Device having integrated interface system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022326777-A1
Application number	US-202217843756-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2022
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Oct 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A portable computer includes a display portion comprising a display and a base portion pivotally coupled to the display portion. The base portion may include a bottom case and a top case, formed from a dielectric material, coupled to the bottom case. The top case may include a top member defining a top surface of the base portion and a sidewall integrally formed with the top member and defining a side surface of the base portion. The portable computer may also include a sensing system including a first sensing system configured to determine a location of a touch input applied to the top surface of the base portion and a second sensing system configured to determine a force of the touch input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A portable computer comprising
a display portion comprising a display; and a base portion pivotally coupled to the display portion and comprising:
a bottom case; and
a top case, formed from a dielectric material, coupled to the bottom case and comprising:
a top member defining a top surface of the base portion; and
a sidewall integrally formed with the top member and defining a side surface of the base portion; and

a sensing system comprising:
a first sensing system configured to determine a location of a touch input applied to the top surface of the base portion; and
a second sensing system configured to determine a force of the touch input.

2 . The portable computer of claim 1 , wherein the top case is formed from a single glass member.

3 . The portable computer of claim 2 , wherein:
the sidewall is a first sidewall; the side surface is a first side surface; and the top case further comprises:
a second sidewall integrally formed with the first sidewall and the top member and defining a second side surface of the base portion; and
a third sidewall integrally formed with the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the top member and defining a third side surface of the base portion.

4 . The portable computer of claim 3 , wherein:
the first sensing system is positioned below the top member and extends over an entire area of the top member; and the second sensing system is positioned below the top member and extends over the entire area of the top member.

5 . The portable computer of claim 3 , wherein:
the top member defines an opening; and the portable computer further comprises a keyboard positioned in the opening.

6 . The portable computer of claim 3 , wherein:
the display is a first display; and the portable computer further comprises a second display within the base portion and viewable through the top case.

7 . The portable computer of claim 6 , wherein the second display is configured to display an image of a keyboard in a keyboard region of the top case.

8 . The portable computer of claim 7 , wherein:
the image of the keyboard includes an image of a key; and the second sensing system is configured to register a key input in response to detecting an input applied to the key and having a force exceeding a force threshold.

9 . A device comprising:
a display portion comprising:
a display housing; and
a display within the display housing; and
a base portion coupled to the display portion and comprising:
a bottom case; and
a glass top case coupled to the bottom case and defining a top exterior surface of the base portion; and
a sensing system configured to:
determine a location of a touch input applied to any location on the top exterior surface of the base portion; and
determine a force of the touch input applied to any location on the top exterior surface of the base portion.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein:
the sensing system comprises:
a touch sensing system configured to determine the location of the touch input; and
a force sensing system configured to determine the force of the touch input and to determine the location of the touch input;
the glass top case is configured to locally deform in response to the touch input; and the device is configured to register an input at the location of the touch input if the determined force exceeds a threshold force.

11 . The device of claim 10 , further comprising a haptic device configured to produce a haptic output at the glass top case in response to registering the input at the location of the touch input.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the haptic output produces a localized haptic output such that a magnitude of the haptic output at the location is greater than the magnitude of the haptic output at a different location adjacent to the location.

13 . The device of claim 9 , wherein:
the glass top case defines an opening; and the device further comprises a keyboard positioned at least partially in the opening.

14 . The device of claim 9 , wherein:
the bottom case defines:
a bottom member;
a first sidewall integrally formed with the bottom member;
a second sidewall integrally formed with the bottom member; and
a third sidewall integrally formed with the bottom member; and
the glass top case is attached to the bottom case via the first, second, and third sidewalls.

15 . A notebook computer comprising
a display portion comprising a display; and a base portion flexibly coupled to the display portion and comprising:
a bottom case; and
a glass top case coupled to the bottom case and defining substantially an entire top surface of the base portion;
a touch sensing system configured to determine a location of a touch event applied to the top case; and a force sensing system configured to cause the notebook computer to register an input in response to a force associated with the touch event exceeding a threshold.

16 . The notebook computer of claim 15 , wherein:
the glass top case defines a keyboard region and a trackpad region; and the notebook computer is configured to register the input as a key input if the location of the touch event is within the keyboard region.

17 . The notebook computer of claim 16 , wherein:
the force sensing system is configured to determine if a palm of a user is resting on the trackpad region; in response to the force sensing system determining that the palm of the user is not resting on the trackpad region, the notebook computer sets the threshold to a first threshold; and in response to the force sensing system determining that the palm of the user is resting on the trackpad region, the notebook computer sets the threshold to a second threshold different from the first threshold.

18 . The notebook computer of claim 16 , wherein the notebook computer is configured to register the input as a trackpad input if the location of the touch event is within the trackpad region.

19 . The notebook computer of claim 18 , wherein the notebook computer is configured to take a first action in response to registering the input as the key input and to take a second action different from the first action in response to registering the input as a trackpad input.

20 . The notebook computer of claim 18 , further comprising a haptic device configured to produce a haptic output at the glass top case in response to registering the input as the trackpad input or the key input.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ligtenberg Christiaan A
• Degner Brett W
• Hopkinson Ron A
• Hussain Asif
• Mathew Dinesh C
• Silvanto Mikael M
• Zhang Chang
• Gao Zheng
• Cao Robert Y
• Hendren Keith J
• Posner Bryan W
• Lancaster-Larocque Simon R
• Lehmann Alex J

Classifications

• H01H2219/002

  replaceable; adaptable · CPC title

• H01H2215/05

  electromechanical · CPC title

• H01H2215/052

  piezoelectric · CPC title

• H01H2219/046

  above switch site · CPC title

• H03K17/9643

  using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard · CPC title