Patent Publication Number: US-2022236763-A1

Title: Electronic device comprising display with switch

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/868,058, filed on May 6, 2020 which is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/278,980, filed on Feb. 19, 2019 and assigned U.S. Pat. No. 10,684,659 issued on Jun. 16, 2020 which is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0020721, filed on Feb. 21, 2018, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Field 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an electronic device including a display with a switch. 
     Description of Related Art 
     Personal Computers (PC) support Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) which allow the user to input a command by clicking on an icon and/or menu displayed on a display. This can be contrasted with command line interfaces, where commands are inputted via character input through a keyboard. GUIs are often thought of as more intuitive and more convenient to the user. 
     In general, a portable electronic device (e.g., a laptop computer) may include a touchpad that is integrated within the portable electronic device. The touchpad allows user manipulation of a pointer displayed at a specific position in the display. 
     SUMMARY 
     As technology develops, electronic devices may provide the user with a variety of content, and as such, it may be desirable for the display area of the electronic device to be maximized. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is intended to provide an electronic device with an additional display in addition to the main display. 
     Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments. 
     An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a housing including a first plate and a second plate, wherein the first plate includes an opening; a display panel at least partially exposed through the opening and including a touch sensor; a first support member coupled to the display panel and a portion of the first plate along at least part of one side of the opening; and a switch device configured to be actuated according to a depression of the display panel, the depression caused by a downward force exerted on an upper portion of the display panel. 
     An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a first housing including a first display panel; and a second housing pivotally coupled with the first housing and including a keyboard and a touchpad. The touchpad may be disposed on a support portion, exposed through an opening of the second housing, and may include a touch sensor, a second display panel, and a switch device configured to be actuated according to a depression of the touchpad caused by a downward force exerted on the touchpad. 
     Electronic devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure can provide a touchpad in which click buttons are integrated and a display function is added. The added display function of the touchpad improves user experience. 
     Advantages acquired in the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned advantages. Other advantages not mentioned herein can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the following descriptions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an electronic device embedded with a touchpad with a switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B  are partial perspective views of touchpads of electronic devices according to two embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the touchpad of  FIG. 3A , cut along the line A-A′; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a touchpad and a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is a rear plan view of a touchpad according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view of a touchpad of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  is an upper plan view of the touchpad of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the touchpad of  FIG. 8 , cut along line B-B′; 
         FIG. 10  is a rear plan view of a touchpad according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 11  is a rear plan view of a touchpad according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device including a touchpad according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device including a touchpad according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of a switch included in an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 16  is a plan view illustrating a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a touchpad included in an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 15  and  FIG. 17  are plan views illustrating GUIs of a touchpad included in an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, the present disclosure is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the particular form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the present disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example, for convenience of explanation, components may be exaggerated or reduced in size in the drawings. A size and thickness of each constitutional element shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, and thus the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. 
     In addition, an orthogonal coordinate system is used herein, in which an x-axis may indicate a widthwise direction of an electronic device, a y-axis may indicate a lengthwise direction of the electronic device, and a z-axis may indicate a thickness direction of the electronic device. However, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis are not limited to three axes on the orthogonal coordinate system, and may be interpreted in a broad sense to include the orthogonal coordinate system. For example, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis may be orthogonal to each other, but may refer to different directions not orthogonal to each other. Like reference numerals denote like components throughout the drawings. 
     According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include, for example, at least one of a smart phone, a tablet Personal Computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a desktop PC, a laptop PC, a netbook computer, a workstation, a server, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), a MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) player, a mobile medical device, a camera, and a wearable device (e.g., smart glasses, a Head-Mounted-Device (HMD), electronic clothes, an electronic bracelet, an electronic necklace, an electronic appcessory, an electronic tattoo, a smart mirror, or a smart watch). 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device  101  in a network environment  100  according to various embodiments. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the electronic device  101  in the network environment  100  may communicate with an electronic device  102  via a first network  198  (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or an electronic device  104  or a server  108  via a second network  199  (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device  101  may communicate with the electronic device  104  via the server  108 . According to an embodiment, the electronic device  101  may include a processor  120 , memory  130 , an input device  150 , a sound output device  155 , a display device  160 , an audio module  170 , a sensor module  176 , an interface  177 , a haptic module  179 , a camera module  180 , a power management module  188 , a battery  189 , a communication module  190 , a subscriber identification module (SIM)  196 , or an antenna module  197 . In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., the display device  160  or the camera module  180 ) of the components may be omitted from the electronic device  101 , or one or more other components may be added in the electronic device  101 . In some embodiments, some of the components may be implemented as single integrated circuitry. For example, the sensor module  176  (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be implemented as embedded in the display device  160  (e.g., a display). 
