Modular keyboard

• US 6,727,890 B2
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Andres, Guillermo, Norman, John, Newsom, Derek Thomas, Enriquez, Edgardo Oriel, Guerra, Felix
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US09/212,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/163, 345/156, 341/20, 341/21, 341/22, 400/489
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/021 Arrangements integrating additional peripherals in a keyboard, e.g. card or barcode reader, optical scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033

Abstract

A computer user interface device is provided, made up of modules having separate sets of user interface features. For instance, a keyboard device has a first module bearing standard alphanumeric and control keys, and a second module, selected from a set of optional modules bearing specialized features such as multimedia controls, communication interfaces, or magnetic media readers. The modules are mechanically coupled together. An electrical interface allows user input signals, such as keystroke signals, to be consolidated on one module, preferably the specialized module, into a single signal stream, for coupling to the computer.

Claims

1. A computer user interface device, for use by a user for communicating information to a computer, the user interface device comprising:

a first module for producing a first set of user function signals based on user input operations;

a second module for producing a second set of user function signals based on user input operations, wherein the second module is selected from a set of specialty modules including;

(i) a multimedia control module;

(ii) a game control module;

(iii) a reader module for reading information stored on a storage module;

(iv) a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface module; and

(v) a joystick module

means for coupling the first module with the second module; and

circuitry for coupling the first and second user function signals to the computer.

2. The computer user interface device of claim 1, wherein the computer user interface device is one of a computer keyboard device, control panel and instrument panel.

3. The computer user interface device of claim 1, wherein said keyboard module includes directional cursor movement keys and programmable function keys.

4. A computer user interface device, for use by a user for communicating information to a computer, the user interface device comprising:

a first module for producing a first set of user function signals based on user input operations;

a second module for producing a second set of user function signals based on user input operations;

means for coupling the first module with the second module;

circuitry for coupling the first and second user function signals to the computer, wherein the circuitry for coupling the keyboard keys symbol code specialty and user function signals to the computer includes;

circuitry on one of the keyboard and specialty modules, for producing one of said keyboard and specialty user function signals from one module;

circuitry on the other of the keyboard and specialty modules, for producing one of said keyboard and user input signals from the other module;

a first electrical coupling for providing the user input signals to the other module;

consolidation circuitry for producing a signal stream based on the keyboard and specialty user input signals; and

a second electrical coupling for providing the signal stream to the computer.

5. The computer user interface device as recited in claim 4, wherein the circuitry for coupling the first and second user function signals to the computer includes:

circuitry on said specialty module for producing user input signals from the keyboard module and circuitry for producing user input signals from the specialty module;

a first electrical coupling for providing the user input signals from said keyboard module to the specialty module;

consolidation circuitry for producing a signal stream based on the keyboard and specialty user input signals; and

a second electrical coupling for providing the signal stream to the computer.

6. The computer user interface device of claim 5, wherein said circuitry for producing user input signals from said keyboard module includes key code logic circuitry and said circuitry for producing user input signals from said specialty module includes an interpreter.

7. The computer user interface device of claim 4, further comprising a cable coupled to said consolidation circuitry located in said specialty module further comprising a cable coupled to said consolidation circuitry located in said specialty mode.

8. The computer user interface device of claim 4, wherein said circuitry for producing user input signals from said keyboard module includes key code logic circuitry and said circuitry for producing user input signals from said specialty module includes an interpreter.

9. The computer user interface device of claim 4, wherein the computer user interface device is one of a computer keyboard device, control panel and instrument panel.

10. The computer user interface device of claim 4, wherein said keyboard module includes directional cursor movement keys and programmable function keys.

11. A computer user interface device, for use by a user for communicating information to a computer, the user interface device comprising:

a first module for producing a first set of user function signals based on user input operations;

a second module cooperatively couplable to said first module for producing a specialized set of user function signals based on user input operations, wherein the second module is selected from a set of specialty modules including;

(i) a multimedia control module;

(ii) a game control module;

(iii) a wader module for reading information stored on a storage module;

(iv) a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface module; and

(v) a joystick module; and

circuitry for coupling the first and second user function signals to the computer.

12. A computer user interface device, for use by a user for communicating information to a computer, the user interface device comprising:

a first module for producing a first set of user function signals based on user input operations;

a second module cooperatively couplable to said first module for producing a specialized set of user function signals based on user input operations; and

circuitry for coupling the first and second user function signals to the computer, wherein the circuitry for coupling the First and second user function signals to the computer includes;

first circuitry on one of the first and second modules for producing first user input signals from the one module;

second circuitry on the other of the first and second modules for producing second user input signals from the other module;

a first electrical coupling for providing the first user input signals to the other module;

consolidation circuitry for producing a signal stream based on the first and second user input signals; and

a second electrical coupling for providing the signal stream to the computer.