KR20040018262A - System for disposing a proximity sensitive touchpad behind a mobile phone keymat - Google Patents

Abstract

A proximity-based mutual capacitance-sensitive touchpad is placed directly under the keypad keymat of the mobile phone. At this time, the posts associated with each key pass through the mutual capacitance sensing sensor electrode grid of the touch pad so that the keypad posts do not interfere with the touch pad sensing and tracking of the pointing object moving along the keypad surface. Thus, touch pad data entry, cursor control, and scroll bar control are made possible on the display screen of the mobile phone. Keypad posts also operate a mechanical switch under the touchpad.

Description

SYSTEM FOR DISPOSING A PROXIMITY SENSITIVE TOUCHPAD BEHIND A MOBILE PHONE KEYMAT}

Portable information devices include portable communication devices known by several popular names, such as cellular phones and mobile phones (collectively called mobile phones in the future). Currently, mobile phones can provide many other services besides voice communication. For example, mobile phones provide data services such as access to the Internet for web browsing and email use. These services are becoming more and more common as the infrastructure for providing them is widely available.

There are several problems that hinder the use of this data service. Because these mobile phones are compact devices, the surface space on the mobile phone for implementing data input and display control techniques is very low. Mobile phones generally rely on the keypad as the main source of alphanumeric data entry and display control. Unfortunately, it is empirically seen that using keypads for all kinds of data entry and display control is insufficient, slow and cumbersome from the user's perspective. Thus, the ability to easily navigate graphical interfaces, such as graphical interfaces such as mobile phone web browsers and the ability to quickly enter text in a word processor for email transmission, is desirable but unsatisfactory.

Thus, it would be advantageous for the known art to provide a system that can quickly enter data in a portable information device and utilize graphical display control, such as a mobile phone. Ideally, the mobile phone system should provide the touchpad and associated touchpad functions while maintaining the existing keypad functions. However, the system should not require a separate touchpad surface. Thus, the system must be able to integrate the touchpad without changing the mobile phone appearance. The touchpad can be placed under the keymat and can be operated by a switch or other activation means.

Alternatively, the touchpad may be positioned below the display screen or below a portion of the mobile phone fuselage. At this time, the user can move the finger over the surface. It is important that the touchpad operates through proximity sensing and therefore does not require direct contact with the touchpad for operation. The surface on which the touchpad can sense the pointing object may be a fuselage part of a portable information device, an LCD display screen, and a key mat of a keypad.

This submission claims the priority of US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 296,414 (June 2001). It is also based on the remaining three pending US patent applications 09 / 603,417 (2000.6.22), 09 / 759,609 (2001.1.11) and 09 / 656,522 (2000.9.7).

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to touch pads and mobile phones, and more particularly, to applying a touch pad disposed and operated under a keypad of a mobile phone. In this case, the user operates the keypad by pressing a key on the keymat, and a touchpad disposed below the keymat controls the display screen of the mobile phone to control cursor, scrollbar, and alphanumeric data entry on the mobile phone. Can be activated.

1 is a perspective view of a typical mobile phone implementing the present invention.

2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a keypad portion;

3 is a sectional view of a keypad portion;

4 is a known technical diagram in which the X electrode grid is separated from the Y electrode grid by some dielectric.

5 is a cross-sectional view of a touchpad made in accordance with the presently preferred embodiment.

6 is a plan view of the Y electrode grid shown in FIG.

7 is a plan view of the X electrode grid shown in FIG.

8 is an external view of a touch pad after all the overlapping electrode layers are disposed on the touch pad substrate.

9 is another physical structure diagram of the mobile phone.

10 is a mobile phone view of FIG. 9 with the cover closed;

11 is a block diagram of the basic components of a mobile phone.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a proximity sensing touchpad that is disposed under a key mat of a keypad to provide a touchpad function.

It is another object of the invention to provide a proximity sensing touchpad such that the post for each key on the keymat passes through the mutual capacitance sensing sensor electrode grid of the touchpad.

One object of the invention is to alter the electrode spacing on the mutual capacitance sensing sensor so that the posts can pass through the electrode grid.

It is another object of the invention to bend the electrode around the holes disposed through the touchpad to operate the mechanical switch.

One object of the invention is to modify the sensor algorithm to compensate for the altered space and warpage implemented in the electrodes on the touchpad.

It is another object of the invention to provide a separate touchpad that provides a scrolling mechanism with a dedicated function.

