INTEGRATED KEYBOARD AND TOUCHPAD

• US 20100149104A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chong, Ban Ho, Sim, Chen Chen, Lim, Ki Su Lenny
• Granted Patent: US 8,830,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• 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

A data input system including a screen that selectably displays an image of a data input device such as a keyboard or a computer mouse. The screen tracks pressure applied by the user, and processes an input signal created by the pressure into input data according to the image displayed on the screen.

Claims

1. A data input system comprising:

a screen that selectably displays an image of a data input device, the screen being responsive to pressure applied by a user; and

a processor that processes an input signal created by the pressure into input data according to the image displayed on the screen.

2. A data input system as in claim 1, wherein the image of the data input device represents a keyboard.

3. A data input system as in claim 1, where the image of the data input device represents a computer mouse.

4. The data input system of claim 1, wherein the screen is included in a computer.

5. A data input system comprising:

a screen that is responsive to a pressure applied by a user to the screen surface, and operates to selectably display an image of a data input device, such that the screen is operable in a first mode in which pressure is interpreted as movement along the screen surface, and a second mode in which pressure is interpreted as point pressure in a direction intersecting the screen surface at a location on the screen surface.

6. The data input system of claim 5, wherein the system further comprises:

a processor, which determines a location of the pressure applied by the user along a first axis of the screen surface, determines the location of the pressure on a second axis of the screen surface, calculates the location where the axes intersect, and positions a predetermined point on an image to align with the calculated location.

7. The data input system of claim 5, wherein the system further comprises:

a processor, which determines a location of the pressure applied by the user along a first axis of the screen surface, determines the location of the pressure on a second axis of the screen surface, calculates the location where the axes intersect, and inputs data associated with a predetermined area that aligns with the calculated point.

8. The data input system of claim 5, wherein the image is of a computer mouse.

9. The data input system of claim 5, wherein the image is of a computer keyboard.

10. The data input system of claim 5, wherein the screen is included in a computer.

11. The data input system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined point is a point on an image of a computer mouse.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the predetermined area is represented as an image of either a keyboard key or a mouse button.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein data not associated with a predetermined area is null.

14. The data input system of claim 5, wherein the mode is selectable by the user.

15. A method of inputting data into a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a reference point on a screen;

positioning an image on the screen in response to pressure applied to the screen at the reference point by a user;

interpreting a change in the location of the pressure as motion by the user across the screen surface; and

inputting data associated with the location on the screen to which pressure is applied so that the image follows the movement of the location of the reference point.

16. A method of inputting data into a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying on a screen at least one sensing area in a predetermined position relative to a reference point, wherein the sensing area includes a certain area of the screen surface;

maintaining the sensing area position relative to the reference point;

interpreting pressure applied along an axis intersecting the screen surface within the sensing area as a data input signal; and

inputting data associated with the sensing area.

17. A data input system comprising a screen having multiple layers, the layers including:

a flexible display layer;

a flexible layer adapted to provide tactile feedback to the user and disposed beneath the display layer;

a first flexible circuit layer disposed beneath the tactile layer and including a first electronic circuit;

a second flexible circuit layer disposed beneath the first circuit layer and including a second electronic circuit; and

an insulating layer disposed between the first and second circuit layers, the insulating layer selectably preventing contact between the first and second electronic circuits; and

wherein the first electronic circuit is located on a bottom surface of the first circuit layer, and the second electronic circuit is located on a top surface of the second circuit layer, so that a pressure applied to the flexible display creates electrical contact between corresponding locations on the first and second electronic circuits.

18. The data input system of claim 17, wherein the system further comprises a substrate disposed beneath the second circuit layer.

19. The data input system of claim 17, wherein the flexible display layer includes a flexible liquid crystal display.

20. The data input system of claim 17, wherein the tactile layer includes:

an upper layer having a thickness, and including a plurality of concave areas of reduced thickness;

a lower layer including a plurality of nipples;

wherein a concave area of the upper layer aligns with a nipple of the lower layer so as to transfer a localized pressure applied to the upper layer to the lower layer.

21. A computer comprising:

a display screen;

a data input system operating to accept data inputted by a user, wherein the screen is responsive to a pressure applied by a user to the screen surface, and operates to selectably display an image of a desired data input device, such that the screen is operable in a first mode in which pressure is interpreted as movement along the screen surface, and a second mode in which pressure is interpreted as point pressure in a direction intersecting the screen surface at a location on the screen surface; and

an output screen contained within the second side and adapted to display output data.

22. The computer of claim 21, wherein the data input system comprises:

a flexible display layer;

a flexible layer adapted to provide tactile feedback to the user and disposed beneath the display layer;

a first flexible circuit layer disposed beneath the tactile layer and including a first electronic circuit;

a second flexible circuit layer disposed beneath the first circuit layer and including a second electronic circuit; and

an insulating layer disposed between the first and second circuit layers, the insulating layer selectable preventing contact between the first and second electronic circuits; and

wherein the first electronic circuit is located on a bottom surface of the first circuit layer, and the second electronic circuit is located on a top surface of the second circuit layer, so that a pressure applied to the flexible display creates electrical contact between corresponding locations on the first and second electronic circuits.

23. The computer of claim 22, wherein the system further comprises a substrate disposed beneath the second circuit layer.

24. The computer of claim 22, wherein the flexible display layer includes a flexible liquid crystal display.

25. The computer of claim 22, wherein the tactile layer includes:

an upper layer having a thickness, and including a plurality of concave areas of reduced thickness;

a lower layer including a plurality of nipples;

wherein a concave area of the upper layer aligns with a nipple of the lower layer so as to transfer a localized pressure applied to the upper layer to the lower layer.