Keyboard containing airbag and method for adjusting tactile feedback to user operating the keyboard
AssigneesFu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
InventorCheng-Xiang Liu
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Abstract
A keyboard includes a substrate, a plurality of key structures, and an air pump. Each key structure includes a keycap disposed on the substrate, an air bag between the keycap and the substrate, and an electrical contact point between the keycap and the substrate. The airbag deformed when the keycap moves towards the substrate, applying a reaction force onto the substrate, and returns to an original state when the keycap is released. The air pump can adjust an air pressure in the airbag by charging or allowing discharge of air, so as to adjust the force applied by the deformed airbag to the substrate, thereby adjusting a tactile feedback to user for pressing the keycap.
Claims19
A keyboard comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of key structures each comprising:
- a keycap disposed on the substrate, the keycap adapted to move towards the substrate when the keycap is pressed, the keycap further adapted to move away from the substrate when the keycap is released;
- an airbag disposed between the keycap and the substrate, wherein the airbag deforms when the keycap moves towards the substrate, thereby applying a reaction force onto the substrate, the airbag returns to an original state when the keycap is released;
- a contact point disposed between the keycap and the substrate, and configured to generate an input instruction when the keycap contacts the contact point;
- and
- an air pump connected to the airbag, and configured to adjust an air pressure in the airbag by charging or discharging air from the airbag, so as to adjust the reaction force from the airbag to the substrate, thereby adjusting a tactile feedback when the keycap is pressed.
A method for adjusting a tactile feedback to a user operating a keyboard, comprising:
- providing the keyboard comprising a substrate, a keycap disposed on the substrate, an airbag and a contact point disposed between the keycap and the substrate;
- controlling an air pump to adjust an air pressure in the airbag to P0 before the user initiates operation of the keyboard;
- pressing the keycap to get in contact with the contact point, wherein the air pressure in the airbag becomes P1, the reaction force of the airbag applied to the substrate is F1, and a contact area between the keycap and the airbag is S;
- providing a target reaction force Fs of the airbag applied to the substrate corresponding to a desired tactile feedback;
- and
- releasing the keycap, and controlling the air pump to adjust the air pressure in the airbag to a target air pressure P2, and the target air pressure P2 satisfies formula of:
- P
- 2
- =
-
- (
- P
- 1
- ×
- S
- +
- F
- 1
- -
- F
- s
- )
- ×
- P
- 0
- P
- 1
- ×
- S
-
- ;
- wherein after the air pressure in an undeformed airbag is adjusted to P2, under a condition that the keycap is pressed by a same strength, the reaction force of the airbag applied to the substrate is the target reaction force Fs after the keycap is pressed to get in contact with the contact point, thereby achieving the desired tactile feedback.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.