Reformable keyboard with variable key design

• US 6,696,985 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2001
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Houston, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US09/841,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 341/26, 361/21, 361/22, 361/34, 400/87, 400/127, 400/128, 400/483, 400/485
• US Class Current: 341/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0216 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of a keyboard for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1664
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards

Abstract

Key patterns configured to accommodate the handicaps of the disabled user are imprinted or embossed on a sheet of conformable material. A matrix of sensing circuits for a keyboard are placed under the sheet to detect when and where the sheet is depressed and provides an output to a keyboard controller indicating which portion of the keyboard has been contacted. The keyboard controller relates the position data to the keyboard pattern on the sheet and provides key signals to the computer interface connector of the keyboard that are indistinguishable by a computer system from the QWERTY outputs of a standard keyboard. This enables the disabled user to carry this keyboard from one computer system to another and simply exchange it for the standard keyboard for the computer. Since the keyboard can be configured to accommodate the users handicap, no changes need be made to the operating system or any software of the computer in order to allow the disabled user to use the computer. Furthermore, other users are not required to do anything special to start using the computer system once the standard keyboard is re-installed.

Claims

1. Data entry device comprising:

a keyboard with a surface having a plurality of key area positions embossed thereon shaped or positioned to accommodate the handicap of a disabled user each key area position containing an inscription thereon representing its character or function to be identified by a user;

a circuit matrix disposed below said keyboard surface said circuit matrix being capable of detecting when any key area position is depressed to produce a multi-bit electrical signal representative of the location of the depressed key area position on the keyboard;

a standard interface connector to connect the keyboard to a computer to provide key scan codes to the computer;

a controller for converting the output of the circuit matrix in the depression of a key area to one which is recognizable by the computer so that the key scan code outputs the keyboard provides to the standard interface connector can be interpreted by the computer to correctly identify a selected character or function irrespective of the position or shape of the key areas on the keyboard and weighting algorithm software attributing greater weight to the row signals occurring in the center of the contact pattern of a key and less to those occurring around the periphery of the contact pattern and for providing a multi-bit output identifying the area of the keyboard selected by the user.

2. The data entry device of claim 1 including weighting algorithm software for providing a multi-bit output identifying the area of the keyboard selected by the user.

3. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a look-up table responsive to the multi-bit output of the weighting algorithm to provide a standard scan code recognizable by a computer to the interface connector as a character or function represented an inscription selected by the user.

4. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein at least the character key areas are multi-functional areas enabling typing either upper or lower character types with a single stroke.

5. The data entry device of claim 4 wherein the multi-functional key areas have specific upper character and character control function areas set within a character area.

6. The data entry of claim 5 wherein the controller includes a lookup table responsive to the multi-bit output of the weighting algorithm to provide a standard QWERTY scan code recognizable by a computer to the interface connector as a character or function represented an inscription selected by the user.

7. The data entry device of claim 1, wherein the circuit matrix provides the bits of the multi-bit binary code to the controller as a sequence of parallel outputs each parallel output associated with a column of the matrix.

8. Data entry device comprising:

a keyboard with a surface having a plurality of key area positions embossed thereon shaped or positioned to accommodate the handicap of a disabled user each key area position containing an inscription thereon representing its character or function to be identified by a user wherein;

at least the character key areas are multi-functional areas enabling typing either upper or lower character types with a single stroke; and

wherein the multi-functional key areas have specific upper character and character control function areas set within a character area;

a circuit matrix disposed below said keyboard surface said circuit matrix being capable of detecting when any key area position is depressed to produce a multi-bit electrical signal representative of the location of the depressed key area position on the keyboard;

a standard interface connector to connect the keyboard to a computer to provide key scan codes to the computer; and

a controller for converting the output of the circuit matrix in the depression of a key area to one which is recognizable by the computer so that the key scan code outputs the keyboard provides to the standard interface connector can be interpreted by the computer to correctly identity a selected character or function irrespective of the position or shape of the key areas on the keyboard.

9. The data entry device of claim 8 including weighting algorithm software for providing a multi-bit output identifying the area of the keyboard selected by the user.

10. The data entry device of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a look-up table responsive to the multi-bit output of the weighting algorithm to provide a standard scan code recognizable by a computer to the interface connector as a character or function represented an inscription selected by the user.

11. The data entry device of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a look-up table responsive to the multi-bit output of the weighting algorithm to provide a standard QWERTY scan code recognizable by a computer to the interface connector as a character or function represented an inscription selected by the user.

12. The data entry device of claim 8, wherein the circuit matrix provides the bits of the multi-bit binary code to the controller as a sequence of parallel outputs each parallel output associated with a column of the matrix.