Touch pad overlay driven computer system

• US 5,909,211 A
• Filed: 03/25/1997
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Strothmann, James A., Rodriguez, Herman, Combs, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/823,737
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/158, 345/168, 345/169, 345/172, 345/173, 345/174, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.07, 178/18.1, 341/22, 341/23
• US Class Current: 345/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0224 Key guide holders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A pressure sensitive touch pad and an overlay depicting a pattern, e.g., a typewriter keyboard, for providing specific data characteristics of the pattern to a host computer and to a specific application program of any one of a number of application programs resident in the host computer, which specific application program includes software programmed to accept configured touch pad output signals from the touch pad corresponding to the pattern, which output signals are a function of originally generated touch signals achieved by actuation, normally by touch, of the pressure sensitive overlay surface at any particular point on the pattern, which pattern on the overlay on the touch pad corresponds to and is coordinated with a specific application program in the host computer including a multitude of application programs.

Claims

1. A work pad and an overlay with a specific pattern combination adapted to be utilized as input to a data processing system operational under any one of a multitude of application programs for receiving work pad output in the form of pattern signals corresponding to the specific pattern on the overlay, which pattern signals correspond to and are a function of coordinate signals originating from actuation of a pressure sensitive work pad surface, the pattern signals corresponding to a specific application program of the multitude of application programs and registered to the coordinate locations actuated on the work pad, comprising:

the overlay disposed above the work pad, the overlay bearing identification indicia unique to a pattern displayed on the overlay;

the work pad comprising, X and Y coordinate pressure sensitive conductors disposed in a grid array for providing unique location outputs signals corresponding to each different location on the grid array, and sensors for detecting the pattern of the overlay disposed above the grid array of the work pad and for providing a detection signal corresponding to the indicia on the overlay; and

the data processing system having the multitude of application programs and including a processor, memory, identification means receiving the detection signal, comparing the detection signal to respective identification data corresponding to each application program of the multitude of application programs utilized in and operational with the data processing system and matching the detection signal with the identification data of a specific application program, and configuration means responsive to the matching of the detection signal with the identification data of said specific application program programmed for generating configuration signals for each unique location work pad output signal in the form of coordinate signals corresponding to the overlay pattern for processing by the matched specific application program.

2. The work pad and the overlay with the specific pattern combination and the data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the detection signal further comprises a two part binary code, wherein the first part contains emulation information characteristic of the pattern of the overlay and the second part contains an overlay number code for use by the software of the corresponding application program.

3. The work pad and the overlay with the specific pattern combination and the data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the pattern on the overlay can be any one of the following:

typewriter keyboard, computer keyboard, telephone pad, remote control key pad, calculator, geographical layout and game layout.

4. The work pad and the overlay with the specific pattern combination and the data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification indicia on the overlay unique to the pattern displayed on the overlay comprises a series of opaque and optically clear apertures arranged in an order to provide a binary digital signal unique to the pattern when read by the sensors.

5. The work pad and the overlay with the specific pattern combination and the data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensors for detecting the pattern of the overlay are optical sensors which provide detection signals as a function of the opacity of the identification indicia on the overlay.

6. The work pad and the overlay with the specific pattern combination and the data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the configuration means includes programming to configure the location output signals to the programming of the respective application program to which the overlay pattern corresponds.

7. The work pad and the overlay with the specific pattern combination and the data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor is operative in a 32 bit mode.

8. The work pad and the overlay with the specific pattern combination and the data processing system, as defined in claim 1, wherein the X and Y coordinate pressure sensitive conductors disposed in a grid array are disposed beyond the periphery of the pattern on the overlay for providing unique location outputs signals corresponding to each different location on the grid array within the boundary of the periphery of the pattern on the overlay and beyond the boundary of the periphery of the pattern on the overlay.

9. A work pad and an overlay with a specific pattern combination adapted to be utilized as input to a data processing system operational under any one of a multitude of application programs for receiving work pad output in the form of pattern signals corresponding to the specific pattern on the overlay, which pattern signals correspond to and are a function of coordinate signals originating from actuation of a pressure sensitive work pad surface, the pattern signals corresponding to a specific application program of the multitude of application programs and registered to the coordinate locations actuated on the work pad, comprising:

the overlay disposed above the work pad, the overlay being flexible and bearing identification indicia including a combination of opaque and non-opaque apertures disposed about the periphery of the overlay, which indicia is unique to identification of a pattern of any of a typewriter keyboard, computer keyboard, telephone pad, remote control key pad, calculator, geographical layout and game layout displayed on the overlay;

the work pad comprising, X and Y coordinate pressure sensitive conductors disposed in a grid array disposed beyond the periphery of the pattern on the overlay disposed above the work pad for providing unique location outputs signals corresponding to each different location on the grid array within the boundary of the periphery of the pattern on the overlay and beyond the boundary of the periphery of the pattern on the overlay, and sensors for detecting the pattern of the overlay disposed above the grid array of the work pad and for providing a detection signal as a function of the opacity of the apertures on the overlay corresponding to the indicia on the overlay comprising a two part binary code, wherein the first part contains emulation information characteristic of the pattern of the overlay and the second part contains an overlay number code for use by the software of the corresponding application program; and

the data processing system having the multitude of application programs and including a processor operative in 32 bit mode, memory, identification means receiving the detection signal, comparing the detection signal to respective identification data corresponding to each application program of the multitude of application programs utilized in and operational with the data processing system and matching the detection signal with the identification data of a specific application program, and configuration means responsive to the matching of the detection signal with the identification data of said specific application program programmed for generating configuration signals for each unique location work pad output signal in the form of coordinate signals corresponding to the each location within and to locations outside of the periphery of the overlay pattern for processing by the matched specific application program.