Input devices and their use
AssigneeNuance Communications, Inc.
InventorDavid H. Levy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A touch-sensitive input device has an exposed, continuous surface defining a planar area, and a grid of sense elements coextensive with the area of the exposed surface and responsive to engagement of the exposed surface by an operator to establish a position of said engagement of the exposed surface. The exposed surface varies in elevation across its planar area to form a series of tactile features. The exposed, continuous surface is affixed to the grid of sense elements. An electronic circuit is configured to interpret large-scale capacitance variations of the grid as an intended input from the operator in a region identified by the capacitance variation, and to interpret small-scale capacitance variations of the grid as a position of engagement of the exposed surface by the operator.
Claims17
A touch-sensitive input device comprising:
- an exposed, continuous surface defining a planar area;
- a grid of capacitive sense elements coextensive with the area of the exposed surface and responsive to engagement of the exposed surface by an operator to establish a position of said engagement on the exposed surface, wherein the exposed surface varies in elevation across its planar area to form a series of tactile features, and wherein the exposed, continuous surface is permanently affixed to the grid of sense elements;
- and
- an electronic circuit configured to interpret large-scale capacitance variations of the grid as an intended input from the operator in a region identified by the capacitance variation, and to interpret small-scale capacitance variations of the grid as a position of engagement of the exposed surface by the operator.
The input device 7, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to temporarily display alphanumeric characters on a screen as an operator traverses the exposed surface, the displayed alphanumeric characters selected to correspond to a position of engagement of the exposed surface by the operator.
An Independent-And-Combination-Key (IACK) keypad comprising:
- a substantially planar substrate carrying an array of sense elements arranged to change state in response to keypad operation;
- and
- a flexible cover disposed above the substrate and having an exposed surface defining an LACK interface including an array of independent key regions arranged in rows and columns, with combination key regions between adjacent independent key regions, and a back surface facing the substrate and held away from the substrate by collapsible snap elements therebetween, the back surface carrying an array of conductive pills located beneath corresponding independent key regions;
- wherein each conductive pill has a contact surface facing the substrate, the contact surface having conductive outer regions that extend toward adjacent combination key regions and slope away from the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.