TRANSPARENT TOUCH SURFACE KEYBOARD

• US 20120001873A1
• Filed: 12/06/2010
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: WU, KUN-TSAN, TIEN, LI-WEN
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• 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 transparent touch surface keyboard includes a touch screen, a transparent display screen electronically connected to the touch screen; a central processing unit; and a sensing device. The transparent display screen and the sensing device are electronically connected to the central processing unit. The sensing device senses whether user'"'"'s hands are above the touch screen and in a position for using the keyboard, and sends control signals to the central processing unit. The central processing unit switches the transparent touch surface keyboard to a working state or a standby state according to the control signals.

Claims

1. A transparent touch surface keyboard, comprising:

a touch screen;

a transparent display screen electronically connected to the touch screen;

a central processing unit; and

a sensing device;

wherein the transparent display screen and the sensing device are electronically connected to the central processing unit;

the sensing device senses whether a user'"'"'s hand is in a position above the touch screen for using the keyboard, and sends control signals to the central processing unit;

the central processing unit switches the transparent touch surface keyboard in a working state or a standby state according to the control signals.

2. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing device comprises a transmitter module for transmitting infrared (IR) light, a plurality of receiver modules for receiving the IR light, and a microprocessor electronically connected to the central processing unit;

the transmitter module and the plurality of receiver modules are electronically connected to the microprocessor.

3. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 2, wherein the IR light generated by the transmitter module is perpendicular to an upper surface of the sensing device.

4. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 2, wherein an optical lens is located on an upper surface of the sensing device;

the transmitter module is located under the optical lens, the IR light passing through the optical lens is perpendicular to the upper surface;

the plurality of receiver modules are located on the upper surface and adjacent to the optical lens.

5. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 4, wherein when at least one receiver module receives the IR light, the microprocessor sends a first control signal to the central processing unit, the central processing unit switches the transparent touch surface keyboard to the working state according to the first control signal.

6. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 5, wherein when the plurality of receiver module do not receive the IR light, the microprocessor sends a second control signal to the central processing unit, the central processing unit switches the transparent touch surface keyboard to the standby state according to the second control signal.

7. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 6, wherein the transmitter module is comprised of a plurality of infrared emitting diodes, and the receiver module is an infrared sensor.

8. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 6, wherein the transparent display screen is a transparent organic light emitting diode display or a transparent field-emission display.

9. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 6, wherein the transparent touch surface keyboard further comprises a fixing member located on one side of the transparent display screen, the sensing device is opposite to the fixing member and located along the other side of the transparent display screen.

10. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transparent touch surface keyboard further comprises a support member at least partially containing a built-in control circuit, the support member is located under the fixing member, the control circuit comprises the central processing unit.

11. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 10, wherein the transparent display screen comprises a two sidewall opposite to each other, each sidewall defines a notch;

a receiving groove is defined on a sidewall of the fixing member, two latch posts are located in the receiving groove and individually received in the notches.

12. A transparent touch surface keyboard, comprising:

a touch screen;

a transparent display screen electronically connected to the touch screen;

a central processing unit; and

a sensing device;

wherein the transparent display screen and the sensing device are electronically connected to the central processing unit;

the sensing device senses whether a user'"'"'s hand is in a position above the touch screen for using the keyboard, and sends control signals to the central processing unit;

the central processing unit switches the transparent display screen to display key icons or nothing according to the control signals.

13. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sensing device comprises a transmitter module for transmitting infrared (IR) light, a plurality of receiver modules for receiving the IR light, and a microprocessor electronically connected to the central processing unit;

the transmitter module and the plurality of receiver modules are electronically connected to the microprocessor.

14. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 13, wherein the IR light generated by the transmitter module is perpendicular to an upper surface of the sensing device.

15. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 13, wherein an optical lens is located on an upper surface of the sensing device;

the transmitter module is located under the optical lens, the IR light passing through the optical lens is perpendicular to the upper surface;

the plurality of receiver modules are located on the upper surface and adjacent to the optical lens.

16. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 15, wherein when at least one receiver module receives the IR light, the microprocessor sends a first control signal to the central processing unit, the central processing unit switches the transparent display screen to display key icons according to the first control signal.

17. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 16, wherein when the plurality of receiver module do not receive the IR light, the microprocessor sends a second control signal to the central processing unit, the central processing unit switches the transparent display screen to display nothing according to the second control signal.

18. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transmitter module is comprised of a plurality of infrared emitting diodes, and the receiver module is an infrared sensor.

19. The transparent touch surface keyboard as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transparent display screen is a transparent organic light emitting diode display or a transparent field-emission display.