It is one object of the invention to provide a separate touchpad that is arranged to be accessible when the mobile phone is closed when the mobile phone has a cover that can be closed.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to a proximity sensing mutual capacitance sensing touchpad placed directly below a keypad keymat of a mobile phone, wherein the posts associated with each key have a mutual capacitance sensing sensor electrode grid of the touchpad. Pass through the keypad posts so that they do not interfere with the tracking and touchpad sensing of the pointing object moving along the keypad surface, thus allowing touchpad data entry, cursor control, and scrollbar control on the display screen of the mobile phone. In addition, keypad posts operate mechanical switches under the touchpad.

According to a first aspect of the invention, an electrode grid for a proximity-based mutual capacitance sensing touchpad is disposed on a flexible, non-conductive substrate material.

According to a second aspect of the invention, apertures are disposed along the substrate material to move the keypad post up and down.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the proximity-based mutual capacitance sensing touchpad operates in sleep mode and active mode, reducing power consumption and unnecessary touchpad operation when keys are in use. Can be prevented.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the electrode grid is comprised of copper etched onto a foil Capton GlideSensor.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a proximity-based capacitance sensing touchpad provides tap, double-tap, scroll control, and cursor control.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the touchpad is not affected by a change in distance between the pointing object and the touchpad, allowing the pointing object to move freely between and above the keys without affecting the touchpad function.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, a separate touchpad is provided along the side of the mobile phone to provide dedicated scrolling functionality.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is a proximity-based mutual capacitance sensing touchpad that sits directly below the keypad keymat of a mobile phone. Keypad posts associated with each of the keys pass through the electrode grid of the touchpad to prevent the posts from interfering with the touchpad sensing and tracking of the pointing object moving along the keypad surface. The keys on the keypad provide the first type of user input. The touch pad may provide functions of data input, cursor control, and scroll bar control on the display screen of the mobile phone. Thus, the touchpad provides a second type of user input. The keys on the keypad provide individual input in alphanumeric form. In contrast, the touchpad is an impedance sensing means. More specifically, the touchpad uses mutual capacitance sensing technology to determine finger location on the surface.

1 is a perspective view of a typical mobile phone 10. The dotted line 12 indicates the schematic position of the touchpad disposed under the plurality of keys 20. The plurality of keys 20 are only visible parts of the keymat 22 (not shown) disposed below the housing 14. Keymat 22 is the first layer of keypad 18. Keypad 18 includes all the components that allow multiple keys 20 to operate the corresponding mechanical switch, and in the present invention also includes an integrated touchpad. The mobile phone includes a display screen 8 and may also include some external antenna (not shown). Inside the mobile phone there is a power source, such as a rechargeable battery, and electrical circuits for the phone and touchpad.

2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the keypad 18. This figure shows only one of the plurality of keys 20 that is part of the keymat 22. The key 20 is generally used as a deformable rubbery material. However, the key 20 may be made of a solid material. It is important that the material used as the key 20 does not interfere with the operation of the touchpad. In other words, the key 20 should not interfere with the mutual capacitance sensing between the grids of electrodes of the touchpad and should not interfere with the change in mutual capacitance caused by a pointing object such as a finger.

Included in the key 20 is a post 24 that is used to operate the mechanical switch 32 when the key 20 is pressed. The key 20 can have any desired shape. It should be noted that the key 20 is generally protruding, so that the key protrudes slightly outward over the rigid housing 14. Alternatively, the key 20 may be flush with the surface of the rigid housing 14. However, this structure is avoided to provide good feedback to the user. Another alternative is to expose the keymat 22, which may be devoid of the surface of the rigid housing covering it.

The mechanical switch 32 is activated when the post 24 is pushed down over the dome structure 36 disposed above the post 24. The dome 36 functions like a spring to push the post 24 back to a dormant state (or inactive state). Post 24 is placed on dome 36 or in a position adjacent to dome 36. Dome 36 provides a desirable agile response to the operation of the mechanical switch.

In general, the keymat 22 is a structure without a hole passing through its surface. Instead, the keymat 22 is formed to provide a location for placing the plurality of keys 20. Thus, each of the plurality of keys 20 is a separate component that is combined with or fused to the keymat 22. However, this structure should not be taken as limiting, and the key mat 22 may be formed to have an integral key 20. Another alternative is to remove the keymat 22 together, without having a structure in which the individual keys are held together.

