Patent Abstract:
An improved mousepad ( 100 ) includes a telephone integrated therewith. A keypad ( 108 ) for the telephone is disposed beneath a mylar layer ( 130 ). The keypad ( 108 ) includes a plurality of capacitive switches ( 108   a ,  108   b ) disposed just beneath the mylar layer. In a mousepad mode, a mouse may be moved around the surface of the mylar in the standard fashion. In a telephone mode, the user may activate the keypad ( 108 ) by pressing the buttons which are viewable beneath the mylar.

Full Description:
This is a divisional, of application Ser. No. 09/053,610 filed Apr. 1, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,446. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to computer mousepads, and particularly, to computer mousepads having advanced functionality. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The computer mouse has become a standard peripheral for the personal computer. Typically, mousepads are provided to enable the mouse to operate more efficiently. Such mousepads provide a surface which enhances the movement of the mouse body relative to the mouse ball for a more effective manipulation of the cursor on the computer screen. 
     However, the amount of desk space within arm&#39;s reach of a seated person is significantly limited, and for convenience, people typically want to place as many objects as possible in this relatively small space directly in front of them. For many people, the single largest space-consuming item is the computer and associated peripheral devices, which typically include a monitor, a keyboard, and the mousepad, in addition to the housing for the computer itself. In addition, a telephone is typically disposed adjacent to the computer. For a person seated in chair in front of a computer, very little desk space remains immediately within reach. Such desk space may be needed for placement of documents and other working materials. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for an improved desk configuration. There is a still further need to minimize the number of devices disposed on working surfaces within an office. There is a still further need for an advanced functionality mousepad. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These and other drawbacks in the prior art are overcome in large part by an improved mousepad according to the present invention. An improved mousepad according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a telephone integrated therewith. A keypad for the telephone is disposed beneath a mylar layer. The keypad includes a plurality of capacitive switches disposed just beneath the mylar layer. In a mousepad mode, a mouse may be moved around the surface of the mylar in the standard fashion. In a telephone mode, the user may activate the keypad by pressing the buttons which are viewable beneath the mylar. 
     A mousepad according to another embodiment of the invention includes a telephone integrated therewith, and further includes a keyboard platform disposed adjacent the combined mousepad telephone. According to another embodiment, the mousepad telephone is integrated with the keyboard itself. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A better understanding of the present invention is obtained when the following detailed description is considered in conjunction with the following drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a mousepad telephone according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a mousepad telephone according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of a mousepad according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams of capacitive switches for use in a mousepad according to the present invention; 
     FIGS. 5A and 5B are partially sectioned side views of mousepads according to the embodiments of FIGS. 4A and 4B; 
     FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a mousepad according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a diagram of a mousepad integrated with a keyboard platform according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a diagram of a mousepad integrated with a keyboard according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a mousepad telephone having a computer interface according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another mousepad telephone according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings, and especially to FIG. 1, a mousepad telephone embodying the present invention is shown therein and generally identified by reference numeral  100 . The mousepad  100  includes a working area  102 . The working area  102  may include a keypad  108 , as well as one or more function keys  110 . As will be discussed in greater detail below, the mousepad  100  is configured such that the working area  102  may be used as a mousepad in a mousepad mode and may be used as a telephone input device via the keypad  108  in a telephone mode. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the keypad  108  and function keys  110  may be embodied in capacitive switches positioned at or below the surface of the working area  102 . 
     A control unit  106  may be disposed adjacent the working area  102 . As shown, the control unit  106  is configured such that it may be used as a wrist rest for a user using a mouse on the working area  102 . The control unit  106  may be formed from either rigid or relatively pliable material. The control unit  106  includes a microphone  114  and a speaker  116 . The speaker and microphone  114 ,  116  provide for speaker phone functionality. The control unit  106  further includes one or more function switches  118   a-   118   c,  such as a hook switch and a viewing window  112 . In addition, one or more jacks  120 ,  122 , such as RJ-11 jacks, may be provided. 
