Hands-free hardware keyboard

• US 5,426,450 A
• Filed: 10/04/1994
• Issued: 06/20/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Wang Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Drumm, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HJERPE, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US08/318,031
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158, 345/168, 345/170, 341/21, 341/22, 341/27, 364/709.01, 364/709.06, 364/709.08, 364/709.09
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks

Abstract

A computer system is provided which allows keyboard access in a hands-free environment. An orientation sensor is mounted on a headset and provides a cartesian positional input to an interface. The device functions in either a cursor control mode or a keyboard simulation mode. In keyboard simulation mode, positional inputs are converted to keyboard input codes which are input to a standard keyboard controller. The key codes generated are displayed to a user on an LED display. A microphone on the headset connects to voice control circuitry of the interface which allows input selections to be made through voice commands. A user locates the desired keyboard input by observing the LED display and selects the input with a vocal command. RAM memory storage of keyboard inputs allows the system to appear as a manual keyboard from the perspective of the keyboard controller.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising a processor, a display screen and a keyboard input port adapted to receive inputs from a mechanical keyboard, the system further comprising:

an input device for providing a cartesian positional input;

a keypad having indicators for indicating individual keys;

a controller responsive to the input device for indicating individual keys on the keypad and further responsive to a key select input to select an indicated key and to store a key representation of the selected key, the key representation including a single active data bit within a word indicating a selected key position within a key matrix;

a memory circuit responsive to the controller to store the representation of the selected key, said memory circuit having an addressable memory space which simulates a mechanical keyboard; and

a keyboard controller adapted to scan columns of mechanical key contacts and sense the state of the contacts, said keyboard controller scanning the contents of the memory circuit as it would scan columns of mechanical key contacts, sensing the representation of the selected key, and providing an input representative of the selected key to the keyboard input port.

2. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein key representations stored by the memory circuit identify the input to be provided by the keyboard controller to the keyboard input port.

3. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the memory circuit is periodically scanned by the keyboard controller to read any new key representations stored in the memory unit.

4. A computer system according to claim 1 further comprising buffer circuits for regulating the transfer of key representations to and from the memory circuit.

5. A computer system according to claim 4 wherein the buffer circuits respond to an input from a user of the computer system to allow the memory circuit to store a particular key representation to be read by the keyboard controller.

6. A computer system according to claim 5 wherein said input from a user results in the storage of a key representation in the memory circuit which represents the key identified on the keypad indicators, the reading of the stored key representation by the keyboard controller causing the keyboard controller to input a keyboard input to the keyboard input port which designates the identified key.

7. A computer system according to claim 6 wherein said memory circuit is cleared after a key representation representing a character key is read from the memory circuit by the keyboard controller.

8. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the indicators comprise function indicators for indicating storage by the memory circuit of key representations representing function keys.

9. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the indicators are LEDs of an LED array.

10. A computer system according to claim 1 further comprising a keyboard representation on the keypad, the keys of which are associated with the indicators.

11. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the indicators are a matrix of light emitting elements corresponding to a mechanical keyboard contact matrix.

12. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a microprocessor.

13. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the key select input is a voice input.

14. A computer system according to claim 1 wherein the input device comprises an orientation sensor adapted to be worn as a headset, the orientation sensor modifying the positional input in response to changes in spatial orientation of the sensor.

15. A computer system according to claim 1 further comprising a cursor control interface for providing the cartesian positional input to the processor for controlling the position of a cursor on the display screen in a cursor control mode of the system.

16. A computer system according to claim 15 wherein the cartesian positional input controls implementation of the cursor control mode.

17. A method of providing a keyboard input to computer system comprising a processor, a display screen and a keyboard input port adapted to receive inputs from a mechanical keyboard, the method comprising:

providing a cartesian positional input to the system with an input device;

receiving the positional input from the input device with a controller which generates a key representation of an indicated keyboard key, the key representation including a single active data bit within a word indicating a selected key position within a key matrix;

providing a visual indication of the indicated keyboard key on a keypad having indicators for indicating individual keys;

in response to a key select input from a user, selecting the indicated key and storing the key representation of the selected key in a memory circuit, the memory circuit having an addressable memory space which simulates a mechanical keyboard;

scanning contents of the memory circuit with a keyboard controller to sense the stored representation of the selected key, the keyboard controller being adapted to scan columns of mechanical key contacts; and

providing an input representative of the selected key to the keyboard input port.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the indicators are LEDs of an LED array.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein the indicators are associated with a keyboard representation on the keypad.

