Touchpad–Keyboard Integration Using Flexible Film Touch Input
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices waste valuable panel space due to separate physical buttons and limited input methods, leading to poor user experience and design constraints from independent input devices with signal interference.
Innovation Solution
A touchpad and keyboard integrated device with a flexible film touch panel and button areas, allowing simultaneous touch and button input without signal interference, using a carrier board and keyboard circuit with independently arranged buttons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If physical buttons are provided separately, then button input function is achieved, but panel space is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the button input function and touch screen function into a single integrated input device. The button areas are disposed on the touch screen, allowing both button pressing and touch operations to occur on the same panel surface, thereby eliminating wasted panel space while maintaining both input functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch screen serves multiple functions: it acts as both a display surface and an input interface. The button areas are integrated into the touch screen, enabling the same panel to perform both traditional button input and modern touch input operations, increasing the versatility of the input device.
2Adaptability or versatility
If independent input devices are used, then specific input functions are achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple independent input devices (keyboard and touchpad) into a single integrated device. The button areas and touch screen share the same panel space and wiring infrastructure, reducing the overall number of separate components and simplifying the device structure while maintaining multiple input functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated input device performs multiple functions that previously required separate devices. The same hardware structure supports both button pressing operations and touch screen operations, eliminating the need for separate keyboards and touchpads, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple input methods are combined, then input versatility is improved, but signal interference occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the input device into distinct functional areas: button areas and touch screen areas. Each area has its own sensing mechanism and signal processing path. The button areas use pressing detection while the touch screen uses touch detection, and the wiring is arranged to minimize interference between these different input methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a controller as an intermediary that processes signals from both button areas and touch screen areas. The controller distinguishes between button pressing signals and touch screen signals, and processes them separately to prevent signal interference. This mediator ensures that signals from different input methods do not interfere with each other while maintaining input versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A touchpad and keyboard integrated device is provided and includes: a carrier board; a keyboard circuit disposed above the carrier board and including a plurality of button areas; a plurality of buttons, one of the buttons being correspondingly disposed in one of the button areas; and a flexible film touch panel covering the plurality of buttons and including a touch area. When a touch position occurs in the touch area, the flexible film touch panel generates a touch signal, and when the flexible film touch panel is pressed, one of the buttons below a pressed position causes an output signal to be generated in a corresponding button area.