Furlable keyboard
US6265993A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 1, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jul 24, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 1, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H2223/052
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A furlable keyboard apparatus includes a generally cylindrical housing and a flexible keyboard mounted to the housing such that the keyboard is furlable around the housing when the keyboard apparatus is not in use. The keyboard has keyboard indicia formed thereon providing a plurality of visual key representations arranged in a plurality of generally horizontal key rows and partially diagonal key columns. A plurality of keystroke signal generators underly the keyboard indicia and are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the key representions forming the key columns and key rows. The keystroke signal generators are responsive to finger pressure and are interconnected by logical ORing to form key groups providing key group signals whenever a keystroke signal generator underlying one of the key groups is pressed or released. An imaging device is mounted on the housing and is positionable over the keyboard. The imaging device is adapted to generate an output comprising an imaging signal representing a visual image of the keyboard. A keystroke recognizer mounted within the housing activates the imaging device to generate an imaging signal in response to a key group signal being ge…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.