Keypad apparatus and method for inputting data and characters for a computing device or cellular phone

• US 20020140679A1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tai Chun Wen
• Original Assignee: Tai Chun Wen
• Inventors: Wen, Tai Chun
• Granted Patent: US 6,911,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0234 using switches operable in different directions

Abstract

A keypad and key device featuring a plurality of contacts on the rear face of a keypad key that each mate with an individual contact pad from a plurality of contact pads placed below the upwardly biased and tiltable keys. Pushing a key on a right side or left side mates different pairs of contacts and contact pads generating different characters for input to a cellular phone or small computer. Pushing the key in the center will generate a third character by mating both contacts with both contact pads. The keys may also have more than two contacts mating with more than two contact pads and tilt to a variety of positions to mate the respective contacts with contact pads. Consequently, one depression of a key enables any one of a plurality of characters assigned thereto to be inputted which is effective in accelerating a data inputting process.

Claims

1. A data inputting device for use in combination with a device requiring data input comprising:

a plurality of keys;

said keys having a static position and a depressed position;

a plurality of contacts attached to each of said keys;

a plurality of contact pads, each of said contact pads corresponding to one of said plurality of contacts on each of said keys and communicates therewith when said key is in said depressed position;

a key depression detector communicating with each of said plurality of contact pads and detecting a key depression when one of said keys is moved to said depressed position once and at least one contact of said key is touched to at least one contact pad; and

a logic value generator communicating with said key depression detector and producing a logic value on the basis of a specific contact from said plurality of contacts brought into communication with a corresponding contact pad, wherein data corresponding to the logic value is inputted to said device requiring data input.

2. The data inputting device of claim 1, wherein each key is provided with two contacts, and is depressed to input any one of three characters assigned thereto depending upon whether both or one of said contacts communicates with a corresponding contact pad.

3. The data inputting device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the key depression detector detects the key depression by comparing results obtained by repeatedly observing the contacting of the plurality of contacts with the plurality of contact pads.

4. A cellular phone provided with a data inputting device which comprises:

a plurality of keys;

said keys having a static position and a depressed position;

a plurality of contacts attached to each of said plurality of keys;

a plurality of contact pads each of which corresponds to one of said plurality of contacts attached to each key and and communicates there with when said key is in said depressed position;

a key depression detector detecting a key depression when a key is depressed once and at least a contact thereof is touched to at least a contact pad; and

a logic value generator producing a logic value on the basis of the contact pad brought into contact with the contact, wherein data corresponding to the logic value is inputted.

5. The cellular phone of claim 4, wherein each key is provided with two contacts, and is depressed to input any one of three characters assigned thereto.

6. The cellular phone of claim 4, wherein the key depression detector detects the key depression by comparing results obtained by repeatedly observing the contacting of the contacts with the contact pad.

7. The cellular phone of claim 5, wherein the key depression detector detects the key depression by comparing results obtained by repeatedly observing the contacting of the contacts with the contact pad.

8. A method of inputting data comprising:

detecting a key depression when a key is depressed and at least a contact thereof is touched to at least one contact pad; and

producing a logic value for any one of three characters assigned to the depressed key, whereby data corresponding to the logic value are inputted.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein any one of three characters assigned to each key is inputted by using a key provided with two contacts.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the key depression is detected by comparing results obtained by repeatedly observing the contacting of the contact with the contact pad.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the key depression is detected by comparing results obtained by repeatedly observing the contacting of the contact with the contact pad.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein any one of three characters assigned to each key is inputted by using a key provided with two contacts.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the key depression is detected by comparing results obtained by repeatedly observing the contacting of the contact with the contact pad.

16. The data inputting device of claim 15 additionally comprising:

said plurality of contacts attached to each of said keys is two;

said keys having a first depressed position wherein at least a first one of said contacts communicates with at least a first one of said plurality of contact pads;

said keys having a second depressed position wherein at least a second one of said contacts communicates with at least a second one of said plurality of contact pads;

said keys having a third depressed position wherein said first one of said contacts communicates with said first one of said plurality of contact pads and substantially concurrently said second one of said contacts communicates said second one of said plurality of contact pads;

a key depression detector communicating with each of said plurality of contact pads;

said key depression detector detecting a specific key depression when one of said keys is moved once to one of said first depressed position or said second depressed position or said third depressed position; and

a logic value generator communicating with said key depression detector and producing a logic value on the basis of said key moving to one of said first depressed position or said second depressed position or said third depressed position wherein data corresponding to the logic value to one of said first depressed position or said second depressed position or said third depressed position respectively, is inputted to said device requiring data input.

17. The data inputting device of claim 15 additionally comprising:

said plurality of contacts attached to each of said keys is three;

said keys having a first depressed position wherein a first one of said contacts communicates with a first one of said plurality of contact pads;

said keys having a second depressed position wherein a second one of said contacts communicates with a second one of said plurality of contact pads;

said keys having a second depressed position wherein a third one of said contacts communicates with a third one of said plurality of contact pads;

said keys having a fourth depressed position wherein said first one of said contacts communicates with said first one of said plurality of contact pads and substantially concurrently said second one of said contacts communicates and said third one of said contacts both communicate with said second one and said third one of said plurality of contact pads respectively;

a key depression detector communicating with each of said plurality of contact pads;

said key depression detector detecting a specific key depression when one of said keys is moved once to one of said first depressed position or said second depressed position or said third depressed position or said fourth depressed position; and

a logic value generator communicating with said key depression detector and producing a logic value on the basis of said key moving to one of said first depressed position or said second depressed position or said third depressed position or said fourth depressed position, wherein data corresponding to the logic value to one of said first depressed position or said second depressed position or said third depressed position or said fourth depressed position respectively, is inputted to said device requiring data input.

12. A method of inputting characters using a cellular phone provided with a data inputting device and a data display, the method comprising:

depressing a key is on the data inputting device;

detecting a key depression when the key is depressed and at least a contact thereof is touched to at least a contact pad;

producing a log value for a character assigned to the depressed key;

inputting data corresponding to the log value; and

indicating the inputted character on the data display.

15. A data inputting device for use in combination with a device requiring data input comprising:

a plurality of keys;

a plurality of contacts attached to each of said keys;

a plurality of contact pads, each of said contact pads corresponding to one of said plurality of contacts on each of said keys and communicates therewith when said key is in said depressed position;

said keys having a static position wherein all of said plurality of contacts are separated from contact with said plurality of contact pads;

said keys having a first depressed position wherein at least one of said plurality of contacts communicates with at least one of said plurality of contact pads;

said keys having a second depressed position wherein at least two of said plurality of contacts communicates with at least two of said plurality of contact pads;

means to bias said plurality of keys to said static position;

a key depression detector communicating with each of said plurality of contact pads;

said key depression detector detecting a key depression when one of said keys is moved once to one of said first depressed position or said second depressed position; and

a logic value generator communicating with said key depression detector and producing a logic value on the basis of said key moving to one of said first depressed position or said second depressed position wherein data corresponding to the logic value to one of said first depressed position or said second depressed position respectively, is inputted to said device requiring data input.