Portable computer and method for taking notes with sketches and typed text

• US 20060071915A1
• Filed: 10/04/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Peter H. Rehm
• Original Assignee: Peter H. Rehm
• Inventors: Rehm, Peter H.
• Application Number:
  US11/243,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20060071915A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink

Abstract

A notebook computer that has a keyboard, a navigation input device (e.g., a touchpad or mouse) and a sketch input device (usually an integrated sketch pad and stylus). The sketch input device operates in an absolute coordinate mapping mode and can be tracked on the display when hovering or touching. It draws digital ink when touching. Whenever the digital ink runs into existing text notes the text is reflowed around the sketch. A movement on an input device can either select text or draw digital ink depending on which input device was used. The computer can have sketch tool buttons operable with a stylus. The navigation and sketch input devices can be disjoint or overlapping. Variations of the sketch input device include a second touch pad that works with a finger and a stylus that works without a sketch pad.

Claims

1. A portable computer comprising:

a. a display member comprising a display screen;

b. a base member operationally connected to said display member, said base member comprising a keyboard, a navigation device and a sketch means.

2. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein said sketch means comprises a sketch pad and a stylus that cooperates with said sketch pad.

3. The portable computer of claim 2 wherein said navigation device is an overlappable navigation pad and said sketch pad is an overlappable sketch pad, and a stylus, said overlappable navigation pad being sensitive to the presence and location of a finger and said overlappable sketch pad being sensitive to the presence and location of said stylus.

4. The portable computer of claim 2 wherein both said navigation device and said sketch pad are sensitive to a finger and wherein said notebook computer further comprises means for determining whether a users hand is located on the keyboard.

5. The portable computer of claim 2 wherein said navigation device and said sketch pad are integrated as a dual-sensitive touchpad, said dual sensitive touchpad being sensitive to the presence and location of a finger and said dual-sensitive touchpad being separately sensitive to the presence and location of a stylus;

whereby said computer is informed of the presence and location of a finger and is separately informed of the presence and location of a stylus.

6. The portable computer of claim 2 wherein said navigation device is a touchpad and wherein said sketch pad and said touchpad are substantially coplanar to each other and said sketchpad is at least 50% larger in sensitive area than said touchpad.

7. The portable computer of claim 6 wherein at least 40 % of said touchpad is overlapped by said sketchpad.

8. The portable computer of claim 7 wherein said touchpad is substantially enclosed within said sketch pad.

9. A portable computer comprising a display, a keyboard, a navigation device and a sketch means all operationally connected and said portable computer further comprising a navigation mode accessible via the navigation device, a sketch mode accessible via the sketch means, and means for switching back and forth between said navigation mode and said sketch mode.

10. A method of inputting notes into a computer having a display, a keyboard and at least one X-Y input means, said method comprising the steps of:

a. said computer preparing an electronic document for storing text and digital ink;

b. said computer displaying at least a portion of said electronic document on said display and keeping the display of the electronic document current;

c. said keyboard inputting keystrokes and said computer sending said keystrokes to said electronic document for insertion at its caret position;

d. at least one of said at least one X-Y input means inputting navigation commands and said computer sending said navigation commands to said cursor;

e. at least one of said at least one X-Y input means inputting sketch commands and in response to said sketch commands drawing said sketch command on said display in digital ink;

f. determining whether said digital ink interferes with the text and when it does interfere reflowing said text so that it avoids said digital ink.