Keyboard with keys for moving cursor

• US 20050083215A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ambit Corporation
• Inventors: Halgren, Donald N., Crowley, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,589,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/703 characterised by spacers between contact carrying layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/807 characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/02 Piezo element
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/036 Variable resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/006 Force isolators
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/03 elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/052 elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/074 elastomeric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2211/002 Fluid or inflatable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/052 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/034 Support for hands or arms
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/011 with integrated photo- or thermovoltaic cell as power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/002 integral with membrane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/012 Joy stick type
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/038 Fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/042 : Foam
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/084 : made at least partly of elastic foam
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/052 : reductible in size, e.g. for transportation
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/002 : superimposed
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/018 : Consecutive operations
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2227/034 : Regulation of operating force
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/05 : Forming; Half-punching
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/01 : Toy
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/012 : Decoding impedances
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/052 : Strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/964 : Piezoelectric touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 : Switch making

Abstract

The present invention comprises a signal generator for sending an electrical signal from an expandable, flexible layer of material, the signal generator comprising an upper layer of flexible, resilient material and a lower layer of flexible, resilient material which between them define a cavity for enclosing an expandable material such as a cellular foam or gas, whereupon localized distortion of one of the layers of flexible material, effects a signal generation within the structure, which is transmissible through a proper circuit to an outside electrical device. A circuit may be arranged adjacent a plurality of said keys which senses when several of said keys are depressed in a skewed or sideways manner, so as to effect movement of a cursor or pointer on a monitor in communication with a processing unit and said keyboard.

Claims

1. A signal generator for sending information to a computer monitor to effect proportional movement of a pointer or cursor on that monitor, comprising:

a plurality of depressable keys on said signal generator, for the sending of electrical signals to said monitor through an electrical circuit; and

a further electrical circuit arranged between at least two of said plurality of depressable keys on said signal generator and said signal generator, to effect motion in a cursor on said monitor, when said plurality of at least two of said keys are given a sideways direction of motion.

2. The signal generator as recited in claim 1, wherein said further electrical circuit comprises a multiplicity of electrical components spaced adjacent the periphery of each of said plurality of at least two of said depressable keys, each of said spaced components connected in parallel to correspondingly positioned spaced electrical components of the other of said depressable keys, and to a processing unit for input to said monitor.

3. The signal generator as recited in claim 2, wherein said electrical components comprise resistors which are each connectable to a secondary contact point to receive signals when any of said keys are moved with a sideways direction of motion.

4. The signal generator as recited in claim 3, having an upper surface comprised of a layer of flexible plastic material, and said plurality of depressable keys are also formed of said flexible plastic material.

5. The signal generator as recited in claim 4, wherein said layer of flexible material has a lower surface thereon, and wherein a plurality of primary contact points are disposed on said lower surface of said layer of flexible material, juxtaposed with respect to said secondary contact points to permit electrical communication therebetween, when any of said plurality of depressable keys are skewedly moved.

6. The signal generator as recited in claim 4, wherein a pressurized medium selected from the group consisting of a foam or a gas, maintains a pressure against said lower surface of said flexible material to keep said signal generator inflated.

7. A method of generating an electrical signal in order to effect a movement of a cursor on a computer monitor, comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of depressable keys on a keyboard so that when any of said keys are depressed, an electrical signal is sent through a first electrical circuit to a processing unit and to a monitor for display of that signal thereon; and

arranging a further sideways motion sensing electrical circuit with respect to at least two of said keys, so as to send a further electrical signal to said monitor to move a cursor in a desired direction when a plurality of said keys having said further circuit are moved with any component of sideways motion.

8. The method of generating an electrical signal as recited in claim 7, comprising the step of:

moving sideways simultaneously more than one of said plurality of depressable keys having said sideways motion sensing electrical circuit in a skewed direction, to effect movement of the cursor or pointer on said monitor in a corresponding direction.

9. The method of generating an electrical signal as recited in claim 8, comprising the step of:

increasing the number of depressable keys having said sideways motion sensing electrical circuit moved sideways simultaneously, to effect an increase in the speed of movement of the cursor or pointer.

10. The method of generating an electrical signal as recited in claim 8, comprising the step of:

increasing the sideways force applied to a plurality of depressable keys having said sideways motion sensing electrical circuit, to effect an increase in the speed of movement of the cursor or pointer.

11. A method of generating an electrical signal from a keyboard in order to effect movement of a cursor on a monitor, comprising the step of:

moving sideways a plurality of keys arranged on said keyboard so as to send a signal from a sideway motion sensor arranged with respect to each of said plurality of keys, to said monitor, to induce cursor motion in said monitor.

12. The method of generating an electrical signal from a keyboard as recited in claim 11, comprising the steps of:

arranging as said sideways motion sensors, a plurality of resistors about each of said plurality of keys;

connecting in parallel, corresponding resistors from each of said plurality of keys, said parallel resistors arranged as a circuit connected to the processing unit, so as to establish a circuit for sending a proportionally increasing signal to said monitor, when an increasing number of keys are moved in a corresponding sideways direction.

13. The method of generating an electrical signal from a keyboard as recited in claim 11, comprising the step of:

arranging as said sideways motion sensors, a plurality of strain gages between said plurality of keys and said keyboard, said strain gages connected to said monitor through a processing unit, so as to establish a circuit for sending a proportional changing signal to said monitor depending on the quantity of keys moved sideways, to effect movement of said cursor or pointer.

14. The method of generating an electrical signal from a keyboard as recited in claim 11, comprising the steps of:

fabricating the upper surface of said keyboard from a layer of flexible plastic sheet material;

molding said keys into a digit depressable form as a unitary component of said flexible plastic sheet material;

arranging a lower layer of material as a base of said keyboard which is sealed at a common periphery with said layer of flexible plastic material comprising said upper layer;

injecting a charge of compressable foam into a cavity defined between said upper layer of flexible plastic sheet material and said lower layer of material;

placing a dispersion of electrically conductive particles within said foam, so as to permit portions of said foam to be electrically conductive when said particles are compacted against one another, increasing their conductivity to establish a completed circuit therein as said foam is compressed; and

arranging a plurality of contacts adjacent the periphery of the lower surface of each of said plurality of keys, said contacts being part of a circuit connected to a processing unit to effect movement in a cursor or pointer on said monitor when a key is pressed sideways.

15. The method of generating an electrical signal from a keyboard as recited in claim 14, comprising the steps of:

pressing downwardly towards said base of said keyboard at least one of said plurality of keys so as to send an electrical signal to the processing unit to generate an alpha/numeric response on said monitor; and

moving sideways with respect to said base of said keyboard at least two of said plurality of keys so as to send an electrical signal to the processing unit to effect a corresponding movement in a cursor or pointer on said monitor.

16. The method of generating an electrical signal from a keyboard as recited in claim 15, comprising the step of:

decompressing said foam so as to separate any compacted conductive particles to open any circuit established therein, to await further compression and establisment of another circuit therein for transmission of a signal to the processing unit and monitor.