Combined touchpad and keypad using force input

• US 9,335,844 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Arthur, Kevin, Shao, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERMAN, STEPHEN G
• Application Number:
  US13/715,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20130154938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345168-178, 178 1801- 1809, 178/18.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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

Methods, systems and devices are described for determining positional information and force information for input objects using an input device. The various embodiments provide improved user interface functionality by detecting positional information and force information at a sensing surface having a configurable sub-region, and operating the input device in either a touchpad mode or a keypad mode based on whether the force information exceeds a threshold value.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a sensing surface configured to detect positional information and force information for an input object, wherein the sensing surface comprises a plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions, and wherein the respective positions of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions within the sensing surface are dynamically configurable by at least one of;

a user of the input device; and

a software application; and

a determination module configured to;

dynamically select one of a touchpad mode and a keypad mode based on the software application executing on a host processor, wherein, while in touchpad mode, the determination module detects movement of the input object on the sensing surface; and

dynamically select, based on the force information and while in the touchpad mode, an operation from a plurality of operations comprising a positioning operation when the force information specifies a first force level, a selection operation when the force information specifies a second force level, and an activation operation when the force information specifies a third force level, wherein the positioning operation is to update a display based on the positional information from a sub-region of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions, the selection operation is to select the sub-region located at the position, and the activation operation is to execute a program corresponding to the sub-region, wherein the input device is configured to be operated according to the operation.

2. The input device of claim 1, further comprising a touchscreen, the touchscreen comprising the sensing surface.

3. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions comprise less than the entirety of the sensing surface.

4. The input device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions are substantially coextensive with the sensing surface.

5. The input device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of user selectable items.

6. The input device of claim 5, wherein the input device is configured to display an overlay, wherein the overlay defines a unique arrangement of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions and is configured for attachment to and removal from the input device.

7. The input device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of user selectable items comprises an alphanumeric character, a symbol, a command, and an icon.

8. The input device of claim 1, wherein the input device is configured for use with a host electronic device having the host processor.

9. The input device of claim 8, further comprising a keyboard communicatively coupled to the host processor, and wherein the input device comprises a portion of the keyboard.

10. The input device of claim 9, wherein the host processor is configured to provide feedback to the user regarding at least one of:

the layout of the sub-regions; and

the positional information.

11. The input device of claim 10, wherein the feedback comprises at least one of:

visual, audio, and haptic information.

12. The input device of claim 1, wherein the sensing surface comprises a first array of electrodes for capacitively detecting the positional information, and a second array of electrodes for detecting the force information.

13. An input device comprising:

a display;

a sensing region configured to detect positional information and force information for an input object in the sensing region, wherein the sensing surface comprises a plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions and wherein the respective positions of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions within the sensing surface are dynamically configurable by at least one of;

a user of the input device; and

a software application; and

a determination module configured to;

select one of a touchpad mode and a keypad mode based on the software application executing on a host processor, wherein, while in touchpad mode, the determination module detects movement of the input object on the sensing surface; and

select, based on the force information and while in the touchpad mode, an operation from a plurality of operations comprising a positioning operation when the force information specifies a first force level, a selection operation when the force information specifies a second force level, and an activation operation when the force information specifies a third force level, wherein the positioning operation is to update a display based on the positional information from a sub-region of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions, the selection operation is to select the sub-region located at the position, and the activation operation is to execute a program corresponding to the sub-region.

14. A program product comprising:

A) an input device sensor program configured to;

detect positional information and force information for an input object interacting with a plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions of a sensing surface of the input device, wherein the respective positions of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions within the sensing surface are dynamically configurable by at least one of;

a user of the input device; and

a software application;

select one of a touchpad mode and a keypad mode based on the software application executing on a host processor, wherein, while in touchpad mode, the input device sensor program detects movement of the input object on the sensing surface;

select, based on the force information and while in the touchpad mode, an operation from a plurality of operations comprising a positioning operation when the force information specifies a first force level, a selection operation when the force information specifies a second force level, and an activation operation when the force information specifies a third force level, wherein the positioning operation is to update a display based on the positional information from a sub-region of the plurality of non-overlapping sub-regions, the selection operation is to select the sub-region located at the position, and the activation operation is to execute a program corresponding to the sub-region; and

operate the input device according to the operation; and

B) non-transitory computer-readable media on which the input module sensor program resides.