Electronic device comprising display with switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684659-B2
Application number	US-201916278980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2019
Priority date	Feb 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a housing including a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate includes an opening; a display panel at least partially exposed through the opening and including a touch sensor; a first support member coupled to the display panel and a portion of the first plate along at least part of one side of the opening; and a switch device configured to be actuated according to a depression of the display panel, the depression caused by a downward force exerted on an upper portion of the display panel. Other various embodiments are also possible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing comprising a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate comprises an opening;
a display panel at least partially exposed through the opening and comprising a touch sensor, wherein the display panel is configured to display a plurality of objects;
a first support member coupled to the display panel and a portion of the first plate along at least part of one side of the opening;
a switch device configured to be actuated according to a depression of the display panel, the depression caused by a downward force exerted on an upper portion of the display panel; and
another housing pivotally coupled to the housing, the another housing including another display panel, the another display panel configured to display another plurality of objects; and
wherein the display panel is configured to select a selected object of the plurality of objects, responsive to a touch of the display panel and select another selected object of the another plurality of objects responsive to exertion of the downward force.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the switch device is a dome switch or a tactile switch.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the switch device is disposed on a bottom surface of the display panel facing the second plate, and further comprising a second support member fixed at a position so as to actuate the switch device when the display panel is depressed.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the second support member is fixedly coupled to the first plate.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is electrically coupled to the display panel and the switch device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is electrically coupled to the display panel via a first printed circuit board, and is electrically coupled to the switch device via a second printed circuit board.

7. The electronic device of claim 3 , further comprising a support structure disposed in a central region of the display panel.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the support structure is disposed on the first support member.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the first printed circuit board and/or the second printed circuit board are disposed at a first side of the display panel different from a second side of the display panel at which the first support member is disposed.

10. An electronic device comprising:
a first housing including a first display panel; and
a second housing pivotally coupled with the first housing and including a keyboard and a touchpad,
wherein the touchpad is disposed on a support portion, is exposed through an opening of the second housing, and includes a touch sensor, a second display panel, and a switch device configured to be actuated according to a depression of the touchpad caused by a downward force exerted on the touchpad,
the electronic device further comprising a first coupling member disposed at a first position of an edge of the support portion, a second coupling member disposed at a second position of the edge of the support portion forming a first axis through a central region of the support portion with the first coupling member, wherein when downward force is exerted at a location on the touchpad, the touchpad deforms or pivots about the first axis.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising a third coupling member at a third position of the edge of the support portion and a fourth coupling member at a fourth position of the edge of the support portion forming a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, wherein when downward force is exerted at another location on the touchpad, the touchpad deforms or pivots about the second axis.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising a support member fixed at a position so as to actuate the switch device when the touchpad is depressed.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the support member is fixedly coupled to the second housing.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is electrically coupled to the second display panel and the switch device.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is electrically coupled to the second display panel via a first printed circuit board, and is electrically coupled to the switch device via a second printed circuit board.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , further comprising a support structure disposed in the central region of the second display panel.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the support structure is disposed on the support portion.

18. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the first printed circuit board and/or the second printed circuit board are disposed at a first side of the second display panel different from a second side of the second display panel at which the support portion is disposed.

19. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the switch device comprises four switches, each switch disposed on one of the four coupling members.

20. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein each of the four coupling members includes a slit to facilitate the depression of the touchpad.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• SONG Junhyeok
• KIM Backman
• Yang Kwangsik
• YEO Wonku
• Yoo Sunghyun
• You Suhyun
• Lee Seokho
• Jo Hwanju

Classifications

• G06F3/1407

  General aspects irrespective of display type, e.g. determination of decimal point position, display with fixed or driving decimal point, suppression of non-significant zeros · CPC title

• G06F3/0487

  using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F1/1662 Primary

  Details related to the integrated keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title