In FIG. 2, the touchpad 26 lies directly below the keymat 22. A plurality of holes 28 are disposed through the touchpad 26 to pass through posts 24 connected to each of the plurality of keys 20. The touchpad 26 structure is a novel aspect of the present invention and will appear in detail in other figures.

The switch substrate 30 is disposed below the touch pad 26. The switch board 30 is made of a rigid material such as a printed circuit board (PCB). 2 shows a mechanical switch 32 disposed on a switch substrate 30. Arranged on the switch substrate 30 is an LED 34 positioned adjacent to the mechanical switch 32 and the dome 36. Multiple LEDs 34 on the switch substrate provide illumination visible through multiple keys 20. Thus, the key 20 must be transparent or at least translucent so that the illumination from the LEDs can be seen through. At least a portion of the keymat 22 in which the key 20 is disposed must be transparent or at least translucent to see the illumination.

It is important in FIG. 2 that the mechanical switch 32 should be able to be easily operated in order for the key 20 to make use of the mobile telephone. In other words, the touchpad should not interfere with the operation of multiple keys 20. However, to provide touchpad functionality, touchpad 26 should be positioned as close to keymat 22 and key 22 as possible. In a preferred embodiment, the novel aspect of the invention makes it possible to realize the structure of the keypad 18 in which the holes 28 are shown in FIG.

To provide touchpad functionality to a mobile phone, a number of keys 20, posts 24, holes 28 through the touchpads 26, and mechanical switches 32 are required. These structures are arranged as in FIG.

3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the keypad 18. A key 20 with posts 24 is disposed above the hole 28 passing through the touchpad 26. The post 24 is positioned adjacent to or leans on the dome 36. The switch substrate 30 is shown spaced apart by the spacing 40 such that the dome 36 is operated by the post 24.

Another important and novel aspect is that the intervening substrate of the touchpad 26 must be transparent or at least translucent in order for the illumination provided by the LED 34 to be visible through the key 20. Moreover, the materials used for the touchpad are also important for reasons other than lighting.

It was found that there are different lighting methods than LEDs. For example, electroluminescent lighting can be used in mobile phones. However, it is necessary to provide the same hole through which electroluminescent illumination passes, such as through a touchpad. It is true that this is difficult due to the problem of the production method currently used. However, multiple individual electroluminescent panels can be disposed below the touchpad 26.

In a preferred embodiment, the touchpad in use is made with GLIDESENSOR technology from CIRQUE Corporation. This technology provides a flexible substrate for the sensor grid of mutual capacitance-sensitive touchpads. The flexible substrate may not only conform to the arcuate surface, such as under the keymat 22, but may also be slightly deformed. This means that when the key 20 is pressed so that the post 24 presses the dome 36 to operate the mechanical switch 32, the edge of the key 20 will be pressed and slightly deform the touchpad 26. It is important because it is. This touch pad 26 movement should be minimized to reduce possible damage to the electrodes on the touch pad 26.

The GLIDESENSER touchpad 26 provides another important function for the successful operation of the touchpad in a mobile phone. The touchpad 26 provides proximity sensing. Proximity detection is a function of detecting a pointing object in a plurality of keys 20 or a space between the keys. Thus, proximity sensing is a function that detects a pointing object such as a finger without direct contact with the sensing surface of the touchpad 26.

GLIDESENSOR is suitable for providing this improved z-axis proximity sensing as described in the pending patent application. The increased dynamic range of the touchpad is provided by the integrated circuit at the heart of the touchpad circuit. Increased dynamic range is possible for a number of underlying reasons, such as the need for discarding the minimum measurement bits because more accurate analog-to-digital converters are in use. More specifically, it was determined that the noise in the A / D converter itself was responsible for throwing out measurement data that was considered unreliable. Thus, the techniques used to reduce electronic noise in touchpad circuits have led to substantial improvements in performance.

Another factor is the unexpected results coming as a result of A / D converters. Specifically, the " sampling " or measurement readout exhibited by the measurement circuit can be doubled to reduce the A / D converter noise.

In addition, the noise reduction of the A / D converter and the doubling of the number of samples in the measurement circuit have been combined to produce at least four times the increase in the accuracy of the touchpad sense circuit.

