Patent Document

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from Taiwan Patent Application No. 102103395, filed on Jan. 30, 2013 in the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office. The contents of the Taiwan Application are hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, subject matter relevant to this application is disclosed in: co-pending U.S. Patent Application entitled “ELECTRONIC DEVICE,” Attorney Docket Number US51048, Application No. [to be advised], filed on the same day as the present application. This application and the co-pending U.S. Patent Application are commonly owned, and the contents of the co-pending U.S. Patent Applications are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The disclosure generally relates to electronic devices, and particularly relates to electronic devices having a touchpad and human-computer interaction methods. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Many notebook computers use touchpads as a “cursor navigator” as well as a component for selecting functions such as “select” and “confirm”. However, the touchpads are often small and incapable of recognizing more complex touch operations. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an embodiment of an electronic device. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a base member of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a touchpad simulating a gamepad. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a touchpad simulating a joystick. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a touchpad simulating a steering wheel. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a human-computer interaction method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references can mean “at least one.” 
         [0015]    In general, the word “module,” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language such as Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as in an erasable-programmable read-only memory (EPROM). The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other storage device. Some non-limiting examples of non-transitory computer-readable media are compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), Blu-Ray discs, Flash memory, and hard disk drives. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an embodiment of an electronic device  10 . The electronic device  10  can be, but is not limited to, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a gaming device, a DVD player, a radio, a television, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or any other type of portable or non-portable electronic device. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment, the electronic device  10  includes a display member  20  rotatably coupled to a base member  30  to enable variable positioning of the display member  10  relative to the base member  30 . A keyboard  34  and a touchpad  36  are located on a working surface  32  of the base member  30 . In the illustrated embodiment, the touchpad  36  is located in front of the keyboard  34 . 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, a length of the touchpad  36  is greater than 18 centimeters (cm), so that the touchpad  36  is suitable for two-hand operation by a user of the electronic device  10 . The length of the touchpad  36  is substantially the same as the length of the keyboard  34 . In other embodiments, the length of the touchpad  36  is substantially the same as the length of the base member  30 . 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the touchpad  36  defines a middle touch area  362 , a left touch area  364 , and a right touch area  366 . The left touch area  364  is located on a left side of the middle touch area  362 , and the right touch area  366  is located on a right side of the middle touch area  362 . In one embodiment, the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  are seamlessly connected to the middle touch area  362 . 
         [0020]    The middle touch area  362  may simulate a pointing device such as a mouse. The left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  may simulate a gaming controller. The gaming controller may be a gamepad, a joystick, or a steering wheel. 
         [0021]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  simulate a gamepad. The gamepad includes a plurality of direction keys  42  and a plurality of function keys  44 . The left touch area  364  simulates the direction keys  42 . The right touch area  366  simulates the function keys  44 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the gamepad includes four direction keys  42  and four function keys  44 . In some embodiments, the gamepad may include eight or more direction keys  42  and six or more function keys  44 . 
         [0022]    In another embodiment, the left touch area  364  may simulate the function keys  44  and the right touch area  366  may simulate the direction keys  42 . 
         [0023]    As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  simulate a joystick. The joystick includes an analogue stick  52  and a plurality of function keys  54 . The left touch area  364  simulates the analogue stick  52 . The right touch area  366  simulates the function keys  54 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the joystick includes four function keys  54 . In some embodiments, the joystick may include six or more function keys  54 . 
         [0024]    In another embodiment, the left touch area  364  may simulate the function keys  54  and the right touch area  366  may simulate the analogue stick  52 . 
         [0025]    As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  simulate a steering wheel  62 . The steering wheel  62  includes a left portion  622  and a right portion  624 . The left touch area  364  simulates the left portion  622  of the steering wheel  62 . The right touch area  366  simulates the right portion  624  of the steering wheel  62 . 
         [0026]    In one embodiment, when only one of the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  detects a touch gesture with more than a pre-determined number of touch points such as 2500 touch points, the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  simulate a joystick. When none of the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  detects a touch gesture with more than the pre-determined number of touch points, the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  simulate a gamepad. When the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  simultaneously detect a touch gesture with more than the pre-determined number of touch points, the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  simulate a steering wheel. 
         [0027]    The electronic device  10  may provide a user interface (UI) to allow the user to customize the gaming controller simulated by the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366 . For example, the user may add, delete, or relocate an element of the gaming controller via the UI. 
         [0028]      FIG. 6  shows a flowchart of one embodiment of a human-computer interaction method. The method includes the following steps. 
         [0029]    In step S 601 , the touchpad  36  defines a middle touch area  362 , a left touch area  364 , and a right touch area  366 . The left touch area  364  is located on a left side of the middle touch area  362 , and the right touch area  366  is located on a right side of the middle touch area  362 . In one embodiment, the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  are seamlessly connected to the middle touch area  362 . 
         [0030]    In step S 602 , the middle touch area  362  simulates a mouse. 
         [0031]    In step S 603 , the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366  simulate a gaming controller. 
         [0032]    In step S 604 , the electronic device  10  provides a UI to allow the user to customize the gaming controller simulated by the left touch area  364  and the right touch area  366 . 
         [0033]    Although numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Technology Category: a