SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING A MULTI-FUNCTION MODE FOR PRESSURE SENSITIVE SENSORS AND KEYBOARDS

• US 20130067126A1
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Casparian, Mark A., Ross, Carlos, Sierra, Danae, Reddy, Karun, Knepper, Larry E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/73
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for implementing one or more individual pressure sensitive keys that each support multiple native scan codes, with each scan code corresponding to a unique pressure level output. The disclosed systems and methods may be implemented in one exemplary embodiment to allow users to leverage the capability of a variable pressure keyboard by providing an information handling system having individual variable pressure keys that are each capable of outputting a different macro or multi-key sequence per key pressure level sensed.

Claims

1. Variable pressure sensor processing system, comprising at least one processing device configured as a multiple macro information creation component coupled to receive an analog output signal from each given one of one or more pressure sensitive sensors that is representative of pressure applied to the given sensor, the multiple macro information creation component being configured to:

detect an identity of a given one of the pressure sensitive sensors to which pressure is being applied based on a received one of the analog output signals;

detect a level of pressure applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors based on the received one of the analog output signals; and

select and produce a given macro information that corresponds to the detected combination of sensor identity and pressure level applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors.

2. The system of claim 1, where the multiple macro information creation component further comprises at least one processing device configured as a variable pressure sensor (VPS) macro configuration component coupled to provide a VPS configuration profile to the multiple macro information creation component, the VPS configuration profile specifying a correlation of different macro information to each of one or more given pressure levels applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors.

3. The system of claim 2, where the VPS macro configuration component is further configured to accept input from a user to assign different macro information for the VPS configuration profile corresponding to each of one or more given pressure levels applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors.

4. The system of claim 1, where the multiple macro information creation component comprises:

at least one processing device configured as pressure sensing digital output circuitry coupled to receive the analog output signal from each given one of the pressure sensitive sensors, the pressure-sensing digital output circuitry being configured to;

detect an identity of a given one of the pressure sensitive sensors to which pressure is being applied based on a received one of the analog output signals,

detect a level of pressure applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors based on the received one of the analog output signals, and

provide given pressure-based scan code information that corresponds to the detected combination of sensor identity and pressure level applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors; and

at least one processing device configured as variable pressure sensor (VPS) macro selector component coupled to receive the given pressure-based scan code information, the VPS Macro selector component being configured to select and produce given macro information that corresponds to the given pressure-based scan code information.

5. The system of claim 4, where the pressure sensing digital output circuitry comprises a first processing device coupled to the one or more pressure sensitive sensors;

where the VPS Macro selector component is configured to execute on a second processing device coupled to the first processing device and that comprises a central processing unit (CPU) of an information handling system; and

where the VPS Macro selector component is configured to provide the given macro information that corresponds to the given pressure-based scan code information to a user application executing on the CPU.

6. The system of claim 2, where the one or more pressure sensitive sensors comprise pressure sensitive keys;

where the pressure sensing digital output circuitry comprises a first processing device coupled to a keyboard that comprises the one or more pressure sensitive keys;

where the VPS Macro selector component is configured to execute on a second processing device that comprises a central processing unit (CPU) of an information handling system; and

where the VPS Macro selector component is configured to provide the given macro information that corresponds to the given pressure-based scan code information to at least one user application executing on the CPU.

7. The system of claim 1, where the multiple macro information creation component is configured to select and produce the given macro information comprising a multiple key sequence corresponding to the given pressure-based scan code information.

8. The system of claim 1, where the multiple macro information creation component is further configured to select and produce a given single momentary-on key code corresponding to the detected combination of sensor identity and pressure level applied to a given one of the pressure sensitive sensors.

9. An information handling system, comprising:

at least one processing device configured to execute a user application thereon;

keyboard circuitry comprising one or more pressure sensitive keys configured to provide analog output signals corresponding to each given one of the pressure sensitive keys that is representative of pressure applied to the given key; and

at least one processing device configured as multiple macro information creation component coupled to receive the analog output signal from each given one of the pressure sensitive keys, the multiple macro information creation component being configured to;

detect an identity of a given one of the pressure sensitive keys to which pressure is being applied based on a received one of the analog output signals,

detect a level of pressure applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive keys based on the received one of the analog output signals,

select and produce a given macro information that corresponds to the detected combination of key identity and pressure level applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive keys, and

provide the given macro information to the at least one user application.

10. The system of claim 9, where the pressure sensing digital output circuitry comprises a first processing device coupled to the keyboard circuitry;

where the user application is configured to execute on a second processing device that is coupled to the first processing device and that is configured as a central processing unit (CPU) for the information handling system; and

where the multiple macro information creation component is configured to provide the given macro information that corresponds to the given pressure-based scan code information to the at least one user application executing on the CPU.

11. The system of claim 9, where the multiple macro information creation component further comprises at least one processing device configured as a variable pressure sensor (VPS) macro configuration component coupled to provide a VPS configuration profile to the multiple macro information creation component, the VPS configuration profile specifying a correlation of different macro information to each of one or more given pressure levels applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive keys;

and where the VPS macro configuration component is further configured to accept input from a user to assign different macro information corresponding to each of one or more given pressure levels applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive keys.

