System for extended key actions and haptic feedback and optimized key layout for a solid-state keyboard and touchpad
A haptic keyboard or touchpad of an information handling system comprising a coversheet to identify an extended action key of the haptic keyboard or extended action touchpad, a support layer, a contact foil, and piezoelectric elements placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the extended action key or extended action touchpad of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal. A controller receive the electric actuation signal from a piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress via the contact foil and determine the level of mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric element from the electric actuation signal to select a function from a plurality of function levels based on the mechanical stress level applied to the extended action key or extended action touchpad and providing a response haptic feedback control signal to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback.
1. A haptic keyboard of an information handling system, comprising:
a coversheet to identify an extended action key of the haptic keyboard;
a support layer;
a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer;
a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the extended action key of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal; and
a controller of the information handling system operatively coupled to the contact foil to:
receive the electric actuation signal from the piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress via the contact foil and determine the level of mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric element from the electric actuation signal;
associate a selected function from a plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key; and
send a response haptic feedback control signal to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback at the extended action key.
2. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key includes a selection of alphanumeric characters and a plurality of mechanical stress threshold levels of mechanical stress applied to the extended action key determines selection and registration of one alphanumeric character from among the selection of alphanumeric characters.
3. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key includes a selection of software application functions and a plurality of mechanical stress threshold levels of mechanical stress applied to the extended action key determines selection of software application function from among the selection of software application functions.
4. The keyboard of claim 3 , wherein the selection of software application functions associated with the extended action key is displayed on a display screen to assist a user in selecting one software application function from among the selection of software application functions.
5. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key includes a selection of continuous multiple levels of a selected software application function of the actuated extended action key and a plurality of mechanical stress threshold levels of mechanical stress applied to the extended action key determines selection among the continuous multiple levels of the software application function.
6. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein the sent haptic feedback indicates which one function level is selected from the plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key.
7. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein the controller sends one of a plurality of response haptic feedback control signals to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate one of a plurality of types of haptic feedback at the actuated extended action key to indicate the selected one function level of the plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key.
8. The keyboard of claim 1 , wherein the sent haptic feedback is provided in response to the depth of actuation of the extended action key by the applied mechanical stress to the piezoelectric element for that extended action key.
9. A haptic keyboard of an information handling system, comprising:
a coversheet to identify an extended action key of the haptic keyboard;
a support layer;
a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer;
a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the extended action key of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal; and
a controller of the information handling system operatively coupled to the contact foil to:
receive the electric actuation signal from the piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress via the contact foil and determine the level of mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric element from the electric actuation signal;
associate a selected function from a plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key; and
send one response haptic feedback control signal determined from a plurality of haptic feedback control signals corresponding to the plurality of function levels associated with the extended action key to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback at the extended action key indicating the selected function.
10. The keyboard of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key includes a selection of alphanumeric characters and a plurality of mechanical stress threshold levels of mechanical stress applied to the extended action key determines selection and registration of one alphanumeric character from among the selection of alphanumeric characters.
11. The keyboard of claim 10 , wherein a first type of haptic feedback indicates selection of a first alphanumeric character associated with the actuated extended action key and a second type of haptic feedback indicates selection of a second alphanumeric character associated with the actuated extended action key.
12. The keyboard of claim 11 , wherein a first alphanumeric character of the selection of alphanumeric characters associated with the actuated extended action key is a lower case letter and a second alphanumeric character associated with the actuated extended action key is an upper case letter.
13. The keyboard of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key includes a selection of software application functions which may be selected by the type of haptic feedback sent to the piezoelectric element of the actuated extended action key responding to applied force levels.
14. The keyboard of claim 9 , wherein the selection of software application functions associated with the extended action key is further displayed on a display screen to assist a user in selecting one software application function from among the selection of software application functions.
15. The keyboard of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key includes a selection of continuous multiple levels of a selected software application function of the actuated extended action key and a selection of the level of the continuous multiple levels of the software application function may be selected according to the type of haptic feedback sent to the piezoelectric element of the actuated extended action key responding to applied mechanical stress levels.
16. A haptic keyboard and touchpad control system of an information handling system, comprising:
a coversheet to identify an extended action key of a haptic keyboard and a haptic touchpad;
a support layer;
a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer;
a first piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the extended action key of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal; and
a controller of the information handling system operatively coupled to the contact foil to:
receive the electric actuation signal from the piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress via the contact foil and determine the level of mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric element from the electric actuation signal;
associate a selected function from a plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key based on the level of mechanical stress applied; and
send a response haptic feedback control signal to the first piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback selected from a plurality of types of haptic feedback at the extended action key to indicate the selected function.
17. The haptic keyboard and touchpad control system of claim 16 wherein
the haptic touchpad is an extended action touchpad, further comprising:
a capacitive touch layer operatively coupled to a bottom surface of the coversheet via a first adhesive layer to receive x- and y-coordinate location data for the extended action touchpad;
a second contact foil layer operatively coupled to a bottom surface of the capacitive touch layer and operatively coupled to a second controller of the information handling system;
an array of touchpad piezoelectric elements laid out along a bottom surface of the second contact foil layer of the extended action touchpad;
a touchpad support layer; and
the second controller to:
receive a second electric charge actuation signal from a second piezoelectric element of the array of touchpad piezoelectric elements located at an extended action touchpad actuation location on the coversheet; and
send a second response haptic feedback control signal to the second piezoelectric element of the array of touchpad piezoelectric elements to cause the second piezoelectric element to generate a touchpad haptic feedback selected from a plurality of types of touchpad haptic feedback at the extended action touchpad actuation location to indicate a selected function from a plurality of functions associated with the extended action touchpad based on the mechanical stress level applied to the second piezoelectric element.
18. The haptic keyboard and touchpad control system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of function levels associated with the extended action touchpad actuation location includes a selection of software application functions which may be selected by the type of haptic feedback sent to the piezoelectric element of the extended action touchpad responding to a plurality of applied mechanical stress levels.
19. The haptic keyboard and touchpad control system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of function levels associated with the actuated extended action key includes a selection of alphanumeric characters the level of mechanical stress applied to the extended action key determines selection and registration of one alphanumeric character from among the selection of alphanumeric characters.
20. The haptic keyboard and touchpad control system of claim 19 , wherein a first type of haptic feedback indicates selection of a first alphanumeric character associated with a first level of mechanical stress applied to the extended action key and a second type of haptic feedback indicates selection of a second alphanumeric character associated with a second level of mechanical stress applied to the extended action key.