Portable electronic device and foldable electronic input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11036254-B2
Application number	US-201916365700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2019
Priority date	Apr 2, 2018
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A foldable electronic input device having a folded mode and an unfolded mode is provided. The foldable electronic input device includes a first body having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and a second body having a third surface. A first input area and a second input area are disposed on the first surface and the second surface, respectively. The third input area is disposed on the third surface. When in the folded mode, the second body is located directly below the first body and the third surface faces the second surface. When in the unfolded mode, the first body is located beside the second body, the second surface forms a plane with the third surface, and the second input area and the third input area constitute a fourth input area. A portable electronic device including the foldable electronic input device is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable electronic input device having a folded mode and an unfolded mode and comprising:
a first body, having a first conductive connector and a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and comprising:
a first input area, disposed on the first surface; and
a second input area, disposed on the second surface; and

a second body, having a second conductive connector and a third surface and comprising:
a third input area, disposed on the third surface,

wherein when the foldable electronic input device is in the folded mode, the second body is located directly below the first body and the third surface faces the second surface, and when the folded electronic input device is in the unfolded mode, the first body is located beside the second body, the second surface forms a plane with the third surface, and the second input area and the third input area are combined into a fourth input area to provide a larger input area than the first input area,
wherein the first input area and the second input area are touch sensing areas, and an entire area of the second input area is larger than an entire area of the first input area,
wherein a conductive path formed by the first conductive connector and the second conductive connector is determined according to the docking condition of the first conductive connector and the second conductive connector.

2. The foldable electronic input device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third body, having a fourth surface and comprising:
a fifth input area, disposed on the fourth surface,

wherein when the foldable electronic input device is in the folded mode, the first body and the second body are located at a same side of the third body, the first surface is aligned with the fourth surface, and when the foldable electronic input device is in the unfolded mode, the second body is located between the first body and the third body.

3. The foldable electronic input device of claim 2 , wherein the first body and the second body are electrically connected to the third body, wherein the third body further comprises:
a computing device, disposed inside the third body and configured to receive and process an input signal inputted by a user via the first input area, the fourth input area, and the fifth input area.

4. The foldable electronic input device of claim 3 , wherein the third body further comprises:
an optical touch sensor, configured to detect a touch operation in the fourth input area, wherein the fourth input area is a touch sensing area.

5. The foldable electronic input device of claim 3 , wherein the third input area is a touch sensing area, wherein when the foldable electronic input device is in the unfolded mode, the computing device combines a first touch signal from the second input area and a second touch signal from the third input area to integrate the second input area and the third input area into an integrated touch sensing area as the fourth input area.

6. The foldable electronic input device of claim 5 , wherein the second input area comprises a plurality of first touch sensors, the third input area comprises a plurality of second touch sensors, the plurality of first touch sensors are configured to generate the first touch signal, and the plurality of second touch sensors are configured to generate the second touch signal.

7. The foldable electronic input device of claim 3 , wherein the first body further comprises a first battery, the second body further comprises a second battery, and the first battery and the second battery supply power to the computing device.

8. The foldable electronic input device of claim 7 , wherein the first conductive connector and the second conductive connector are docked with each other to connect the first battery with the second battery in series.

9. The foldable electronic input device of claim 3 , wherein the fourth input area is a touch sensing area, and the fifth input area is a keyboard area.

10. The foldable electronic input device of claim 1 , wherein when the foldable electronic input device is in the folded mode, the first input area is enabled and the second input area and the third input area are disabled, and when the foldable electronic input device is in the unfolded mode, the first input area is disabled and the second input area and the third input area are enabled.

11. The foldable electronic input device of claim 1 , wherein the foldable electronic input device determines that the foldable electronic input device is in the folded mode or the unfolded mode according to a connection state between the first connector and the second connector.

12. The foldable electronic input device of claim 1 , wherein the fourth input area is a touch sensing area, and the second surface or the third surface further comprises a stylus storage area.

13. The foldable electronic input device of claim 1 , wherein the second surface or the third surface further comprises:
a function selection interface, configured to provide a plurality of selective functions.

14. The foldable electronic input device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a surface layer, fixedly disposed above the second surface and the third surface and covering the second input area and the third input area, wherein the surface layer forms the fourth input area in a flat connection state when the foldable electronic input device is in the unfolded mode.

15. The foldable electronic input device of claim 14 , wherein a material of the surface layer comprises a fiber cloth, a silicone, a rubber, or a flexible display.

16. The foldable electronic input device of claim 14 , wherein the first body and the second body are connected to the surface layer and the first body and the second body are connected to each other via the surface layer to be unfolded or folded.

17. The foldable electronic input device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a pivoting portion, connected to the first body and the second body and disposed below the surface layer, wherein the first body and the second body are connected to each other via the pivoting portion, so that the first body and the second body are unfolded or folded correspondingly.

18. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a foldable electronic input device, having a folded mode and an unfolded mode and comprising:
a first body, having a first conductive connector and a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and comprising:
a first input area, disposed on the first surface; and
a second input area, disposed on the second surface;

a second body, having a second conductive connector and a third surface and comprising:
a third input area, disposed on the third surface; and

a third body, having a fourth surface and comprising:
a computing device, disposed inside the third body and electrically connected to the first input area, a fourth input area, and a fifth input area, wherein in the unfolded mode, the second surface forms a plane with the third surface, and the second input area and the third input area are combined into the fourth input area to provide a larger input area than the first input area; and
the fifth input area, disposed on the fourth surface,

wherein when the foldable electronic input device is in the folded mode, the second body is located directly below the first body and the third surface faces the second surface, the first body and the second body are located at a same side of the third body, and the first surface is aligned with the fourth surface, and when the fold

Assignees

• Tzou Jyh Chyang
• Tseng Hsiao Wen
• Liu Yi Hsun
• Yang Yao Hsien
• Liu Han Tsai
• Compal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Tzou Jyh-Chyang
• Tseng Hsiao-Wen
• Liu Yi-Hsun
• Yang Yao-Hsien
• Liu Han-Tsai

Classifications

• 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

• G06F1/169

  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 title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/03547 Primary

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• G06F1/1677

  for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment · CPC title