COMPUTER KEYBOARD AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20130044060A1
• Filed: 02/08/2012
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: LEE, Lin
• Granted Patent: US 8,872,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• 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 3/04886 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

A computer keyboard and a control method thereof are provided. The computer keyboard for using in an information processing system includes a housing, a number of physical keys, and a touchscreen. The housing has a first key area and a second key area. The physical keys are disposed within the first key area. The touchscreen is disposed within the second key area for displaying at least one virtual key.

Claims

1. A computer keyboard for using in an information processing system, wherein the computer keyboard comprises:

a housing having a first key area and a second key area;

a plurality of physical keys disposed within the first key area; and

a touchscreen disposed within the second key area for displaying at least one virtual key.

2. The computer keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the touchscreen is a long strip for displaying a row of virtual keys.

3. The computer keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the touchscreen displays a power management key for using in the information processing system.

4. The computer keyboard according to claim 3, wherein the touchscreen switches the power management key to a first virtual key set according to the pressure applied on the power management key.

5. The computer keyboard according to claim 4, wherein the touchscreen further switches the first virtual key set to a second virtual key set according to the pressure applied on the first virtual key set.

6. The computer keyboard according to claim 4, wherein the touchscreen further switches the first virtual key set to a second virtual key set according to the pressure applied on the physical keys.

7. The computer keyboard according to claim 3, the touchscreen displays an operation indicating key according to a first touch signal inputted through the power management key, and the touchscreen further switches the power management key to the first virtual key set according to a second touch signal inputted through the operation indicating key.

8. The computer keyboard according to claim 7, wherein the operation indicating key is a slide operation key.

9. The computer keyboard according to claim 3, further comprising:

a keyboard controller used for generating a keyboard actuation signal, wherein the touchscreen displays the power management key according to the keyboard actuation signal.

10. The computer keyboard according to claim 9, wherein the keyboard controller generates the keyboard actuation signal when a switch of the information processing system is triggered.

11. The computer keyboard according to claim 10, wherein the information processing system is a notebook computer having an upper cover and a lower cover for triggering the switch according to the OPEN/CLOSE states of the upper cover and the lower cover.

12. A control method for using in the computer keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the control method comprises:

receiving a keyboard actuation signal from the information processing system by the touchscreen;

displaying a power management key for using in the information processing system by the touchscreen according to the keyboard actuation signal; and

switching the power management key to a first virtual key set by the touchscreen according to the pressure applied on the power management key.

13. The control method according to claim 12, further comprising:

switching the first virtual key set to a second virtual key set by the touchscreen according to the pressure applied on the first virtual key set or the physical keys.

14. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the step of switching the power management key to the first virtual key set by the touchscreen according to the pressure applied on the power management key comprises:

detecting a first touch signal inputted through the power management key by the touchscreen;

displaying an operation indicating key by the touchscreen according to the first touch signal;

detecting a second touch signal inputted through the operation indicating key by the touchscreen; and

switching the power management key to the first virtual key set by the touchscreen according to the second touch signal.

15. The control method according to claim 14, wherein the operation indicating key is a slide operation key.