Keyboard with touch sensors dedicated for virtual keys

A method for implementing hybrid virtual keys in an extended reality environment, the operations comprising:

• receiving, during a first time period, first signals corresponding to positions on a touch-sensitive surface of a plurality of virtual activatable elements virtually projected by a wearable extended reality appliance on the touch-sensitive surface;
• determining from the first signals the positions of the plurality of virtual activatable elements on the touch-sensitive surface;
• receiving a touch input of a user via the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the touch input includes second signals generated as a result of interactions with at least one sensor within the touch-sensitive surface;
• determining a coordinate location associated with the touch input based on the second signals generated as the result of the interactions with the at least one sensor within the touch-sensitive surface;
• comparing the coordinate location of the touch input with at least one of the determined positions to identify one of the plurality of virtual activatable elements corresponding to the touch input;
• causing a change in a virtual content associated with the wearable extended reality appliance, wherein the change corresponds to the identified one of the plurality of virtual activatable elements;
• deactivating at least one functionality of at least a portion of the touch-sensitive surface during a second time period when a different plurality of virtual activatable elements are projected by the wearable extended reality appliance onto the touch-sensitive surface;
• and
• maintaining the at least one functionality of the at least a portion of the touch-sensitive surface during a third time period after the first time period and before the different plurality of virtual activatable elements are projected onto the touch-sensitive surface, in the third time period the touch-sensitive surface is outside a field-of-view of the wearable extended reality appliance and therefore the plurality of virtual activatable elements are not projected onto the touch-sensitive surface.

A system for implementing hybrid virtual keys in an extended reality environment, the system comprising:

• at least one processor configured to:
• receive, during a first time period, first signals corresponding to positions on a touch-sensitive surface of a plurality of virtual activatable elements virtually projected by a wearable extended reality appliance on the touch-sensitive surface;
• determine from the first signals the positions of the plurality of virtual activatable elements on the touch-sensitive surface;
• receive a touch input of a user via the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the touch input includes second signals generated as a result of interactions with at least one sensor within the touch-sensitive surface;
• determine a coordinate location associated with the touch input based on the second signals generated as the result of the interactions with the at least one sensor within the touch-sensitive surface;
• compare the coordinate location of the touch input with at least one of the determined positions to identify one of the plurality of virtual activatable elements corresponding to the touch input;
• cause a change in a virtual content associated with the wearable extended reality appliance, wherein the change corresponds to the identified one of the plurality of virtual activatable elements;
• deactivate at least one functionality of at least a portion of the touch-sensitive surface during a second time period when a different plurality of virtual activatable elements are projected by the wearable extended reality appliance onto the touch-sensitive surface;
• and
• maintain the at least one functionality of the at least a portion of the touch-sensitive surface during a third time period after the first time period and before the different plurality of virtual activatable elements are projected onto the touch-sensitive surface, in the third time period the touch-sensitive surface is outside a field-of-view of the wearable extended reality appliance and therefore the plurality of virtual activatable elements are not projected onto the touch-sensitive surface.

A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions that when executed by at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform operations for implementing hybrid virtual keys in an extended reality environment, the operations comprising:

• receiving, during a first time period, first signals corresponding to positions on a touch-sensitive surface of a plurality of virtual activatable elements virtually projected by a wearable extended reality appliance on the touch-sensitive surface;
• determining from the first signals the positions of the plurality of virtual activatable elements on the touch-sensitive surface;
• receiving a touch input of a user via the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the touch input includes second signals generated as a result of interactions with at least one sensor within the touch-sensitive surface;
• determining a coordinate location associated with the touch input based on the second signals generated as the result of the interactions with the at least one sensor within the touch-sensitive surface;
• comparing the coordinate location of the touch input with at least one of the determined positions to identify one of the plurality of virtual activatable elements corresponding to the touch input;
• causing a change in a virtual content associated with the wearable extended reality appliance, wherein the change corresponds to the identified one of the plurality of virtual activatable elements;
• determining whether the user is a wearer of the wearable extended reality appliance;
• in response to a determination that the user is the wearer of the wearable extended reality appliance, causing the change in the virtual content associated with the wearable extended reality appliance;
• and
• in response to a determination that the user is not the wearer of the wearable extended reality appliance, forgoing causing the change in the virtual content associated with the wearable extended reality appliance.