Touch sensitive mechanical keyboard
First Claim
1. An input device comprising:
- multiple mechanical keys, each mechanical key of the multiple mechanical keys having a surface configured to be contacted by an object;
a touch sensing circuitry configured to determine that the surface of said each mechanical key of the multiple mechanical keys has been pressed by the object; and
a plurality of touch nodes associated with said each mechanical key of at least some of the multiple mechanical keys, wherein the plurality of touch nodes includes a first touch node and a second touch node;
wherein the first touch node and the second touch node associated with a first key are configured for concurrently detecting a first position of a contact on the surface of the first key based on capacitive coupling between the object and the first touch node and concurrently detecting a second position, different from the first position, of the contact on the surface of the first key based on the capacitive coupling between the object and the second touch node; and
wherein the input device including the touch sensing circuitry is configured for generating signals representing a portion of an image of touch based on the detected first and second positions, the image of touch generated over the first key and at least a second key of the multiple mechanical keys.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A touch sensitive mechanical keyboard configured to enable a standard look and feel mechanical keyboard to sense fine hand/finger motion over the surface of the keys. Command and cursor input (e.g., pointing and gestures) can be received from the user on the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard without requiring the user to move the user'"'"'s hand off the keyboard. Fine hand/finger motion detection can be enabled by embedding clusters of capacitive sensors near the surface of the keyboard'"'"'s keys. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can operate in two or more modes—e.g., a typing mode and a mouse mode—and operating the keyboard in mouse mode or switching between the modes can be facilitated by holding (depressing and holding) or tapping (depressing and releasing) arbitrary combinations of keys, or by detecting the number of fingers touching the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An input device comprising:
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multiple mechanical keys, each mechanical key of the multiple mechanical keys having a surface configured to be contacted by an object; a touch sensing circuitry configured to determine that the surface of said each mechanical key of the multiple mechanical keys has been pressed by the object; and a plurality of touch nodes associated with said each mechanical key of at least some of the multiple mechanical keys, wherein the plurality of touch nodes includes a first touch node and a second touch node; wherein the first touch node and the second touch node associated with a first key are configured for concurrently detecting a first position of a contact on the surface of the first key based on capacitive coupling between the object and the first touch node and concurrently detecting a second position, different from the first position, of the contact on the surface of the first key based on the capacitive coupling between the object and the second touch node; and wherein the input device including the touch sensing circuitry is configured for generating signals representing a portion of an image of touch based on the detected first and second positions, the image of touch generated over the first key and at least a second key of the multiple mechanical keys. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method, comprising:
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sensing key presses at a touch sensing circuitry configured to determine that each mechanical key of multiple mechanical keys associated with the touch sensing circuitry has been pressed by an object, wherein said each mechanical key of the multiple mechanical keys has a surface configured to be contacted by the object; and
determining a first position of a contact on the surface of a first key of the multiple mechanical keys based on capacitive coupling between the object and a first touch node associated with the first key;concurrently determining a second position of the contact on the surface of the first key, different from the first position of the contact on the surface of the first key, based on the capacitive coupling between the object and a second touch node associated with the first key, wherein said each mechanical key of at least some of the multiple mechanical keys has a plurality of touch nodes associated with said each mechanical key, wherein the plurality of touch nodes includes the first touch node and the second touch node; and generating signals representing a portion of an image of touch based on the determined first and second positions, the image of touch generated over the first key and at least a second key of the multiple mechanical keys. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A personal computer comprising:
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multiple mechanical keys, each mechanical key of the multiple mechanical keys having a surface configured to be contacted by an object; a touch sensing circuitry configured to determine that the surface of said each mechanical key of the multiple mechanical keys has been pressed by the object; and a plurality of touch nodes associated with said each mechanical key of at least some of the multiple mechanical keys, wherein the plurality of touch nodes includes a first touch node and a second touch node; wherein the first touch node and the second touch node associated with a first key are configured for concurrently detecting a first position of a contact on the surface of the first key based on capacitive coupling between the object and the first touch node and concurrently detecting a second position, different from the first position, of the contact on the surface of the first key based on the capacitive coupling between the object and the second touch node; and wherein the personal computer including the touch sensing circuitry is configured for generating signals representing a portion of an image of touch based on the detected first and second positions, the image of touch generated over the first key and at least a second key of the multiple mechanical keys.
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Specification