Data input by means of a keyboard and a touch-sensitive graphical data input field

• US 5,821,881 A
• Filed: 08/09/1996
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fischer, Wolfgang, Horbach, Heinz Gnter
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US08/694,730
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/26, 341/23, 341/34, 364/709.1, 364/709.11, 364/709.12, 345/168, 345/173, 345/340
• US Class Current: 341/22
• 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 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

A data processing system is provided for emulating keyboard input. In one embodiment, the invention provides a contact sensitive graphical data input-output field for receiving graphical user input and for displaying graphical output. The graphical data input-output field includes multiple contact sensitive data input fields. The embodiment also provides a keyboard overlying the graphical data input-output field. The keyboard includes multiple keys, each of which corresponds to a data input field of the graphical data input-output field. Each key, when pressed by a user, contacts the data input field that corresponds to that key, thereby causing the data processing system to provide an electrical signal of a predetermined value that corresponds to the key pressed by the user. The keyboard further includes a window through which at least a portion of the graphical data input-output field can be viewed when the keyboard is fully overlying the graphical data input-output field, wherein the portion of said graphical data input-output field that can be viewed through the window can display graphical output.

Claims

1. A data processing system for inputting data, comprising:

a contact sensitive graphical data input-output field for receiving graphical user input and for displaying graphical output; and

a keyboard overlying the graphical data input-output field, the keyboard including multiple keys, each of which keys, when pressed by a user, contacts a predetermined area of the graphical data input-output field, thereby causing the data processing system to provide an electrical signal corresponding to the key pressed by the user, the keyboard further including a window through which at least a portion of the graphical data input-output field can be viewed when the keyboard is in a position fully overlying the graphical data input-output field.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the portion of said graphical data input-output field that can be viewed through the window can display graphical output.

3. A data processing system for emulating keyboard input, comprising:

a contact sensitive graphical data input-output field for receiving graphical user input and for displaying graphical output, including multiple contact sensitive data input fields; and

a keyboard overlying the graphical data input-output field, the keyboard including multiple keys, each of which keys corresponds to a data input field of the graphical data input-output field, and each of which keys, when pressed by a user, contacts the data input field that corresponds to that key, thereby causing the data processing system to provide an electrical signal of a predetermined value, which value corresponds to the key pressed by the user, and wherein said keyboard further includes a window through which at least a portion of said graphical data input-output field can be viewed when said keyboard is in a position fully overlying said graphical data input-output field, wherein the portion of said graphical data input-output field that can be viewed through the window can display graphical output.