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US 12,704,908 B2Granted
Switchable conversion of a standard keyboard to a braille interface
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsSmit Kapila, Prakash Kurma Raju, Naveen Kumar, Santosh Gangal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Keyboards that are selectably configurable between a standard interface and a braille interface. In embodiments, the keyboard is equipped with six keys corresponding to six dots of a braille matrix, each of the keys equipped with a shape memory alloy spring or other mechanism to cause each of the keys to selectably extend above the keyboard plane. On activation, the six keys are extended and the remaining keys deactivated, to provide an easy to locate braille interface. On subsequent activation, the six keys are retracted and the keyboard is reverted to a standard interface. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
Claims16
A keyboard, comprising:
- a key;
- a magnet;
- a switch mechanism coupled to the key, the switch mechanism comprising a spring to return the key to an undepressed position following a key press;
- and
- a controller electrically coupled to the spring,
- wherein a length of the spring controls a height of the key above a substrate when the key is undepressed, and
- wherein the controller is configured to adjust the length of the spring to thereby adjust the height of the key between a first height and a second height by (i) providing a current through the spring in a first direction to cause the magnet to adjust the length of the spring to move the key to the first height, and (ii) providing a further current through the spring in a second direction to cause the magnet to adjust the length of the spring to move the key to the second height.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving, at a keyboard controller, a signal to switch to a braille interface;
- causing, by the keyboard controller in response to the signal, a subset of a plurality of keys of a keyboard to increase in height above a plane by providing a current in a first direction through a spring in respective keys of the subset to induce a magnet to lengthen the respective spring;
- disabling, by the keyboard controller while operating in the braille interface, the remaining keys of the plurality of keys that are not part of the subset;
- receiving, at the keyboard controller, a further signal to switch to a standard interface;
- and
- causing, by the keyboard controller in response to the further signal, the subset of the plurality of keys to decrease in height to coincide with the plane by providing a further current in a second direction, that is opposite to the first direction, through the spring in respective keys of the subset to induce the magnet to shorten the respective spring,
- wherein the plane is defined by surfaces of the plurality of keys when the plurality of keys are in an unextended state.
4 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a processor;
- a keyboard controller coupled to the processor;
- and
- a keyboard coupled to the keyboard controller, wherein:
- the keyboard comprises a plurality of keys having surfaces that form a plane above and parallel to a substrate plane when the plurality of keys are in an unextended state,
- individual keys of a subset of keys from among the plurality of keys comprise a switch mechanism, the switch mechanism comprising a spring and an actuator configured to adjust a height of the individual keys between a first height and a second height, the first height being coincident with the plane, and the second height being above the plane, and
- the keyboard controller is coupled to respective actuators of the individual keys of the subset of keys and configured to selectively adjust the height of the individual keys by:
- providing a current through respective springs of the individual keys of the subset of keys in a first direction to cause magnets associated with the respective springs to lengthen the respective springs to adjust the individual keys of the subset of keys to the second height;
- and
- providing a further current through the respective springs of the individual keys of the subset of keys in a second direction opposite to the first direction to cause the magnets associated with the respective springs to shorten the respective springs to adjust the individual keys of the subset of keys to the first height.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.