Touch input device in a circuit board

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9785339-B2
Application number	US-201414561014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2014
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

Techniques for a touch input device in a circuit board are described. In at least some embodiments, a touch input device is integrated into a circuit board of an apparatus. For instance, a touch interaction region of the touch input device is formed by cutting and/or etching a portion of the circuit board such that the touch interaction region is moveable with respect to adjacent portions of the circuit board. According to one or more embodiments, a touch input device includes a switch such that movement of the touch interaction region actuates the switch to generate a click input event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input device comprising:
a chassis with a circuit board mounted therein; and
a touch input device comprising:
a touch interaction region formed from a portion of the circuit board that is at least one of cut or etched from a main body of the circuit board such that the touch interaction region is moveable with respect to surrounding portions of the circuit board; and
a switch that is positioned relative to the touch interaction region such that the switch is actuatable to generate a click input event in response to movement of the touch interaction region.

2. An input device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch interaction region includes a sensor substrate that is configured to receive touch input to generate a touch input event.

3. An input device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the circuit board includes at least one other input device separate from the touch input device.

4. An input device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch interaction region includes a hinge region that connects the touch interaction region to the main body of the circuit board, and wherein the touch interaction region is moveable about the hinge region.

5. An input device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch interaction region includes a hinge region that is at least partially cut or etched between the touch interaction region and the main body of the circuit board, and wherein the touch interaction region is moveable about the hinge region.

6. An input device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch interaction region includes a hinge region that connects the touch interaction region to the main body of the circuit board such that the touch interaction region is moveable about the hinge region, and wherein the circuit board includes electrical connectivity from the touch interaction region to the main body of the circuit board across the hinge region.

7. An input device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch interaction region is one or more of cut or etched on a first side, a second side, and a third side such that the touch interaction region is moveable about a fourth side of the touch interaction region.

8. An input device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch interaction device includes a stopper that is connected to the touch interaction region and that constrains movement of the touch interaction region with respect to the main body of the circuit board.

9. An input device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the touch input device includes a stopper that is connected to the touch interaction region and that provides stiffening of the touch interaction region during movement of the touch interaction region.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a circuit board; and
a touch input sensor comprising:
a touch interaction region formed from a portion of the circuit board that is at least partially cut from a main body of the circuit board such that the touch interaction region is pivotable on a hinge region of the circuit board; and
a switch that is positioned relative to the touch interaction region such that the switch is actuatable to generate a click input event in response to movement of the touch interaction region about the hinge region.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein the apparatus comprises an input device operably attachable to a computing device.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein the apparatus comprises a wearable device.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein the apparatus comprises a modular touch input device.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein the PCBA includes at least one other input device separate from the touch input sensor.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein the touch interaction region includes a sensor substrate configured to receive touch input to generate a touch input event.

16. A touch input device comprising:
a touch interaction region that is at least one of partially cut or etched from a portion of a circuit board such that the touch interaction region is moveable with respect to an adjacent portion of the circuit board;
a hinge region that corresponds to a portion of the circuit board about which the touch interaction region is pivotable; and
a switch that is positioned relative to the touch interaction region such that the switch is actuatable to generate a click input event in response to movement of the touch interaction region about the hinge region.

17. A touch input device as described in claim 16 , wherein the hinge region is at least one of etched or partially cut between the touch interaction region and the adjacent portion of the circuit board.

18. A touch input device as described in claim 16 , wherein the touch interaction region includes a sensor substrate configured to receive touch input.

19. A touch input device as described in claim 16 , further comprising a face sheet adhered to the touch interaction region.

20. A touch input device as described in claim 16 , wherein the switch is electrically connected to the touch interaction region such that the click input event that is communicated across the hinge region to a main body of the circuit board.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Xie Xiaoyue
• Marwah Rahul
• Nelson John Jacob
• Mccracken Ivan Andrew
• Whitt Iii David Otto

Classifications

• G06F3/03547

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

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G06F3/0488 Primary

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title