Wide touchpad on a portable computer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9513673-B2
Application number	US-201213351096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2012
Priority date	Aug 25, 2004
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

In one exemplary embodiment, a portable computer having a display assembly coupled to a base assembly to alternate between a closed position and an open position. Palm rest areas are formed by a touchpad disposed on the surface of the base assembly. In an alternative embodiment, a touchpad disposed on the base assembly has a width that extends substantially into the palm rests areas of the base assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable computer, comprising:
a display assembly coupled to a base assembly;
a touchpad disposed on the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is half or greater than half a width of the base assembly and the touchpad includes a plurality of predefined regions, wherein the touchpad can detect an object in contact with a surface at any position on the touchpad within a first predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions; and
a processor coupled to the touchpad, wherein, in response to the processor determining that the contact is unintentional, the processor deactivates the first predefined region independently of a second predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions.

2. The portable computer of claim 1 , wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an intentional or unintentional contact based upon determining various characteristics of one or more contact patches on the touchpad.

3. The portable computer of claim 2 , wherein the various characteristics include contact patch location, trajectory, and size.

4. The portable computer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a keyboard disposed on a top surface of the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is substantially similar to a width of the keyboard or greater than a width of the keyboard.

5. The portable computer of claim 4 , wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user's hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed between the keyboard and the touchpad.

6. The portable computer of claim 4 , wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user's hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed in the display assembly.

7. The portable computer of claim 1 , wherein the touchpad comprises a capacitive sensor touchpad.

8. A portable computer, comprising:
a display assembly coupled to a base assembly;
a touchpad disposed on the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is between 100 millimeters and 400 millimeters and the touchpad includes a plurality of predefined regions, and wherein the touchpad can detect an object in contact with a surface at any position on the touchpad within a first predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions; and
a processor coupled to the touchpad, wherein, in response to the processor determining that the contact is unintentional, the processor deactivates the first predefined region independently of a second predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions.

9. The portable computer of claim 8 , wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an intentional or unintentional contact based upon determining various characteristics of one or more contact patches on the touchpad.

10. The portable computer of claim 9 , wherein the various characteristics include contact patch location, trajectory, and size.

11. The portable computer of claim 8 , further comprising:
a keyboard disposed on a top surface of the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is substantially similar to a width of the keyboard or greater than a width of the keyboard.

12. The portable computer of claim 11 , wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user's hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed between the keyboard and the touchpad.

13. The portable computer of claim 11 , wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user's hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed in the display assembly.

14. A portable computer comprising:
a display assembly coupled to a base assembly;
a touchpad disposed on the base assembly, wherein a width of the touchpad is substantially similar to a width of the base assembly and the touchpad includes a plurality of predefined regions, and wherein the touchpad can detect an object in contact with a surface at any position on the touchpad within a first predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions; and
a processor coupled to the touchpad, wherein, in response to the processor determining that the contact is unintentional, the processor deactivates the first predefined region independently of a second predefined region of the plurality of predefined regions.

15. The portable computer of claim 14 , wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an intentional or unintentional contact based upon determining the various characteristics of one or more contact patches on the touchpad.

16. The portable computer of claim 15 , wherein the various characteristics include contact patch location, trajectory, and size.

17. The portable computer of claim 14 , further comprising: a keyboard disposed on a top surface of the base assembly, wherein the touchpad has a width that is substantially similar to a width of the keyboard or greater than a width of the keyboard.

18. The portable computer of claim 17 , wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user's hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed between the keyboard and the touchpad.

19. The portable computer of claim 17 , wherein the processor estimates a probability that the object detected on the surface of the touchpad is an unintentional contact based upon detecting when a user's hand is positioned over the keyboard using a sensor disposed in the display assembly.

20. The portable computer of claim 14 , wherein the touchpad comprises a capacitive sensor touchpad.

Assignees

• Hotelling Steven P
• Ligtenberg Chris
• Kerr Duncan
• Andre Bartley K
• Strickon Joshua A
• Huppi Brian Q
• Chaudhri Imran
• Christie Greg
• Ording Bas
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hotelling Steven P
• Ligtenberg Chris
• Kerr Duncan
• Andre Bartley K
• Strickon Joshua A
• Huppi Brian Q
• Chaudhri Imran
• Christie Greg
• Ording Bas

Classifications

• G06F1/1684

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

• G06F3/03547 Primary

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

• G06F3/04883

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

• G06F1/169 Primary

  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