蘋果最新專利- 超寬的筆電觸控板設計

在蘋果剛獲准的這件專利裡，可看到除了如同一般筆電在中間有一塊觸控板，原本提供使用者雙手放置休息的兩側區域 (Palm rest areas) 也可進一步提供觸控輸入功能，這樣的效果主要是因為在鍵盤和觸控板之間多加裝了一條感測器，當感測器偵測到使用者有任一隻手跨過其上，中央觸控板兩側對應的區域就會如同以往一般，提供使用者把手腕放在上面休息的功能，換句話說，此時這塊區域並不提供觸控輸入操作，然而使用者雙手未跨過感測器的對應區域就形同一塊觸控板，在兩側Palm rest areas適時地變化之下，鍵盤下方的整個區域就形同一塊超寬的觸控板。

Apple's wide touchpad that is found in Apple's MacBook line up. It first debuted in January 2008 on the MacBook Air. On Apple's current MacBook Air webpage, they describe the wide trackpad as a "spacious, Multi-Touch trackpad."

Apple's patent is about a MacBook trackpad having the capabilities of a conventional computer mouse, such as the ability to point, drag, tap, and double tap objects on a graphical user interface, as well as more general purposes such as scrolling, panning, zooming, and rotating images on display screen. In many aspects, this is a patent fulfilled and in others, there's room for other adjustments.

Apple's patent FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of a portable computer in the open position with a touchpad that extends into the palm rest areas. In one embodiment, the touchpad 224, having particularly wide dimension, is divided into three regions, a left region 242, a center region 244, and a right region 246. Sensor 240, which in one embodiment, is a sensor strip having a width substantially similar to a width of the touchpad 224 and is disposed between the keyboard and the touchpad.The three regions of touchpad may be activated or deactivated selectively, based on a particular touch region or "contact patch" sensed by the touchpad in association with the particular region of sensor that detects a hand portion or fingers extending towards the keys of keyboard. Meaning that the sensor will be able to know the difference between when the user rests his palms on the notebook and when the user is using the touchpad to interact with it.  (Patently Apple)

Abstract

In one exemplary embodiment, a portable computer having a display assembly coupled to a base assembly to alternate between a closed position and an open position. Palm rest areas are formed by a touchpad disposed on the surface of the base assembly. In an alternative embodiment, a touchpad disposed on the base assembly has a width that extends substantially into the palm rests areas of the base assembly.