Increasing the Number of Keys Supported by a Keyboard Controller
AssigneeDSP Group Ltd.
InventorsYuval Itkin, Ariel Goldfarb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An enhanced keyboard for controlling a device, including: a keypad with a plurality of depressible keys; a controller with a pre-designed integer number of output lines (J) and a pre-designed integer number of input lines (K); a printed circuit with switch mechanisms that are adapted to enable an electronic signal to pass from a specific output line of the controller to a specific input line of the controller responsive to depressing a specific key of the keypad; and one or more additional switch mechanisms that are adapted to enable an electronic signal to pass from a specific output line of the controller to at least two specific input lines of the controller responsive to depressing a specific key of the keypad.
Claims10
An enhanced keyboard for controlling a device, comprising:
- a keypad with a plurality of depressible keys;
- a controller with a pre-designed integer number of output lines (J) and a pre-designed integer number of input lines (K);
- a printed circuit with switch mechanisms that are adapted to enable an electronic signal to pass from a specific output line of the controller to a specific input line of the controller responsive to depressing a specific key of the keypad;
- and
- one or more additional switch mechanisms that are adapted to enable an electronic signal to pass from a specific output line of the controller to at least two specific input lines of the controller responsive to depressing a specific key of the keypad.
A method of increasing the number of keys from the keypad of a keyboard supported by a keyboard controller with a pre-designed number of output lines (J) and a pre-designed number of input lines (K), comprising:
- preparing a printed circuit with switch mechanisms to enable an electronic signal to pass from a specific output line of the controller to a specific input line of the controller responsive to depressing a specific key from the keypad;
- and
- adding one or more additional switch mechanisms that enable an electronic signal to pass from a specific output line of the controller to at least two specific input lines of the controller responsive to the depression of a specific key of the keypad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.