WO2014107473A2 - Clavier virtuel arrière pour tablette électronique - Google Patents

Clavier virtuel arrière pour tablette électronique Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014107473A2
WO2014107473A2 PCT/US2014/000001 US2014000001W WO2014107473A2 WO 2014107473 A2 WO2014107473 A2 WO 2014107473A2 US 2014000001 W US2014000001 W US 2014000001W WO 2014107473 A2 WO2014107473 A2 WO 2014107473A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
keyboard
data
input
fingertip
user
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2014/000001
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2014107473A3 (fr
Inventor
Stephen TIBBITTS
Original Assignee
Tibbitts Stephen
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tibbitts Stephen filed Critical Tibbitts Stephen
Publication of WO2014107473A2 publication Critical patent/WO2014107473A2/fr
Publication of WO2014107473A3 publication Critical patent/WO2014107473A3/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/02—Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
    • G06F3/023—Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
    • G06F3/0233—Character input methods
    • G06F3/0235—Character input methods using chord techniques
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/048—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
    • G06F3/0487—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
    • G06F3/0489—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Definitions

  • the invention relates to data entry apparatus for personal computers, More specifically, the invention relates to keyboards for tablet style computers.
  • the personal computer has transformed the way the world does business as well as the way individuals communicate with one another electronically. Text, graphic images and other content can now be created, edited, transmitted and reviewed virtually anywhere in the world almost in real time by way of the Internet. The transformational nature of this technology is generally recognized as one of the most important economic innovations of our time. Nevertheless, content must first be entered into the personal computer before it can be reviewed by another individual.
  • Early personal computers relied primarily on alpha-numeric data entry through the use of conventional keyboards in which depression and release of a key on the keyboard created a so-called "make code” and a "break code” correlating to an ASCII code set for numbers, characters and letters.
  • That particular tablet computer/keyboard combination was marketed under the designation TC I 100 and consisted of a tablet computer having an integrated display/data entry screen. Cursor control could be effected through the use of a stylus directly on die touch sensitive LCD display screen including entry of alpha-numeric characters through a virtual keyboard on the screen or through handwriting recognition software built into the computer operating system. Alternatively, the tablet computer could be connected to a conventional mechanical keyboard having QWERTY keys as well as a Track Point ® cursor control between the "F” and "J” keys to direct the cursor on the computer screen.
  • the tablet computer shown in the ⁇ 12 patent when connected to the removable keyboard is of the so-called laptop style computer.
  • laptop style computer When using the computer in this configuration, it is necessary to place the keyboard on a relatively planar, stable surface such that accurate touch typing can be achieved. Improper orientation of the user's forearms and hands relative to the keyboard results in a rapid diminution of typing accuracy and speed, thereby limiting the usefulness of laptop style computers in environments which are moving, or subject to acceleration and deceleration which destabilizes the position of the hands with respect to the keyboard. Thus, it is difficult to use the conventional laptop computer in an environment such as an airplane, a train or other common carrier. When converted to a tablet style computer, data entry is achieved by using the stylus on the touch sensitive LCD display.
  • Displays of this type may be capacitive, resistive, optical, surface acoustic wave, bending wave touch, capacitive, etc. and one example of optical system is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,928,094 titled, "Battery- Operated Data Collection Apparatus Having an Infrared Touch Screen Data Entry Device," issued May 22, 1990 to Smith, and assigned to the Boeing Company, Seattle, Washington. Regardless of the display touch sensitivity type, it is imperative that the stylus be carefully controlled on the screen whether used in a handwriting recognition mode, or on a virtual keyboard. Any jostling of the user's hand with respect to the tablet computer or vice versa will result in a inaccurate input.
  • the thumbs of alternate hands can be relatively precisely located with respect to a typing surface on the device such as a conventional, miniaturized keypad.
  • Various personal information management computers such as the device sold under the Blackberry trademark employ a real or virtual keyboard in a miniaturized form beneath the thumbs of the user. The user grasps the device with the fingers of both hands and essentially types with the thumbs only.
  • the keyboard is adapted to distinguish between a grasping action by the user, and a data input action by the user.
  • the keyboard includes a housing having a front side data display area and an obverse rear side having a plurality of data input regions such that the housing can be grasped between thumbs and fingers of a user's hands.
  • An input device, separate from the front data display is provided for differentiating between a grasping pressure of the user's fingers and an input actuating pressure applied by the fingers to the data input regions.
  • the tablet computer is provided with a memory for mapping a sequence of different finger input pressures or the data input regions to a!pha-numeric characters for display in the data display area.
  • the data input regions may be divided into discrete left and right hand regions capable of detecting four simultaneous finger touchdown pressures from each hand when the computer is in landscape mode.
  • the data input regions preferably permit the user to touch down his or her fingertips in freeform positions and then make determinations as to whether the applied fingertip pressures relate to merely grasping the tablet computer or whether those pressures represent data input actuations.
