WO2010024826A1

WO2010024826A1 - Side-mounted touchpad

Info

Publication number: WO2010024826A1
Application number: PCT/US2008/074947
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark C. Solomon; Luca Di Fiore; Rahul Sood
Original assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Priority date: 2008-08-30
Filing date: 2008-08-30
Publication date: 2010-03-04
Also published as: TW201011501A

Abstract

A system (e.g., a portable computer) comprises a base, and a display lid hingeably coupled to the base. The base comprises a cavity configured to accept a keyboard unit and a touchpad unit in side-by-side arrangement with the keyboard unit selectively being to the left or right of the touchpad unit.

Description

SIDE-MOUNTED TOUCHPAD

BACKGROUND

[0001] Many input devices are, or comprise, touchpads for permitting a user to control a system such as a computer. A typical location for a touchpad on, for example, a portable computer is generally in the middle area of the handrest area below the keyboard. This location for the touchpad may not be optimal for many applications such as gaming applications in which the user often needs to simultaneously use both the keyboard buttons as well as the touchpad.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: [0003] Figure 1 shows a portable computer in accordance with various embodiments in which a touchpad unit is located to the right of the keyboard unit; [0004] Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the portable computer in which the touchpad unit is located to the left of the keyboard unit;

[0005] Figure 3 shows an illustrative exploded view of the portable computer in accordance with various embodiments;

[0006] Figure 4 shows the underneath side of a top unitary member of the base of the portable computer;

[0007] Figure 5 illustrates electrical connectivity between the touchpad and keyboard units; and [0008] Figure 6 shows a side view of the base of the portable computer. NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE

[0009] Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, computer companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to... ." Also, the term "couple" or "couples" is intended to mean either an indirect, direct, optical or wireless electrical or mechanical connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct electrical or mechanical connection or through an indirect electrical or mechanical connection via other devices and connections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

[0011] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a portable computer 10 comprising a base 12 and display lid 14 hingeably coupled to the base 12 via a hinge 28. The display lid 14 comprises a display 16, which in some embodiments comprises a liquid crystal display.

[0012] The base 12 in various embodiments comprises a keyboard unit 20 and a touchpad unit 30. A handrest 50 may also be provided to rest the user's hands when typing on the keyboard. The keyboard unit 20 may comprise a standard QWERTY keyboard in some embodiments and other types of configurations in other embodiments. In the embodiment shown, the keyboard unit 20 comprises multiple keys such as an ENTER button 32 and SHIFT button 33 on the right side of the keyboard unit, a CONTRL button 34, a SHIFT button 36, a CAPS LOCK button 38, and a TAB button 40 on the left side of the keyboard unit, and a space bar 42 at the bottom middle of the keyboard unit. The ENTER button 32 is adjacent the apostrophe button 37 towards the right side of the keyboard unit 20. One or more number buttons 39 (1 , 2, 3, etc.) are located at or near a top row of the keyboard unit 20.

[0013] In the embodiment of Figure 1 , the touchpad unit 30 is located to the right of the keyboard unit 20. The touchpad unit may comprise various buttons 31 and left and right "mouse" buttons 35 in some embodiments (e.g., Fig. 1 ) or lack any buttons 31 but have left and right mouse buttons 35 in other embodiments. In yet other embodiments, touchpad unit 30 has no buttons, just the touchpad itself. In the right-mounted configuration of Figure 1 , at least a portion of the touchpad unit, and the touchpad itself, is immediately adjacent the ENTER button 32 (e.g., within 5 mm of the ENTER button).

[0014] Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment in which the touchpad unit 30 is located to the left of the keyboard unit 20. As such, at least a portion of the touchpad unit 30, and the touchpad itself, is immediately adjacent (e.g., within 5 mm of) any or all of the SHIFT button 36, the CAPS LOCK button 38 and the TAB button 40.

[0015] This arrangement lets a user use the keyboard and touchpad with both hands generally placed side-by-side on the base 12. Placement of the touchpad unit 30 to the side of the keyboard unit 20 is generally more optimal for many types of applications such as games.

[0016] The embodiments of Figures 1 and 2 illustrate that the base 12 can accept a keyboard unit 20 and a touchpad unit 30 in side-by-side arrangement. Preferably, the base 12 is configured to selectively permit either side-by-side arrangements of keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. That is, the keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 can be installed either way (touchpad unit 30 to the left or right of the keyboard unit 20) in a given base 12.

[0017] The side-by-side arrangement of keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 can be incorporated into a base 12 of a portable computer 10 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or in a stand-alone keyboard such as might be used with desktop computers.

[0018] Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the portable computer 10. The handrest 50 is removed, for example, by sliding the handrest 50 forward. With the handrest 50 removed, one or more fasteners 67 (e.g., screws) are exposed. The fasteners are disengaged (e.g., removal of screws) which then permits a unitary top member 60 to be removed. As shown, the unitary top member 60 (and thus the base 12 of which member 60 is a part) comprises a cavity 64 in which the keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 are mounted. The keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 are not illustrated in Figure 3 to better illustrate the cavity 64 in the unitary top member 60 of the base 12. The unitary top member 60 may also comprise one or more air vents 62

[0019] Figure 4 shows the underneath side 70 of the unitary top member 60. One or more additional fasteners 72 (e.g., screws) are provided to retain the keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 in place in the cavity 64 of the top member 60. Once these fasteners are disengaged, each of the keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 can be removed and relocated to the other side of the cavity. As such, a user can reconfigure the base 12 for either a left side or right side touchpad 30. Even if the user does not want to reconfigure the base 12 in this manner, the keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 can be installed on either side during manufacturing and thus only one base 12 part number need be produced. Figure 4 also shows a divider member 80 defining the two regions in which the keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 are located. The divider member 80 can be relocated and is held in place, for example, by friction or by inserting into corresponding, preset notched in the top member 60.