     The processor  120  may execute, for example, software (e.g., a program  140 ) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device  101  coupled with the processor  120 , and may perform various data processing or computation. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or computation, the processor  120  may load a command or data received from another component (e.g., the sensor module  176  or the communication module  190 ) in volatile memory  132 , process the command or the data stored in the volatile memory  132 , and store resulting data in non-volatile memory  134 . According to an embodiment, the processor  120  may include a main processor  121  (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)), and an auxiliary processor  123  (e.g., a graphics processing unit 
     (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that is operable independently from, or in conjunction with, the main processor  121 . Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor  123  may be adapted to consume less power than the main processor  121 , or to be specific to a specified function. The auxiliary processor  123  may be implemented as separate from, or as part of the main processor  121 . The processor  120  may include a microprocessor or any suitable type of processing circuitry, such as one or more general-purpose processors (e.g., ARM-based processors), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU), a video card controller, etc. In addition, it would be recognized that when a general purpose computer accesses code for implementing the processing shown herein, the execution of the code transforms the general purpose computer into a special purpose computer for executing the processing shown herein. Certain of the functions and steps provided in the Figures may be implemented in hardware, software or a combination of both and may be performed in whole or in part within the programmed instructions of a computer. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f), unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” In addition, an artisan understands and appreciates that a “processor” or “microprocessor” may be hardware in the claimed disclosure. Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the appended claims are statutory subject matter in compliance with 35 U.S.C. § 101. 
     The auxiliary processor  123  may control at least some of functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., the display device  160 , the sensor module  176 , or the communication module  190 ) among the components of the electronic device  101 , instead of the main processor  121  while the main processor  121  is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor  121  while the main processor  121  is in an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor  123  (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., the camera module  180  or the communication module  190 ) functionally related to the auxiliary processor  123 . 
     The memory  130  may store various data used by at least one component (e.g., the processor  120  or the sensor module  176 ) of the electronic device  101 . The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program  140 ) and input data or output data for a command related thereto. The memory  130  may include the volatile memory  132  or the non-volatile memory  134 . 
     The program  140  may be stored in the memory  130  as software, and may include, for example, an operating system (OS)  142 , middleware  144 , or an application  146 . 
     The input device  150  may receive a command or data to be used by other component (e.g., the processor  120 ) of the electronic device  101 , from the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device  101 . The input device  150  may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen). 
     The sound output device  155  may output sound signals to the outside of the electronic device  101 . The sound output device  155  may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes, such as playing multimedia or playing record, and the receiver may be used for an incoming calls. According to an embodiment, the receiver may be implemented as separate from, or as part of the speaker. 
     The display device  160  may visually provide information to the outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device  101 . The display device  160  may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and control circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display, hologram device, and projector. According to an embodiment, the display device  160  may include touch circuitry adapted to detect a touch, or sensor circuitry (e.g., a pressure sensor) adapted to measure the intensity of force incurred by the touch. 
     The audio module  170  may convert a sound into an electrical signal and vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module  170  may obtain the sound via the input device  150 , or output the sound via the sound output device  155  or a headphone of an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device  102 ) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelessly coupled with the electronic device  101 . 
     The sensor module  176  may detect an operational state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device  101  or an environmental state (e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device  101 , and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module  176  may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor. 
     The interface  177  may support one or more specified protocols to be used for the electronic device  101  to be coupled with the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device  102 ) directly (e.g., wiredly) or wirelessly. According to an embodiment, the interface  177  may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface. 
     A connecting terminal  178  may include a connector via which the electronic device  101  may be physically connected with the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device  102 ). According to an embodiment, the connecting terminal  178  may include, for example, a HDMI connector, a USB connector, a SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector). 
     The haptic module  179  may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or electrical stimulus which may be recognized by a user via his tactile sensation or kinesthetic sensation. According to an embodiment, the haptic module  179  may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulator. 
     The camera module  180  may capture a still image or moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera module  180  may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes. 
     The power management module  188  may manage power supplied to the electronic device  101 . According to one embodiment, the power management module  188  may be implemented as at least part of, for example, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). 
     The battery  189  may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device  101 . According to an embodiment, the battery  189  may include, for example, a primary cell which is not rechargeable, a secondary cell which is rechargeable, or a fuel cell. 
     The communication module  190  may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device  101  and the external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device  102 , the electronic device  104 , or the server  108 ) and performing communication via the established communication channel. The communication module  190  may include one or more communication processors that are operable independently from the processor  120  (e.g., the application processor (AP)) and supports a direct (e.g., wired) communication or a wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module  190  may include a wireless communication module  192  (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module  194  (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules may communicate with the external electronic device via the first network  198  (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth™, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or the second network  199  (e.g., a long-range communication network, such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or wide area network (WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or may be implemented as multi components (e.g., multi chips) separate from each other. The wireless communication module  192  may identify and authenticate the electronic device  101  in a communication network, such as the first network  198  or the second network  199 , using subscriber information (e.g., international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module  196 . 
