Keyboard with user configurable granularity scales for pressure sensitive keys
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsMark A. Casparian, Frank C. Azor
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for user configurable pressure sensitive keys and techniques for controlling these keys for keyboards. User configuration information, including information for user configurable granularity scales for pressure levels, can be communicated from a host system to the keyboard and stored for later use by a keyboard controller to control the operation of the pressure sensitive keys. In this way, greater control of the pressure sensitive keys can be provided. This configurability is of particular use for applications such as where the keyboard is being used for gaming by a user running a gaming application on an information handling system.
Claims20
A keyboard having user configurable pressure sensitive keys, comprising:
- a keyboard device body including a plurality of pressure sensitive keys configured to provide pressure sensitive output signals;
- a communication interface within the keyboard device body configured to be coupled to a host system;
- a memory within the keyboard device body configured to store one or more configuration files;
- at least one configuration file stored within the memory, the configuration file including user configuration information for the pressure sensitive keys including one or more granularity scales of applied pressure levels for the pressure sensitive keys;
- and
- a keyboard controller configured to receive user configuration information through the communication interface, to store the user configuration information for the pressure sensitive keys, to receive pressure sensitive signals from the pressure sensitive keys when depressed by a user, to use the granularity scale within the user configuration information to generate keyboard output signals based upon the pressure sensitive signals, and to communicate the keyboard output signals to the host system through the communication interface.
A method for user control of pressure sensitive keys for a keyboard, comprising:
- providing a keyboard having a plurality of pressure sensitive keys;
- coupling the keyboard to a host system;
- receiving with the host system user configuration information for the pressure sensitive keys, the user configuration information for the pressure sensitive keys including one or more granularity scales of applied pressure levels for the pressure sensitive keys;
- sending the user configuration information from the host system to the keyboard through a communication interface;
- storing the user configuration information on the keyboard in one or more configuration files;
- producing pressure sensitive signals for the pressure sensitive keys when depressed by a user;
- using the stored configuration information within a configuration file including the one or more granularity scales to generate keyboard output signals based upon the pressure sensitive signals;
- and
- communicating the keyboard output signals associated with the pressure sensitive keys to the host system through the communication interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.