     An alternative embodiment of a mousepad according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2, and generally identified by reference numeral  200 . The mousepad  200  is generally similar to the mousepad  100  (FIG.  1 ). The mousepad  200  thus includes a working area  202  including a keypad  208  and one or more function keys  210 . The mousepad  200  is further configured such that the working area  202  may be used as a mousepad in a mousepad mode and used as a telephone input device via the keypad  208  in a telephone mode. A control unit  206  is disposed adjacent the working area  202 . The control unit  206  is configured as a wrist rest for a user using a mouse on the working area  202 . The control unit  206  includes a microphone  214  and a speaker  216 . The speaker and the microphone  214 ,  216  provide for speaker phone functionality. The control unit  206  further includes one or more function switches  218   a-c  and a viewing window  212 . In addition, one or more jacks  220 ,  222  may be provided. Finally, a handset  204  may be provided coupled to one of the RJ-11 jacks  220 . One of the function switches  218   a-   218   c  may be used, for example, to switch between a speaker phone and handset mode. 
     Turning now to FIG. 31 a diagram illustrating a side view of the mousepad of FIG.  1  and FIG. 2 is shown. As shown, the mousepad is disposed to receive a mouse  124 , illustrated in phantom. As noted above, the control unit  106  may be used as a wrist rest. As shown, the mousepad includes a first layer  130  disposed on top of a keypad layer  132 ; a third compressible layer  134  is also provided. Keys of the keypad  108  are disposed immediately beneath the first layer  130 . One or more flexible leads such as copper traces  128 , may be provided from the keys of a keypad  108  to a telephone controller  126 , typically embodied within the control unit  106 . The keys of the keypad  108  may be embodied as known capacitive switches, as will be discussed in greater detail below. The first layer  130  may be formed of an insulative mylar material for easy viewing and adapted to effectively receive the mouse  124 . The layer  134  may be any suitable non-skid material such as neoprene. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, exemplary capacitive switches for use in the working area  102  are illustrated. In particular, turning now to FIG. 4A, a capacitive switch  108   a  includes an external electrically conductive capacitive touch plate  400  and a pair of internal electrically conductive drive and sense plates  402 ,  404 . The plates  400  and  402 ,  404  may be formed on a single flexible sheet of dielectric material such as mylar tape or the like. 
     Conductive paths connecting the electrically conductive capacitive plates  400 ,  402 ,  404  may be formed on a flat cable connector to the telephone controller  126 . The telephone controller  126  is arranged to apply drive signals and sense and utilize the actuation of the respective capacitive switches. 
     Electrically, each plate  402 ,  404  forms a capacitor with the plate  400  disposed on the opposite side of the tape, the two capacitors thus formed being in series electrically. Thus, a signal applied to a drive plate  402  is loaded to ground when the external plate  400  is physically touched and thus conductively coupled to ground by a user. This lowers the level of the output signal sense plate  404 . This change in level of the output signal is sensed by the control circuit  126  as signifying a switch operation. 
     In particular, the operation of each capacitive switch is as follows: The drive plates  402  are driven with a signal from the control unit  126 . The applied signal enters each touch pad  400  from a drive pad  402  and exits through an associated sense pad  404 . This continues until a touch pad  400  is touched by an operator grounding the pad. This greatly reduces the level of the signal from the sense pad  404 , which is detected by the electronic circuit. The electrically conductive capacitive plates  400 ,  402 ,  404  and conductive paths may be deposited on a clear tape by sputtering or vapor deposition of transparent films of gold or other suitable electrically conductive materials. Thus, the entire pad may be made transparent except for any desired indicia, legends and designs which may be applied using any suitable non-conductive paint. The unitary capacitive touch panel thus formed, may be used by affixing it to any suitable backing member formed of non-conductive material by means of a non-conductive adhesive as will be described in greater detail below. 
