Portable Electronic Device and Touch Pad Device for the Same

• US 20090033620A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Chi-Chung, Ko, Po-Kai
• Application Number:
  US12/177,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20090033620A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a casing and a touch pad device. The casing has an opening. The touch pad device is mounted on the casing, and includes a touch pad, a support, a suspending device, and a sensing device. The touch pad is movable and exposed in the opening. The support is mounted on the casing. The suspending device is mounted between the touch pad and the support. The sensing device includes a plurality of sensing elements respectively mounted on the support correspondingly to the perimeter of the touch pad.

Claims

1. A touch pad device for a portable electronic device having a displaying device and a casing, adapted to control displacement of a cursor of the displaying device, and the touch pad device comprising:

a touch pad to detect a contact to generate a first cursor signal;

a support mounted on the casing;

a suspending device connected to the touch pad and the support to allow the touch pad to receive force from being pushed causing temporary displacement with respect to the support; and

a plurality of sensing elements respectively mounted on the support correspondingly to a perimeter of the touch pad, and the sensing elements detecting the temporary displacement enabling a second cursor signal to be generated;

wherein a distance of a cursor movement in accordance with the second cursor signal is greater than the distance of the cursor movement in accordance with the first cursor signal shown on the displaying device.

2. The touch pad device according to claim 1, wherein the suspending device comprises a plurality of suspending elements respectively mounted on four corners of the touch pad.

3. The touch pad device according to claim 2, wherein each of the suspending elements is a resilient element.

4. The touch pad device according to claim 3, wherein the resilient elements are springs.

5. The touch pad device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing elements respectively correspond with four edges of the perimeter of the touch pad.

6. The touch pad device according to claim 1, wherein each of the sensing elements is a position sensor to detect an amount of displacement of the touch pad.

7. A touch pad device for a portable electronic device having a displaying device, adapted to control displacement of a cursor of the displaying device, and the touch pad device comprising:

a touch pad that is movable to detect a contact to generate a first cursor signal;

a suspending device connected to the touch pad to suspend the touch pad; and

a plurality of sensing elements respectively mounted correspondingly to a perimeter of the touch pad to detect temporary displacement enabling a second cursor signal to be generated;

wherein a distance of a cursor movement in accordance with the second cursor signal is greater than the distance of the cursor movement in accordance with the first cursor signal shown on the displaying device.

8. The touch pad device according to claim 7, wherein the suspending device comprises a plurality of suspending elements respectively mounted on four corners of the touch pad.

9. The touch pad device according to claim 8, wherein each of the suspending elements is a resilient element.

10. The touch pad device according to claim 8, wherein the resilient elements are springs.

11. The touch pad device according to claim 7, wherein the sensing elements respectively correspond with four edges of the perimeter of the touch pad.

12. The touch pad device according to claim 7, wherein each of the sensing elements is a position sensor to detect an amount of displacement of the touch pad.

13. A portable electronic device comprising:

a displaying device to display displacement of a cursor;

a casing having an opening; and

a touch pad device mounted on the casing to control the displacement of the cursor of the displaying device, and comprising;

a touch pad that is movable and exposed in the opening to detect a contact to generate a first cursor signal;

a support mounted on the casing;

a suspending device connected to the touch pad and the support to allow the touch pad to receive force from being pushed causing temporary displacement with respect to the support; and

a plurality of sensing elements respectively mounted on the support correspondingly to a perimeter of the touch pad to detect the temporary displacement enabling a second cursor signal to be generated;

wherein a distance of a cursor movement in accordance with the second cursor signal is greater than the distance of the cursor movement in accordance with the first cursor signal shown on the displaying device.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the suspending device comprises a plurality of suspending elements respectively mounted on four corners of the touch pad.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 14, wherein each of the suspending elements is a resilient element.

16. The portable electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the resilient elements are springs.

17. The portable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the sensing elements respectively correspond with four edges of the perimeter of the touch pad.

18. The portable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein each of the sensing elements is a position sensor used to detect an amount of displacement of the touch pad.

19. The portable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the portable electronic device is a portable computer.