Gesture-enabled keyboard and associated apparatus and computer-readable storage medium

1. A keyboard comprising:

an arrangement of keys;

circuitry forming a grid of circuits underneath respective keys of the arrangement of keys, a circuit of the grid of circuits being configured to generate a signal in response to a keystroke in which a respective key of the arrangement of keys is depressed;

a first processor configured to receive the signal from the circuit of the grid of circuits, and compare a location of the respective circuit to a character map to determine how to interpret the keystroke;

a plurality of proximity sensors forming a grid of sensors underneath the keys, the proximity sensors being configured to measure a proximity of an object to the respective proximity sensors, and produce a signal representative of the measured proximity; and

a second processor configured to receive the signal representative of the measured proximity, determine at least one of a position or movement of the object relative to the proximity sensors based on the respective signal, and produce a gesture signal representative of the determined at least one of position or movement, the gesture signal being interpretable into one or more commands or instructions for directing performance of one or more operations of an apparatus or software operating on the apparatus.

2. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of proximity sensors include a first plurality of proximity sensors configured to project respective electric fields through the keys and upward from a top surface of the keyboard.

3. The keyboard of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of proximity sensors also include a second plurality of proximity sensors configured to project respective electric fields outward from sides of the keyboard.

4. The keyboard of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of proximity sensors also include a second plurality of proximity sensors configured to project respective electric fields outward from a back of the keyboard.

5. The keyboard of claim 2 further comprising a rest pad extending from a front of the keyboard, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors also include a second plurality of proximity sensors underneath the rest pad, the second plurality of proximity sensors being configured to project respective electric fields upward and outward from the rest pad.

6. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to at least perform or cause the apparatus to at least perform the following:

receiving a signal from a keyboard, the keyboard comprising:

an arrangement of keys;

a plurality of proximity sensors forming a grid of sensors underneath the keys, the proximity sensors being configured to measure a proximity of an object to the respective proximity sensors, and produce a signal representative of the measured proximity; and

a second processor configured to receive the signal representative of the measured proximity, determine at least one of a position or movement of the object relative to the proximity sensors based on the respective signal, and produce a signal representative of the determined at least one of position or movement, the signal received from the keyboard including the signal representative of the determined at least one of position or movement; and

determining one or more commands or instructions for directing performance of one or more operations of the apparatus or software operating on the apparatus, the one or more commands or instructions being determined as a function of the signal received from the keyboard.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein determining one or more commands or instructions includes determining one or more commands or instructions that effectuate a change in a graphical output presented by a display during operation of the software operating on the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard comprises receiving a signal from a keyboard in at least two instances, the signal in the first instance comprising a trigger signal, and the signal in the second instance comprising a gesture signal,

wherein in the first instance, the trigger signal is received in response to a user performing a predefined trigger gesture movement with respect to the keyboard,

wherein the processor is configured to perform or cause the apparatus to perform, in the first instance, identifying the signal received from the keyboard as a trigger signal to thereby turn on gesture recognition and interpretation, and

wherein determining one or more commands or instructions occurs in the second instance after interpreting the trigger signal in the first instance, the processor otherwise being configured to ignore the gesture signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the object comprises a hand or one or more fingers of a hand of the user, and wherein in the first instance identifying the signal as a trigger signal comprises identifying the signal as being representative of a determined at least one of position or movement of the hand or one or more fingers corresponding to the predefined trigger gesture movement of the hand or one or more fingers.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the predefined trigger gesture movement comprises sliding the one or more fingers from a corner of a back edge of the keyboard along the back edge so that the one or more fingers cover a distance within a predefined range of distances along the back edge.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the predefined trigger gesture movement comprises resting the hand or one or more fingers over a side edge of the keyboard, with the hand or one or more fingers covering all or only half of the side edge of the keyboard.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the predefined trigger gesture movement comprises resting the hand or one or more fingers over the side edge of the keyboard, with a thumb of the hand resting over a front edge of the keyboard.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program portions being configured to direct a processor to at least perform or cause an apparatus to at least perform the following:

receiving a signal from a keyboard, the keyboard comprising:

an arrangement of keys;

a plurality of proximity sensors forming a grid of sensors underneath the keys, the proximity sensors being configured to measure a proximity of an object to the respective proximity sensors, and produce a signal representative of the measured proximity; and

a processor configured to receive the signal representative of the measured proximity, determine at least one of a position or movement of the object relative to the proximity sensors based on the respective signal, and produce a signal representative of the determined at least one of position or movement, the signal received from the keyboard including the signal representative of the determined at least one of position or movement; and

determining one or more commands or instructions for directing performance of one or more operations of the apparatus or software operating on the apparatus, the one or more commands or instructions being determined as a function of the signal received from the keyboard.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein determining one or more commands or instructions includes determining one or more commands or instructions that effectuate a change in a graphical output presented by a display during operation of the software operating on the apparatus.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein receiving a signal from a keyboard comprises receiving a signal from a keyboard in at least two instances, the signal in the first instance comprising a trigger signal, and the signal in the second instance comprising a gesture signal,

wherein in the first instance, the trigger signal is received in response to a user performing a predefined trigger gesture movement with respect to the keyboard,

wherein the computer-readable program portions are further configured to direct the processor to perform or cause the apparatus to perform, in the first instance, identifying the signal received from the keyboard as a trigger signal to thereby turn on gesture recognition and interpretation, and

wherein determining one or more commands or instructions occurs in the second instance after interpreting the trigger signal in the first instance, the processor otherwise being configured to ignore the gesture signal.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the object comprises a hand or one or more fingers of a hand of the user, and wherein in the first instance identifying the signal as a trigger signal comprises identifying the signal as being representative of a determined at least one of position or movement of the hand or one or more fingers corresponding to the predefined trigger gesture movement of the hand or one or more fingers.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the predefined trigger gesture movement comprises sliding the one or more fingers from a corner of a back edge of the keyboard along the back edge so that the one or more fingers cover a distance within a predefined range of distances along the back edge.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the predefined trigger gesture movement comprises resting the hand or one or more fingers over a side edge of the keyboard, with the hand or one or more fingers covering all or only half of the side edge of the keyboard.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the predefined trigger gesture movement comprises resting the hand or one or more fingers over the side edge of the keyboard, with a thumb of the hand resting over a front edge of the keyboard.