover and the printed circuit board when the other cover is attached to the printed circuit;

detecting that an object is close to the first cover; and

changing a state of the capacitive switch in response to detecting that the object is close to the first cover.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detaching the first cover from the remainder of the information handling system while the printed circuit board remains attached to the base.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

performing maintenance on a keyboard or a touch pad of the information handling system; and

attaching the first cover onto the remainder of the information handling system.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

attaching a second cover onto the remainder of the information handling system while the printed circuit board remains attached to the base, wherein the second cover is different from the first cover.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

attaching the first cover onto the remainder of the information handling system after detaching the first cover.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein no compressible member is disposed between the first cover and the capacitive switch.