Another factor is that the present invention utilizes mutual capacitance sensing technology. One advantage of this technique is that according to the electrode grid, which consists of separate X and Y electrodes introduced in US Patents 5,305,017, 5,565,658, and 5,861,875 to CIRQUE CORPORATION, the technique is not affected by having a well-grounded ground. . Mutual capacitance senses a finger that changes the capacitance between the X and Y electrodes. Grounding is not critical to the measurement technique. Thus, due to the increase in touchpad sensitivity combined with the advantages of mutual capacitance technology, the CIRQUE touchpad can achieve accurate proximity sensing effects.

It is also important that the touchpad technology of the present invention needs to be significantly modified to operate in a mobile phone environment.

One modification is the material used for the touchpad substrate. A typical mutual capacitance sensing touchpad consists of a grid of X and Y electrodes. As introduced in the co-pending application, the electrode grid of the present invention is made of a flexible, non-conductive material. There are several products on the market that can be used for this purpose. Even plastic or MYLAR can be used.

In more detail with respect to the material, the present invention requires a flexible substrate and uses polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to fulfill this role. However, PET is usually not transparent. PET is a dark yellow-based material, and when used as a touchpad, PET may not transmit enough light to illuminate a key. Thus, the presently preferred embodiment uses a clear or transparent film for substrates such as polyethylene napalate (PEN). Thus, any film with suitable properties may be used, such as a polyester or polyimide film with suitable transmission properties.

Another important property of the touchpad substrate in the preferred embodiment is that it can be soldered. It is preferred to solder electrical connectors and components directly to the touchpad substrate material. PET has a melting point lower than the melting point of the solder. However, since PEN has a slightly melting point than solder, it can be used for a touch pad substrate.

Another desirable property of the touchpad substrate is that it is thin enough to provide flexibility enough to stick completely under the keymat 22. Thus, the touchpad substrate should have desirable transmission properties, temperature coefficients, flexibility, and also be thin and nonconductive.

The electrode grid can be fabricated in a variety of ways as described in the known art and in the aforementioned CIRQUE CORPORATION patents. 4 is a diagram of a known technique showing the separation of the X grid 50 from the Y grid 52 by some insulator material. Thus, the X grid 50 may be disposed on the first substrate 54, the Y grid 52 may be disposed on the second substrate 56, and the first substrate is connected to the second substrate and The upper substrate 56 forms an intervening dielectric insulating material.

More specifically, in the present invention, FIG. 5 has been presented to illustrate the placement characteristics of the touchpad 26 and the preferred embodiment. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the touchpad 26 profile of the preferred embodiment. The first electrode grid layer 62 overlies the base substrate. This may be an X or Y grid. The next layer is a dielectric insulating material 64 well known in the art. Second electrode grid 66 is then overlaid on dielectric insulative material 64. Another insulating and protective layer 68 is placed over the second electrode grid 66 to prevent damage. This protective layer 68 is the same dielectric insulating material used between the electrode grid layers 62 and 66.

The process of disposing electrode grid layers 62 and 66 over substrate 60 and dielectric insulating material 64 is introduced in a pending application. However, such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO), it can be summarized by the silk-screen technology of the conductive link. However, by using a pen or other similar film as the substrate 60, it is also possible to etch copper on one side of the substrate 60 and print conductive links on the other side. Substrate through holes can be used to connect the electrode grid to the copper traces. Copper etching techniques make electrical connections to electronic components disposed directly on the substrate 60 and eliminate the need to provide a means for connecting to electronic circuitry outside the board.

One aspect of the invention may now be described by the following figures. Starting from FIG. 6, this figure shows a plan view of one of the electrode grids. For example, this will be called Y electrode grid layer 62. Y electrode grid 70 is composed of several electrode fingers as shown. The electrode grid 70 is surrounded by the ground ring electrode 72 to reduce noise interference.

An important new feature in the previous touchpad and other Y electrode grid layer 62 manufactured by CIRQUE CORPORATION is the hole 28. There is a hole 28, one for each key 20 on the mobile phone 10 keypad 18. Thus, the number and exact position of the holes 28 may vary depending on the style of mobile phone used and the keypad 18 arrangement. This embodiment with 21 keys is only an example. Moreover, the number of columns and rows can be adjusted as needed.

An important feature of the Y electrode grid 70 is that some are not straight. Two of the electrodes 70 are bent around the hole 28. The performance of the touchpad 26 with electrodes having nonlinear portions can be greatly affected. Fortunately, the present invention can compensate for electrodes with nonlinear portions. This is accomplished using an offset.

