Structure and mechanism for power-saving of a capacitive touchpad

• US 20060033722A1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Chiu, Yen-Chang, Chien, Yung-Lieh
• Application Number:
  US11/190,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20060033722A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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

Abstract

For power saving, a structure of a capacitive touchpad comprises a soft board having a bottom surface with a first conductor thereon, a printed circuit board having a top surface with a second conductor thereon, a flexible insulator between the soft board and printed circuit board, and a control circuit having an I/O port connected to the second conductor, such that a pressing on the soft board may move the first conductor down to contact the second conductor to thereby generate a voltage change signal present on the I/O port, causing the control circuit to wake up the capacitive touchpad.

Claims

1. A structure of a capacitive touchpad, comprising:

a soft board having a bottom surface with a first conductor thereon;

a printed circuit board having a top surface with a second conductor thereon; and

a flexible insulator between the soft board and printed circuit board;

wherein a pressing on the soft board may move the first conductor down to contact the second conductor.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the first conductor comprises a mesh pattern thereof.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the soft board comprises a sandwich composed of multiple layers of conductor and insulator interlaced with one another.

4. The structure of claim 1, further comprising an electrical connection between the second conductor and an I/O port of a control circuit such that a voltage change signal is present on the I/O port when the first conductor contacts the second conductor.

5. A mechanism for power-saving of a capacitive touchpad including a soft board above a printed circuit board, the soft board having a first conductor facing to a second conductor on the printed circuit board, the mechanism comprising:

switching the capacitive touchpad to a power-saving mode when the capacitive touchpad is not in use;

generating a voltage change signal in response to a pressing of the soft board by moving the first conductor down to contact the second conductor; and

waking up the capacitive touchpad in response to the voltage change signal.