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US 8,558,723 B2Granted
Updating a keyboard configuration
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsIan N. Robinson, April Slayden Mitchell, Mark C. Solomon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to updating a keyboard configuration. A keyboard configuration may be determined. The keys may be assigned a meaning based on the determined configuration where groups of adjacent keys are assigned the same meaning. An image for each of the keys may be determined based on the assigned meaning, and the determined image may be displayed on the keyboard keys.
Claims15
A computing system, comprising:
- a keyboard to receive user input comprising a determinate set of a fixed number of depressible mechanical keys that are physically differentiated from one another;
- an image display mechanism displaying an image on the keyboard keys;
- a processor to:
- determine a first configuration of the keyboard;
- assign respective meanings in a first set to the keys based on the determined first configuration, wherein a respective one of the meanings in the first set is assigned to a first group of adjacent keys;
- determine a first set of images to display on respective ones of the keys based on the assigned meanings, wherein the image displayed on the first group of keys indicates that the keys in the first group are grouped together;
- display the first set of images on the keys using the image display mechanism;
- ascertain a second configuration of the keyboard;
- re-assign respective meanings in a second set to the keys based on the ascertained second configuration, wherein a respective one of the meanings in the second set is assigned to a second group of adjacent keys;
- determine a second set of images to display on respective ones of the keys based on the re-assigned meanings, wherein the image displayed on the second group of keys indicates that the keys in the second group are grouped together;
- display the second set of images on the keys using the image display mechanism.
8 more elements
A method, comprising by a processor:
- determining a first configuration of a keyboard comprising a determinate set of a fixed number of depressible mechanical keys that are physically differentiated from one another;
- assigning respective meanings in a first set to the keys based on the determined first configuration, wherein a respective one of the meanings in the first set is assigned to a first group of adjacent keys;
- determining a first set of images to display on respective ones of the keys based on the assigned meanings, wherein the image displayed on the first group of keys indicates that the keys in the first group are grouped together;
- displaying first set of images on the keys using the image display mechanism;
- ascertaining a second configuration of the keyboard;
- re-assigning respective meanings in a second set to the keys based on the ascertained second configuration, wherein a respective one of the meanings in the second set is assigned to a second group of adjacent keys;
- determining a second set of images to display on respective ones of the keys based on the re-assigned meanings, wherein the image displayed on the second group of keys indicates that the keys in the second group are grouped together;
- displaying the second set of images on the keys using the image display mechanism.
5 more elements
A machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor, the machine-readable medium comprising instructions to:
- determine a first layout of a keyboard comprising a determinate set of a fixed number of depressible mechanical keys that are physically differentiated from one another;
- assign respective meanings in a first set to the keys based on the determined first layout, wherein a respective one of the meanings in the first set is assigned to a first collection of adjacent keys;
- determine a first set of images to display on respective ones of the keys based on the assigned meanings, wherein the image displayed on the first collection of keys indicates that the keys in the first collection are grouped together;
- display the first set of images on the keys;
- ascertain a second layout of the keyboard;
- re-assign respective meanings in a second set to the keys based on the ascertained second layout wherein a respective one of the meanings in the second set is assi ned to a second collection of adjacent keys;
- determine a second set of images to display on respective ones of the keys based on the re-assigned meanings, wherein the image displayed on the second collection of keys indicates that the keys in the second collection are grouped together;
- display the second set of images on the keys.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.