# US 2018/0024720 A1 · Touch Input in a Circuit Board > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0024720 A1 - Document ID: US20180024720A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/723,895 - Filed: 2017-10-03 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-04 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Xiaoyue Xie; Rahul Marwah; John Jacob Nelson; Ivan Andrew McCracken; David Otto Whitt, III - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180024720A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/044: by capacitive 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 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Techniques for a touch input 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An input device comprising: a chassis with a circuit board mounted therein; and a touch input portion including: 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 detecting a movement of the touch interaction region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An input device as recited in claim 1, wherein the movement of the touch interaction region causes the touch interaction region to compress the switch to generate the click event. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 10 An apparatus comprising: a circuit board; and a touch input sensor including: 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 detecting a movement of the touch interaction region about the hinge region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises an input device operably attachable to a computing device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises a wearable device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the movement of the touch interaction region causes the touch interaction region to compress the switch to generate the click event. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the PCBA includes at least one other input device separate from the touch input sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) 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. ### Claim 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 detecting a movement of the touch interaction region about the hinge region. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) 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. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A touch input device as described in claim 16, wherein the touch interaction region includes a sensor substrate configured to receive touch input. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) A touch input device as described in claim 16, wherein the movement of the touch interaction region causes the touch interaction region to compress the switch to generate the click event. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) 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.