Touch Screen Keyboard With Tactile Feedback, and Associated Method
First Claim
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1. An electronic device comprising:
- a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a storage having stored therein a number of routines executable on the processor;
a key module having at least one physical key movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the at least one physical key in the actuated position being structured to provide a predetermined input to the processor;
a flexible display module at least partially overlying at least a portion of the key module and being structured to receive output signals from the processor and to responsively depict a virtual key on a portion of the flexible display module disposed at a location overlying the at least one physical key, the portion of the flexible display module being movable between an undeflected position and a deflected position responsive to an actuation force being applied to and removed from the portion of the flexible display module;
the at least one physical key being in the unactuated position when the portion of the flexible display module is in the undeflected position; and
the at least one physical key being in the actuated position when the portion of the flexible display module is in the deflected position.
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Abstract
An electronic device employing a flexible display module overlying a key module enable a virtual key to be positioned on the display module to overlap at least one physical key on the key module and to enable an actuation force applied to a virtual key by the user to be transferred to the at least one physical key to provide an indication of the actuating of the virtual key to a processor of the electronic device.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An electronic device comprising:
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a processor apparatus comprising a processor and a storage having stored therein a number of routines executable on the processor; a key module having at least one physical key movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the at least one physical key in the actuated position being structured to provide a predetermined input to the processor; a flexible display module at least partially overlying at least a portion of the key module and being structured to receive output signals from the processor and to responsively depict a virtual key on a portion of the flexible display module disposed at a location overlying the at least one physical key, the portion of the flexible display module being movable between an undeflected position and a deflected position responsive to an actuation force being applied to and removed from the portion of the flexible display module; the at least one physical key being in the unactuated position when the portion of the flexible display module is in the undeflected position; and the at least one physical key being in the actuated position when the portion of the flexible display module is in the deflected position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of enabling input on an electronic device having a processor apparatus that comprises a processor and a storage having stored therein a number of routines executable on the processor, the method comprising:
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providing a key module having at least one physical key movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the at least one physical key in the actuated position being structured to provide a predetermined input to the processor; providing a flexible display module at least partially overlying at least a portion of the key module and being structured to receive output signals from the processor and to responsively depict a virtual key on a portion of the flexible display module disposed at a location overlying the at least one physical key, the portion of the flexible display module being movable between an undeflected position and a deflected position responsive to an actuation force being applied to and removed from the portion of the flexible display module, the at least one physical key being in the unactuated position when the portion of the flexible display module is in the undeflected position, and the at least one physical key being in the actuated position when the portion of the flexible display module is in the deflected position; and upon movement of the at least one physical key between the unactuated position and the actuated position, generating a tactile feedback that is tactually detectable by a user of the electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification