Touch keypad for touch screen devices

• US 20110181514A1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hassan Aboulhosn
• Original Assignee: Hassan Aboulhosn
• Inventors: Aboulhosn, Hassan
• Application Number:
  US12/928,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181514A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• 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 touch keypad is provided for touch screen devices, the touch keypad having a thin flexible body which is substantially transparent and which provides a keyboard feel, and which can overlie a display portion of a touchscreen device. The touch keypad a nonwoven or woven plastic material which is thin and provides raised portions to provide a tactile feel, the raised portions corresponding to specific keys of a touchscreen display. Alternatively, the device may instead include a flexible thin material, including thin woven or non-woven material, other than plastic. Such thin materials could include a thin glass material, extremely thin transparent steel with stamped or molded raised or depressed portions, or can include a paper material which is thin and provides raised portions to provide a tactile feel, the raised portions corresponding to specific keys of a touchscreen display.

Claims

1. A touch keypad is provided for touch screen devices, comprising:

a thin flexible body which is substantially transparent; and

a plurality of raised keyboard elements which provides a keyboard feel, and which can overlie a display portion of a touchscreen device,

whereby a user typing on the keyboard elements can feel the raised keyboard elements while typing, improving typing accuracy and speed.

2. A touch keypad according to claim 1, in which the thin flexible body is composed of a nonwoven plastic material.

3. A touch keypad according to claim 1, in which the thin flexible body is composed of a woven plastic material.

4. A touch keypad according to claim 1, in which the thin flexible body is composed of one of a thin glass material.

5. A touch keypad according to claim 1, in which the thin flexible body is composed of a very thin transparent steel with stamped or molded raised or depressed portions.

6. A touch keypad according to claim 1, in which the thin flexible body is composed of a paper material which is thin and provides raised portions to provide a tactile feel, the raised portions corresponding to specific keys of a touchscreen display.

7. A touch keypad is provided for capacitive touch screen devices, comprising:

a thin flexible body which is substantially transparent;

a capacitor connected to said thin flexible body; and

a plurality of raised keyboard elements which provides a keyboard feel, and which can overlie a display portion of a touchscreen device, each of said plurality of keyboard elements having a metallic element electrically connected to the capacitor so as to enable capacitive interaction with a capacitive touch screen device when disposed in contact with the capacitive touch screen device;

whereby a user typing on the keyboard elements can feel the raised keyboard elements while typing, improving typing accuracy and speed.