Systems and methods for implementing pressure sensitive keyboards
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsMark A. Casparian, Frank C. Azor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for implementing pressure sensitive keys to produce digital signals that emulate actuation of conventional “momentary on” digital keys of a conventional keyboard. The pressure sensitive keys may be implemented to generate an alternating open/short digital signal representative of the amount of pressure applied to a given key at any given time. The open/short digital signal may be supplied as a signal representative of applied key pressure to a legacy keyboard key matrix and controller or other processing device of an information handling system that is configured to measure keyboard input based on “momentary-on” digital signals.
Claims32
A keyboard system, comprising:
- one or more pressure sensitive keys configured to provide analog output signals corresponding to each given one of the pressure sensitive keys that is representative of the given amount of pressure being currently applied to the given key;
- and
- pressure sensing interface circuitry coupled to receive the analog output signal from each given one of the pressure sensitive keys, the pressure-sensing interface circuitry being configured to provide a corresponding separate toggled alternating open and short on/off digital output signal based thereupon having a frequency alternating between on and off that is representative of the given amount of pressure being currently applied to the corresponding given one of the pressure sensitive keys by:
- sensing in real time pressure applied to each given one of the pressure sensitive keys,
- identifying a pressure sensitive key presently being pressed,
- determining a degree of pressure being applied to the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key,
- providing a separate toggled alternating open and short on/off digital output signal by toggling a digital output signal corresponding to the identity of the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key to emulate the action of a user's finger repeatedly pressing a conventional digital key with a rate that is relative to the pressure being applied to the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key, and
- monitoring and reevaluating the degree of pressure being applied to the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key and outputting an updated toggled digital output signal for as long as the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key remains pressed.
A method of accepting user input from a keyboard, comprising:
- providing one or more pressure sensitive keys;
- producing an analog output signal for each given one of the pressure sensitive keys when when the given one of the pressure sensitive keys is depressed by a user, the analog output signals being representative of the given amount of pressure being currently applied to the given pressure sensitive key by the user;
- and
- providing a corresponding separate toggled alternating open and short (open/short) on/off digital output signal based upon the analog output signal by:
- sensing in real time pressure applied to each given one of the pressure sensitive keys,
- identifying a pressure sensitive key presently being pressed,
- determining a degree of pressure being applied to the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key,
- providing the separate toggled alternating open and short on/off digital output signal by toggling a digital output signal corresponding to the identity of the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key to emulate the action of a user's finger repeatedly pressing a conventional digital key with a rate that is relative to the pressure being applied to the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key, and
- monitoring and reevaluating the degree of pressure being applied to the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key and outputting an updated toggled digital output signal for as long as the presently-pressed pressure sensitive key remains pressed;
- where the alternating open and short (open/short) on/off digital output signal has a frequency alternating between on and off that is representative of the given amount of pressure being currently applied to the given pressure sensitive key by the user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.