Patent Application
20140327620
The present invention relates generally to human input devices for computing systems, and, more particularly, to a computer keyboard and mouse combo device.
One of the most popular ways to position a cursor on a computer display is to use a mouse, which functions by detecting two dimensional motions relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse comprises an object held under one of a user's hands, with one or more buttons. Clicking or hovering (stopping movement while the cursor is within the bounds of an area) can select files, programs or actions from a list of names, or (in graphical interfaces) through small images called “icons” and other elements. For example, a text file might be represented by a picture of a paper notebook, and clicking while the cursor hovers over this icon may cause a text editing program to open the file in a window.
When mice have more than one button, software may assign different functions to each button. Often, a primary (leftmost in a right-handed configuration) button on the mouse will select items (primary click), and a secondary (rightmost in a right-handed) button will bring up a menu of alternative actions applicable to that item (secondary click).
Conventional mouse or touchpad also supports a scrolling operation, in which texts or images slide either vertically or horizontally across a computer display. The scrolling does not change the layout of the texts or images, but moves the user's view across what is apparently a larger image that is not wholly seen. A conventional mouse may be equipped with a small wheel to allow such scrolling operation. A conventional touchpad allows such scrolling operation by detecting finger swipes on the surface of the touchpad.
Another important display operation is zooming in which a document or image is enlarged when being zoomed in or shrunk when being zoomed out. Such zooming operation is achieved through either mouse or touchpad in conventional computing devices.
While conventional mice or touchpad can be highly accurate and capable pointing devices for computers, being a separate device they have some short-comings, such as every time when a computer user wants to move a cursor, he or she has to move his or her hand away from the keyboard and to the mouse, and move the mouse as a physical object. It is not only less efficient but also may cause injury to the hand over an extended period of time of use.
On the other hand, a conventional keyboard can only detect a pressing of any key thereof, but cannot detect mere touches on the keys. Here, the “touch” refers to a surface of the keyboard being contacted by an object regardless if the key is pressed or not. If the conventional keyboard is a tactile one, the key pressing results from the key being depressed. If the conventional keyboard is a surface one, such as Touch Cover for Microsoft Surface, the key pressing results from a force being applied on the key. As long as the key remains depressed in tactile keyboard or forced upon in surface keyboard, the key is pressed.
As such, what is desired is a computer input device that can perform both keyboard and mouse functions without relying on moving any additional object other than a user's fingers.
A computer input method is disclosed which comprises detecting key press by a keyboard having a plurality of permanent keys for entering commands and characters into the computer, detecting touch on a surface area of the plurality of permanent keys, performing a primary click when the surface area of the plurality of permanent keys being touched at only one location and a touched key being pressed down for a duration shorter than a predetermined time, and performing a secondary click when the surface area of the plurality of permanent keys being touched at only one location and a touched key being pressed down for a duration longer than a predetermined time.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification are included to depict certain aspects of the invention. A clearer conception of the invention, and of the components and operation of systems provided with the invention, will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the drawings, wherein like reference numbers (if they occur in more than one view) designate the same elements. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the description presented herein.
The present invention relates to a computer input device utilizing a touch sensing device and a conventional keyboard to provide both keyboard and mouse functions for the computer. The conventional keyboard generally refers to those tactile keyboards with permanent keys. On-screen keyboards are not conventional keyboard at least for the reason that the keys are not permanent. A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings.
Referring back to
Although an infrared-light touch sensing system is described hereinbefore, other touch sensing systems, such as the one using a video camera or ultrasound can also be used.
Referring again to
After a primary click, if the single touch starts moving while still maintains the touch with the keyboard keys, the KMC device will interpret the move as a drag, in which an object selected by the primary click will move from one location to another in response to the touch movement. Once the touch stops moving or is lost, the drag stops. Similarly, in a text editing software application, such as Microsoft Word, the primary click will fix a cursor location. Then the touch movement will select a range of text in response thereto, and the text selection stops when the touch stops moving or is lost.
The above illustration provides many different embodiments or embodiments for implementing different features of the invention. Specific embodiments of components and processes are described to help clarify the invention. These are, of course, merely embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention from that described in the claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.