     The antenna module  197  may transmit or receive a signal or power to or from the outside (e.g., the external electronic device) of the electronic device  101 . According to an embodiment, the antenna module  197  may include an antenna including a radiating element composed of a conductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate (e.g., PCB). According to an embodiment, the antenna module  197  may include a plurality of antennas. In such a case, at least one antenna appropriate for a communication scheme used in the communication network, such as the first network  198  or the second network  199 , may be selected, for example, by the communication module  190  (e.g., the wireless communication module  192 ) from the plurality of antennas. The signal or the power may then be transmitted or received between the communication module  190  and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiating element may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module  197 . 
     At least some of the above-described components may be coupled mutually and communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)). 
     According to an embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device  101  and the external electronic device  104  via the server  108  coupled with the second network  199 . Each of the electronic devices  102  and  104  may be a device of a same type as, or a different type, from the electronic device  101 . According to an embodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at the electronic device  101  may be executed at one or more of the external electronic devices  102 ,  104 , or  108 . For example, if the electronic device  101  should perform a function or a service automatically, or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device  101 , instead of, or in addition to, executing the function or the service, may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform at least part of the function or the service. The one or more external electronic devices receiving the request may perform the at least part of the function or the service requested, or an additional function or an additional service related to the request, and transfer an outcome of the performing to the electronic device  101 . The electronic device  101  may provide the outcome, with or without further processing of the outcome, as at least part of a reply to the request. To that end, a cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating an electronic device embedded with a touchpad with a switch according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic device  101  may be any suitable computing device, such as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a telephone, a smartphone, or a gaming device. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the electronic device  101  according to an embodiment may include a first electronic device  210 , a second electronic device  220 , and a coupling portion  230  which couples the first and second electronic devices  210  and  220 . The coupling portion  230  may mechanically or electrically couple the first and second electronic devices  210  and  220 . For example, the coupling portion  230  may include a hinge structure by which the first and second electronic devices  210  and  220  are pivotally coupled. The first electronic device  210  may include a display  211 . The second electronic device  220  may include a keyboard  221  and touchpad  222  which are disposed on the upper face of the second electronic device  220 . Due to pivoting (or folding) of the coupling portion  230 , the electronic device  101  may be manipulated into an open state in which the first electronic device  210  is at a specific angle with respect to the second electronic device  220  and a closed state in which the first electronic device  210  and the second electronic device  220  face each other. Therefore, the first electronic device  210  may be referred to as a main display portion or a lid portion, and the second electronic device  220  may be referred to as a main body portion. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and thus the electronic device  101  may have a configuration in which the display portion and the main body portion (e.g., the keyboard  221  and the touchpad  222 ) are integrated (i.e. without a coupling portion  230 ) or a configuration in which the display portion and the main body portion can be separated. 
     According to an embodiment, the display  211  may display various objects, content, and/or graphical user interfaces of various applications executed by the electronic device  210 . The keyboard  221  and the touchpad  222  may function as input means for the user. For example, the user may input characters or the like by using the keyboard  221 , and may move (or navigate) an input pointer  211   a  (or a cursor) displayed on the display  211  to select specific objects by using the touchpad  222 . For this, the touchpad  222  according to an embodiment may include at least one sensor for detecting user inputs such as touch, drag, multi-touch, touch (e.g., a force touch) of a certain intensity, etc. 
     The touchpad  222  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may display various objects, content, and/or graphic user interfaces of a specific application, apart from the display  211  included in the first electronic device  210 . For this, the touchpad  222  according to an embodiment may include a display. For example, the touchpad  222  may display a status bar  222   a  which indicates various statuses of the electronic device  101 . In some embodiments, the user may enter an input on the touchpad  222  to select, move, or otherwise control the object displayed on the touchpad  222 . 
     The touchpad  222  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may detect a depression or push input, in addition to touch input. In other words, the user may use the touchpad  222  as a button. The button function of the touchpad  222  may select an object displayed on the display  211  to open a file or a document, execute a command, start a program, browse a menu, and/or perform various other functions. The button function may correspond to various shortcuts so that the electronic device  101  can be more easily controlled. These shortcuts may be for functions such as zoom, scroll, moving the input pointer  211   a  to a specific position, input of a specific key (enter, delete, num lock key, etc.), or the like. To implement the button function, the touchpad  222  may include at least one switch that can be depressed, and may include support structures for the switch. The switch and support structures included in the touchpad  222  will be described below in greater detail. 
       FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B  are partial perspective views of touchpads of electronic devices according to two embodiments of the present disclosure. A touchpad  300  of  FIG. 3  may be at least partially similar to the touchpad  222  of  FIG. 2 , and thus redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. A push input for the touchpad  300  will be described with reference to  FIG. 3A . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A , the touchpad  300  according to an embodiment may be disposed on an upper face  311  of a housing  310  of the electronic device  101 . The housing  310  may be the main body portion (e.g.,  220  of  FIG. 2 ) of the electronic device. The touchpad  300  may be disposed on a central region below the keyboard  312  on the housing  310 . According to another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the touchpad  300  may be disposed above the keyboard  312 . However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and thus the touchpad  300  may be disposed at various locations on the upper face  311  of the housing  310 . 
