Feedback-providing keypad for touchscreen devices

A computerized method for manipulating one or more user-input elements to manage outwardly-extending protrusions expressed at a flexible touchpad incorporated in a touchscreen device, the computerized method comprising:

• monitoring one or more operations performed by a plurality of applications running the touchscreen device, wherein the one or more operations are invoked independently of user-initiated actuations entered to the touchscreen device;
• receiving a first request from a first application running on the touchscreen device to manipulate an expression of the outwardly-extending protrusions, wherein receiving the first request comprises:
• manipulating a first portion of the one or more user-input elements in accordance with first configuration settings, wherein manipulating comprises:
• (1) adjusting the first portion of the one or more user-input elements between positional states of an extended three-dimensional (3D) orientation and a retracted orientation in a first predetermined area of the flexible touchpad consistent with the first configuration settings,
• (2) adjusting the first portion of the one or more user-input elements to produce a first predefined static physically-extending 3D keypad in the first predetermined area of the flexible touchpad consistent with the first configuration settings, and
• (3) enabling or disabling sensing devices coupled to the one or more user-input elements that adjust the one or more user-input elements for communicating data to a user between modes of an active condition such that a user touch input is recognized, or an idle condition such that the user touch input is not recognized, respectively, consistent with the first configuration settings;
• rendering a user-interface (UI) display at the flexible touchpad according to the first request by adjusting the first portion of the one or more user-input elements to the extended 3D orientation in the first predetermined area of the flexible touchpad;
• and
• subsequently receiving a second request to manipulate the expression of the outwardly-extending protrusions from a second application different from the first application running on the touchscreen device, wherein receiving the second request comprises:
• manipulating a second portion of the one or more user-input elements different from the first portion in accordance with second configuration settings, wherein the manipulating comprises:
• (1) simultaneously adjusting the second portion of the one or more user-input elements to the extended 3D orientation in the active condition in a second predetermined area of the flexible touchpad, the extended 3D orientation in the idle condition in a third predetermined area of the flexible touchpad different from the second predetermined area, and the retracted orientation in the idle condition in a fourth predetermined area of the flexible touchpad different from the second and third predetermined areas of the flexible touchpad to produce a second predefined static physically-extending 3D keypad consistent with the second configuration settings;
• and
• rendering the UI display at the flexible touchpad according to the second request and returning the first portion of the one or more user-input elements to the retracted orientation.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for manipulating a group of movable pins in an active or an idle condition from a retracted or a physically-extending three-dimensional (3D) orientation to produce a physically-extending 3D keypad on a touchscreen device comprising a flexible touchpad, the method comprising:

• monitoring one or more operations performed by a plurality of applications running on the touchscreen device, wherein the one or more operations are invoked independently of user-initiated actuations entered to the touchscreen device;
• receiving a first request at a processing unit of the touchscreen device from a first application running on the touchscreen device;
• identifying a first predefined keypad configuration setting associated with the first request, wherein the first predefined keypad configuration setting specifies a first group of movable pins in the active or idle condition to adjust to the extended 3D orientation in a first predetermined area of the flexible touchpad, wherein when in the active condition, data is communicated to a user recognizing a user touch input and when in the idle condition, the data is communicated to the user without recognizing the user touch input;
• providing a first indication to activate an electromechanical device to adjust the first group of movable pins to the extended 3D orientation;
• subsequently, receiving a second request from a second application different from the first application at the processing unit of the touchscreen device;
• identifying a second predefined keypad configuration setting different from the first predefined keypad configuration setting, the second predefined keypad configuration setting being associated with the second request,
• wherein the second predefined keypad configuration setting specifies a second group of movable pins to simultaneously adjust to the extended 3D orientation in the active condition in a second predetermined area of the flexible touchpad, the extended 3D orientation in the idle condition in a third predetermined area of the flexible touchpad different from the second predetermined area, and the retracted orientation in the idle condition in a fourth predetermined area of the flexible touchpad different from the second and third predetermined areas of the flexible touchpad;
• and
• providing a second indication to activate the electromechanical device to adjust the second group of movable pins to the extended 3D and retracted orientations and return the first group of movable pins to the retracted orientation.