Customizable Human Interface Device
A device can include an elastic membrane; an array that includes translatable elements extendable to elastically deform the elastic membrane to form a customizable arrangement of discrete keys; and sensor circuitry that senses actuation of each of the discrete keys.
1 . A device comprising:
an elastic membrane;
an array that comprises translatable elements extendable to elastically deform the elastic membrane to form a customizable arrangement of discrete keys; and
sensor circuitry that senses actuation of each of the discrete keys.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the translatable elements comprises a spring.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the spring comprises a coil spring.
4 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the spring comprises a magnetic spring.
5 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the spring comprises a fluid spring.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor circuitry comprises electronic circuitry.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor circuitry comprises electromagnetic circuitry.
8 . The device of claim 1 , comprising memory that stores data for automatically extending a number of the translatable elements to form the customizable arrangement of discrete keys.
9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the memory stores data for a plurality of customizable arrangements of discrete keys.
10 . The device of claim 9 , comprising buttons for selection of one of the plurality of customizable arrangements of discrete keys.
11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the array comprises a dot array.
12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the dot array comprises illuminable elements for identification of functions of one or more of the discrete keys.
13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the array comprises a bar array.
14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the bar array comprises illuminable elements for identification of functions of one or more of the discrete keys.
15 . The device of claim 14 , wherein the illuminable elements comprise elements of the Siekoo alphabet.
16 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the discrete keys comprise customizable shapes.
17 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the customizable arrangement comprises discrete keys of a QWERTY keyboard.
18 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the customizable arrangement comprises discrete keys of a numeric keypad.
19 . A method comprising:
receiving input to form a customized arrangement of discrete keys from a plurality of different customized arrangements of discrete keys;
responsive to the input, extending some translatable elements of an array to form the customized arrangement of discrete keys, wherein some other translatable elements of the array are not extended;
sensing one or more touches of one or more of the discrete keys; and
responsive to the sensing, outputting a signal.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the outputting a signal outputs a signal to a computing device that translates the signal to one or more characters renderable to a display.