# US 2014/0198062 A1 · Input Element for Operating a Touch-Screen > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0198062 A1 - Document ID: US20140198062A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/002,828 - Filed: 2012-03-01 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-01 - Assignees: Printechnologics GmbH - Inventors: Andre Kreutzer; Karin Weigelt; Matthias Foerster; Jan Thiele - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140198062A1 ## CPC - G06F 1/1643: {the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615)} - G06F 1/169: {the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes (G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033)} - G06F 3/03547: {Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface} - G06F 3/0393: {Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads} - G06F 3/041: Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract There is described an input element for operating a touch-screen, said input element comprising an electrically conductive layer which is applied to an electrically non-conductive substrate. The electrically conductive layer is structured and has at least one button, conductor track and/or electrode, wherein at least one electrode and/or conductor track is operatively connected to the touch-screen. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An input element for operating at least one touchscreen the input element comprising: at least one electrically nonconductive substrate, and at least one electrically conductive layer, wherein the electrically conductive layer is present in structured form on the substrate and comprises at least one key, at least one conductor track and/or at least one electrode, and wherein the at least one electrode and/or the at least one conductor track is operatively connected to the touchscreen. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The input element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one electrode and the at least one conductor track are connected to one another. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The input element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input element is connected to the touchscreen using a form-fitting and/or cohesive connection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The input element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input element is a first input element in combination with a second input element, and where in the first and second input elements are operatively connected to the touchscreen. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The input element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input element has a top layer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The input element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input element is produced by an additive method, wherein the additive method is a printing method. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The input element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive layer and/or the top layer has an uneven configuration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The input element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor track, the at least one electrode and/or the at least one key of the input element is connected to a connector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) A keyboard comprising the first and second input elements as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the first and second input elements is operatively connected to the touchscreen via a respective conductor track and a respective electrode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The keyboard as claimed in claim 9, wherein the input elements have or different substrates, which are arranged so as to at least regionally overlap one another. ### Claim 11 A method for operating at least one touchscreen, the method comprising an act of: using an input element to provide a keyboard for operating a touchscreen, the input element comprising: at least one electrically nonconductive substrate, and at least one electrically conductive layer, wherein the electrically conductive layer is present in structured form on the substrate and comprises at least one key, at least one conductor track and/or at least one electrode, and wherein the at least one electrode and/or the at least one conductor track is operatively connected to the touchscreen. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the act of using the input element to provide a keyboard comprises using the input element to initiate an event on a computing device via the touchscreen. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one key is assigned to a first data set in a data processing system at a first time, and wherein, at a second time subsequent to the first time, the at least one key is assigned to a second data set different from the first data set. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one input element is assigned to an action of a data processing system. ### Claim 15 A kit for operating a touchscreen, the kit comprising an input element, the input element comprising: at least one electrically nonconductive substrate; at least one electrically conductive layer, wherein the electrically conductive layer is present in structured form on the substrate and comprises at least one key, at least one conductor track and/or at least one electrode, and wherein the at least one electrode and/or the at least one conductor track is operatively connected to the touchscreen; and a connector adapted to be operatively connected to the touchscreen. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The kit as claimed in claim 15, wherein the input element is a first input element, and wherein the kit additionally comprises a second input element and/or a second input device, wherein the second input element or the second input device is connected to the connector.