[0020] In some embodiments, one or more electrical conductors electrically connect the touchpad unit 30 to the keyboard unit 20. Figure 5 shows an underneath view of the touchpad unit 30 and keyboard unit 20, and shows electrical conductors 82 (a "cable assembly") interconnecting the touchpad unit 30 to the keyboard unit 20. In some embodiments, a single cable assembly 82 can be provided that is suitable to connect the touchpad unit 30 to the keyboard unit 20 regardless of the location of the touchpad unit relative to the keyboard unit. In other embodiments, a connector is provided on each side of each of the keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 so that a pair of such connectors are generally adjacent one another and thus a relatively short cable assembly 82 can be used.

[0021] In some embodiments, one or more separate electrical conductors 84 are provided to electrically connect the combination of the keyboard unit 20/touchpad unit 30 to a corresponding connector on the computer's system board (not specifically shown) to provide input from the keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 to logic (e.g., processor, keyboard controller, bridge device, etc.) on the system board. In other embodiments, the keyboard unit 20 and touchpad unit 30 each have their own electrical conductors for connecting to corresponding connectors on the system board.

[0022] Figure 6 shows a side view of base 12. As shown in this embodiment, the base 12 is wedge shaped with the height H1 of the base at the base's front edge 92 being shorter than the height H2 at the base's rear edge 94. The rear edge 94 of the base 12 is the edge along which the display lid 14 is connected by way of hinge 28 (Figure 1 ). The wedge shape may be ergonomically more comfortable for a user of the portable computer 10 than a non-wedge shape. However, because of the wedge shape, there may not be much room underneath the handrest 50. In many portable computers the touchpad is located in the hand rest and thus generally in the area in which the thickness of the base is relatively small. The touchpad requires a finite amount of vertical space and consequently, there may not be sufficient room to locate other components below the touchpad inside the base. By locating the touchpad unit 30 at the right or left sides of the keyboard unit 20 as in the preferred embodiments, more space is made available underneath the handrest 50 for components that otherwise might not have fit. In some embodiments, a battery 90 is located underneath the handrest 50. Accordingly, at least a portion of the battery 90 is located within the base 12 between the space bar 42 (Figures 1 and 2) and the front edge 92 of the base 12. [0023] As can be seen by several of the embodiments disclosed herein, the touchpad module 30 is not necessarily located between the space bar button 42 on the keyboard unit 20 and the front edge 92 of the base 12. Further, the touchpad unit 30 is not necessarily located between the various number buttons 39 (Figure 2) on the keyboard unit 20 and the rear edge 94 of the base at which the display lid 14 hingeably couples. Instead, the touchpad unit 30 preferably is selectively located to one side or the other of the keyboard unit 20. As explained above, placement of the touchpad unit 30 to the side of the keyboard unit 20 is generally more optimal for many types of applications such as games. [0024] The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising: a base; and a display lid hingeably coupled to said base; wherein said base comprises a cavity configured to accept a keyboard unit and a touchpad unit in side-by-side arrangement with the keyboard unit selectively being to the left or right of the touchpad unit.

2. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein the base is wedge shaped with a height of a front edge being shorter than the height of a rear edge to which the display lid hinges, and further comprising a handrest between the keyboard unit and the front edge of the base, and a battery being located within the base underneath the handrest.

3. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein the keyboard unit comprises a space bar button and at least a portion of the battery being located within the base between the space bar button and the front edge of the base.

4. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein the keyboard unit comprises an ENTER button next to an apostrophe button, and at least a portion of the touchpad is immediately adjacent the ENTER button.

5. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein the touchpad unit is not located between a space bar button on the keyboard unit and the front edge of the base, and the touchpad unit is not located between number buttons on the keyboard unit and a rear edge of the base at which the display hingeably couples.

6. The portable computer of claim 1 wherein the base comprises a unitary top member and said cavity is provided in said unitary top member.

7. A system, comprising: a keyboard module; a touchpad module; and a housing comprising a cavity configured to accept the keyboard unit and the touchpad unit in side-by-side arrangement with the keyboard unit selectively being to the left or right of the touchpad unit.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising a handrest between the keyboard unit and a front edge of the housing, and a battery being located within the base underneath the handrest.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the keyboard unit comprises a space bar button and at least a portion of the battery being located within the housing between the space bar button and the front edge of the base.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the keyboard unit comprises an ENTER button next to an apostrophe button, and at least a portion of the touchpad is immediately adjacent the ENTER button.

1 1. A system, comprising: a base having a front edge; and a display lid hingeably coupled to a rear edge of the base; wherein said base comprises an aperture configured to accept a keyboard module and a touchpad module in side-by-side arrangement with the keyboard module selectively being to the left or right of the touchpad module; and wherein the base comprises a handrest between said keyboard module and the front edge of the base and at least a portion of a battery is located below said handrest.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the keyboard module comprises a space bar button and said at least a portion of the battery being located within the housing between the space bar button and the front edge of the base.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the keyboard module comprises an ENTER button next to an apostrophe button, and at least a portion of the touchpad is immediately adjacent the ENTER button.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the touchpad module is not located between a space bar button on the keyboard module and the front edge of the base and the touchpad module is not located between number buttons on the keyboard module and the rear edge of the base.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the base comprises a unitary top member and said aperture is provided in said unitary top member.