Input devices and their use
US7391861B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 22, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jun 24, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 13, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H2239/006
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A keypad in which output keystrokes are determined both from individual switch activation and from the combined activation of adjacent switches. The keypad has a substrate carrying an array of sense elements arranged to change state in response to keypad operation, a flexible cover disposed above the substrate and having an exposed surface defining an array of independent key regions, with combination key regions defined in interstices between adjacent independent key regions. Snap elements provide tactile feedback. Some versions have a touch-sensitive grid rather than a switch matrix. A method of dialing a telephone includes generating a corresponding sequence of numerals by transposing alpha character input into one of the numerals 2 through 9 according to standard telephone keypad letter-number correspondence
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.