# US 2016/0252986 A1 · Touchpad with multiple tactile switches

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- Number: US 2016/0252986 A1
- Document ID: US20160252986A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/633,004
- Filed: 2015-02-26
- Published: 2016-09-01
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-26
- Assignees: Dell Products L.P.
- Applicants: Dell Products L.P.
- Inventors: David Michael Meyers
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160252986A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/041: Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
- G06F 1/169: {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)}
- G06F 3/03547: {Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A touchpad may include multiple tactile switches for click event functionality. The use of the multiple tactile switches may improve tactile feedback for a user and may improve a service lifetime of the touchpad.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A touchpad device, comprising:
a touch sensor for detecting touch events, the touch sensor hingeably attached at a first edge to an information handling system; and
a plurality of tactile switches coupled to the touch sensor to detect click events, wherein the tactile switches are coupled to the touch sensor at a second edge opposite the first edge.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The touchpad device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tactile switches includes three tactile switches.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The touchpad device of claim 1, wherein a click event detected by the plurality of tactile switches results from activation of at least one of the plurality of tactile switches.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The touchpad device of claim 3, further comprising:
a logical OR gate electrically coupled to the plurality of tactile switches.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The touchpad device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is a capacitive touch glass.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The touchpad device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is rectangularly shaped.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The touchpad device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is integrated into an outer surface of the information handling system, wherein the information handling system is a portable device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The touchpad device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tactile switches are linearly arranged at the second edge.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The touchpad device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of tactile switches are equally spaced apart from each other.

### Claim 10

An information handling system, comprising:
a touchpad device, further comprising:
a touch sensor for detecting touch events, the touch sensor hingeably attached at a first edge to an information handling system; and
a plurality of tactile switches coupled to the touch sensor to detect click events, wherein the tactile switches are coupled to the touch sensor at a second edge opposite the first edge.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of tactile switches includes three tactile switches.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The information handling system of claim 10, wherein a click event detected by the plurality of tactile switches results from activation of at least one of the plurality of tactile switches.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The information handling system of claim 12, further comprising:
a logical OR gate electrically coupled to the plurality of tactile switches.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the touch sensor is a capacitive touch glass.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the touch sensor is rectangularly shaped.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the touch sensor is integrated into an outer surface of the information handling system, wherein the information handling system is a portable device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of tactile switches are linearly arranged at the second edge.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The information handling system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of tactile switches are equally spaced apart from each other.