Flexible computer input

• US 20050024344A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ralf Trachte
• Original Assignee: Ralf Trachte
• Inventors: Trachte, Ralf
• Granted Patent: US 7,352,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0216 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of a keyboard for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1664
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

The invention relates to a “Flexible Computer Input”, determined from the data from a touch-sensitive input surface for fingertip positions and pressure trigger regions in comparison with a stored topography for the input signal of a computer. The base topography (base positions of the fingertips) and the layout topography (arrangement of the target pressure points) determined therefrom, can be changed and can thus be adjusted to ergonomically match individual hands and working practices. Said topography may be dynamically altered: progressive changes may be made (for example displacements of the hands, reductions in the average separations) and allowed for, such that a matching of the inputs to individual practices occurs. (See FIG. 1) An input surface which is as transparent as possible displays layouts or objects and works like a touchscreen or visualized touch area. An optional fine-motor feedback can be achieved by means of a surface of elastic construction with a determined geometry. The input is suitable for simplifying various tasks by the simultaneous recognition of two (or more) fingers.

Claims

1. Computer input system device with a touch-sensitive input surface having a plurality of input surface regions, and a control unit which is coupled to the input surface, in each case a character, in particular a letter, a number or some other control symbol, being assigned to a specific input surface region, characterized in that the input surface region assigned to a character is dynamically adapted by the control device during operation.

2. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control device is configured to sense a plurality of contacts of the input surface simultaneously.

3. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in an initialization phase, the control device assigns an input surface region to each character, this assignment taking place as a function of the topography of a hand of the user.

4. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in an initialization phase, the control device assigns an input surface region to each character in accordance with a defined scheme, the scheme corresponding to a customary assignment of keys of a keyboard.

5. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that the input surface regions are coupled to mechanically operating switches, in particular to a plurality of toggle elements which extend laterally with respect to the surface and can be manufactured in particular by means of an extrusion method, in order to enable an activation of the input surface region to be felt.

6. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that sensors for sensing an activation, which operate electromechanically, electrostatically, electronically and/or magnetically, are assigned to the input surface regions.

7. Method for operating a computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that

in a first phase (initialization phase), an input surface region of a touch-sensitive input surface is assigned to a character which is to be input, and

in a second phase (operating phase), the assignment of characters to an input surface region is dynamically adapted.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the assignment in the first phase is performed according to a predefined scheme, preferably in accordance with a customary assignment of keys of a computer keyboard.

9. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the assignment in the first phase is performed as a function of the topography of a hand of the user in that for this purpose at first the user has to position his fingers in the input/output position on the input surface, in particular simultaneously or successively, the finger positions are then sensed and characters are assigned to the corresponding input surface regions, and in that finally the other characters are assigned to the other input surface regions on the basis of the sensed finger positions.

10. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the character which is assigned to an input surface region is visually displayed to the user so that the user can recognize the assignment of all the characters.

11. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that the activations of the input surface regions can be distinguished as-it-were simultaneously for a plurality of fingers, in particular for two fingers, by means of an electrical field which is built up in rapid succession in various directions over the input surface and which is built up in particular repeatedly per second in another direction.

12. Computer input system device with a touch-sensitive input surface which has a plurality of input surface regions, and a control device which is coupled to the input surface, in each case a character, in particular a letter, a number or some other control character, being assigned to a specific input surface region, characterized in that the control device adapts the input surface region assigned to a character to the topography of a hand of the user.