The offset is a function of the known index position. For example, a typical CIRQUE CORPORATION touchpad uses a 12 electrode x 16 electrode grid. It provides 192 unique index positions, from which finger positions can be determined. Since the surface area of the mobile telephone is small, it is necessary to reduce the total number of electrodes in the X and Y electrode grid layers 62 and 66. In this embodiment, there are eight Y electrodes 70 and six X electrodes 74. This means that, compared to a typical CIRQUE touchpad, there is a quarter of the total number of net index positions (ie 6 × 8 = 48) for use in finger positioning on touchpad 26. This situation makes the touchpad more difficult to implement because of the limited operating area.

7 is a plan view of the X electrode grid layer 66. The X electrode 74 is arranged as shown.

One important feature to note is that not only a portion of the Y electrode 70 is nonlinear, but the spacing between the Y electrode 70 and the X electrode 74 is not uniform. Like the nonlinear Y electrode, this factor compromises the performance of the touchpad 26. To compensate for this, it is necessary to use the same technique with offsets. This is possible because all interelectrode spaces and non-linear partial positions of the electrodes are known. Thus, the offset may vary depending on the specific electrode space and the curvature around the hole 28. This feature that can provide this offset to accurately determine finger position on the touchpad is a novel aspect of the present invention.

8 shows the appearance of the touch pad after all of the overlapping electrode layers 62, 66 are disposed over the touch pad substrate 60. 6, 7, 8 are not substantial. The electrode grid layers 62, 66 have been expanded for ease of understanding. Part of the touchpad is a touchpad circuit connected to the electrode grid layers 62, 66. The touchpad circuit is designed to detect and localize any disturbances that cause mutual capacitance and interference between the electrode grid layers 62, 66. This concept has been explained in the patent application and cited CIRQUE CORPORATION.

One important aspect of the invention is to bring touchpad functionality to a mobile phone. This function includes the ability to execute scrolling, tapping, double-tap and cursor control. This function corresponds to all parts of the touch pad 26, and is new in practical use of mobile phones.

9 shows a different physical structure than the mobile phone 78. The mobile telephone 78 has a base portion 80 and a cover portion 82. The cover portion 82 includes a display screen, like the LCD display screen 84. The base portion 80 includes a keypad 86. Alternatively, different tuning display screen techniques may be used. This may be desirable if the touchpad 26 can be easily placed behind the display screen. Other display screen technologies include plasma displays and electronic link displays.

The purpose of providing this illustration is that it may be desirable to provide some touchpad functionality in two or more locations on the mobile phone. For example, the mobile phone shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 includes a small LCD display screen 88 on the back side 90. Display screen 88 may be used to display the identity of the caller or other mobile phone functions. The point is that when using this kind of mobile phone 78, it may be desirable to not have to open the mobile phone to perform some touchpad functions on the display screen 88.

Another example is using the display screen to provide access to a list of telephone numbers in the telephone directory stored in memory. The touchpad provides a very convenient scrolling method. However, the mechanical scrolling wheel can easily act at unwanted moments. Moreover, the problem of reliability arises because the internal mechanical mechanism of the mechanical scrolling wheel is exposed to other elements. In contrast, it is much more difficult to activate a touchpad that requires the use of a finger for movement. In addition, the electronic circuitry of the touchpad is hidden within the rigid housing 14.

Accordingly, it is another aspect of the present invention to provide a small touchpad separate from the touchpad 26 under the keymat 22 having limited touchpad functionality. For example, a small touchpad 92 is disposed along the side of the mobile phone 78. The touchpad 92 may provide scrolling functionality for the display screen 88. The touchpad 92 may be made flush with the rigid housing 14 or may be disposed under the rigid housing. Some de-linearity on the rigid housing 14 should be provided for the touchpad 92 position indication. The user simply moves a finger along the touchpad 92 to perform scrolling. At this time, the movement direction causes scrolling up or down.

Regarding the operation of the touch pads 26 and 92, there are various ways of implementing the touch pads 26 and 92. For example, application operation may be achieved by the operation of an appropriate touchpad. For example, consider a mobile phone web browser application that operates by receiving an email message. Launching a web browser may occur simultaneously with the touchpad operation, allowing the user to manipulate the cursor in a graphical web browser environment. The user can display the email message on the display screen 8.

