Mouse pads and method for using the same

• US 9,471,160 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing FUNATE Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Beijing FUNATE Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Qian, Li, Wang, Yu-Quan, Feng, Chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Sim, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/920,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20140152561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0395 Mouse pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• 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 mouse pad includes a body having a surface, a touch panel and a processor is provided. The touch panel is located on the surface and electrically connected to the processor. The processor receives signals from the touch panel and can divide the touch panel into a first area and a second area, the first area and the second area respectively acting as a left mouse button (for left clicks) and as a right mouse button (for right clicks). Methods for using the mouse pad are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for using a mouse pad, the mouse pad comprising a touch panel comprising a touch surface, the method comprising steps of:

simultaneously obtaining five or more touch signals;

obtaining a touch point B (X_B,Y_B) and a touch point C (X_C,Y_C) from the five or more touch signals, the touch point B (X_B,Y_B) having a minimum ordinate and the touch point C (X_C,Y_C) having a maximum ordinate in the more than five touch signals; and

dividing the touch surface into only a first area and a second area according to the touch point B (X_B,Y_B) and the touch point C (X_C,Y_C) to form the first area as a left mouse button area for selecting an icon of an electronic device by clicking the first area, and to form the second area as a right mouse button area for displaying a taskbar or a drop-down menu of the electronic device by clicking within the second area;

wherein locations of the first area and the second area in the touch surface change with coordinates of the touch point B (X_B,Y_B) and the touch point C (X_C,Y_C), and any area of the touch surface having an ordinate less than about Y_B+2/5(Y_C−

Y_B), is defined as the first area; and

any area of the touch surface having an ordinate greater than about Y_B+2/5 (Y_C−

Y_B), is defined as the second area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mouse pad receives input from a hand of an user, and the touch point B (X_B,Y_B) is the touch point corresponding to a thumb of the user, and the touch point C (X_C,Y_C) is the touch point corresponding to a pinkie of the user.

3. A method for using a mouse pad, the mouse pad comprising a touch panel comprising a touch surface, the method comprising steps of:

obtaining five or more touch signals simultaneously occurring on the touch surface;

obtaining a touch point B (X_B,Y_B) and a touch point C (X_C,Y_C) from the five or more touch signals, the touch point B (X_B,Y_B) having a minimum abscissa and the touch point C (X_C,Y_C) having a maximum abscissa in the more than five touch signals; and

dividing the touch surface such that the touch surface consisting of a first area and a second area according to the touch point B (X_B, Y_B) and the touch point C (X_C, Y_C) to form the first area as a left mouse button area for selecting an icon of an electronic device by clicking the first area, and to form the second area as a right mouse button area for displaying a taskbar or a drop-down menu of the electronic device by clicking within the second area;

wherein locations of the first area and the second area in the touch surface change with coordinates of the touch point B (X_B, Y_B) and the touch point C (X_C, Y_C), any area of the touch surface, having an abscissa less than about X_B+2/5 (X_C−

X_B), is defined as the first area; and

any area of the touch surface, having an abscissa greater than about X_B+2/5 (X_C−

X_B) is defined as the second area.