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US 7,741,979 B2Granted
Haptic keyboard systems and methods
AssigneePacinian Corporation
InventorsJames William Schlosser, Cody George Peterson, Andrew Huska
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments provide keyboards that utilize electrically-deformable material as an actuating mechanism to provide haptic feedback to a user of the keyboard. In at least some embodiments, the electrically-deformable material is utilized to impart, to a depressed key or keyboard element, a multi-vectored movement that produces a perceived acceleration of the key or keyboard element thus providing a user with haptic feedback which simulates a snapover movement.
Claims24
A method comprising:
- detecting a switch closure associated with a user touching a key or keyboard element on a keyboard having a plurality of keys or keyboard elements;
- responsive to said switch closure, applying one or more drive voltages to an electrically-deformable material connected to the key or keyboard element sufficient to provide multi-vectored movement to the key or keyboard element, wherein said movement, being generally orthogonal to a direction effective to cause switch closure, moves the key or keyboard element in a first direction and at least a second different direction, wherein one of the first or second directions moves the key or keyboard element a distance that is greater than a distance the other of the first or second directions moves the key or keyboard element.
A system comprising:
- a keyboard having a plurality of keys or keyboard elements;
- a frame associated with one or more keys or keyboard elements;
- an electrically-deformable material connected to the frame;
- an actuator connected between the electrically-deformable material and one or more keys or keyboard elements;
- one or more electrical contacts associated with the electrically-deformable material;
- and
- drive electronics associated with the one or more electrical contacts and configured to, upon depression of the key or keyboard element, apply a single or plurality of drive voltages to the electrically-deformable material sufficient to provide multi-vectored movement to the key or keyboard element, wherein said movements being generally orthogonal to a direction of the depression of the key or keyboard element, moves the key or keyboard element in a first direction and at least a second different direction, wherein one of the first or second directions moves the key or keyboard element a distance that is greater than a distance the other of the first or second directions moves the key or keyboard element.
4 more elements
A keyboard comprising:
- multiple keys supported by a housing;
- a switch associated with one or more of the multiple keys;
- an electroactive polymer actuator operably coupled with the switch and said one or more of the multiple keys, wherein the electroactive polymer is configured, in an event of a switch closure, to be driven by one or more drive voltages effective to move said one or more of the multiple keys in a first direction and at least a second different direction generally orthogonal to a direction effective to cause switch closure, wherein one of the first or second directions moves the one or more of the multiple keys a distance that is greater than a distance the other of the first or second directions moves the one or more of the multiple keys.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.