     According to an embodiment, the touchpad  300  may be configured to detect a touch input of a user  320  or to display various objects. In addition, the touchpad  300  may detect a push input of the user  320 . For this, the touchpad  300  may be configured to move relative to the housing  310  (i.e. relative to the upper face  311  of the housing  310 ) when it is depressed by the user  320 . 
     According to an embodiment, the touchpad  300  may be fixed to the housing  310  at one end portion  301 . For example, the end portion  301  of the touchpad  300  may be at least partially fixedly coupled to the housing  310  along a horizontal direction (shown in  FIG. 3A  as the x-axis). The other end portion  302  opposite to the end portion  301  of the touchpad  300  may be free, i.e. it may not be fixed to the housing  310 . When a region adjacent to the other end portion  302  of the touchpad  300  is depressed, the touchpad  300  may move downward along a depth direction (z-axis) with respect to the upper face  311  of the housing  310 . In this case, the touchpad  300  may be tilted about the x-axis. When the touchpad  300  moves, it or structures supporting the touchpad  300  may be deformed (e.g. pivoted or bent). 
     In some embodiments, together with the end portion  301  of the touchpad  300 , at least part of a side end portion of the touchpad  300  may be fixed to the housing  310  along a vertical direction (y-axis). In this case, when it is depressed, the touchpad  300  may be tilted (or bent) about an axis corresponding to the position at which the fixing of the touchpad  300  to the housing  310  ends. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the touchpad of  FIG. 3A , cut along the line A-A′.  FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the touchpad and housing of  FIG. 3A .  FIG. 6  is a rear plan view of the touchpad of  FIG. 3A . The mechanism in which a switch  430  operates due to movement caused by pushing the touchpad  300  will be described with reference to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6 , the touchpad  300  according to an embodiment may be disposed on the upper face  311  of the housing  310 . The housing  310  may include a front plate  313  and a rear plate  314 . The housing  310  may be constructed by assembling the front plate  313  and the rear plate  314 . The front plate  313  may include an opening  311   a  corresponding to the region in which the touchpad  300  is disposed. In other words, the touchpad  300  may be exposed through the opening  311   a.    
     According to an embodiment, the touchpad  300  may be coupled to the front plate  313  via a coupling member  410 . The touchpad  300  may be attached to the coupling member  410 . The coupling member  410  may be fixedly coupled to the front plate  313  at the end portion  301  of the touchpad  300 . For example, one end portion  411  of the coupling member  410  may be fixedly coupled to a lower portion  313   a  of the front plate  313 . The coupling may be achieved through adhesives, screw joining, ultrasonic welding, or the like. Referring to  FIG. 6 , the end portion  411  of the coupling member  410  according to an embodiment may include at least one hole  411   a  to facilitate coupling with the housing  310 . For example, screws may be inserted into holes  411   a . On the other hand, the other end portion  412  of the coupling member  410  may not be fixed to the housing  310 . The other end portion  412  may move freely with respect to the housing  310 . The other end portion of the touchpad  300  (or the other end portion  412  of the coupling member  410 ) may include the switch  430  to implement a button function. The switch  430  may include a dome switch, a tactile switch, or a multi-input switch. 
     According to an embodiment, a support member  420  may function as a support to facilitate operations of the switch  430 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the support member  420  may include a support portion  421  corresponding to the switch  430  and a coupling portion  422  for coupling the support member  420  to the housing  310 . The coupling portion  422  may be fixedly coupled to the front plate  313 . The switch  430 , when the touchpad is depressed, may come into contact with the support portion  421  so as to actuate the switch  430 . 
     According to an embodiment, the other end portion  302  of a touchpad  400 , which is free to move in relation to the housing  310 , may move downward along a depth direction (z-axis). In this case, the end portion  301  of the touchpad  300  is fixed to the housing  310  by means of the coupling member  410  and thus may function as a pivot axis for the movement of the touchpad  400 . The movement of the touchpad  300  may be accompanied by deformation such as bending of the touchpad  300  and/or the coupling member  410 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , the coupling member  410  according to an embodiment may include at least one slit or opening  411   b  at locations adjacent to the end portion  411 . The slit  411   b  facilitates pivoting (or deformation) of the coupling member  410 . 
