Key determination method for metal key

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11762480-B2
Application number	US-202017789855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2020
Priority date	Dec 31, 2019
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A key determination method for a metal key. The method comprises a step of determining whether values output by an electrical parameter converter on a metal key satisfy multiple levels of thresholds, and, a step of setting a press flag of the metal key according to multiple levels of thresholds; and after the metal key is released, determining whether a release flag is valid according to a press model, and if so, clearing the press flag that was previously set. Different press models and different thresholds are selected and configured by means of software, so that personalized choices are provided for respective metal keys, which effectively facilitates different operators in configuring a metal keyboard according to usage habits, thereby improving the operating efficiency. In addition, the setting of different thresholds effectively protects the operational details mean for the exclusive use of operators, thereby achieving the required confidentiality.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a metal key arranged on a user interface comprising a plurality of metal keys, said method comprising:
pressing the metal key;
determining that a press flag of the metal key is valid by determining a press model of the metal key and determining that the press model is consistent with a pre-set press model;
determining that values output by an electrical parameter converter on the metal key satisfy multiple levels of thresholds; and
in response to determining that the press model is consistent with the pre-set press model and the values output by the electrical parameter converter on the metal key satisfy the multiple levels of thresholds, setting the press flag of the metal key according to the multiple levels of thresholds.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein;
a correlation between the values output by the electrical parameter converter and the multiple levels of thresholds is set; and
the multiple levels of thresholds correspond to different applications.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the electrical parameter converter is a digital electrical parameter converter.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple levels of thresholds comprises thresholds, which are values that are dynamically set according to an output signal from a sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises;
instantaneously obtaining, at the metal key, a plurality of values output by the electrical parameter converter;
determining that the plurality of values output by the electrical parameter converter satisfy the multiple levels of thresholds;
determining a number of metal keys that obtain the values output by the electrical parameter converter; and
determining that the press flag is to be set in response to determining that the plurality of values output by the electrical parameter converter satisfy the multiple levels of thresholds as well as the number of metal keys that obtain the values output by the electrical parameter converter.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: determining that the values output by the electrical parameter converter satisfy the multiple levels of thresholds upon detecting that the press flag of the metal key is valid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining a duration for which the press flag of the metal key is set; and
determining that the duration is greater than a pre-set value, and in response, clearing the press flag of the metal key.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: upon releasing the metal key, determining that a release flag is valid according to a press model, and in response, clearing the press flag that was previously set.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein, upon releasing the metal key, determining that the press model of the metal key is consistent with the pre-set press model, and in response, determining that the release flag is valid.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-set press model is selected from the group consisting of: a monotonically increasing model, or a stepwise rising model, or a jitter raising model, and a combined model of any two of the monotonically increasing model, the stepwise rising model and the jitter raising model, or a combined model of the monotonically increasing model, the stepwise rising model and the jitter raising model.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
releasing the metal key; and
determining that a release flag of the metal key is valid according to a press model, and in response, clearing the press flag.

12. A metal key applying the method of claim 1 .

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple levels of thresholds comprises thresholds, which are pre-set values.

14. An electronic weighing instrument comprising:
a user interface;
a plurality of metal keys arranged at the user interface;
one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory storage media comprising a stored program, which when executed, configures the one or more processors to:
receive data generated from a user pressing a given one of the plurality of metal keys;
determine whether a press flag of the given metal key is valid by determining a press model of the given metal key and by determining whether the press model is consistent with a pre-set press model;
determine whether values output by an electrical parameter converter on the given metal key satisfy multiple levels of thresholds; and
set the press flag of the given metal key according to the multiple levels of thresholds when the press model is consistent with a pre-set press model and the values output by the electrical parameter converter on the given metal key satisfy multiple levels of thresholds.

15. A non-transitory storage medium, comprising a stored program, wherein the stored program, upon execution, controls an apparatus comprising a metal key arranged on a user interface comprising a plurality of metal keys and the storage medium to:
receive data generated from a user pressing the metal key;
determine whether a press flag of the metal key is valid by determining a press model of the metal key and by determining whether the press model is consistent with a pre-set press model;
determine whether values output by an electrical parameter converter on the metal key satisfy multiple levels of thresholds; and
set the press flag of the metal key according to the multiple levels of thresholds when the press model is consistent with a pre-set press model and the values output by the electrical parameter converter on the metal key satisfy multiple levels of thresholds.

Assignees

• Mettler Toledo Changzhou Measurement Technology Ltd
• Mettler Toledo Changzhou Prec Instruments Ltd
• Mettler Toledo Int Trading Shanghai Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Jingke
• Wang Shujun
• Qian Shenjian
• Yang Yong

Classifications

• H03K17/96 Primary

  Touch switches (specially adapted for electronic time-pieces with no moving parts G04G21/08) · CPC title

• H03K17/972 Primary

  having a plurality of control members, e.g. keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/03 Primary

  Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form · CPC title

• H03M11/20

  Dynamic coding, i.e. by key scanning (H03M11/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03K2017/9706

  Inductive element · CPC title