Touch pad with symbols based on mode

• US 9,367,151 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McKillop, Chris, Grignon, Andrew, Ording, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph G
• Application Number:
  US14/166,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20140192001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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

A multifunctional handheld device capable of operating in different modes includes a single input arrangement that provides inputs for each mode of the multifunctional handheld device. The single input arrangement includes at least an input pad that provides signals when touched or pressed. The input pad may for example be a touch pad. The input pad is divided into one or more input areas that change in accordance with the current mode of the multifunctional handheld device. The multifunctional handheld device also includes a display device that presents graphical elements to indicate the configuration of the input areas at the input pad. Each mode of the multifunctional handheld device provides a different configuration of input areas and graphical elements associated therewith.

Claims

1. A clickable trackpad, including:

a touch surface configured for detecting multiple touches occurring on the trackpad at about the same time;

at least one depressible mechanical button capable of being activated by pressure at the touch surface; and

a processor capable of

designating a plurality of regions on the touch surface as click regions,

detecting a mechanical click of the trackpad due to an application of pressure anywhere on the touch surface, the mechanical click itself being nondeterminative of a location of a touch on the touch surface,

detecting a touch at about the same time as the detection of the mechanical click,

determining the click region at which the touch was detected, and

determining an operation to be performed in accordance with the determined click region.

2. The clickable trackpad of claim 1, wherein the touch surface is unmarked.

3. The clickable trackpad of claim 1, the processor further capable of allocating an area of one or more of the click regions in accordance with button usage patterns.

4. The clickable trackpad of claim 1, the processor further capable of allocating a location of one or more of the click regions in accordance with button usage patterns.

5. The clickable trackpad of claim 1, the processor further capable of dynamically designating the one or more click regions in accordance with current device usage.

6. The clickable trackpad of claim 1, the processor further capable of triggering a left-click action upon the detection of the touch and mechanical click if the particular click region is a primary click region in the touch sensor panel.

7. The clickable trackpad of claim 1, the processor further capable of triggering a right-click action upon the detection of the touch and mechanical click if the particular click region is a secondary click region in the touch sensor panel.

8. A method of initiating an operation on a clickable trackpad having at least one depressible mechanical button, including:

configuring a touch surface of the trackpad to detect multiple touches occurring at about the same time;

designating a plurality of regions on the touch surface as click regions,

detecting a mechanical click of the trackpad due to an application of pressure anywhere on the touch surface, the mechanical click itself being nondeterminative of a location of a touch on the touch surface,

detecting a touch at about the same time as the detection of the mechanical click,

determining the click region at which the touch was detected, and

determining an operation to be performed in accordance with the determined click region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the touch surface is unmarked.

10. The method of claim 8, further including allocating an area of one or more of the click regions in accordance with button usage patterns.

11. The method of claim 8, further including allocating a location of one or more of the click regions in accordance with button usage patterns.

12. The method of claim 8, further including dynamically designating the one or more click regions in accordance with current device usage.

13. The method of claim 8, further including triggering a left-click action upon the detection of the touch and mechanical click if the particular click region is a primary click region in the touch sensor panel.

14. The method of claim 8, further including triggering a right-click action upon the detection of the touch and mechanical click if the particular click region is a secondary click region in the touch sensor panel.

15. A clickable trackpad, including:

means for triggering a click of the trackpad;

means for configuring a touch surface of the trackpad to detect multiple touches occurring at about the same time;

means for designating a plurality of regions on the touch surface as click regions,

means for detecting a mechanical click of the trackpad due to an application of pressure anywhere on the touch surface, the mechanical click itself being nondeterminative of a location of a touch on the touch surface,

means for detecting a touch at about the same time as the detection of the mechanical click,

means for determining the click region at which the touch was detected, and

means for determining an operation to be performed in accordance with the determined click region.

16. The clickable trackpad of claim 15, wherein the touch surface is unmarked.

17. The clickable trackpad of claim 15, further including means for allocating an area of one or more of the click regions in accordance with button usage patterns.

18. The clickable trackpad of claim 15, further including means for allocating a location of one or more of the click regions in accordance with button usage patterns.

19. The clickable trackpad of claim 15, further including means for dynamically designating the one or more click regions in accordance with current device usage.

20. The clickable trackpad of claim 15, further including:

triggering a left-click action upon the detection of the touch and mechanical click if the particular click region is a primary click region in the touch sensor panel, and

triggering a right-click action upon the detection of the touch and mechanical click if the particular click region is a secondary click region in the touch sensor panel.