Electronic device comprising display with switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12130673-B2
Application number	US-202418422145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2024
Priority date	Feb 21, 2018
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

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 first housing;
a keyboard disposed in the first housing;
a touchpad disposed in the first housing, wherein the touchpad comprises a touch sensor and a display;
a second housing pivotally coupled to the first housing;
a display panel disposed in the second housing;
at least one processor; and
memory for storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to;
display, via the touchpad, a plurality of shortcuts including a first shortcut related to a first function for moving a pointer on the display panel and a second shortcut related to a second function for displaying a group of objects corresponding to a subset of a plurality of keys in the keyboard,
receive a first input on the first shortcut displayed in the touchpad,
in response to the first input on the first shortcut, perform the first function for moving the pointer that is displayed on the display panel so that the pointer on the display panel is moved in response to an input on the touchpad,
receive a second input on the second shortcut displayed in the touchpad, and
in response to the second input on the second shortcut, perform the second function so that the group of objects corresponding to the subset of the plurality of keys in the keyboard is displayed and an input on any one of the objects corresponding the subset of the plurality of keys is received on the touchpad.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:
display on the touchpad a graphic user interface (GUI) corresponding to a specific application.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:
display in the display panel an execution screen of an application corresponding to one of the plurality of shortcuts.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:
display in the display panel a result of an input of a specific key among a group of keys that is provided in the touchpad as a function corresponding to one of the plurality of shortcuts.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the GUI displayed on the touchpad comprises an input value in an execution screen of the specific application corresponding to one of the plurality of shortcuts.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of keys in the keyboard are exposed through an opening in the first housing.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shortcuts include a third shortcut related to a third function for displaying a group of other objects corresponding to a subset of a plurality of other keys different from the plurality of keys in the keyboard.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first input or the second input corresponds to at least one of; a touch input, a press input, or a push input.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the electronic device includes a hinge structure pivotally coupling the first housing and the second housing, and
wherein a closed state of the electronic device and an open state of the electronic device are provided by pivoting of the hinge structure.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second shortcut corresponds to a button for providing a function for inputting, in the touchpad, at least one of enter key, delete key, num key, upper key, lower key, left key, right key among the plurality of keys.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of shortcuts displayed in the touchpad indicates a function or a mode to be executed in response to an input for the touchpad.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the touchpad is configured to be operated as selecting one of the plurality of shortcuts in response to detecting a push input.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the touchpad includes at least one switch that is configured to be depressed for detecting the push input.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shortcuts further include at least one of:
a shortcut for opening a file or a document, a shortcut for executing a command, a shortcut for starting a program, or a shortcut for browsing a menu.

15. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the pointer on the display panel is moved in response to an input on a first screen displayed on the touchpad, and
wherein the second shortcut is included in a second screen, being different from the first screen, displayed on the touchpad.

16. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to:
display, via the touchpad, a status bar that indicates statuses of the electronic device.

17. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of: a smart phone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a desktop PC, a laptop PC, or a netbook computer.

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

• G06F1/1616

  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