TACTILE TO TOUCH INPUT DEVICE

• US 20140247246A1
• Filed: 05/10/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daryl D. Maus
• Original Assignee: Daryl D. Maus
• Inventors: Maus, Daryl D
• Application Number:
  US14/274,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20140247246A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

An interface is provided for a device having a touch screen such as a smart phone or tablet computer that extends the touch screen input to areas outside the touch screen area. The interface has a housing which attaches to the device. One or more input controls are mounted on the housing. The controls can be joysticks, buttons, touch pads, levers, triggers, keyboards, etc. Conductive pads are connected to the housing and capacitively interact with the touch screen. The interface contains circuitry that transmits an electrical or capacitive signal from the user'"'"'s manipulation of the controls to the conductive pads in order to activate selected areas of the touch screen. The housing may be made in multiple pieces to connect to different sides of the touch screen device.

Claims

1. An interface for a device having a touch screen comprising:

a housing which can be attached to said device,

at least one input control attached to said housing,

at least one conductive pad attached to said housing,

at least one capacitive source attached to said housing,

said at least one conductive pad configured to capacitively couple with said touch screen,

said at least one capacitive source configured to couple through at least one of capacitance or electrical conduction with at least one of the case of said device, or the user of said device, or a separate capacitor,

circuitry within said housing connecting said at least one capacitance source to said at least one input control to said at least one conductive pad,

said circuitry creating a touch signal on said touch screen from the user'"'"'s input.

2. The interface of claim 1 wherein said at least one conductive pad being moveable in response to said input control.

3. The interface of claim 1 wherein said at least one conductive pad is incorporated in a transparent touch screen overlay.

4. The interface of claim 1 wherein said at least one input control and said at least one capacitive source are the same feature.

5. The interface of claim 1 wherein a portion of said circuitry is incorporated in a transparent 20 touch screen overlay.

6. The interface of claim 1 wherein said housing is in two parts, each part being connected to opposite sides of said device.

7. The interface of claim 1 wherein said housing is comprised of a pistol grip type handle and said at least one input control is comprised of a trigger, wherein said pistol grip type handle and said trigger are arranged to resemble and operate similar to a pistol.

8. The interface of claim 1 wherein said housing is a protective case for said device having a touch screen.

9. The interface of claim 1 wherein said housing further comprises at least one of a touch screen overlay or screen protector.

10. The interface of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a separate transparent touch screen overlay.

11. The interface of claim 1 wherein said at least one input control has a game pad style configuration.

12. The interface of claim 1 wherein said at least one input control is a rotatable knob.

13. The interface of claim 1 wherein said at least one input control is a joystick.

14. The interface of claim 1 wherein said at least one input control is a thumb pad which moves in the same manner as a joystick.

15. The interface of claim 1 wherein said at least one input control is a keyboard.

16. The interface of claim 1 where said at least one input control is at least one of a touch pad or contact.

17. An interface for a device having a touch screen comprising:

a housing which can be attached to said device,

at least one input control attached to said housing,

at least one conductive pad attached to said housing,

at least one conductor applied to said device

at least one capacitive source attached to said housing,

said at least one conductor configured to capacitively couple with said touch screen

said at least one conductive pad configured to couple through at least one of capacitance or conduction with said conductor,

said at least one capacitive source configured to couple through at least one of capacitance or electrical conduction with at least one of the case of said device, the user of said device, or a separate capacitor,

circuitry within said housing connecting said at least one capacitance source to said at least one input control to said at least one conductive pad,

said circuitry creating a touch signal on said touch screen from the user'"'"'s input.

18. The interface of claim 17 wherein said at least one conductor is transparent.

19. The interface of claim 17 wherein said conductor is incorporated in a least one of a transparent screen overlay or screen protector.

20. An interface for a device having a touch screen comprising:

a touch screen including a touch sensitive area extending beyond the visible screen area,

a housing which can be attached to said device,

at least one input control attached to said housing,

at least one conductive pad attached to said housing,

at least one capacitive source attached to said housing,

said at least one conductive pad configured to capacitively couple with said touch 1 sensitive area,

said at least one capacitive source configured to couple through at least one of capacitance or electrical conduction with at least one of the case of said device, the user of said device, or a separate capacitor,

circuitry within said housing connecting said at least one capacitance source to said at least one input control to said at least one conductive pad,

said circuitry creating a touch signal on said touch sensitive area from the user'"'"'s input.