     In addition to performing switching actuation or button actuation operations, the switch  430  according to an embodiment may provide a restoring force in a direction opposite to the push direction. To this end, the switch  430  may include an elastic material for providing the restoring force. The restoring force may be generated when, for example, the dome switch of the switch  430  flattened by the pushing is restored back to its original shape. In another example, if the switch  430  is a tactile switch, the restoring force may be generated by a spring included in the switch  430 . The restoring force may also be generated by the touchpad  300  and/or the coupling member  410 , i.e. the touchpad  300  and/or the coupling member  410  may have elastic properties. Accordingly, at least part of the touchpad  300  may move from a first position (the normal position) to a second position (the depressed position) when the touchpad  300  is depressed by the user, and may move back from the second position to the first position by the restoring force of the switch  430 , the touchpad  300 , and the coupling member  410 . Such movement of the touchpad  300  may be referred to one click action. Through the one click action, the user may be provided with click or detent feedback confirming that a button push is input. 
     According to an embodiment, the coupling member  410  has a greater area than the touchpad  300 , and thus may include a flange  413 , shown in  FIG. 5 . The flange  413  may include the one end portion  411  and the other end portion  412 . The flange  413  may be caught in the front plate  313  to prevent the touchpad  300  from falling out of the opening  311   a . As shown in  FIG. 5 , in addition to the one end portion  411  and the other end portion  412 , the flange  413  may further include additional flanges at the other two sides of the touchpad  300 . 
     According to an embodiment, a sealing member  440  may be constructed between the flange  413  and the front plate  313 . The sealing member  440  may protect internal components from contamination and moisture infiltration through the gap between the touchpad  300  and the housing  310 . The sealing member  440  may provide aesthetic satisfaction to the user by filling a space or gap between the touchpad  300  and the front plate  313  of the housing  310 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the touchpad  400  and switch  430  according to an embodiment may be electrically coupled to at least one processor (e.g., the processor  120  of  FIG. 1 ) by using at least one Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPCB). For example, the touchpad  400  and the switch  430  may be coupled to a main PCB or sub PCB on which the at least one processor is mounted. 
     The touchpad  400  according to an embodiment may be coupled to a display driving circuit and a touch detection circuit by using a first PCB  303 . The display driving circuit and the touch detection circuit may be driven such that the touchpad  300  can display content or objects, and can detect various inputs such as touch, hovering input, input using a stylus pen, etc. In some embodiments, the display driving circuit and the touch detection circuit may be implemented as one or more chips which are mounted on the first PCB  303 . The switch  340  according to an embodiment may be coupled to the main PCB or the sub PCB by using a second PCB  431 . In some embodiments, the second PCB  431  may be coupled to the first PCB  303 , and may be coupled to the main PCB or the sub PCB via the first PCB  303 . 
       FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view of a touchpad of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 8  is a plan view of the touchpad of  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the touchpad of  FIG. 8 , cut along line B-B′. A touchpad  700  of  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 9  may be at least partially similar to the touchpad  222  of  FIG. 2 , and thus redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. A push input for the touchpad  700  will be described with reference to  FIG. 7 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the touchpad  700  according to an embodiment may be divided into a plurality of independent and spatially separated button regions  701  to  704 . The button regions  701  to  704  may be regions of the touchpad  700  which are movable by the user to implement individual and separate button functions. According to an embodiment, the touchpad  700  may include four button regions, that is, the first button region  701 , the second button region  702 , the third button region  703 , and the fourth button region  704 . 
     According to an embodiment, the touchpad  700  may be coupled to a front plate  910  included in a housing by means of at least one coupling member. For example, a first coupling member  711  may be fixedly coupled to the touchpad  700  at a portion corresponding to the second button region  702 . A second coupling member  712  may be fixedly coupled to the touchpad  700  at a portion corresponding to the fourth button region  704 . A third coupling member  713  may be fixedly coupled to the touchpad  700  at a portion corresponding to the third button region  703 . A fourth coupling member  714  may also be fixedly coupled to the touchpad  700  at a portion corresponding to the first button region  701 . The coupling members  711  to  714  may be fixedly coupled to the portions of the front plate  910  adjacent to the sides of the touchpad  700 . The fixed coupling may be achieved through adhesives, screw joining, ultrasonic welding, or the like. For this, in some embodiments, each of the coupling members  711  to  714  may include a coupling means so as to be fixedly coupled with the housing (i.e. the front plate  910 ). For example, the third coupling member  713  may include at least one opening  713   a  for screw joining. 
     According to an embodiment, the touchpad  700  may be movable with respect to the front plate  910  to enable push inputs for each of the button regions  701  to  704 . In this case, the coupling members  711  to  714  may provide restoring forces for the push inputs, and may provide axes of bending or pivoting. 
