Wide touchpad on a portable computer

• US 9,513,673 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2012
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• 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:
  US13/351,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 portable computer, comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly;

a touchpad disposed on the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is half or greater than half a width of the base assembly and the touchpad includes a plurality of predefined regions, wherein the touchpad can detect an object in contact with a surface at any position on the touchpad within a first predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions; and

a processor coupled to the touchpad, wherein, in response to the processor determining that the contact is unintentional, the processor deactivates the first predefined region independently of a second predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions.

2. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an intentional or unintentional contact based upon determining various characteristics of one or more contact patches on the touchpad.

3. The portable computer of claim 2, wherein the various characteristics include contact patch location, trajectory, and size.

4. The portable computer of claim 1, further comprising:

a keyboard disposed on a top surface of the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is substantially similar to a width of the keyboard or greater than a width of the keyboard.

5. The portable computer of claim 4, wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user'"'"'s hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed between the keyboard and the touchpad.

6. The portable computer of claim 4, wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user'"'"'s hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed in the display assembly.

7. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the touchpad comprises a capacitive sensor touchpad.

8. A portable computer, comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly;

a touchpad disposed on the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is between 100 millimeters and 400 millimeters and the touchpad includes a plurality of predefined regions, and wherein the touchpad can detect an object in contact with a surface at any position on the touchpad within a first predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions; and

a processor coupled to the touchpad, wherein, in response to the processor determining that the contact is unintentional, the processor deactivates the first predefined region independently of a second predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions.

9. The portable computer of claim 8, wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an intentional or unintentional contact based upon determining various characteristics of one or more contact patches on the touchpad.

10. The portable computer of claim 9, wherein the various characteristics include contact patch location, trajectory, and size.

11. The portable computer of claim 8, further comprising:

a keyboard disposed on a top surface of the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is substantially similar to a width of the keyboard or greater than a width of the keyboard.

12. The portable computer of claim 11, wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user'"'"'s hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed between the keyboard and the touchpad.

13. The portable computer of claim 11, wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user'"'"'s hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed in the display assembly.

14. A portable computer comprising:

a display assembly coupled to a base assembly;

a touchpad disposed on the base assembly, wherein a width of the touchpad is substantially similar to a width of the base assembly and the touchpad includes a plurality of predefined regions, and wherein the touchpad can detect an object in contact with a surface at any position on the touchpad within a first predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions; and

a processor coupled to the touchpad, wherein, in response to the processor determining that the contact is unintentional, the processor deactivates the first predefined region independently of a second predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions.

15. The portable computer of claim 14, wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an intentional or unintentional contact based upon determining the various characteristics of one or more contact patches on the touchpad.

16. The portable computer of claim 15, wherein the various characteristics include contact patch location, trajectory, and size.

17. The portable computer of claim 14, further comprising:

a keyboard disposed on a top surface of the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is substantially similar to a width of the keyboard or greater than a width of the keyboard.

18. The portable computer of claim 17, wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user'"'"'s hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed between the keyboard and the touchpad.

19. The portable computer of claim 17, wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user'"'"'s hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed in the display assembly.

20. The portable computer of claim 14, wherein the touchpad comprises a capacitive sensor touchpad.