DETACHABLE BACK MOUNTED TOUCHPAD FOR A HANDHELD COMPUTERIZED DEVICE

• US 20120007822A1
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Handscape Inc., A Delaware Corporation
• Original Assignee: Handscape Inc., A Delaware Corporation
• Inventors: Luo, Tong
• Granted Patent: US 9,310,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a detachable touchpad for a handheld computerized device. This detachable touchpad is configured to reversibly attach to the back of a handheld computerized device that lacks a rear mounted touchpad, and with appropriate software, allow the user to at least in part control the handheld computerized device from behind the device.

Claims

1. A detachable touchpad device configured to reversibly attach to the back side of a handheld computerized device;

said handheld computerized device comprising a front side with a display screen, a back side, at least one processor, memory, and at least operating system software;

said detachable touchpad device comprising;

a cover configured to reversibly attach to at least some of said back side of said handheld computerized device, said cover comprising a cover front side facing said back side of said handheld computerized device, and a cover back side facing away from said back side of said handheld computerized device so that said cover back side can make contact with the hand of a user when said cover is attached to said handheld computerized device, and said user is holding said handheld computerized device;

said back side of said cover comprising at least one touch sensing pad disposed to detect touch input from said user;

said detachable touchpad device further comprising a data transfer device to communicate said touch input to said at least one processor of said handheld computerized device; and

wherein, when said detachable touchpad device is attached to the back side of said handheld computerized device, touch input from said user on said at least one touch sensing pad is used to control said computerized device.

2. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, wherein said cover reversibly attaches part or all of said back side of said handheld computerized device, and said cover does not cover said display screen.

3. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, wherein said cover reversibly attaches to part or all of said back side of said handheld computerized device, and said cover also covers said display screen.

4. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, wherein said cover is made from a rigid or semi-rigid material, and the shape of said cover front side substantially conforms to at least the shape of said back side of said handheld computerized device.

5. The detachable touchpad device of claim 4, wherein said cover attaches to said handheld computerized device by snapping into a position in which the complementary fit between the shape of raised or lowered surfaces on said back side of said handheld computerized device and the shape of raised or lowered features on said cover front side acts to attach said detachable touchpad device to said handheld computerized device.

6. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, wherein said cover is deformable, and said cover slips over substantially all of said back side of said handheld computerized device and at least some of said front side of said handheld computerized device.

7. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, wherein said cover attaches to said handheld computerized device using an adhesive.

8. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, in which said data transfer device communicates said touch input to said handheld computerized device via an electrical cable and/or direct electrical connector.

9. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, in which said data transfer device communicates said touch input to said handheld computerized device via a wireless link.

10. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, in which said touch sensing pad comprises a multi-touch sensing surface capable of recognizing the presence and locations of at least two points of contact with said surface, and transmitting said presence and locations to said data transfer device.

11. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, wherein said operating system software or software applications running under said operating system software use said touch input to generate images on said display screen portraying the approximate position of at least some of said user'"'"'s finger positions and finger movement.

12. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, wherein said display screen is a touch sensitive display screen, and in which said handheld computerized device is controlled by touch input from both said touch sensitive display screen and touch input from said detachable touchpad device.

13. The detachable touchpad device of claim 1, wherein said device additionally comprises a touchpad device battery, said handheld computerized device additionally comprises a handheld device battery, and in which said touchpad device battery is configured to either draw power from said handheld device battery and/or provide power to said handheld device battery.

14. A detachable touchpad device configured to reversibly attach to the back side of a handheld computerized device;

said handheld computerized device comprising a front side with a display screen, a back side, at least one processor, memory, and at least operating system software;

said detachable touchpad device comprising;

a cover configured to reversibly attach to at least some of said back side of said handheld computerized device, said cover comprising a cover front side facing said back side of said handheld computerized device, and a cover back side facing away from said back side of said handheld computerized device so that said cover back side can make contact with the hand of a user when said cover is attached to said handheld computerized device, and said user is holding said handheld computerized device;

said back side of said cover comprising at least one touch sensing pad disposed to detect touch input from said user;

said detachable touchpad device further comprising a data transfer device to communicate said touch input to said at least one processor of said handheld computerized device;

in which said touch sensing pad comprises a multi-touch sensing surface capable of recognizing touch input comprising the presence and locations of at least two points of contact with said surface, and transmitting said presence and locations to said data transfer device;

in which said data transfer device communicates said touch input to said handheld computerized device via an electrical cable or a direct electrical connector, or by a wireless link;

wherein, when said detachable touchpad device is attached to the back side of said handheld computerized device, touch input from said user on said at least one touch sensing pad is used to control said computerized device; and

wherein said display screen is a touch sensitive display screen, and in which said handheld computerized device is controlled by touch input from both said touch sensitive display screen and touch input from said detachable touchpad device.

15. The detachable touchpad device of claim 14, wherein said cover is made from a rigid or semi-rigid material, and the shape of said cover front side substantially conforms to at least the shape of said back side of said handheld computerized device;

and

wherein said cover attaches to said handheld computerized device by snapping into a position in which the complementary fit between the shape of raised or lowered surfaces on said backside of said handheld computerized device and the shape of raised or lowered features on said cover front side acts to attach said detachable touchpad device to said handheld computerized device.

16. The detachable touchpad device of claim 14, wherein said cover reversibly attaches to part or all of said back side of said handheld computerized device, and said cover does not cover said display screen.

17. The detachable touchpad device of claim 14, wherein said operating system software or software applications running under said operating system software use said touch input to generate images on said display screen portraying the approximate position of at least some of said user'"'"'s finger positions and finger movement.

18. A method of operating a handheld computerized device, said method comprising

Providing a detachable touchpad device configured to reversibly attach to the back side of a handheld computerized device;

said handheld computerized device comprising a front side with a display screen, a back side, at least one processor, memory, and at least operating system software;

said detachable touchpad device comprising;

a cover configured to reversibly attach to at least some of said back side of said handheld computerized device, said cover comprising a cover front side facing said back side of said handheld computerized device, and a cover back side facing away from said back side of said handheld computerized device so that said cover back side can make contact with the hand of a user when said cover is attached to said handheld computerized device, and said user is holding said handheld computerized device;

said back side of said cover comprising at least one touch sensing pad disposed to detect touch input from said user;

said detachable touchpad device further comprising a data transfer device to communicate said touch input to said at least one processor of said handheld computerized device;

in which said touch sensing pad comprises a multi-touch sensing surface capable of recognizing touch input comprising the presence and locations of at least two points of contact with said surface, and transmitting said presence and locations to said data transfer device;

using said data transfer device to communicate said touch input to said handheld computerized device via an electrical cable or a direct electrical connector, or by a wireless link;

wherein, when said detachable touchpad device is attached to the back side of said handheld computerized device, touch input from said user on said at least one touch sensing pad is used to control said computerized device; and

using said operating system software or software applications running under said operating system software to take said touch input and generate images on said display screen portraying the approximate position of at least some of said user'"'"'s finger positions and finger movement.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said display screen is a touch sensitive display screen, and further using touch input from both said touch sensitive display screen and touch input from said detachable touchpad device to control said handheld computerized device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said cover is made from a rigid or semi-rigid material, and the shape of said cover front side substantially conforms to at least the shape of said back side of said handheld computerized device;

and

wherein said cover attaches to said handheld computerized device by snapping into a position in which the complementary fit between the shape of raised or lowered surfaces on said back side of said handheld computerized device and the shape of raised or lowered features on said cover front side acts to attach said detachable cover touchpad device to said handheld computerized device.