     FIG. 5A illustrates an embodiment of the invention employing the capacitive switch of FIG.  4 A. The keypad  108  may be formed of two sheets of a dielectric material such as mylar tape  138  and  136 , or the like, affixed together by means of a non-conductive adhesive. The internal capacitive segments or plates  402 ,  404  as well as the electrically conductive paths  128  connected thereto, are disposed on opposite sides of the tape  138 . The touch plates  400  are formed on the tape  136 . Thus, the capacitive plates  402 ,  404  of each switch are separated by the thickness of tape  138  and from the plates  400  by the thickness of the tape  136 . The flexible keypad  108  may be affixed to a non-conductive backing member  139 . A protective transparent and non-conductive coating of a flexible dielectric material  130  may be applied to front face of the keypads around the touch plates  400  to protect the panels from wear. In addition, the keypads  108  may be affixed to a compressible layer  134  by a suitable non-conductive adhesive. The layer  134  may be embodied in, for example, neoprene. In addition, a further layer  140  may be provided. The layer  140  may be any suitable non-skid material; alternatively, it may be omitted and the non-skid neoprene of layer  134  employed. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 4B and 5B, an alternative embodiment of the capacitive switch and keypad  108  are illustrated. The capacitive plates  406 ,  408  and interconnecting circuitry are embodied as fringe effect capacitive switches, which may be disposed on the same side or on opposite sides of a panel  136 . The inter-digital members of the capacitive plates may be printed or otherwise formed on opposite sides of a flexible dielectric tape  136 . The completed touch panel can be used by affixing it to any non-conductive backing member  138  by means of a non-conductive adhesive or the like. The exposed capacitive member plates are then covered with a second transparent flexible tape  130  bearing any desired indicia on the inside surface. The tape  130  is also secured to the tape  136  by means of a non-conductive adhesive. 
     When the smooth surface of the panel  130  is touched, the switch is capacitively coupled to ground, the operator&#39;s fingers serving as a grounded capacitive plate. This sharply decreases the switch capacitance, causing a change in signal level which is detected by suitable control circuitry  136  indicating a capacitive switch operation as is well known. The entire switch may be affixed to a neoprene layer  134 . As above, an additional non-skid layer  140  may further be provided. 
     Turning now to FIG. 6, a block diagram illustrating the mousepad  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The mousepad  100  includes a telephone controller  126  coupled to the keypad  108 . The telephone control circuit includes a DTMF generator  152 , a tone ringer  156 , a central processing unit  150 , a speech network  160 , voltage regulator  158 , hook switch  118 , speaker  114  and microphone  116 . A driver/sensing unit  151  may be provided for driving the capacitive keypad  108 . In addition, a radio transceiver  159  may be provided coupled to the CPU. The radio transceiver  159  is used in an embodiment in which the mousepad  100  is embodied as a wireless telephone. The voltage regulator  158  is responsible for providing a constant level of voltage and current to the internal circuitry. The speech network  160  interfaces the microphone and speaker to the two-wire telephone line. The DTMF dialer  152  is responsive to pressing the keypad  108 . The resulting tones from the DTMF dialer are provided to the tone ringer  156  to provide the appropriate two-tone signal. The CPU  150  is configured to provide control functionality including, for example, number memory and recall, visual digit display, clock, call-back indicators, automatic redial and answering system control. As discussed above, the mousepad  100  is operable in a mouse mode or a telephone mode. The telephone mode is selectable by activating the switch hook  118 . Activating the switch hook  118  may include lifting a handset  104  (FIG. 2) or may include activating a physical switch on the control unit  106 . 
     Turning now to FIG. 7, a diagram of a keyboard platform  599  including a mousepad  100  having a telephone integrated therewith is illustrated. The keyboard platform  599  includes a generally rectangular keyboard rest  600  adapted to receive a keyboard  602  thereon. The surface of the keyboard rest may be covered with a textured material so as to prevent the keyboard  602  from slipping. 
     The keyboard rest  600  further includes a raised wrist rest  604 . The wrist rest  604  may be configured such that the height of the wrist rest above the keyboard platform  600  is approximately the same as the height of the keyboard  602 . The wrist rest  604  may be formed from either a pliable or rigid material. 
