Flexible computer input

• US 7,352,365 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ralf Trachte
• Original Assignee: Ralf Trachte
• Inventors: Trachte, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro; Leonid
• Application Number:
  US10/872,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20050024344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345174-179, 345/156
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0216 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of a keyboard for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1664
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 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

The invention relates to a “Flexible Computer Input”, determined from the data from a touch-sensitive input surface for fingertip positions and pressure trigger regions in comparison with a stored topography for the input signal of a computer. The base topography (base positions of the fingertips) and the layout topography (arrangement of the target pressure points) determined therefrom, can be changed and can thus be adjusted to ergonomically match individual hands and working practices. Said topography may be dynamically altered: progressive changes may be made (for example displacements of the hands, reductions in the average separations) and allowed for, such that a matching of the inputs to individual practices occurs. (See FIG. 1) An input surface which is as transparent as possible displays layouts or objects and works like a touchscreen or visualized touch area. An optional fine-motor feedback can be achieved by means of a surface of elastic construction with a determined geometry. The input is suitable for simplifying various tasks by the simultaneous recognition of two (or more) fingers.

Claims

1. Computer input system device with a touch-sensitive input surface having a plurality of input surface regions, and a control unit which is coupled to the input surface, in each case a character comprising a letter, a number or some other control symbol, being assigned to a specific one of said plurality of input surface regions, characterized in that the touch-sensitive input surface is configured in the topography of a computer keyboard defined by two substantially continuously updated topographies consisting of a basic topography corresponding to the respective positions of the fingertips of the hands in a basic keyboard position and an assignment topography defining the arrangement of target pressure points comprising said plurality of input surface regions arranged in positions determined relative to the positions of said basic topography, wherein the control unit dynamically adapts the positions of said plurality of input surface regions assigned to the various characters during operation of the device in response to actual finger keystroke contacts with the input surface, and further wherein the control unit substantially continuously monitors the position of the user'"'"'s hands relative to the basic topography such that any change in the basic topography by the control unit causes a corresponding change in the assignment topography of the computer keyboard.

2. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is configured to sense a plurality of contacts of the input surface simultaneously.

3. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in an initialization phase, the control unit assigns an input surface region to each character, this assignment taking place as a function of the topography of a hand of the user.

4. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that, in an initialization phase, the control unit assigns an input surface region to each character in accordance with a customary assignment of keys of a computer keyboard.

6. Computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that sensors for sensing an activation, which operate electromechanically, electrostatically, electronically and/or magnetically, are assigned to the input surface regions.

7. Method for operating a computer input system device according to claim 1, characterized in that

in a first phase (initialization phase), an input surface region of a touch-sensitive input surface is assigned to a character which is to be input, and

in a second phase (operating phase), the assignment of characters to an input surface region is dynamically adapted.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the assignment in the first phase is performed according to a predefined scheme in accordance with a customary assignment of keys of a computer keyboard.

9. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the assignment in the first phase is performed as a function of the topography of a hand of the user when the user positions his fingers in a predetermined position on the input surface, so that the finger positions are then sensed and certain characters of the keyboard are assigned to the corresponding contacted input surface regions, and the other characters of the keyboard are assigned to the other input surface regions relative to the sensed finger positions.

10. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the character which is assigned to an input surface region is visually displayed to the user so that the user can recognize the assignment of all the characters.

12. The computer input system device of claim 1, wherein said basic topography includes the respective positions of all the fingertips of the hands including the positions of the two thumbs.

5. Computer input system device with a touch-sensitive input surface having a plurality of input surface regions, and a control unit which is coupled to the input surface, in each case a character comprising a letter, a number or some other control symbol, being assigned to a specific one of said plurality of input surface regions, characterized in that the touch-sensitive input surface is configured in the topography of a computer keyboard defined by two substantially continuously updated topographies consisting of a basic topography corresponding to the respective positions of the fingertips of the hands in a basic keyboard position and an assignment topography defining the arrangement of target pressure points comprising said plurality of input surface regions arranged in positions determined relative to the positions of said basic topography, wherein the control unit dynamically adapts the positions of said plurality of input surface regions assigned to the various characters during operation of the device in response to actual finger keystroke contacts with the input surface, and further wherein the control unit substantially continuously monitors the position of the user'"'"'s hands relative to the basic topography such that any change in the basic topography by the control unit causes a corresponding change in the assignment topography of the computer keyboard, characterized further in that the input surface regions are coupled to mechanically operating switches comprising a plurality of toggle elements which extend laterally with respect to the surface, in order to enable an activation of the input surface region to be felt.

11. Computer input system device with a touch-sensitive input surface having a plurality of input surface regions, and a control unit which is coupled to the input surface, in each case a character comprising a letter, a number or some other control symbol, being assigned to a specific one of said plurality of input surface regions, characterized in that the touch-sensitive input surface is configured in the topography of a computer keyboard defined by two substantially continuously updated topographies consisting of a basic topography corresponding to the respective positions of the fingertips of the hands in a basic keyboard position and an assignment topography defining the arrangement of target pressure points comprising said plurality of input surface regions arranged in positions determined relative to the positions of said basic topography, wherein the control unit dynamically adapts the positions of said plurality of input surface regions assigned to the various characters during operation of the device in response to actual finger keystroke contacts with the input surface, and further wherein the control unit substantially continuously monitors the position of the user'"'"'s hands relative to the basic topography such that any change in the basic topography by the control unit causes a corresponding change in the assignment topography of the computer keyboard, characterized further in that the activations of the input surface regions can be distinguished simultaneously for a plurality of fingers by means of an electrical field which is built up in rapid succession in various directions over the input surface.

13. The computer input system of claim 11, wherein the electrical field is built up successively in a different direction multiple times per second.