IP Library Granted Patent US 11,893,163
Granted Patent B2
US 11,893,163 · App. 17/119,590 · Granted Feb 6, 2024

Information handling system virtual and physical keyboard position coordination

Inventors: Travis C. North (Cedar Park, TX); Jace W. Files (Round Rock, TX); Yongook Guack (Austin, TX); John Trevor Morrison (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F3/023G02F1/133331G06F1/1647G06F1/1671G06F1/1673G06F3/0221G06F3/04886H10K59/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,893,163
App. No.
17/119,590
Granted
Feb 6, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A portable information handling system includes a physical keyboard that extends and retracts from within the system to outside of the system and a display that presents a virtual keyboard that moves synchronously with physical keyboard during retraction and extension. For example, as keys of the physical keyboard become visible or hidden by movement of the physical keyboard, the virtual keyboard slides across the display so that virtual keys are hidden or visible with the virtual keyboard in one example embodiment only showing virtual keys corresponding to hidden physical keys. In another example embodiment, the virtual keyboard accepts key inputs for hidden physical keys, which are disabled from accepting inputs.

Claims (32)

1. A portable information handling system comprising:

a housing;

processing components disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions that process information;

a display coupled to the housing and interfaced with the processing components, the display operable to present a virtual keyboard, the display transparent with the processing components disposed in the housing visible through the display; and

a physical keyboard coupled to the housing and operable to retract and extend, the virtual keyboard presentation varying as the physical keyboard retracts and extendsi

wherein the display presents operating conditions of the processing components in a first position with operating conditions of each processing component presented with the processing components visible through the transparent cover when the operating conditions are a first amount relative to operating limits, and a second position adjusts presentation of the operating conditions of the processing components when the operating conditions are a second amount relative to operating limits that is closer to the operating limits than the first amount.

2. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein, the virtual keyboard presentation varying includes at least presenting at the virtual keyboard only those keys not visible at the physical keyboard.

3. The portable information handling system of claim 2 wherein, the virtual keyboard stops presenting when the physical keyboard fully extends to expose all of its keys.

4. The portable information handling system of claim 2 wherein, the physical keyboard accepts key inputs at exposed keys and the virtual keyboard accepts key inputs at keys presented on the display.

5. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein, the virtual keyboard slides across the display synchronously with the position of the physical keyboard as the physical keyboard extends.

6. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein, the display comprises a liquid crystal display layer integrated with the transparent cover.

7. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein, the display comprises an organic light emitting diode display integrated with the transparent cover.

8. A method for presenting a virtual keyboard at a portable information handling system display, the method comprising:

retracting a physical keyboard into a housing of the portable information handling system;

presenting a virtual keyboard at a display of the portable information handling system, the display having transparency through which processing components disposed in the housing under the display are visible;

extending the physical keyboard out of the housing;

in response to the extending, varying presentation of the virtual keyboard based upon the position of the physical keyboard during the extending;

presenting operating conditions of a CPU and GPU on the display at a first location when the operating conditions are a first amount and at a second location when the operating conditions are a second amount, the second amount closer to operating limits of the CPU and GPU.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

in response to the retracting, presenting the virtual keyboard during the retracting as a synchronized sliding presentation of virtual keys at the virtual keyboard as associated physical keys of the physical keyboard retract into the housing.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein, the varying presentation further comprises presenting at the virtual keyboard only those keys not visible at the physical keyboard.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising ceasing the presenting of the virtual keyboard when the physical keyboard fully extends to expose all of its keys.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

accepting key inputs from the physical keyboard at exposed keys of the physical keyboard;

disabling key inputs from the physical keyboard at retracted keys of the physical keyboard; and

accepting key inputs at the virtual keyboard for the physical keyboard retracted keys.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein, the presenting further comprises sliding the virtual keyboard across the display synchronously with a position of the physical keyboard as the physical keyboard extends.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein, the display comprises a liquid crystal display layer integrated with the transparent cover.

15. A keyboard system comprising:

a physical keyboard configured to extend from and retract into a housing; and

a virtual keyboard presented at a display to synchronously slide across the display with movement of the physical keyboard, the display having a transparency through the display for processing components disposed under the display, the display presenting operating conditions of a CPU and GPU on the display at a first location when the operating conditions are a first amount relative to operating limits and at a second location when the operating conditions are a second amount relative to the operating limits, the second amount closer to the operating limits than the first amount.

16. The keyboard of claim 15 wherein, the virtual keyboard presents only keys hidden by retraction of the physical keyboard.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0342) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0460 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (055479/0051) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0663 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056136/0752) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062021/0771 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 055408 FRAME 0697 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058001/0553 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056136/0752 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0051 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055479/0342 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 25, 2021
From: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 055408/0697 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2020
From: NORTH, TRAVIS C.; FILES, JACE W.; GUACK, YONGOOK; MORRISON, JOHN TREVOR
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 054621/0655 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220187926A1 · Jun 16, 2022