KEYPAD FOR HAND-HELD DEVICES WITH TOUCH SCREENS

• US 20110316785A1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Murray Hidary
• Original Assignee: Murray Hidary
• Inventors: HIDARY, Murray
• Application Number:
  US13/170,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20110316785A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

An accessory device for providing a tactile response for users of hand-held devices with touch screens is provided. The accessory device includes a plurality of domes, each dome having an input member. When force is applied to a dome, the dome provides a tactile stimulus to the user and causes the input member to actuate a corresponding input of the touch screen.

Claims

1. A keypad device for operating hand-held devices having touch sensitive screens, comprising:

a body defining a plurality of touch sensitive areas, said areas corresponding to virtual images displayed on a touch sensitive screen;

wherein touching one of the sensitive areas causes the screen to react as if the screen itself was touched.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said areas include domes and touching said domes being responsive to a force toward said screen when touched.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said touch sensitive areas are electrically conductive

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said touch sensitive areas are capacitive.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said touch sensitive areas are inductive.