     For example, when the third button region  703  is pushed, the portion of the touchpad  700  corresponding to the third button region  703  may move downward along a depth direction (z-axis). In this case, the touchpad  700  may pivot about a first axis X 1  which traverses the first coupling member  711  and second coupling member  712 . In other words, the touchpad  700  may be bent with respect to the first axis X 1 . A movement of the touchpad  700  may include deformation such as bending or twisting of the touchpad  700 , the first coupling member  711 , and/or second coupling member  712 . In addition, when the third button region  703  moves downward, the first button region  701  opposite thereto may move upward, and deformation may occur in the fourth coupling member  714  by which the first button region  701  is coupled to the housing. In another example, a push input for the fourth button region  704  may cause a downward movement of the touchpad  700  corresponding to the fourth button region  704 . In this case, the touchpad  700  may be bent with respect to a second axis X 2  which transverses the third coupling member  713  and the fourth coupling member  714 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a movement of each of the button regions  701  to  704  may be with respect to an axis that is substantially parallel to a central axis of the touchpad  700 , and may be achieved based on a point at which the coupling between the coupling members  711  to  714  and the housing ends. For example, a push input for the third button region  703  may cause pivoting or deformation of the touchpad  700  with respect to the axis X 1 ′ which is parallel to the first axis X 1  but is based on where the coupling between the coupling member  711  and the housing ends. In another example, a push input for the second button region  702  may cause pivoting or deformation of the touchpad  700  with respect to the axis X 2 ′ which is parallel to the second axis X 2  but is based on where the coupling between the coupling member  713  and the housing ends. The above-mentioned movement of each of the button regions  701  to  704  may include pivoting, deformation, twisting, etc. In some embodiments, the coupling members  711  to  714  may include at least one opening  713   b  to facilitate deformation of the touchpad  700 . 
     The coupling members  711  to  714  according to an embodiment may have a specific width. For example, the second coupling member  712  may have a first width d 1 , and the fourth coupling member  714  may have a second width d 2 . The widths of the coupling members  711  to  714  may depend on the horizontal and vertical lengths of the touchpad  700 . Stiffness in which the touchpad  700  is fixed to the housing and/or resistance for the movements and deformations of the touchpad  700  may vary depending on the widths of the coupling members  711  to  714 . The amount of click feel and/or tactile feedback provided to the user in turn may depend on the stiffness and the resistance. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , support members  731 ,  733 , and  734  according to an embodiment may function as supports for click actions of switches  741 ,  743 , and  744  coupled to the touchpad  700 . When depressed, the switches  741 ,  743 , and  744  may come into contact with the support members  731 ,  733 , and  734  so as to actuate the switches  741 ,  743 , and  744 . For example, the first support member  731  may be coupled to the front plate  910  at a position corresponding to the first switch  741 . The third support member  733  may be coupled to the front plate  910  at a position corresponding to the third switch  743 , and the fourth support member  734  may be coupled to the front plate  910  at a position corresponding to the fourth switch  744 . Although not shown in  FIG. 9 , a second support member may be coupled to the front plate  910  at a position corresponding to the second switch. 
       FIG. 10  is a rear plan view of a touchpad according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , a touchpad  1010  (or a support member, such as the support portion  720  of  FIG. 9 ) according to an embodiment may include coupling members  1021  to  1024  disposed at edges of the touchpad  1010 . For example, the first coupling member  1021  and the third coupling member  1023  may be fixedly coupled to the touchpad  1010  at the edges facing each other. The second coupling member  1022  and the fourth coupling member  1024  may be fixed to the touchpad  1010  at the edges facing each other, so as to be substantially perpendicular to an axis in which the first coupling member  1021  and the third coupling member  1023  are disposed. The coupling members  1021  to  1024  may respectively include switches  1031  to  1034 . According to an embodiment, the touchpad  1010  and the switches  1031  to  1035  may be electrically or operatively coupled to at least one processor (e.g., the processor  120  of  FIG. 1 ) via at least one FPCB. For example, the touchpad  1010  may be coupled to a display driving circuit and a touch detection circuit via a first PCB  1011 . The display driving circuit and the touch detection circuit may be driven such that the touchpad  1010  can display contents and objects, and can detect various inputs. In some embodiments, the display driving circuit and the touch detection circuit may be implemented as one or more chips mounted on the first PCB  1011 . 
     According to an embodiment, at least two switches may be coupled to a main PCB or a sub PCB via another PCB. For example, one end of a second PCB  1041  may be coupled to the main PCB or the sub PCB. The other end opposite to the one end of the second PCB  1041  may be electrically or operatively coupled to the third switch  1033  and the fourth switch  1034 . To accomplish this, the second PCB  1041  may include extended branches that extend to the third switch  1033  and the fourth switch  1034 . Accordingly, the third switch  1033  and the fourth switch  1034  may be mounted on the second PCB  1041 . In addition, one end of a third PCB  1042  may be coupled to the main PCB or the sub PCB. The other end opposite to the one end of the third PCB  1042  may be electrically or operatively coupled to the first switch  1031  and the second switch  1032 . The third PCB  1042  may include extended branches that extend to the first switch  1031  and the second switch  1032 . 
