Computer keyboard

• US 8,411,039 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lite-On Electronics Company Limited (Lite-On Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation, Silitek Electronic Company Limited (Lite-On Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Ching-Hui, Lee, Yuan-Yuan, Guo, Yan-Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suteerawongsa, Jarurat
• Application Number:
  US12/366,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 345/30, 345/33, 345 41- 42, 345/48, 345 50- 51, 345 53- 55, 345/76, 345/84, 345 87- 90, 345/92, 345/156, 345/168, 345172-174, 345/184, 341 20- 23
• US Class Current: 345/172
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224

Abstract

A computer keyboard comprises a touch control display panel comprising a display unit, a plurality of touch sensing units, and a display control unit. The display unit is utilized for displaying icons of control keys. The touch sensing units are utilized for sensing pressed status of the control keys, and transmitting pressure sensing signals and position signals to a host. The display control unit is utilized for receiving icons of the control keys from the host, and making the display unit display icons of the control keys. When an external force presses one of the control keys of the touch control display panel, a specific touch sensing unit senses pressed status of a position corresponding to the pressed control key, and make the host start or terminate an executable program according to link of the executable program corresponding to the pressed control key.

Claims

1. A computer keyboard, comprising:

a mechanical control key area, coupled to a host, having a plurality of mechanical control keys for transmitting a corresponding control signal to the host when one of the mechanical control keys is pressed;

a plurality of function modules, wherein the function modules are timing modules, temperature sensing modules, or humidity sensing modules; and

a touch control display panel, coupled to the host, comprising;

a display unit, comprising a first display unit electrically connected to a display control unit and the host, for displaying icons of a plurality of control keys, text, or patterns, wherein a screen width of the first display unit is about once through twice a width of the mechanical control key;

a second display unit, electrically connected to the display control unit and the function modules, for displaying measuring values outputted by the function modules;

a plurality of touch sensing units, coupled to the host and arranged to the control keys, text, or patterns on the first display unit, for sensing pressed status of corresponding positions of the control keys, text, or patterns on the first display unit, and transmitting corresponding control signals to the host; and

the display control unit, electrically connected to the first display unit and the host, for receiving the icons of the control keys, the text, or the patterns from the host, and making the first display unit display the icons of the control keys, the text, or the patterns;

wherein when an external force presses one of the control keys, text, or patterns on the touch control display panel, a specific touch sensing unit senses pressed status of a position corresponding to the pressed control key, and makes the host start or terminate an executable program according to a link of the executable program corresponding to the pressed control key, where the link of the executable program corresponding to the pressed control key is a linking relation for a specific application program of a fast key on a desktop of a main display panel of a computer;

when the fast key on the desktop is selected and dragged to edge of the main display panel, the host transmits a relate information of the fast key to the display unit, the display unit displays the dragged fast key on a predetermined position to realize switching display position of the fast key, wherein the relate information of the fast key comprises icon of the fast key and the linking relation for the specific application program of the fast key.

2. The computer keyboard of claim 1, wherein the touch sensing units respectively have an independent touch sensing area, and the touch sensing areas are corresponding to the control keys on the positions of the touch sensing areas, respectively.

3. The computer keyboard of claim 1, wherein the display control unit is electrically connected to the display unit via a flexible printed circuit board.

4. The computer keyboard of claim 1, wherein the touch sensing units are resistor type sensing units or capacitor type sensing units.

5. The computer keyboard of claim 1, wherein the touch sensing panel is one of Twisted Nematic Liquid crystal display (TN-LCD), Thin Film Transistor Display (TFT), Organic Light Emitting Display (OLED), or Plasma Display Panel (PDP).

6. The computer keyboard of claim 1, wherein a position of each control key on the touch control display panel is able to be adjusted by a user.

7. The computer keyboard of claim 6, wherein a way of dragging the control key is pressing the target control key for a long time and moving it to a corresponding position.

8. The computer keyboard of claim 1, wherein a way of deleting the control key is pressing the target control key for a long time and pressing a delete key on the keyboard to delete the icon of the control key on the touch control display panel.

9. The computer keyboard of claim 1, wherein when the control key is pressed for a long time, an operation interface having various operation commands will pop out on the main display panel.