The touch pad operation may be automatically performed according to the operation of a specific activity or a program depending on the touch pad function in operation. In contrast, the touchpad may be manually operated through a dedicated switch. The switch may be disposed near the key 20 of the keypad 18. These methods may be combined or may be made in a user-friendly manner, with the selected application causing automatic operation of the touchpad and other devices not operating without manual intervention.

The touchpad 92 can be operated by some activity displayed on the display screen 88. This eliminates the need for the user to open the mobile phone to operate the touchpad 92 and prevents accidental operation that may occur by placing the mobile phone in a bag or handbag.

11 is a very simple block diagram of the components of the present invention when deployed in a mobile phone. These components provide power for all operations of the display screen 8, the data storage memory module 100, the processor 102 for controlling the operation of the various components, the transceiver circuitry for controlling data transmission and reception, and the mobile phone. Power supply 106, an interface 108 to data from a mechanical switch 32 operated by a key 20 on a keypad 18, and an interface 110 to data from a touchpad 26. . Mobile phones may include more components, such as card readers or other memory devices. This figure should be considered as a typical example.

While the presently preferred embodiment introduces the incorporation of the touchpad 26 into the keypad 18, it should be appreciated that the touchpad 26 may be placed in another position. The touchpad 26 may be disposed under the rigid housing 26 to operate in proximity sensing mode. The touchpad 26 may be positioned in a position where the rigid housing 14 has been cut out to expose the touchpad surface to operate by direct contact. The touchpad may be placed in two or more locations, such as below the key mat 22 and below some of the rigid housing 14. The touchpad 26 may be disposed under the LCD display screen 26 to operate similar to a touch screen as is well known in the art.

Another aspect of the invention is the power supply mode for the touchpad 26. Although the operation of the touch pad may be automatic or manual, the operation of the touch pad may be automatic or manual. Since current preferred embodiments relate to use in portable information devices such as mobile phones, power consumption is of interest. The touchpad 26 may be designed to enter a sleep mode if no activity is detected for a specified time period. However, the user may complete the task, may wish to return to using the key 20, or may simply not want to use the telephone. Thus, a manual switch can be provided to deactivate the touchpad and to enter the sleep mode when the mobile phone is not being turned off, but to remain in the call reception mode.

It may not be desirable to assign a switch to a simple operation of touch pad operation or shutdown. Thus, it may be desirable to press a series of key combinations 20 to manually execute this function. Menu items that can be selected by using the touchpad itself may be made on the display screen 8.

The presently preferred embodiment of the mobile phone is only one example in which the present invention can be used. The invention is most suitable for use with any kind of portable information device such as a mobile phone. However, other devices such as PDAs, laptop computers, tablet personal computers, or other similar mobile computing devices may utilize the present invention.

However, the present invention need not be strictly limited to the portable information device. The ability to provide a touchpad integrated into another input means, such as a keypad, can be used on any object where a keypad is found, such as on a computer keyboard and on a panel of electronic equipment such as a car or aircraft.

Another alternative embodiment to be dealt with is the removal of the mechanical key. This is accomplished by using only the touchpad instead of the keypad and touchpad. In other words, it is possible to switch the mode of the touchpad. In keypad mode, the touchpad provides a number of separate areas, each area corresponding to a separate key on the keypad. When switched to touchpad mode, the touchpad surface works in conjunction with touchpad functionality to provide cursor control.

Claims (63)

