SENSOR-AUGMENTED, GESTURE-ENABLED KEYBOARD AND ASSOCITED APPARATUS AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20120133587A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Change Healthcare Holdings, LLC (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mckesson Financial Holdings Limited (McKesson Corp.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Cliff
• Granted Patent: US 8,816,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner

Abstract

A keyboard is provided that includes an arrangement of keys, circuitry and a first processor configured to generate a signal in response to a keystroke in which a respective key of the arrangement of keys is depressed, and determine how to interpret the keystroke. The keyboard also includes one or more sensors and a second processor configured to measure a relationship of an object to the sensor(s), and produce a gesture signal based upon a signal representative of the measured relationship. This gesture signal is interpretable into one or more commands or instructions for directing performance of one or more operations of an apparatus or software operating on the apparatus. A related apparatus and computer-readable storage medium are also provided.

Claims

1. A keyboard comprising:

a case;

an arrangement of keys affixed to or extending from the case;

circuitry located within the case and forming a grid of circuits underneath respective keys of the arrangement of keys, a circuit of the grid of circuits being configured to generate a signal in response to a keystroke in which a respective key of the arrangement of keys is depressed;

a first processor configured to receive the signal from the circuit of the grid of circuits, and compare a location of the respective circuit to a character map to determine how to interpret the keystroke;

one or more sensors disposed proximate the case, each sensor being associated with an operation of an apparatus or software operating on the apparatus, each sensor being configured to measure a relationship of an object to the respective sensor, and produce a signal representative of the measured relationship; and

a second processor configured to receive a signal representative of a measured relationship of an object to a sensor of the one or more sensors, and produce a gesture signal based upon the respective signal, the gesture signal being interpretable into one or more commands or instructions for directing performance of the operation associated with the respective sensor.

2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the second processor being configured to produce a gesture signal based upon the respective signal includes being configured to determine at least one of a position or movement of the object relative to the respective sensor based on the respective signal, and produce a gesture signal representative of the determined at least one of position or movement.

3. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more force sensitive resistor sensors at least some of which overlay the case, each force sensitive resistor sensor being configured to detect contact of an object with the sensor and measure a pressure or force applied by the object to the respective sensor, and

wherein the second processor being configured to receive a signal representative of a measured relationship of an object to a sensor of the one or more sensors includes being configured to receive a signal representative of a measured pressure or force applied to a sensor of the one or more sensors.

4. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more capacitive proximity sensors at least some of which overlay or lie underneath the case or keys of the arrangement of keys, or are integrated within keys of the arrangement of keys,

wherein each capacitive proximity sensor is configured to measure a proximity of an object to the respective proximity sensor, and

wherein the second processor being configured to receive a signal representative of a measured relationship of an object to a sensor of the one or more sensors includes being configured to receive a signal representative of a measured proximity of an object to a sensor of the one or more sensors.

5. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more trigger sensors, wherein the second processor being configured to receive a signal representative of a measured relationship includes being configured to receive signals representative of measured relationships of an object to a trigger sensor and another sensor of the one or more sensors, and

wherein the second processor is configured to produce a trigger signal based upon the signal representative of the measured relationship of the object to the trigger sensor, and produce the gesture signal based upon the signal representative of the measured relationship of the object to the other sensor, the trigger signal being interpretable to enable interpretation of the gesture signal, which is otherwise ignored.

6. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to at least perform or cause the apparatus to at least perform the following:

receiving a signal from a keyboard, the keyboard comprising;

an arrangement of keys;

one or more sensors each of which is associated with an operation of the apparatus or software operating on the apparatus, each sensor being configured to measure a relationship of an object to the respective sensor, and produce a signal representative of the measured relationship; and

a second processor configured to receive a signal representative of a measured relationship of an object to a sensor of the one or more sensors, and produce a gesture signal based upon the respective signal, the signal received from the keyboard including the gesture signal; and

determining one or more commands or instructions for directing performance of the operation associated with the respective sensor, the one or more commands or instructions being determined as a function of the signal received from the keyboard.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein determining one or more commands or instructions includes determining one or more commands or instructions that effectuate a change in a graphical output presented by a display during operation of the software operating on the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard includes receiving a signal from a keyboard including a second processor configured to determine at least one of a position or movement of the object relative to the respective sensor based on the respective signal, and produce a gesture signal representative of the determined at least one of position or movement.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard includes receiving a signal from a keyboard including one or more force sensitive resistor sensors each of which is configured to detect contact of an object therewith and measure a pressure or force applied by the object thereto, and including a second processor configured to receive a signal representative of a measured pressure or force applied to a sensor of the one or more sensors, and produce a gesture signal based upon the respective signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard includes receiving a signal from a keyboard including one or more capacitive proximity sensors each of which is configured to measure a proximity of an object thereto, and including a second processor configured to receive a signal representative of a measured proximity of an object to a sensor of the one or more sensors.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard includes receiving a signal from a keyboard in at least a first instance and a second instance, the keyboard including one or more trigger sensors and one or more other sensors,

wherein the signal in the first instance comprises a trigger signal produced by the second processor based upon a signal representative of measured relationship of the object to a trigger sensor of the one or more trigger sensors, and the signal in the second instance comprises the gesture signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to further perform or cause the apparatus to further perform, in the first instance, identifying the signal received from the keyboard as a trigger signal to thereby turn on gesture recognition and interpretation, and

wherein determining one or more commands or instructions occurs in the second instance after interpretation of the trigger signal in the first instance, the processor otherwise being configured to ignore the gesture signal.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program portions being configured to direct a processor to at least perform or cause an apparatus to at least perform the following:

receiving a signal from a keyboard, the keyboard comprising;

an arrangement of keys;

one or more sensors each of which is associated with an operation of the apparatus or software operating on the apparatus, each sensor being configured to measure a relationship of an object to the respective sensor, and produce a signal representative of the measured relationship; and

a second processor configured to receive a signal representative of a measured relationship of an object to a sensor of the one or more sensors, and produce a gesture signal based upon the respective signal, the signal received from the keyboard including the gesture signal; and

determining one or more commands or instructions for directing performance of the operation associated with the respective sensor, the one or more commands or instructions being determined as a function of the signal received from the keyboard.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein determining one or more commands or instructions includes determining one or more commands or instructions that effectuate a change in a graphical output presented by a display during operation of the software operating on the apparatus.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard includes receiving a signal from a keyboard including a second processor configured to determine at least one of a position or movement of the object relative to the respective sensor based on the respective signal, and produce a gesture signal representative of the determined at least one of position or movement.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard includes receiving a signal from a keyboard including one or more force sensitive resistor sensors each of which is configured to detect contact of an object therewith and measure a pressure or force applied by the object thereto, and including a second processor configured to receive a signal representative of a measured pressure or force applied to a sensor of the one or more sensors, and produce a gesture signal based upon the respective signal.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard includes receiving a signal from a keyboard including one or more capacitive proximity sensors each of which is configured to measure a proximity of an object thereto, and including a second processor configured to receive a signal representative of a measured proximity of an object to a sensor of the one or more sensors.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard includes receiving a signal from a keyboard in at least a first instance and a second instance, the keyboard including one or more trigger sensors and one or more other sensors,

wherein the signal in the first instance comprises a trigger signal produced by the second processor based upon a signal representative of measured relationship of the object to a trigger sensor of the one or more trigger sensors, and the signal in the second instance comprises the gesture signal.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable program portions are configured to direct the processor to further perform or cause the apparatus to further perform, in the first instance, identifying the signal received from the keyboard as a trigger signal to thereby turn on gesture recognition and interpretation, and

wherein determining one or more commands or instructions occurs in the second instance after interpretation of the trigger signal in the first instance, the processor otherwise being configured to ignore the gesture signal.