KEYBOARD INPUT DEVICE AND THE MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130082931A1
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: YE, Hongwei, TANG, Bo, CAO, Chuanju, LUO, Houzhi
• Application Number:
  US13/626,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082931A1
• 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 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A keyboard input device and a manufacturing method thereof is provided. The keyboard input device comprises a keyboard assembly having at least one key, a sensing device configured to sense the position of a key that produces a trigger action and to create a corresponding output signal, and a controller configured to receive the output signal from the sensing device and determine the key producing the trigger action.

Claims

1. A keyboard input device comprising:

a keyboard assembly having at least one key;

a sensing device configured to sense a position of a key producing a trigger action and to create a respective output signal; and

a controller configured to receive the output signal from the sensing device and determine the key producing the trigger action.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the output signal is a signal including position information of the key producing the trigger action.

3. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the controller compares the position information with a key map corresponding to a key layout of the keyboard assembly to determine the key producing the trigger action.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing device is a sensing film.

5. The input device according to claim 3, wherein the key map can be changed to customize the key layout of the keyboard assembly.

6. The input device according to claim 3, further comprising a switch having different states corresponding to different key layouts, wherein the controller selects a respective key map based on the state of the switch.

7. The input device according to claim 2, wherein the position information comprises one dimensional position information of the key or two dimensional position information of the key.

8. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises a keyboard top cover and a keyboard.

9. The input device according to claim 8, wherein the keyboard assembly further comprises a support.

10. A method of manufacturing a keyboard input device, the method comprising:

providing a keyboard assembly, the keyboard assembly having at least one key;

providing a sensing device configured to sense the position of a key producing a trigger action, and to create a respective output signal; and

providing a controller configured to receive the output signal from the sensing device and to determine the key producing the trigger action.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the output signal is a signal including position information of the key producing the trigger action.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the controller compares the position information with a key map corresponding to a key layout of the keyboard assembly to determine the key producing the trigger action.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the sensing device is a sensing film.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the key map can be changed to customize the key layout of the keyboard assembly.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the keyboard input device further comprises a switch having different states corresponding to different key layouts, wherein the controller selects a respective key map based on the state of the switch.

16. The method according to claim 11 wherein the position information comprises one dimensional position information of the key or two dimensional position information of the key.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the keyboard assembly comprises a keyboard top cover and a keyboard.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the keyboard assembly further comprises a support.