Patent Application
20070097595
This invention relates generally to a configurable device for the entry of data into a computing device.
The human-computing platform (CP) interface has presented a challenge to system designers for decades. Despite the proliferation of myriad computing platforms that require human interaction and data entry, the most common interface element, the mouse, has evolved very little since its invention over thirty years ago. To a considerable extent, the success of the mouse is the result of the numerous options and possible ways in which a mouse can be configured as well as the ease by which a user can operate a mouse.
Despite the proven utility of the mouse as a means for human interaction with a computer, there exists a need for keyboards through which can be entered textual data and the like. Different application platforms require different keyboard sizes, key positions and performances. Furthermore, the optimal configuration of a keyboard varies from user to user as different users have different interface requirements. For example, the preferred spacing of keys may differ between senior citizens and children. In addition, the required keys may differ from a scientist to a data entry specialist. With reference to
Ideally, a successful input device provides a user with a number configuration options and the possibility to adjust the input device to the operation of specific applications. The therefore exists a need for a dynamically configurable user interface.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention a keyboard device is formed of a generally planar interaction module (IM) having a first and second side comprising a plurality of input indicia displayed on a first side, a matrix of micro-switchers (MMS) coupled to the second side of the interaction module formed of a generally planar first electrode sheet having a first plurality of generally parallel conductive traces each separated by one of a first plurality of insulation traces on a first side of the first generally planar electrode sheet, and a generally planar second electrode sheet having a second plurality of generally parallel conductive traces each separated by one of a second plurality of insulation traces on a first side of the second generally planar electrode sheet, and a generally planar piezo sheet having a first side coupled to the first side of the generally planar first electrode sheet and a second side coupled to the first side of the generally planar second electrode sheet.
In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a mobile device is formed of a configurable keyboard formed of a generally planar IM having a first and second side having a plurality of input indicia displayed on a first side, a MMS comprising a first and second generally planar electrode sheets the first electrode sheet coupled to the second side of the generally planar IM, and a piezo sheet interposed between the first and second electrode sheets, a memory in which is stored configuration data for the IM, the MMS, and the piezo sheet, and a processor coupled to the memory, the IM, the MMS, and the piezo sheet.
In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method involves providing an IM on which is displayed a plurality of input indicia, detecting a force applied to the IM and a position at which the force is applied, determining at least one of the plurality of input indicia corresponding to the position at which the force is applied, and providing tactile feedback in response to the determination of the application of force.
In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a program of machine-readable instructions, tangibly embodied on an information bearing medium and executable by a digital data processor is provided, to perform actions directed toward interacting with a display, the actions formed of dynamically configuring a display comprising a plurality of input indicia, detecting a force applied to the display and a position at which the force is applied, determining at least one of the plurality of input indicia corresponding to the position at which the force is applied and providing tactile feedback in response to the determination of the application of force.
The foregoing and other aspects of these teachings are made more evident in the following Detailed Description, when read in conjunction with the attached Drawing Figures, wherein:
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a multipurpose adjustable/programmable keyboard (MPAK) providing a user configurable interface for interacting with computing platforms. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an MPAK is formed of a Matrix of Micro-Switchers (MMS) coupled to an Interaction Module (IM). The IM functions as a user configurable surface upon which is displayed indicia of data entry elements, such as numbers, letters, icons, logos, or the like. The MMS is coupled to the IM in such a manner so as to both detect physical contact between a user and the IM, as well as to identify the area, or point, of contact between the user and the MMS. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention described more fully below, a piezo sheet, incorporating a number of piezo electric elements, is utilized to both detect pressure applied to the MMS as the result of interaction between the user and the MMS as well as to provide tactile feedback to the user to acknowledge that an interaction has been detected.
With reference to
In an exemplary embodiment, IM 17 is formed of a printed material, such as a flexible mat, wherein the size, position, and shape of the buttons may be configured to conform to the requirements of a user. Flexible mats are inexpensive to fabricate and can be provided to consumers in numerous variations for use with devices, particularly mobile devices, such as a mobile telephone. Furthermore, such flexible mats can be removed and, if desired, replaced. In addition to providing numerous variations of flexible mats, a user may specify desired customizations to a flexible mat for use with a device wherein the customized flexible mat is fabricated and provided to the user. Such customizations may be specified, for example, by a user over the internet for use by the manufacturer in producing a customized product.