  • the data input device can determine that actuating pressure by comparing relative sizes of fingertip touch downs with respect to time or by other means such as changes in capacitance, resistance, etc.
  • the data input regions are also preferably capable of detecting and tracking fingertip translational motions such as for cursor control or the like. Common command characters may also be mapped to translational motions as well as panning or zooming commands.
  • Unified Braille Code is used for mapping the eight fingertip touchdown pressures to alpha-numeric characters as well as other common computer characters.
  • the keyboard device may also incorporate upper and lower data input regions capable of detecting the fingertip touchdowns when the device is held in a portrait mode.
  • a single data input region is provided on the obverse rear side of the housing for detecting eight fingertip touchdowns and relative movements and pressures thereof rather than discrete data input regions.
  • the invention may be provided with a computer program providing graphic representation on the display of the mapping sequence used by the memory to assist the user in learning a fingertip touchdown sequence used to generate the alpha-numeric codes.
  • Non-virtual input mechanisms may also be employed in alternate embodiments.
  • the invention includes a method of operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
  • Figure 1 is an isometric, perspective view of a tablet computer incorporating an aspect of the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the tablet computer shown in Figure 1 illustrating left and right data input regions in a landscape mode, and optional upper and lower rear data input regions for use in a portrait orientation.
  • FIG. 3 is a high level block diagram of various elements of the device shown in
  • Figure 4 is a detailed flow chart illustrating the sequential steps used for determining whether fingertip grasping pressures signify a data entry input or merely a grasping pressure to hold the device.
  • Figure 5 is a table disclosing the Unified Braille Code for fingertips of the left and right hands of a user of the device shown in Figure 1.
  • a rear mounted virtual keyboard integrated with a tablet computer is generally indicated at reference numeral 10 and the various Figures of the attached drawings wherein numbered elements of the Figures correspond to like numbered elements herein.
  • the computer 10 includes a conventional liquid crystal diode (“LCD") display 12 for displaying text, data, video and other forms of output supported by a housing 14 of the conventional type.
  • the tablet computer is preferably provided with a conventional cursor control device 16 such as a four-way controller, track ball, track point, touch sensitive digitizing pad or the like.
  • An observe side 18 thereof shown in Figure 2 includes left and right side data input regions 20, 22 which are preferably located in a position such that when the tablet computer 10 of Figure 1 is grasped by the user's left and right hands fingertips of the respective hand will fall within the regions 20, 22.
  • Data input regions may be of any suitable touch sensitive device such as optical, capacitive, resistive, surface acoustic wave, bending wave touch, etc. which are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
  • An appropriate touch panel for this use is made by Cyprus True Touch, San Jose, California, Model CY3290-TMA400.
  • Optional upper and lower data input regions 24, 26 are shown in phantom lines in Figure 2 which may be useful when the tablet computer 10 is held in a portrait orientation.
  • Those of ordinary skill in the art will of course appreciate that a single large data input region replacing regions 20 through 26 may be provided to register touchdowns and positioning and pressure of the user's fingertips at a higher cost than having the small discrete regions shown in Figure 2.
  • the virtual keyboard tablet computer 10 advantageously distinguishes between grasping pressure applied by fingertips of a user's hands on the data input regions, and data input actuating pressures applied by the fingers to those regions.
  • characteristic changes with respect to time representing data input actuations can be detected by various touchpad sensors regardless of the type used.
  • One well known characteristic of an increased grasping pressure is an increased size of a fingertip touchdown area when a data input pressure is applied in contrast to mere grasping pressure.
  • Characteristic changes with respect to surface resistivity, capacitance, opacity, etc. are also measurable by various types of type sensors.
  • the invention advantageously uses those changes to determine whether a user is merely grasping the pad or attempting to input data.
  • the use of relatively large regions 20-26 for data input permits the user to touch down fingertips (represented at reference numerals 29) in freeform provided that the touch down regions do not substantially overlap.
  • the virtual keyboard tablet computer 10 is provided with a mainboard or motherboard 30 having a central processing unit 32 in the form of a microprocessor or the like in operative communication with the data input regions 20, 22, 24 and 26.
  • the microprocessor identifies when all four fingers are grasping the tablet computer 10 and distinguishes between grasping pressures and data input pressures. If data input pressures are registered, the microprocessor outputs that information to the display 12.
  • the tablet computer 10 is also preferably provided with ' an orientation sensor 34 to activate either the left and right touch panels or the upper and lower touch panels depending on the orientation of the computer.
  • a computer program suitable for use in the microprocessor executes instructions illustrated in Figure 4 of the attached drawings.
  • an initiating step 36 the appropriate data input region 20, 22 or 24, 26 is scanned.
  • Cartesian coordinates and pressure information is delivered to the microprocessor in step 38 after the panel has been scanned.
