Hidden touch pad structure

• US 7,733,334 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First International Computer Incorporated (FIC Global Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First International Computer Incorporated (FIC Global Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lu, Ying-Ta
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Henry N
• Application Number:
  US11/624,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20070114115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/175, 345/176, 345/178, 345/901, 345/905, 178/18.03, 178 1808- 1811, 348/14.03, 362/26, 362/29, 362/600, 463/37
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

Abstract

A hidden touch pad structure adapted for an electronic product has a plate, a touch pad arranged inside the plate, a circuit board disposed under and retained against the plate and the touch pad simultaneously, and a lighting device surrounding the touch pad and received inside the plate. The circuit board receives a pressure signal via the plate and the touch pad and drives the lighting device to provide light. The touch pad is recognized via the lighting device surrounding the touch pad.

Claims

1. A hidden touch pad structure adapted for an electronic product including a keyboard, comprising:

a plate comprising an area adjacent to the keyboard, with the area of the plate originally integrally formed in one piece and including a top surface, with the top surface being continuous, flat and smooth;

a touch pad arranged under the plate;

a circuit board disposed under and retained against the plate and the touch pad simultaneously;

wherein the touch pad electrically connects to the circuit board, wherein the circuit board receives a pressure signal via the plate and the touch pad.

2. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate has various thicknesses.

3. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plate includes a recess concaved from a bottom surface of the plate with a predetermined depth to make the various thicknesses thereof, the recess is formed on the plate integrally in one piece, the recess includes an inner surface spaced from the top surface and intermediate the top surface and the bottom surface, and the touch pad is disposed in the recess of the plate, with the bottom surface being opposite to the top surface.

4. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the predetermined depth approaches a thickness of the touch pad.

5. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the touch pad has a top surface retained against the inner surface of the recess of the top plate and adjacent to the recess of the plate.

6. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a lighting device surrounding the touch pad and received inside the plate and disposed in the recess with the touch plate, wherein when the circuit board receives the pressure signal via the plate and the touch pad, the circuit board further drives the lighting device to provide light, and the touch pad is recognized via the lighting device surrounding the touch pad.

7. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lighting device includes a surrounding plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diode).

8. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lighting device includes a lighting member and a guiding member connecting sequentially.

9. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lighting member is an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

10. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the guiding member is a guide light strip.

11. A hidden touch pad structure adapted for an electronic product including a keyboard, comprising:

a plate adapted to receive the keyboard and an area adjacent to the keyboard, with the area of the plate originally integrally formed in one piece and including a top surface, with the top surface being continuous, flat and smooth;

a touch pad arranged under the plate;

a circuit board disposed under and retained against the plate and the touch pad simultaneously;

wherein the touch pad electrically connects to the circuit board, wherein the circuit board receives a pressure signal via the plate and the touch pad.

12. The hidden touch pad structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plate has various thicknesses, and wherein the plate includes a recess concaved from a bottom surface of the plate with a predetermined depth to make the various thicknesses thereof, the recess is formed on the plate integrally in one piece, the recess includes an inner surface spaced from the top surface and intermediate the top surface and the bottom surface, and the touch pad is disposed in the recess of the plate, with the bottom surface being opposite to the top surface.

13. A hidden touch pad structure adapted for an electronic product including a keyboard, comprising:

a plate adapted to receive the keyboard and an area adjacent to the keyboard, with the area of the plate originally integrally formed in one piece and including a top surface, with the top surface being continuous, flat and smooth;

a touch pad arranged under the plate;

a circuit board disposed under and retained against the plate and the touch pad simultaneously;

wherein the touch pad electrically connects to the circuit board;

wherein the circuit board receives a pressure signal via the plate and the touch pad;

wherein the plate has various thicknesses; and

wherein the plate includes a recess concaved from a bottom surface of the plate with a predetermined depth to make the various thicknesses thereof, the recess is formed on the plate integrally in one piece, the recess includes an inner surface spaced from the top surface and intermediate the top surface and the bottom surface, and the touch pad is disposed in the recess of the plate, with the bottom surface being opposite to the top surface.