Information handling system touchpad with mechanical uniform touch response
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsChin-Chung Wu, Hu Shih Chang, Chih-Ping Chang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable information handling system touchpad detects button inputs with a downward press at the touch surface that translates to a central button under the touch surface through a frame biased up by a central beam and plural biasing members. Downward presses at the touch surface off center translate towards the center of the frame to provide a central button input that is attributed with right, left and or center button push input values based upon detection of a location at which the downward press touch is sensed by the touch surface.
Claims20
An information handling system comprising:
- a portable housing having an upper surface;
- a processor disposed in the portable housing and operable to execute instructions to process information;
- a memory disposed in the portable housing and operable to store the instructions and information;
- an embedded controller interfaced with the processor and operable to manage inputs from input devices for communication to the processor;
- and
- a touchpad disposed at the upper surface, the touchpad having an exposed touch surface that detects touch inputs, a base plate disposed under the touch surface fixed in position relative to the portable housing upper surface and supporting a central button, and a trigger bracket disposed between the touch surface and base plate, the trigger bracket having a frame aligned with a perimeter of the touch surface and a beam extending across the frame and a central location of the touch surface, the beam biasing the touch surface away from the base plate and having an opening at the central location through which the central button is exposed to a bottom surface of the touch surface, the touchpad detecting a button input press based upon contact of the central button against the bottom surface of the touch surface.
A method for detecting button pushes at an information handling system touchpad, the method comprising:
- biasing the touchpad touch surface up at an upper surface of the information handling system housing with a frame disposed at a perimeter of the touch surface and a beam extending across the frame and through a central location of the touch surface, the beam having a crease bent at each opposing sides of the central location;
- and
- translating a downward press of the touch surface to contact a bottom side of the touch surface against a central button extending through an opening of the beam as the beam flexes downward in response to the downward press of the touch surface, the contact of the central button generating a button input.
A touchpad comprising:
- a touch surface that detects touch inputs;
- a base plate disposed under the touch surface and supporting a central button;
- and
- a trigger bracket disposed between the touch surface and base plate, the trigger bracket having a frame aligned with a perimeter of the touch surface and a beam extending across the frame and a central location of the touch surface, the beam biasing the touch surface away from the base plate and having an opening at the central location through which the central button is exposed to a bottom surface of the touch surface, the touchpad detecting a button input press based upon contact of the central button against the bottom surface of the touch surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.