12. The system of claim 9, where the multiple macro information creation component comprises:

at least one processing device configured as pressure sensing digital output circuitry coupled to receive the analog output signal from each given one of the pressure sensitive keys, the pressure-sensing digital output circuitry being configured to;

detect an identity of a given one of the pressure sensitive keys to which pressure is being applied based on a received one of the analog output signals,

detect a level of pressure applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive keys based on the received one of the analog output signals, and

provide given pressure-based scan code information that corresponds to the detected combination of key identity and pressure level applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive keys; and

at least one processing device configured as a variable pressure sensor (VPS) macro selector component coupled to receive the given pressure-based scan code information, the VPS Macro selector component being configured to;

select and produce given macro information that corresponds to the given pressure-based scan code information, and

provide the given macro information to the at least one user application.

13. The system of claim 12, where the pressure sensing digital output circuitry comprises a first processing device coupled to a keyboard that comprises the one or more pressure sensitive keys;

where the VPS Macro selector component is configured to execute with the user application on a second processing device that comprises a central processing unit (CPU) of the information handling system;

where the VPS Macro selector component is configured to provide the given macro information that corresponds to the given pressure-based scan code information to the user application executing on the CPU.

14. The system of claim 9, where the keyboard circuitry further comprises:

a plurality of digital keys, each of the digital keys being coupled to provide a single open/short digital output signal each time the digital key is pressed by a user; and

momentary-on key signal generation circuitry comprising at least one processing device configured to receive the single open/short digital output signal from each of the plurality of digital keys, the momentary-on key signal generation circuitry configured to produce a corresponding keyboard event signal to a user application executing on a processing device of the information handling system.

15. A method of accepting input from one or more variable pressure sensors, comprising:

providing one or more pressure sensitive sensors;

producing an analog output signal for each given one of the pressure sensitive sensors when depressed by a user, the analog output signals being representative of pressure applied to the given pressure sensitive sensor by the user;

providing one or more variable pressure sensor processing components comprising at least one processing device configured as multiple macro information creation component;

receiving the analog output signal in the variable pressure sensor processing components from each given one of one or more pressure sensitive sensors that is representative of pressure applied to the given sensor; and

using the variable pressure sensor processing components to perform the following steps;

detecting an identity of a given one of the pressure sensitive sensors to which pressure is being applied based on a received one of the analog output signals,

detecting a level of pressure applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors based on the received one of the analog output signals, and

selecting and producing a given macro information that corresponds to the detected combination of sensor identity and pressure level applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors.

16. The method of claim 15, where the multiple macro information creation component further comprises at least one processing device configured as a variable pressure sensor (VPS) macro configuration component;

and where the method further comprises;

providing a VPS configuration profile to the multiple macro information creation component, the VPS configuration profile specifying a correlation of different macro information to each of one or more given pressure levels applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors; and

using the VPS macro configuration component to accept input from a user to assign different macro information for the VPS configuration profile corresponding to each of one or more given pressure levels applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors.

17. The method of claim 15, where the multiple macro information creation component comprises at least one processing device configured as pressure sensing digital output circuitry;

and where the method further comprises;

providing at least one processing device configured as a variable pressure sensor (VPS) macro selector component;

receiving the analog output signal in the pressure sensing digital output circuitry from each given one of the pressure sensitive sensors; and

using the pressure-sensing digital output circuitry to perform the following steps;

detecting an identity of a given one of the pressure sensitive sensors to which pressure is being applied based on a received one of the analog output signals,

detecting a level of pressure applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors based on the received one of the analog output signals, and

providing given pressure-based scan code information to the VPS Macro selector component that corresponds to the detected combination of sensor identity and pressure level applied to the given one of the pressure sensitive sensors; and

using the VPS Macro selector component to select and produce given macro information that corresponds to the given pressure-based scan code information.

18. The method of claim 17, where the pressure sensing digital output circuitry comprises a first processing device coupled to the one or more pressure sensitive sensors;

where the VPS Macro selector component is configured to execute on a second processing device coupled to the first processing device and that comprises a central processing unit (CPU) of an information handling system; and

where the method further comprising using the VPS Macro selector component to provide the given macro information that corresponds to the given pressure-based scan code information to a user application executing on the CPU.

19. The method of claim 18, where the one or more pressure sensitive sensors comprise pressure sensitive keys;

where the pressure sensing digital output circuitry comprises a first processing device coupled to a keyboard that comprises the one or more pressure sensitive keys;

where the VPS Macro selector component is configured to execute on a second processing device that comprises a central processing unit (CPU) of an information handling system; and

where the method further comprises using the VPS Macro selector component to provide the given macro information that corresponds to the given pressure-based scan code information to at least one user application executing on the CPU.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the multiple macro information creation component to select and produce the given macro information comprising a multiple key sequence corresponding to the given pressure-based scan code information.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the multiple macro information creation component is further to select and produce a given single momentary-on key code corresponding to the detected combination of sensor identity and pressure level applied to a given one of the pressure sensitive sensors.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a plurality of digital keys, each of the digital keys being coupled to provide a single open/short digital output signal each time the digital key is pressed by a user; and

providing momentary-on key signal generation circuitry comprising at least one processing device configured to receive the single open/short digital output signal from each of the plurality of digital keys; and

using the momentary-on key signal generation circuitry to produce a corresponding keyboard event signal to a user application executing on a processing device of the information handling system.