20. A method according to claim 17 wherein the indicators are a matrix of light emitting elements corresponding to a mechanical keyboard contact matrix.

21. A method according to claim 17 further comprising indicating storage by the memory circuit of key representations representing function keys.

22. A method according to claim 17 wherein the key select input is a voice input.

23. A method according to claim 17 wherein the input device comprises an orientation sensor adapted to be worn as a headset, the orientation sensor modifying the positional input in response to changes in spatial orientation of the sensor.

24. A method according to claim 17 further comprising providing the cartesian positional input to the processor to control the position of a cursor on the display screen in a cursor control mode of the system.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein the cartesian positional input controls implementation of the cursor control mode.

26. A computer system comprising a processor, a display screen and a keyboard input port adapted to receive inputs from a mechanical keyboard, the system further comprising:

an input device for providing a cartesian positional input;

a keypad having indicators for indicating individual keys;

a controller responsive to the input device in a keyboard simulation mode of the system for indicating individual keys on the keypad and for providing an input to the keyboard input port, said controller being further responsive to a key select input to store a representation of a selected indicated key;

a cursor control interface for providing the cartesian positional input to the processor for controlling the position of a cursor on the display screen in a cursor control mode of the system; and

a mode controller for;

monitoring the cartesian positional input,

implementing the keyboard simulation mode when the cartesian positional input indicates a position beyond a position limit, and

implementing the cursor control mode when the cartesian positional input indicates a position within the position limit.

27. A computer system according to claim 26 further comprising:

a memory circuit responsive to the controller for storing the representation of the selected key, said memory circuit having an addressable memory space which simulates a mechanical keyboard; and

a keyboard controller adapted to scan columns of mechanical key contacts and sense the state of the contacts, said keyboard controller scanning the contents of the memory circuit as it would scan columns of mechanical key contacts, sensing the representation of the selected key, and providing an input representative of the selected key to the keyboard input port.

28. The computer system of claim 26 wherein the position limit corresponds to a value on a cartesian coordinate axis.

29. The computer system of claim 28 wherein the mode controller switches between the cursor control mode and the keyboard simulation mode as a value in the cartesian positional input crosses the value corresponding to the position limit.

30. The computer system of claim 29 wherein:

the input device is adapted to be worn as a headset by the user; and

the cartesian positional input is controllable by a position of the user'"'"'s head.

31. The computer system of claim 26 wherein:

the input device is adapted to be worn as a headset by the user; and

the cartesian positional input is controllable by a position of the user'"'"'s head.

32. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

adapting the input device to be worn as a headset by the user; and

controlling the cartesian positional input by changing a position of the user'"'"'s head.

33. A method of providing input to a computer system comprising a processor, a display screen and a keyboard input port adapted to receive inputs from a mechanical keyboard, the method comprising:

providing a cartesian positional input to the system with an input device;

monitoring the cartesian positional input relative to a position limit;

when the cartesian positional input indicates a position beyond a position limit, implementing a keyboard simulation mode comprising;

receiving the cartesian positional input from the input device with a controller which generates a key representation of an indicated keyboard key;

providing a visual indication of the indicated keyboard key on a keypad having indicators for indicating individual keys; and

providing an input representative of a selected key to the keyboard input port; and

when the cartesian positional input indicates a position within the position limit, implementing a cursor control mode comprising providing the cartesian positional input to the processor to control the position of a cursor on the display screen.

34. A method according to claim 33 further comprising the steps of, in the keyboard simulation mode:

storing the key representation of the indicated key from the controller in a memory circuit in response to a key select input from a user used to select the indicated key, the memory circuit having an addressable memory space which simulates a mechanical keyboard;

scanning contents of the memory circuit with a keyboard controller to sense the stored representation of the selected key, the keyboard controller being adapted to scan columns of mechanical key contacts; and

providing an input representative of the selected key to the keyboard input port.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the position limit corresponds to a value on a cartesian coordinate axis.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising switching between the cursor control mode and the keyboard simulation mode as a value in the cartesian positional input crosses the value corresponding to the position limit.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

adapting the input device to be worn as a headset by the user; and

controlling the cartesian positional input by changing a position of the user'"'"'s head.