       FIG. 11  is a rear plan view of a touchpad according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , a touchpad  1110  (or a support member, such as the support portion  720  of  FIG. 9 ) according to an embodiment may include coupling members  1121  to  1124  disposed at edges of the touchpad  1110 . For example, the first coupling member  1121  and the third coupling member  1123  may be fixedly coupled to the touchpad  1110  at the edges facing each other. The second coupling member  1122  and the fourth coupling member  1124  may be fixed to the touchpad  1110  at the edges facing each other, so as to be substantially perpendicular to an axis in which the first coupling member  1121  and the third coupling member  1123  are disposed. The coupling members  1121  to  1124  may respectively include switches  1131  to  1134 . In an embodiment, at least two coupling members may be coupled to each other. For example, the first coupling member  1121  and the fourth coupling member  1124  may be coupled by means of a coupling portion  1125 . Thus, the first coupling member  1121 , the fourth coupling member  1124 , and the coupling portion  1125  may be integrated. The first coupling member  1121 , the fourth coupling member  1124 , and the coupling portion  1125  may be fixedly coupled to a housing (e.g., the front plate  910  of  FIG. 9 ) at a portion in which the first coupling member  1121  is disposed. Accordingly, since the fourth coupling member  1124  is not fixedly coupled directly to the housing, when the touchpad  1110  is installed in the electronic device, by deforming the touchpad  1110 , it is possible to access the first PCB  1111  from outside the electronic device. 
     According to an embodiment, the touchpad  1110  and the switches  1131  to  1135  may be electrically or operatively coupled to at least one processor (e.g., the processor  120  of  FIG. 1 ) via at least one FPCB. For example, the touchpad  1110  may be coupled to a display driving circuit and a touch detection circuit via the first PCB  1111 . The display driving circuit and the touch detection circuit may be driven such that the touchpad  1110  can display contents and objects, and can detect various inputs. In some embodiments, the display driving circuit and the touch detection circuit may be implemented as one or more chips mounted on the first PCB  1111 . 
     According to an embodiment, all of the switches  1131  to  1134  coupled to the touchpad  1110  may be coupled to a main PCB or a sub PCB via another PCB. For example, one end of the second PCB  1141  may be coupled to the main PCB or the sub PCB, and the other end may be extended to be coupled to the switches  1131  to  1134 . 
       FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device including a touchpad according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to  FIG. 12 , a touchpad  1210  according to an embodiment may be disposed in a housing including a front plate  1201  and a rear plate  1202 . The touchpad  1210  may be disposed on a support portion  1220 . At least one coupling member may be provided to mount the touchpad  1210  in the housing. According to an embodiment, in addition to the coupling members by which the touchpad  1210  and/or the support portion  1220  are fixedly coupled to the front plate  1210 , a structure  1240  may be further included to support the touchpad  1201  and/or the support portion  1220  at a substantially central position thereof. The structure  1240  may be fixedly coupled to the rear plate  1202 . The support portion  1220  may include a guide member  1221  in a vertical direction (the z-axis direction). According to an embodiment, the guide member  1221  may further include an elastic member  1241  which provides elastic force in the vertical direction. For example, the elastic member  1241  may include a spring, an air spring, a high-density sponge, or the like. 
     According to an embodiment, a switch included in the touchpad  1210  may be actuated by using at least one fixed support member, such as support members  1231  and  1232 . The touchpad  1210  and the switch attached to the touchpad  1210  may move towards the fixed support member due to force applied by the user, and thus the switch may be actuated. According to an embodiment, the first support member  1231  may be fixedly coupled to the front plate  1201 . In some embodiments, the second support member  1232  may be fixedly coupled to the rear plate  1202 . 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of an electronic device including a touchpad according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to  FIG. 13 , a touchpad  1310  according to an embodiment may be disposed in a housing including a front plate  1301  and a rear plate  1302 . The touchpad  1310  may be disposed on a support portion  1320 . At least one coupling member may be provided to mount the touchpad  1310  in the housing. According to an embodiment, in addition to coupling members by which the touchpad  1310  and/or the support portion  1320  are fixedly coupled to the front plate  1301 , support structures  1321  and  1331  may be further included to support the touchpad  1310  and/or the support portion  1320  at a substantially central position thereof. The support structures  1321  and  1331  may include the groove member  1321  and the protrusion member  1331  corresponding to the groove member  1321 . Since the protrusion member  1331  is accommodated in the groove member  1321 , a movement and/or deformation for a click action of the touchpad  1310  may be achieved based on the groove member  1321  and the protrusion member  1331 . According to an embodiment, the support member  1330  for a switch operation may be extended to up to a position at which the support structures  1321  and  1331  are disposed. 
       FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of a switch included in an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. According to an embodiment, a touchpad  1400  may be supported on a support portion  1410 , and may be coupled to a housing  1401  (or a front plate) via a coupling member  1420 . In some embodiments, a switch  1450  may be disposed on a support member  1430 , instead of being disposed on a bottom surface of the touchpad  1400 . The switch  1450  may be come into contact with the coupling member  1420  when the touchpad  1400  is depressed. The switch  1450  may further serve as a support so that the touchpad  1400  and the support portion  1410  are correctly located. 