As a portable electronic device, this device is A keypad with a plurality of keys, each of which is arranged to operate a mechanical switch to provide a first type of user input, and Impedance sensing means arranged integrating with the keypad to provide a second type of user input; Portable electronic device comprising a. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the keypad includes an area in which the impedance sensing means can operate, and the area has no key disposed on the touchpad. 3. A portable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of keys are formed as part of a keymat. 4. A portable electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the impedance sensing means is arranged adjacent to the keymat. 5. A portable electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the key mat and the impedance sensing means are placed in the same space. 6. A portable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of keys are made of rubber-like material and the plurality of keys do not interfere with the operation of the impedance sensing means. 7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein the impedance sensing means is set to sense the presence and movement of a finger over the impedance sensing means, and is located directly adjacent to the surface of the plurality of keys or the plurality of keys and located between the plurality of keys. And is set to detect touching of the surface of the device. The method of claim 7, wherein the impedance sensing means, A first electrode grid, and A second electrode grid lying coplanar with the first electrode grid; The mobile electronic device further comprises. The method of claim 8, wherein in the impedance sensing means, The first electrode grid is arranged in parallel with the electrodes but with non-uniform spacing between the electrodes, And the second electrode grid is arranged in parallel but with non-uniform spacing between the electrodes. The method of claim 9, wherein the impedance sensing means and the plurality of keys, A plurality of holes arranged through the impedance sensing means, and A post placed under each of the plurality of keys, each post in the keymat so that when the key is pressed it can pass through one of the plurality of holes in the impedance sensing means. The mobile electronic device further comprises. The method of claim 10, wherein the keypad, A switch substrate under the impedance sensing means, and A plurality of mechanical switches, arranged under a corresponding hole through the impedance sensing means and arranged under a post for each of the plurality of keys, and A dome placed over each of the plurality of mechanical switches The mobile electronic device further comprises. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein light emitting means is arranged on the switch substrate to provide illumination for a plurality of keys. 13. A portable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein said light emitting means further comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), said light emitting diodes being located adjacent to each of said plurality of mechanical switches. 14. A portable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein said light emitting means further comprises a plurality of electroluminescent panels. 15. A portable electronic device according to claim 14, wherein said light emitting means further comprises a single electroluminescent panel having a plurality of through holes in a one-to-one manner for a plurality of mechanical switches. 16. A portable electronic device according to claim 15, wherein said impedance sensing means is transparent. 17. A portable electronic device according to claim 16, wherein said impedance sensing means is translucent. 18. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the first electrode grid and the second electrode grid are comprised of conductive links. 19. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the conductive link further comprises indium-tin oxide (ITO). The method of claim 19, wherein the impedance sensing means, A first electrode grid disposed on the touchpad substrate, A first dielectric insulating layer disposed over the first electrode grid, A second electrode grid disposed on said first dielectric insulating layer, A second dielectric insulating layer disposed over the second electrode grid, and A touchpad circuit connected to the first electrode grid and the second electrode grid, wherein the touchpad circuit uses a disturbance of mutual capacitance between the first and second electrode grids to detect objects adjacent to the impedance sensing means; The mobile electronic device further comprises. 21. The portable electronic device of claim 20 wherein the touchpad substrate further comprises a transmissive material. 22. The portable electronic device of claim 21, wherein the touch pad substrate further comprises a translucent material. 23. The portable electronic device of claim 22, wherein the touch pad substrate comprises a material having a higher temperature coefficient than solder, so that the electronic circuit can be attached directly to the touch pad substrate. 24. The portable electronic device of claim 23 wherein the touch pad substrate comprises a material having a higher melting point than solder, thereby enabling metal trace etching on the touch pad substrate. The portable electronic device of claim 24, wherein the touch pad substrate is a material selected from polyethylene naphate (PEN), polyester film, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The method of claim 25, wherein in the impedance sensing means, The first electrode grid is arranged linearly with the electrode, but arches along a portion when needed to move around a hole in the touchpad substrate, and A portable electronic device, characterized in that the second electrode grid is arranged linearly with the electrode, but forms an arch along a portion when it needs to move around a hole in the touchpad substrate. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the electronic circuitry of the impedance sensing means further comprises using an offset value to compensate for the arch of the first or second electrode, thus accurately determining finger position around the impedance sensing means. Portable electronic device, characterized in that. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the electronic circuit of the impedance sensing means further comprises using an offset value to compensate for the non-uniform spacing between the first electrodes and to compensate for the non-uniform spacing between the second electrodes. A mobile electronic device, characterized in that. 29. The portable electronic device of claim 28, wherein the second form user input from the impedance sensing means further comprises a touchpad function including scrolling, taps, double taps, and cursor control. 30. The portable electronic device according to claim 29, wherein a second impedance sensing means is further disposed in the portable electronic device, and the second impedance sensing means has a limited touch pad function. 31. A portable electronic device according to claim 30, wherein said second impedance sensing means can provide a scrolling function. 