Foldable Keyboard With Projected Virtual Keys and Click Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional keyboards are large and inconvenient to carry due to their size, and attempts to reduce size through 'functional keypads' result in loss of input functions.
Innovation Solution
A keyboard design incorporating physical keys and virtual key projection devices, with click detection systems, allowing for reduced size without function loss by projecting virtual keys onto a surface and using a deformable structure for compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the keyboard size is reduced to make it portable, then the keyboard becomes convenient to carry, but the input functions are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a deformable keyboard body that can transform between a spread state (for full functionality) and a folded state (for portability). The keyboard includes rotating portions that can rotate around rotating shafts, allowing the keyboard to be folded into a compact form while maintaining all input functions when deployed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a spatial dimension by using a three-dimensional deformable structure. The keyboard body can be folded along rotation axes, transforming from a flat two-dimensional layout into a compact three-dimensional folded configuration, enabling portability without losing functional keys
2Volume of moving object
If functional keypads are used to reduce keyboard size, then the keyboard becomes more compact, but input functions are lost to a certain extent
Solution Approach 1:
The keyboard implements a deformable structure with rotating portions that can be folded into the keyboard body. This dynamic transformation allows the keyboard to maintain a compact form factor while expanding to provide full input functionality when needed, avoiding the function loss associated with static functional keypads
3Volume of moving object
If virtual key projection is used, then the keyboard size is reduced, but the click detection precision may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a click detection device that provides feedback to determine which virtual key was clicked. The system detects click positions on the projection area and identifies the corresponding virtual key, ensuring accurate input detection even with the reduced physical keyboard size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a click detection device as an intermediary between the user's finger click and the system interpretation. This device detects the click position and determines the corresponding virtual key, bridging the gap between physical interaction and digital input with high precision
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a keyboard, including: a keyboard body; at least one physical key disposed on the keyboard body; at least one virtual key projection device connected to the keyboard body and configured to present, by means of projection, an image of at least one virtual key in a projection area outside the keyboard body; and a click detection device configured to detect whether a finger clicks on the projection area and determine on which virtual key the finger clicks in response to that the finger clicks on the projection area.