Zoned Haptic Keyboard Layout With Fewer Actuators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional keyboards suffer from mechanical degradation, noise, and inadequate haptic feedback, while haptic keyboards with actuators under each key increase manufacturing costs and failure points, and sound-based feedback reduces typing speed.
Innovation Solution
A zoned haptic keyboard with partitioned haptic zones and actuators under finger touch zones, using force sensors and actuators to provide targeted haptic feedback, reducing the number of actuators needed and maintaining typing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If actuators are placed under each key to provide haptic feedback, then haptic feedback quality is improved, but manufacturing cost and failure points increase
Solution Approach 1:
The keyboard is divided into multiple haptic zones, with each zone served by a single actuator. This segmentation approach reduces the total number of actuators from one per key to one per zone, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and failure points while maintaining effective haptic feedback coverage across the keyboard surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Each actuator serves multiple keys within its designated haptic zone, making it a multi-functional component. This universal approach allows a single actuator to provide haptic feedback for multiple key presses, reducing the overall actuator count while maintaining system functionality.
2Ease of manufacture
If sound-based feedback is used instead of haptic feedback, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but typing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces sound-based feedback with mechanical haptic feedback through actuators. This substitution provides tactile sensation that is more effective for typing than auditory feedback, thereby maintaining or improving typing speed while still achieving cost reduction through the zoned actuator approach.
3Reliability
If traditional mechanical keyboards are used, then haptic feedback is provided, but mechanical degradation and noise occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical haptic mechanisms with electromagnetic or piezoelectric actuators. This substitution eliminates mechanical degradation and noise associated with traditional mechanical keyboards while maintaining effective haptic feedback through electronic actuation of the haptic zones.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces manufacturing costs and failure points by using fewer actuators, while providing effective haptic feedback, enhancing typing experience and speed.
Implementation Method 1
an actuator operatively coupled to the haptic zone section... generate haptic feedback in response to actuation of the key
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system including a zoned haptic keyboard comprising a keyboard controller transmitting key actuation data to the hardware processor indicating which key of a plurality of keys was detected as being actuated by a user via a force sensing integrated circuit (IC) to detect force data within a first haptic zone. The first haptic zone includes a group of keys and is one of a plurality of haptic zones partitioned across an area of the zoned haptic keyboard. A haptic device controller activates, based on the key actuated and its haptic zone, a first zoned haptic actuator operatively coupled to a haptic zone section of a haptic zone plate to provide haptic feedback within the first haptic zone, wherein the haptic zone section of the zoned haptic plate is haptically isolated from other haptic zone sections to haptically isolate the first haptic zone in the zoned haptic keyboard.