32. A portable electronic device according to claim 31, wherein said portable electronic device is selected from portable electronic devices including a mobile phone, a PDA, a laptop computer, a tablet personal computer (PC). A method for providing a portable electronic device that combines touch pad functionality with individual keys, the method comprising: 1) providing a keypad having a plurality of keys each arranged to operate each mechanical switch to provide a first type of user input, and 2) providing an impedance sensing means arranged integrally with the keypad to provide a second type of user input, A portable electronic device providing method comprising the above steps. 34. The portable electronic device of claim 33, further comprising the step of providing an area in which the impedance sensing means can operate, wherein the area has no keys disposed over the touchpad. How to provide your device. The method of claim 34, wherein Forming multiple keys as part of a keymat The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. 36. The method of claim 35 wherein To place the impedance sensing means in a position adjacent to the keymat. The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 36, To form a key mat and an impedance sensing means on the same plane The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 37, To form a plurality of keys of rubber-like material that do not interfere with the operation of the impedance sensing means; The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 38, -Setting the impedance sensing means to detect the presence and movement of a finger placed on the impedance sensing means, and touching the surface of a plurality of keys or the surface of a mobile electronic device located directly adjacent to and located between the plurality of keys; To set the impedance sensing means to detect The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 39, wherein the method is 1) providing a first electrode grid, and 2) providing a second electrode grid arranged coplanar with the first electrode grid; The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 40, wherein the method is 1) arrange the first electrode grid in parallel with the electrodes but the spacing between them is not uniform; 2) the second electrode grid is arranged in parallel with the electrodes but the spacing between them is not uniform The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the method is Arranging a plurality of holes through the impedance sensing stage, and Posts beneath each of the plurality of keys, where each post is positioned on the keymat such that when the key is pressed it can pass through one of the plurality of holes of the impedance sensing means. The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. 43. The method of claim 42, wherein 1) place the switch substrate under the impedance sensing means, 2) provide a plurality of mechanical switches, each switch disposed under a corresponding hole through the impedance sensing means and under a post for each of the plurality of keys, and 3) one dome for each mechanical switch, The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the above steps. The method of claim 43, Providing light emitting means on the touchpad substrate to provide illumination for a plurality of keys The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 44, wherein the method is Providing a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed adjacent each of the plurality of mechanical switches. The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 45, -Providing multiple electroluminescent panels The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 46, Providing a single electroluminescent panel with multiple holes penetrating one for each of the multiple mechanical switches The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 47, Providing a transparent impedance sensing means The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. 49. The method of claim 48 wherein Providing a translucent impedance sensing means The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 49, Fabricating the first and second electrode grids from conductive links The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. 51. The method of claim 50 wherein Using indium-tin oxide (ITO) as the conductive link The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 51, wherein 1) arranging the first electrode grid on the touch pad substrate, 2) disposing a first dielectric insulating layer over the first electrode grid, 3) arranging a second electrode grid on the first dielectric insulating layer, 4) disposing a second dielectric insulating layer over the second electrode grid, and 5) Connect the touch pad circuit to the first and second electrode grids, wherein the touch pad circuit uses a disturbance of mutual capacitance between the first and second electrodes to detect an object in proximity to the impedance sensing means. The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 52, wherein Using a transmissive material for the touchpad substrate The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 53, wherein Using translucent materials for touchpad substrates. The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 54, wherein -By using a material for the touch pad substrate having a higher melting point than the solder, it is possible to directly attach the electronic circuit to the touch pad substrate The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 55, wherein the method is Using a material for a touchpad substrate that has a higher melting point than solder, allowing metal trace etching to the touchpad substrate. The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. 59. The method of claim 56, wherein the method is 1) provide a first electrode grid with the electrodes to be linear, but arcuate along a portion thereof as needed to move around a hole in the touchpad substrate, and 2) providing a second electrode grid with the electrodes to be linear, but arcuate along a portion thereof as needed to move around a hole in the touchpad substrate, The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the above steps. The method of claim 57, wherein the method is Using an offset value in the electronic circuit of the impedance sensing means to compensate for the arch shape of the first electrode or the second electrode, to accurately determine the position of the finger in proximity to the impedance sensing means. The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 58, wherein the method is Using an offset value in the electronic circuit of the impedance sensing means to compensate for nonuniform spacing between the first electrodes and nonuniform spacing between the second electrodes The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 59, -TouchPad features including scrolling, taps, double taps and cursor control The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. 61. The method of claim 60, wherein A second impedance sensing means in the portable electronic device, wherein the second impedance sensing means has a limited touchpad function The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. 62. The method of claim 61, wherein Providing a scrolling function in the second impedance sensing means The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step. The method of claim 62, Selecting said portable electronic device from among portable electronic devices including mobile phones, PDAs, laptop computers, tablet personal computers (PCs); The method of providing a portable electronic device further comprising the step.