Electronic device and mode switching method of thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10921981-B2
Application number	US-201916278177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2018
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

An electronic device includes a keyboard module, a silicone film, a light-emitting module, and a touch module. The keyboard module has a plurality of buttons and a point stick. The silicone film has a virtual touch region. The light-emitting module is configured below the silicone film and corresponds to the virtual touch region. The light-emitting module includes a first light-emitting unit and a second light-emitting unit. The touch module is configured below the silicone film and corresponds to the virtual touch region. The touch module includes a control chip and a sensing layer. The point stick, the first light-emitting unit, the second light-emitting unit, and the sensing layer are electrically connected to the control chip, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a keyboard module, having a plurality of buttons and a point stick;
a silicone film, having a virtual touch region;
a light-emitting module, disposed below the silicone film and corresponding to the virtual touch region, the light-emitting module comprising a first light-emitting unit and a second light-emitting unit; and
a touch module, disposed below the silicone film and corresponding to the virtual touch region, the touch module comprising a control chip and a sensing layer,
wherein the point stick, the first light-emitting unit, the second light-emitting unit, and the sensing layer are respectively electrically connected to the control chip,
wherein when a first mode is activated by pressing the virtual touch region of the silicone film, the control chip drives the first light-emitting unit to emit light and displays positions of a plurality of first virtual buttons in the virtual touch region,
wherein when a second mode is activated by pressing the point stick of the keyboard module, the control chip drives the second light-emitting unit to emit light and displays positions of a plurality of second virtual buttons in the virtual touch region.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting module is located between the silicone film and the touch module.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein in the first mode, the control chip drives the sensing layer to activate a position sensing function of the sensing layer and a cursor control function of the sensing layer but deactivate a cursor control function of the point stick.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein in the second mode, the control chip drives the sensing layer to activate a position sensing function of the sensing layer but deactivate a cursor control function of the sensing layer and activate a cursor control function of the point stick.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second virtual buttons are located between the plurality of first virtual buttons and the plurality of buttons.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the touch module has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, the sensing layer covers the first surface, and the control chip is located on the second surface.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the touch module further comprises a metal film button disposed on the second surface and electrically connected to the control chip.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first light-emitting unit comprises a plurality of first light-emitting diodes separated from each other, and the second light-emitting unit comprises a plurality of second light-emitting diodes separated from each other.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of first light-emitting diodes surrounds the plurality of second light-emitting diodes.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display unit, the keyboard module, the light-emitting module, and the touch module defining a host, the display unit being pivoted to the host and electrically connected to the host.

11. A mode switching method of an electronic device, comprising:
providing the electronic device described in claim 1 ;
detecting whether a trigger signal exists by the control chip; and
maintaining an existing state or an existing function of the first light-emitting unit, the second light-emitting unit, the touch module, and the point stick by the control chip if the trigger signal does not exist.

12. The mode switching method of the electronic device of claim 11 , wherein if the trigger signal exists and is a trigger signal of the touch module,
turning on the first light-emitting unit;
turning off the second light-emitting unit;
activating a cursor control function of the touch module;
activating a position sensing function of the touch module; and
deactivating a cursor control function of the point stick.

13. The mode switching method of the electronic device of claim 11 , wherein if the trigger signal exists and is a trigger signal of the point stick:
turning off the first light-emitting unit;
turning on the second light-emitting unit;
deactivating a cursor control function of the touch module;
activating a position sensing function of the touch module; and
activating a cursor control function of the point stick.

14. The mode switching method of the electronic device of claim 11 , wherein if the trigger signal exists and is a time trigger signal:
turning off the first light-emitting unit;
turning off the second light-emitting unit;
activating a cursor control function of the touch module;
activating a position sensing function of the touch module; and
deactivating a cursor control function of the point stick.

15. An electronic device, comprising:
a keyboard module, having a plurality of buttons and a point stick;
a protection film, having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface having light-permeable patterns of a plurality of first virtual buttons and light-permeable patterns of a plurality of second virtual buttons;
a light-emitting module, disposed below the protection film and comprising a first light-emitting unit and a second light-emitting unit respectively corresponding to the light-permeable patterns of the plurality of first virtual buttons and the light-permeable patterns of the plurality of second virtual buttons; and
a touch module disposed below the protection film,
wherein when a first mode is activated by pressing a virtual touch region of the protection film, a control chip drives the first light-emitting unit to emit light and displays positions of the plurality of first virtual buttons in the virtual touch region,
wherein when a second mode is activated by pressing the point stick of the keyboard module, the control chip drives the second light-emitting unit to emit light and displays positions of the plurality of second virtual buttons in the virtual touch region.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the protection film comprises:
a transparent body layer; and
a non-transparent ink layer coated on the transparent body layer to define the light-permeable patterns of the plurality of first virtual button and the light-permeable patterns of the plurality of second virtual buttons.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the protection film comprises:
a non-transparent body layer having a first thickness; and
a groove region distributed on the non-transparent body layer and having a second thickness, wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness to define the light-permeable patterns of the plurality of first virtual buttons and the light-permeable patterns of the plurality of second virtual buttons.

18. The electronic device of claim 15 , further comprising:
the control chip electrically connected to the point stick, the first light-emitting unit, the second light-emitting unit, and the touch module.

Assignees

• Tsai Meng Huan
• Hsiao Yen Hua
• Pai Yun Tung
• Lee Chih Yuan
• Ho Chien Hao
• Wu Chia Hua
• Chen Kung Ju
• Lin Chia Chi
• Sun Chia Chi
• Compal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Tsai Meng-Huan
• Hsiao Yen-Hua
• Pai Yun-Tung
• Lee Chih-Yuan
• Ho Chien-Hao
• Wu Chia-Hua
• Chen Kung-Ju
• Lin Chia-Chi
• Sun Chia-Chi

Classifications

• G06F1/1684

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title

• G06F1/1662

  Details related to the integrated keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/04886 Primary

  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

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  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 title