       FIG. 16  is a plan view illustrating a GUI of a touchpad included in an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Objects  1520  displayed on a touchpad  1510  according to an embodiment may be a GUI that enables the user to recognize various functions or modes of the electronic device  1500 . For example, a click input for an upper portion  1522  of the object  1520  displayed on the touchpad  1510  may correspond to a web mode, a click input for a lower portion  1523  may correspond to a game mode, a click input for a left portion  1521  may correspond to a Docs mode, and a click input for a right portion  1524  may correspond to a  3 D mode. In another embodiment, upper, lower, left, and right click inputs for the touchpad  1510  or the displayed object  1520  may correspond to upper, lower, left, and right key buttons of a keyboard. 
       FIG. 15  and  FIG. 17  are plan views illustrating GUIs of a touchpad included in an electronic device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The touchpad  1510  according to an embodiment may display content  1511 , and may display the notification  1520  that may at least partially overlap with the content  1511 . The notification  1520  may indicate functions corresponding to upper, lower, left, and right click actions for the touchpad  1510 . The user may be provided with other content by using the touchpad  1510 , or may move a cursor (e.g., the cursor  211   a  of  FIG. 2 ) displayed on a main display (e.g., the display  211  of  FIG. 2 ). At the same time, functions displayed on the notification  1520  may be executed through the click actions of the touchpad  1510 . 
     An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a housing including a first plate and a second plate, where the first plate includes an opening; a display panel at least partially exposed through the opening and including a touch sensor; a first support member coupled to the display panel and a portion of the first plate along at least part of one side of the opening; and a switch device configured to be actuated according to a depression of the display panel, the depression caused by a downward force exerted on an upper portion of the display panel. 
     The switch device of the electronic device according to the embodiment may include a dome switch or a tactile switch. 
     The switch device according to the embodiment may be disposed on a bottom surface of the display panel facing the second plate, and the electronic device may further include a second support member fixed at a position so as to actuate the switch device when the display panel is depressed. 
     According to an embodiment, the second support member may be fixedly coupled to the first plate. 
     According to an embodiment, the electronic device may further include at least one processor. The at least one processor may be electrically coupled to the display panel and the switch device. 
     According to an embodiment, the at least one processor may be electrically coupled to the display panel via a first printed circuit board, and may be electrically coupled to the switch device via a second printed circuit board. 
     According to an embodiment, the electronic device may further include a support structure disposed in a central region of the display panel. 
     According to an embodiment, the support structure may be disposed on the first support member. 
     According to an embodiment, the first printed circuit board and/or the second printed circuit board may be disposed at a first side of the display panel different from a second side of the display panel at which the first support member is disposed. 
     An electronic device according to an embodiment may include: a first housing including a first display panel; and a second housing pivotally coupled with the first housing and including a keyboard and a touchpad. The touchpad may be disposed on a support portion, be exposed through an opening of the second housing, and may include a touch sensor, a second display panel, and a switch device configured to be actuated according to a depression of the touchpad caused by a downward force exerted on the touchpad. 
     The electronic device according to the embodiment may include four coupling members each disposed at an edge of the support portion to couple the support portion to the second housing. When the downward force is exerted on the touchpad, the touchpad deforms or pivots about an axis connecting opposing two of the four coupling members. 
     The electronic device according to the embodiment may further include a support member fixed at a position so as to actuate the switch device when the touchpad is depressed. 
     According to an embodiment, the support member may be fixedly coupled to the second housing. 
     According to an embodiment, the electronic device may further include at least one processor. The at least one processor may be electrically coupled to the second display panel and the switch device. 
     According to an embodiment, the at least one processor may be electrically coupled to the second display panel via a first printed circuit board, and may be electrically coupled to the switch device via a second printed circuit board. 
     According to an embodiment, the electronic device may further include a support structure disposed in a central region of the second display panel. 
     According to an embodiment, the support structure may be disposed on the support portion. 
     According to an embodiment, the first printed circuit board and/or the second printed circuit board may be disposed at first side of the second display panel different from a second side of the second display panel at which the support portion is disposed. 
     According to an embodiment, the switch device may include four switches, each switch disposed on one of the four coupling members. 
     According to an embodiment, each of the four coupling members may include a slit to facilitate the depression of the touchpad. 
     Certain aspects of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in hardware, firmware or via the execution of software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium such as a CD ROM, a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a magnetic tape, a RAM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a magneto-optical disk or computer code downloaded over a network originally stored on a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine readable medium and to be stored on a local recording medium, so that the methods described herein can be rendered via such software that is stored on the recording medium using a general purpose computer, or a special processor or in programmable or dedicated hardware, such as an ASIC or FPGA. As would be understood in the art, the computer, the processor, microprocessor controller or the programmable hardware include memory components, e.g., RAM, ROM, Flash, etc. that may store or receive software or computer code that when accessed and executed by the computer, processor or hardware implement the processing methods described herein. 
     While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.