  • This sequence is repeated at least preferably 20 times per second and the microprocessor determines at step 40 whether four touchdown points indicative of a pattern of a human hand having four discrete quasi-circular patterns 29 have been detected at decision box 44. If no such pattern is detected, step 40 is repeated. If four such matching finger patters are detected then the state of those fingertip touchdowns is recorded at step 46 and compared to a previous state at step 48.
  • the microprocessor determines at decision box 52 whether the differences represent differences in location at step 54 or merely pressure at step 56. If the differences is one of location then the location difference is compared to a previous state at step 58 which is indicative of a sliding command which is matched (step 60) in the memory of the microprocessor 32 to an appropriate sliding command such as cursor movement and such sliding command is sent to the central processing unit 32 at step 62. Alternatively, at step 56 if it is determined that there is merely a pressure difference without a location difference the pressure difference is interpreted as an alpha-numeric command which is matched to a table in the microprocessor memory and a character command is sent to the central processing unit also at step 62.
  • step 40 the microprocessor determines whether four touchdown points match finger positions on each side. Thus, if each of these tests are failed, the program concludes that the user is merely grasping the device and not attempting to input data.
  • the microprocessor in the CPU 32 preferably uses the Unified Braille Code to determine what pattern of fingertip touchdown pressure differences correspond to alpha-numeric characters as well as various punctuation codes, and function key codes recognized as part of the ASCII command set.
  • the microprocessor in the CPU 32 preferably uses the Unified Braille Code to determine what pattern of fingertip touchdown pressure differences correspond to alpha-numeric characters as well as various punctuation codes, and function key codes recognized as part of the ASCII command set.
  • inputting a pressure differential in the left index finger without changing pressure differentials in other touchdown fingers on the respective left and right data input regions represents the ASCII code corresponding to the Roman letter "a”
  • the capital letter "A” is represented by making data input gestures with the index fingers of each hand.
  • the four fingers of each hand represent all of the alpha-numeric codes as well as various punctuation marks and function keys commonly used in association with alpha-numeric data input.
  • the CPU 32 may provide an audible tone through a speaker (not
  • the CPU 32 can have a program which graphically, displays the Unified Braille Code on the LCD display 12 allowing the user to practice matching pressure inputs on the data input regions to the Unified Braille Code display on the LCD as a training tool.
  • Other Braille Codes e.g., American Braille may also be employed.
  • the program preferably provides positive feedback (visual, audible or both) for correctly performing the necessary data input pressures representative of the alphanumeric character being displayed on the LCD screen.
  • the data input regions 20-26 may be the discrete data display regions 20-26 shown in the Figures, or they may be subsumed in a single larger data input panel.
  • the entire obverse side of the tablet computer 10 may be a discrete physical part attachable to any tablet computer such as by means of hook and loop closures, interference fit, and electrically communicated to a conventional tablet computer through a universal serial bus cable, or wire!essly through any protocol such as Bluetooth® or ⁇ ⁇ . In this way, any conventional tablet computer can be converted into a virtual keyboard tablet computer 10 of the present invention.
  • the left and right data input regions 20, 22 are replaced with eight discrete momentary membrane switches having sufficient mechanical resistance to prevent mere grasping pressure from actuating the switches.
  • the switches preferably provide tactile or audible feedback indications that the affected switch has been actuated. In this way, a low cost device can be produced although the freeform touch down facility of the invention is forfeited.
  • only eight pressure sensitive switches, four on each side of the obverse surface of the device are provided.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une tablette électronique à clavier virtuel ayant un afficheur de données classique sur son côté avant et des régions d'entrée de données tactiles sur un côté arrière opposé. Les régions d'entrée de données différencient une pression de saisie appliquée entre les pouces sur l'avant du dispositif et les bouts de doigts sur l'arrière du dispositif par rapport à des pressions d'entrée de données distinctes. La tablette traduit ensuite ces pressions en caractères alphanumériques à des fins d'affichage sur l'afficheur de données de la tablette électronique.
PCT/US2014/000001 2013-01-03 2014-01-02 Clavier virtuel arrière pour tablette électronique WO2014107473A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201313694783A 2013-01-03 2013-01-03
US13/694,783 2013-01-03

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2014107473A2 true WO2014107473A2 (fr) 2014-07-10
WO2014107473A3 WO2014107473A3 (fr) 2014-10-23

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PCT/US2014/000001 WO2014107473A2 (fr) 2013-01-03 2014-01-02 Clavier virtuel arrière pour tablette électronique

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070013662A1 (en) * 2005-07-13 2007-01-18 Fauth Richard M Multi-configurable tactile touch-screen keyboard and associated methods
US20090009482A1 (en) * 2007-05-01 2009-01-08 Mcdermid William J Touch sensor pad user input device
US20110261058A1 (en) * 2010-04-23 2011-10-27 Tong Luo Method for user input from the back panel of a handheld computerized device

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070013662A1 (en) * 2005-07-13 2007-01-18 Fauth Richard M Multi-configurable tactile touch-screen keyboard and associated methods
US20090009482A1 (en) * 2007-05-01 2009-01-08 Mcdermid William J Touch sensor pad user input device
US20110261058A1 (en) * 2010-04-23 2011-10-27 Tong Luo Method for user input from the back panel of a handheld computerized device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2014107473A3 (fr) 2014-10-23

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