In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the IM 17 may be formed, in part, of a flexible, bistable display 20, such as an electrochromic or electrophoretic display. Suitable displays for a programmable key mat embodiment are bistable, flexible, thin and light displays. Bi-stability means that the power consumption is zero for still images. Bi-stability is achieved by physical processes integrated into the display technology. At the present those are displays based on physical phenomena such: electrophoresis, electrochromic, cholesteric and nanomaterials involved. Bi-stability can be realized by the following approaches: bistable SuperTwist Nematic-Liquid Crystal Display (STN-LCD), cholesteric LCD, electrophoretic, and MEMS based displays and Electrochromic displays. The structure of the bistable STN-LCD is basically similar to conventional STN-LCD. The bi-stability is achieved using a special LC mixture and the surface treatment of the LC cell. The operation of the cholesteric LCD is based on two stable states of the LC material and the selective light reflection. The cholesteric LCD does not have polarizers and color filters.
The operation of the electrophoretic displays is based on the light interaction with pigment particles of which position can be controlled by electric voltage.
A common, though not required, feature for all of these displays is low power consumption (<1 mW/cm2) where energy is required only for a change of the image/pattern (still image). Furthermore, an image is set within a second. This provides a very power efficient approach where very lithe energy is spent for patterning the still image, which is stays for a long time without an external power supply. Also, an automatic refreshment of the key-mat (e.g., once/day) is foreseen and can be provided for different application concepts ranging form phone to larger applications (e.g., like touch screen panels of A4 size). A second exemplary feature is flexibility of the displays. Flexibility is typically obtained by using polymeric substrates, which provide that the display is bent when a force (provided by, e.g., a finger, a stylus) is applied on the display's surface.
As described above, such displays exhibit the characteristic of low power consumption and require energy only to change a pattern displayed upon them. Such displays provide the ability to dynamically change the pattern visible upon the IM 17. For example, as described more fully below, the pattern can be altered to provide large buttons, small buttons, Arabic character buttons, Chinese character buttons, or other user defined patterns and input indicia 10.
With continued reference to
There is further illustrated a measured resistance of first X-Y electrode sheet 13, Rx, a measured resistance of second X-Y electrode sheet 13′, Ry, and a measured voltage of the piezo sheet 15, VF. When pressure is applied to the IM 17, the MMS 19 operates to determine the X-Y coordinates of the point or area at which the pressure is applied. Such a determination is made possible through the use of the cross-layered interconnections formed between the two perpendicularly placed X-Y electrode sheets 13, 13′.
As described more fully below, resistances Rx and Ry can be measured and processed to ascertain or otherwise determine the X-Y coordinates at which pressure is applied. The force of an applied pressure (F) can be determined from an examination of the voltage Vf which arises from a deformation of the piezo sheet 15, such as that which occurs when a pressure is applied to the piezo sheet 15. The piezo sheet 15 is preferably formed of numerous piezo electric elements. When a piezo electric element 61 is physically deformed, a voltage is produced. Conversely, applying a voltage to a piezo electric element 61 results in the physical deformation of the piezo electric element. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention described more fully below, this physical attribute of piezo electric elements is utilized to provide tactile feedback to a user. The level of force with which a user deforms the piezo sheet may be translated into differentiated inputs by their corresponding voltage differences in the piezo sheet 15. Such level of force detection is particularly advantageous in gaming implementations. In gaming implementations, the level of detected force can be utilized to control gaming action such as, for example, the intensity with which an object is thrown in the game environment. In this manner, an MPAk 31 incorporated into an electronic gaming device serves to convert user inputs into electrical control inputs. In another exemplary embodiment, the MPAK 31 can be disposed along a surface of a robotic device to facilitate an interface between the robotic device and external stimuli.
Specifically, after processing the measured resistances and voltages, namely Rx, Ry and VF, an electric pulse, or voltage, may be delivered to the piezo sheet 15 to provide tactile feedback to a user. If such a pulse is generated a short duration after pressure is applied by the user to the piezo sheet 15, the resulting deformation of the MPAK 31, specifically the deformation of one or more piezo electric elements 61, provides tactile feedback indicative of successful activation of the MPAK 31. BY “activation” is meant that a user input is determined to have taken place.
With reference to
With reference to
In this manner, comparing the measured resistance Rx to the known resistances corresponding to an activation of each conductive trace 21, it is possible to determine which conductive trace 21, indexed by i, was activated.
In the exemplary illustrated configuration of the resistor array, only one readout line 33 is required to access all the conductive traces 21. The array of addressing resistances, Ri, can be formed of separate modules or may fabricated into the X-Y electrode sheet 13. The comparator circuitry, or processing unit 730, therefore functions to measure the resistance Rx, and to derive position information by matching Rx with a conductive trace or traces 21. As described, the exemplary algorithm is valid for determining a one dimensional position of pressure applied to a single X-Y electrode sheet 13. However, as described above, the inclusion of an additional X-Y electrode sheet 13′ oriented 90 degrees to the first, allows for determining a position in two orthogonal directions so as to ascertain, or otherwise determine, an X and Y coordinate of an applied pressure.
