Keyboard for touchscreen

• US 20120086642A1
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Amarante Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Amarante Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Weihe, Orion
• Application Number:
  US12/898,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20120086642A1
• 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 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• 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

Keyboard systems for interfacing with a touchscreen. The keyboard includes: a plurality of contact members formed of electrically conducting material, each of the contact members having first and second sides; and a plurality of keys. Each key has an electrically conducting key-pad unit and a resilient member, where the resilient member is adapted to maintain the key-pad unit in a spaced part relationship relative to a corresponding one of the contact members. The first side of each contact member is in constant contact with a particular portion of the touchscreen. The key-pad unit is adapted to contact the second side of a corresponding one of the contact members when pressed by a foreign object, to thereby form an electrically conducting path between the foreign object and the particular portion of the touchscreen.

Claims

1. A keyboard system for interfacing with a touchscreen, comprising:

a plurality of contact members formed of an electrically conducting material, each said contact member having first and second sides; and

a plurality of keys, each said key having an electrically conducting key-pad unit and a resilient member, said resilient member being adapted to maintain the key-pad unit in a spaced part relationship relative to a corresponding one of said plurality of contact members;

wherein the first side of each said contact member is in constant contact with a particular portion of the touchscreen; and

wherein the key-pad unit is adapted to contact the second side of a corresponding one of said plurality of contact members when pressed by a foreign object, to thereby form an electrically conducting path between the foreign object and the particular portion of the touchscreen.

2. A keyboard system as recited in claim 1, wherein the key-pad unit includes at least one of a key-pad disk and a key-pad ring formed of an electrically conducting material.

3. A keyboard system as recited in claim 2, wherein the key-pad disk has a substantially circular, oval, or polygon shape.

4. A keyboard system as recited in claim 2, wherein the key-pad ring has a substantially circular, oval, or polygon shape.

5. A keyboard system as recited in claim 2, wherein the key-pad ring is formed on a portion of a top surface of the key-pad disk, a portion of a bottom surface of the key-pad disk, and a portion of a side of the key-pad disk.

6. A keyboard system as recited in claim 1, wherein the key-pad unit includes one or more key-pad disks connected to one or more vias, the key-pad disks and the vias are formed of an electrically conducting material.

7. A keyboard system as recited in claim 1, wherein each said contact member includes a bump formed on the first side and in constant contact with the particular portion of the touchscreen.

8. A keyboard system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a first panel formed of a dielectric material,

wherein the plurality of contact members are secured to the first panel.

9. A keyboard system as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a second panel formed of a dielectric material,

wherein the plurality of keys are secured to the second panel.

10. A keyboard system as recited in claim 1, wherein the keyboard system is slidably mounted to a touchscreen.

11. A keyboard system as recited in claim 1, wherein the keyboard system is rotatably mounted to a touchscreen.

12. A keyboard system as recited in claim 1, wherein the key-pad unit includes a key-pad disk formed of a transparent material so that a user is able to see the particular portion of the touchscreen therethrough.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a touchscreen;

a keyboard system for interfacing with the touchscreen, said keyboard system including;

a plurality of contact members formed of an electrically conducting material and having first and second sides; and

a plurality of keys, each said key having an electrically conducting key-pad unit and a resilient member, said resilient member being adapted to maintain the key-pad unit in a spaced part relationship relative to a corresponding one of said plurality of contact members;

wherein the first side of each said contact member is in constant contact with a particular portion of the touchscreen; and

wherein the key-pad unit is adapted to contact the second side of a corresponding one of said plurality of contact members when pressed by a foreign object, to thereby form an electrically conducting path between the foreign object and the particular portion of the touchscreen.

14. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the key-pad unit includes at least one of a key-pad disk and a key-pad ring formed of an electrically conducting material.

15. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the key-pad unit includes one or more key-pad disks connected to one or more vias, the key-pad disks and the vias are formed of an electrically conducting material.

16. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein each said contact member includes a bump formed on the first side and in constant contact with the particular portion of the touchscreen.

17. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a first panel formed of a dielectric material,

wherein the plurality of contact members are secured to the first panel.

18. An electronic device as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a second panel formed of a dielectric material,

wherein the plurality of keys are secured to the second panel.

19. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the keyboard system is rotatably mounted to a touchscreen.

20. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the key-pad unit includes a key-pad disk formed of a transparent material so that a user is able to see the particular portion of the touchscreen therethrough.