Data processing apparatus with replacement keyboard

• US 6,947,031 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wearable Technologies Ltd. (Blackline Safety Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Electrotextiles Company Limited (Peratech Limited)
• Inventors: Chapman, Christopher, Sandbach, David Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinh, Duc Q
• Application Number:
  US09/980,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345168-169, 345/172, 345/157, 345/173, 345/179, 341/22, 341/24, 341/25, 710/67, 714/813, 400 50- 52, 361/680
• US Class Current: 345/168
• 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 13/785 characterised by the material of the contacts, e.g. conductive polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2201/036 Variable resistance
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/0085 Layered switches integrated into garment, clothes or textile
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/01 Woven wire screen
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/016 Protection layer, e.g. for legend, anti-scratch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/004 Collapsible dome or bubble
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/008 Part of substrate or membrane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/046 convertible
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/052 reductible in size, e.g. for transportation
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/00 Manufacturing

Abstract

Data processing apparatus (101 and 102) configured to receive signals from an input sensor (106) arranged to duplicate or replace operations of a keyboard, in which the signals correspond to positions of mechanical interactions with the sensor (106). The apparatus comprises processing means (1202) configured to process data derived from the input sensor including positional data corresponding to the position of a mechanical interaction with said input sensor (106) and a second data type corresponding to the absence of a mechanical interaction with said input sensor. The processing means (1202) is configured to generate data representing a first character in response to processing an item of data of said second type followed by positional data corresponding to a first position, and to generate data representing a different second character in response to processing positional data corresponding to a different second position followed by an item of data of said second type.

Claims

1. Data processing apparatus configured to generate data representing displayable characters in response to receiving signals from an input sensor, said signals corresponding to positions of mechanical interactions with said sensor, said apparatus comprising:

processing means configured to process data derived from said signals from said input sensor including data of a first type corresponding to the position of a mechanical interaction with said input sensor and data of a second type corresponding to the absence of a mechanical interaction with said input sensor,

wherein when mechanical interactions at different positions with said input sensor overlap in time said processing means is configured to generate data representing a first character in response to processing an item of data of said second type followed by data of said first type corresponding to the position of a first mechanical interaction with said input sensor, and to generate data representing a different second character in response to processing an item of data of said second type following data of said first type corresponding to the position of a second different mechanical interaction with said input sensor.

2. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input sensor comprises a first conducting layer and a second conducting layer, each of said conducting layers having a conductive track positioned along opposing edges, and said data processing apparatus is configured to apply a voltage between said conductive tracks of said first layer and to measure the voltage appearing at a conductive track of said second layer to determine data of said first type.

3. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means is configured to:

(a) perform a first measurement relating to the position of a mechanical interaction with said sensor to generate a first measurement value;

(b) perform a second measurement relating to the position of said mechanical interaction to generate a second value; and

(c) generate said data of said first type only when said first value is within a predetermined amount of said second value.

4. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is an XY position sensor, and said data of said first type corresponds to the position within a continuous area defined by said sensor.

5. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means is configured to measure a parameter of said sensor relating to the pressure applied to said sensor.

6. Data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said data of said first type is generated by said processing means only when said measured parameter exceeds a predetermined amount.

7. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data processing apparatus comprises a hand-held computer.

8. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises two processing devices, such that:

one of said processing devices is configured to receive said signals from said input sensor and to generate said positional data and data of said second data type; and

the second of said processing devices is configured to process said data of said first type and said data of said second type to generate data corresponding to displayable characters.

9. Data processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein second processing device is located in a computer.

10. Data processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first processing device forms part of a keyboard assembly.

11. Data processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first processing device is configured to generate a stream of data comprising data of said first type, and to send positional data to said second processing device only when an item of data of said first type differs from the immediately preceding item of sent data by more than a predetermined amount.

12. Data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input sensor forms part of said data processing apparatus, and said input sensor comprises at least two layers of conductive fabric.

13. A method of processing signals received from an input sensor, said signals corresponding to positions of mechanical interactions with said sensor, wherein said method comprises:

processing data derived from said signals, said data comprising data of a first type corresponding to the position of a mechanical interaction with said input sensor and data of a second type corresponding to the absence of a mechanical interaction with said input sensor, such that when mechanical interactions at different positions with said input sensor overlap in time data representing a first character is generated in response to processing an item of data of said second type followed by an item of data of said first type corresponding to the position of a first mechanical interaction with said input sensor, and data representing a different second character is generated in response to processing an item of data of said second type following an item of data of said first type corresponding to the position of a second different mechanical interaction with said input sensor.

14. A method of processing signals according to claim 13, wherein said input sensor comprises a first conducting layer and a second conducting layer, each of said conducting Layers having a conductive track positioned along opposing edges, and said data processing apparatus is configured to apply a voltage between said conductive tracks of said first layer and to measure the voltage appearing at a conductive track of said second layer to determine said data of said first type.

15. A method of processing signals according to claim 13, wherein said method includes the steps of:

(a) performing a first measurement relating to the position of a mechanical interaction with said sensor to generate a first measurement value;

(b) performing a second measurement relating to the position of said mechanical interaction to generate a second value; and

(c) generating data of said first type only when said first value is within a predetermined amount of said second value.

16. A method of processing signals received from an input sensor according to claim 13, wherein said sensor is an XY position sensor, and said data of said first type corresponds to the position within a continuous area defined by said sensor.

17. A method of processing signals received from an input sensor according to claim 13, wherein a parameter of said sensor relating to the pressure applied to said sensor is measured, and said data of said first type is generated by only when said parameter exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

18. A method of processing signals received from an input sensor according to claim 13, wherein a stream of data comprising data of first said type is generated, and an item of positional data of said first type is processed to generate data representing a character only when said item of positional data of said first type differs from the immediately preceding item of data in said stream by more than a predetermined amount.

19. Data processing apparatus configured to generate data representing displayable characters in response to receiving signals from an input sensor, said signals corresponding to positions of mechanical interactions with said sensor, said apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to process data derived from said signals received from said input sensor, said data comprising data of a first type corresponding to the center of the position of a mechanical interaction with said input sensor and data of a second type corresponding to the absence of a mechanical interaction with said input sensor,

wherein when mechanical interactions at different positions with said input sensor overlap in time said processor is configured to generate character data representing a first character in response to processing an item of data of said second type followed by data of said first type corresponding to the center of the position of a first mechanical interaction, and to generate character data representing a different second character in response to processing an item of data of said second type following data of a first type corresponding to the center of the position of a second different mechanical interaction.

20. Data processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said data processing apparatus comprises a second processor configured to generate said data of said first type and said data of said second type in response to said signals received from said input sensor.