With reference to
A memory 731 is coupled to processing unit 730. The memory 731 is formed of stored IM data 731A and stored MMS data 731B. IM data 731A defines the placement of input indicia upon a surface of IM 17. IM data 731A can be formed of image data formed, for example, of button and key imagery corresponding to a desired placement of buttons and keys upon IM 17. As noted above, when the IM 17 is formed of an electrochromic or an electrophoretic display, the processing unit 17 can retrieve IM data 731A and output a signal to IM 17 to dynamically configure the layout of keys, buttons, and other input indicia 10. In such an instance, there is stored in MMS data 731B data that maps each interface indicia displayed on IM 17 to the X-Y coordinates corresponding to each input indicia 10. In addition, there is stored in MMS data 731B the relevant resistances, Rx and Ry required to determine the X-Y coordinates at which a force is applied to IM 17.
With reference to
When a force F is applied to the piezo sheet 15, two voltages Vyout and Vxout are generated. These voltages can be interpreted by the processor unit 730 to determine the x-coordinate, Xi, and the y-coordinate, Yi of the point at which force F is applied. As shown, each pair of coordinates is associated with a piezo electric element 61. Similar to that which is described above with regards to MMS data 731B, there can be stored in piezo data 731C information mapping received voltages, Vyout and Vxout, to the x and y-coordinates of displayed IM 17 input indicia 10.
In an exemplary embodiment, after determining the position at which force F is applied to the IM 17, the processor unit 730 can transmit a voltage signal along an Xi conductive trace 63A and a Yi conductive trace 63B corresponding to at least one piezo electric element 61 in proximity to the point at which force F was determined to have been applied. By sending such a voltage signal, the corresponding piezo electric element or elements 61 are deformed. This deformation creates a tactile feedback informing the user that the provision of force upon an indicia of IM 17 was received, interpreted, and acknowledged.
With reference to
At step 2, the application of a force F is detected as described above. In the instance that the MMS 19 is formed of orthogonally oriented electrode sheets 13, 13′, the measured resistances from electrode sheets 13, 13′ are received as inputs to processing unit 730. In the absence, of such electrode sheets 13, 13′, the voltages generated in the x and y directions by piezo sheet 15 serve as inputs to processing unit 730.
At step 3, either or both of the inputted resistances from the electrode sheets 13, 13′ and the inputted voltages from the piezo sheet 15 are utilized as inputs by processing unit 730 to determine the x and y coordinates at which the force F was applied to the IM 17.
At step 4, the processing unit 730 can send an output voltage signal to a piezo electric element or elements 61 in piezo sheet 15 at a position corresponding to the position at which the force F was determined to have been applied to IM 17. By so activating a piezo electric element or elements 15, a tactile response is generated to indicate the successful determination of the selection of an input indicia.
Lastly, at step 5 the data stored in MMS data 731B and piezo data 731C is retrieved by the processing unit 730 and utilized to correlate the location at which force was applied to the IM 17 to an input indicia 10 displayed at the position at which the force F was determined to have been applied.
Suitable materials for a piezo sheet are PVDF (Poly Vynilidene Fluoride) and P(VDF-TrFE) (PVDF-trifluoro ethylene copolymer). Typical dimension are in range of 0.1-0.5 mm thickness and an area of 50 mm×60 mm. These dimensions are suitable for phone applications. However, applications might be also larger and smaller. For instance, a touch-screen panel (size of about A4) could be targeted or smaller sheets could be MP3 player size.
Other exemplary suitable physical properties are the following: Electrical resistance: >10A12; Dielectric constant: 6.2 (for P(VDF-TrFE))and 6.0(for PVDF); and Anti-electric field: 40 MV/m (P(VDF-TrFE)), 45 MV/m (PVDF).
It is understood that the various exemplary embodiments described herein may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, processor or other computing device, although the invention is not limited thereto. While various aspects of the invention may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that these blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.
Alternative exemplary embodiments of the invention may be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit modules. The design of integrated circuits is by and large a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools are available for converting a logic level design into a semiconductor circuit design ready to be etched and formed on a semiconductor substrate.
Programs, such as those provided by Synopsys™, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif. and Cadence™ Design, of San Jose, Calif. automatically route conductors and locate components on a semiconductor chip using well established rules of design as well as huge libraries of pre-stored design modules. Once the design for a semiconductor circuit has been completed, the resultant design, in a standardized electronic format (e.g., Opus, GDSII, or the like) may be transmitted to a semiconductor fabrication facility or “fab” for fabrication.
Although described in the context of particular embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a number of modifications and various changes to these teachings may occur. Thus, while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to one or more exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that certain modifications or changes may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth above, or from the scope of the ensuing claims.