     In addition, a mousepad telephone  100  is formed to one side of the keyboard rest  600  and is configured similarly to the mousepad of FIG.  1 . In particular, the mousepad  100   a  may include a keypad  108   a  and function keys  110   a  formed integrally with the working area  102   a.  A control unit  106   a  may be provided which, as in FIG. 1, may include a speaker and microphone  114 ,  116  function such as switch hook keys  118  and a view screen  112 , as well as RJ-11-type jacks  120 ,  122 . The control unit  106   a  may be formed such that it appears to be merely an extension of the wrist rest  604  of the keyboard platform  600 . The mousepad telephone  100  may be joined to the keyboard rest along an entire edge, or may be joined at a pivot  650 , as is known in the art. 
     Turning now to FIG. 8, a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In particular, the keyboard device  800  includes a generally planar housing  802 . The housing  802  may be formed from any reasonably rigid material, such as plastic. The housing has first and second side ends  808   a,    808   b  and a front and rear end,  809   a,    809   b,  respectively. The housing  802  is adapted to receive one or more sets of keys  803 ,  805 . In one embodiment, the key set  803  forms a standard QWERTY-type key set, and the key set  805  forms a numeric key set. Integrated with and adjacent to the front end  809   a  is a wrist rest  804 . The wrist rest  804  is of sufficient size and dimension to permit a user&#39;s wrists to rest thereon during keyboard use. Thus, while the wrist rest  804  is illustrated as being generally rectangular and planar, it may be contoured for improved ergonomics. The wrist rest  804  may be formed from a relatively pliable material, or may be formed from the same generally rigid plastic forming the housing  802 . 
     A mousepad  100   b  is integrated with the keyboard  800 . As illustrated, the mousepad  100   b  projects from the keyboard housing  802  at the right end  808   b.  Alternatively, the mousepad telephone may be configured to project from the left end  808   a  of the keyboard housing  802 . The mousepad  100   b  includes telephone functionality as discussed above, with regard to FIGS. 1-6. Thus, the mousepad includes a control unit  106   b  which may be formed as a wrist rest. In particular, the control unit  106   b  may be configured such that it forms an extension of the wrist rest  804  of the keyboard  800 . Again, the mousepad may be joined about a pivot  650   a.    
     An alternative embodiment of a mousepad telephone according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG.  9 . In particular, the mousepad telephone of FIG. 9 includes a working area  902  configured to receive a mouse. A control unit  906  is disposed adjacent the working area  102 . As shown, the control unit  906  is configured such that it may be used as a wrist rest for a user using a mouse on the working area  902 . As shown, the control unit  906  includes audio devices, such as a microphone  914  and a speaker  916 . Various function switches  918   a-   918   c  may be provided as also may be a hook switch and viewing window  912 . One or more RJ-11 jacks  120 ,  122  may be provided. In addition, an interface  924  such as a serial interface may be provided between the mousepad  900  and a personal computer  950 . The personal computer  950  is a computer such as is well known in the art including a Macintosh or IBM PC compatible computer. The computer  950  includes a known telephone card  951 . The mousepad  900  further includes a keyboard  901  similar to the keypads in the above-described embodiments. In the case of mousepad telephone  900 , however, the telephone functionality is provided on the computer telephone card  951 . Only the signals from the keypad  901  are transferred to the telephone card  951  and voice signals are provided back to the mousepad telephone via the serial interface  924 . Thus, the mousepad  900  is configured to provide keypad and sound card-type functionality. 
     A further alternate embodiment is shown in FIG.  10 . The mousepad telephone  1900  of FIG. 10 is generally similar to the mousepad telephone  900  of FIG.  9 . However, the computer  1950  further includes a software module to produce a virtual keypad  1952  which is activatable by a mouse  1951 . The development of such a virtual keypad is well known and may, for example, be based upon Windows 95 or NT software and/or the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,454 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     The invention described in the above detailed description is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications and equivalents as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8