Keyswitch, keyboard and related force feedback method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9373464-B2
Application number	US-201414337254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2014
Priority date	Jul 24, 2013
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A keyswitch with force feedback function includes a vibrating source, a switching circuit and a controller. The vibrating source is connected to a cap of the keyswitch. The switching circuit is switched on according to states of the keyswitch. The controller is electrically connected to the vibrating source and the switching circuit. When the switching circuit is switched on, the controller outputs a first driving signal to the vibrating source, and the vibrating source transmits a pressing vibration to the cap of the keyswitch. A period of the first driving signal is smaller than or equal to a predetermined period, a user can feel vibration of the keyswitch due to the pressing vibration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A force feedback method applied to a keyswitch, comprising:
(a) triggering a vibration source to output a pressing vibration to the keyswitch when the keyswitch is changed from a released status to a pressed status, the pressing vibration continues for a sustain period, and the sustain period is smaller than or equal to a predetermined period;
(b) detecting a status of the keyswitch in response to an expiration of the predetermined period:
(b1) back to step (a) when the keyswitch is already released;
(b2) go to step (c) when the keyswitch is still pressed; and

(c) outputting a releasing vibration to the keyswitch by the vibration source when the keyswitch is changed from the pressed status to the released status.

2. The force feedback method of claim 1 , wherein the keyswitch comprises a switch circuit, the force feedback method utilizes the switch circuit to determine the state of the keyswitch.

3. The force feedback method of claim 2 , wherein the keyswitch is changed to the pressed status when the switch circuit is switched on, and the keyswitch is changed to the released status when the switch circuit is switched off.

4. The force feedback method of claim 2 , wherein the keyswitch further comprises a controller electrically connected to the switch circuit and the vibration source, the force feedback method utilizes the controller to immediately drive the vibration source to output the pressing vibration when the switch circuit is switched from OFF to ON.

5. The force feedback method of claim 1 , wherein a cumulative pressing time increases when the keyswitch is continuously pressed, the keyswitch outputs a corresponding character signal once whenever the cumulative pressing time increases for an additional time unit.

6. The force feedback method of claim 1 , wherein the sustain period for the pressing vibration or the releasing vibration is substantially between 10-200 milliseconds.

7. The force feedback method of claim 1 , wherein the pressing vibration and the releasing vibration respectively are a sine wave, a square wave or a wave with any form, and the wave with any form is an arithmetic sum of a non-periodic wave and a periodic wave with a frequency lower than 500 Hz by multiplication, addition or subtraction.

8. A keyswitch with a force feedback function, comprising:
a vibration source coupled to the keyswitch;
a switch circuit selectively switched ON or OFF according to a status of the keyswitch; and
a controller electrically coupled to the switch circuit and the vibration source, wherein the switch circuit is switched ON to trigger the controller to output a first driving signal to the vibration source, the first driving signal drives the vibration source to output a pressing vibration to the keyswitch, the first driving signal continues for a sustain period, and the sustain period is smaller than or equal to a predetermined period;
wherein when the switch circuit is already switched OFF before expiration of the predetermined period, the controller does not output any driving signal to the vibration source in response to the switch circuit switched from ON to OFF;
wherein when the switch circuit is still switched ON at the expiration of the predetermined period, the controller detects whether the switch circuit is switched from ON to OFF, the controller further outputs a second driving signal to the vibration source in response to the switch circuit switched from ON to OFF, the second driving signal drives the vibration source to output a releasing vibration to the keyswitch.

9. The keyswitch of claim 8 , wherein a cumulative pressing time increases when the keyswitch is continuously pressed, the keyswitch outputs a corresponding character signal once whenever the cumulative pressing time increases for an additional time unit.

10. The keyswitch of claim 8 , wherein the sustain period for the pressing vibration or the releasing vibration is substantially between 10-200 milliseconds.

11. The keyswitch of claim 8 , wherein the pressing vibration and the releasing vibration respectively are a sine wave, a square wave or a wave with any form, and the wave with any form is an arithmetic sum of a non-periodic wave and a periodic wave with a frequency lower than 500 Hz by multiplication, addition or subtraction.

12. A keyboard with a force feedback function, comprising:
a plurality of keyswitches;
a vibration source coupled to the plurality of keyswitches;
a switch circuit selectively switched ON or OFF according to a status of at least one of the keyswitches; and
a controller electrically coupled to the switch circuit and the vibration source, wherein the switch circuit is switched ON to trigger the controller to output a first driving signal to the vibration source, the first driving signal drives the vibration source to output a pressing vibration to the at least one keyswitch, the first driving signal continues for a sustain period, and the sustain period is smaller than or equal to a predetermined period;
wherein when the switch circuit is already switched OFF before expiration of the predetermined period, the controller does not output any driving signal to the vibration source in response to the switch circuit switched from ON to OFF;
wherein when the switch circuit is still switched ON at the expiration of the predetermined period, the controller detects whether the switch circuit is switched from ON to OFF, the controller further outputs a second driving signal to the vibration source in response to the switch circuit switched from ON to OFF, the second driving signal drives the vibration source to output a releasing vibration to the at least one keyswitch.

13. A force feedback method applied to a keyswitch, comprising:
(a) outputting a pressing vibration to the keyswitch by a vibration source, and triggering a time-counter to increase a cumulative pressing time, when the keyswitch is changed from a release status to a pressed status;
(b) triggering the time-counter to stop increase of the cumulative pressing time when the keyswitch is changed from the pressed status to the released status:
(b1) when the cumulative pressing time is smaller than a predetermined period, reset the cumulative pressing time and go to step (a);
(b2) when the cumulative pressing time is greater than or equal to the predetermined period, reset the cumulative pressing time and go to step (c); and

(c) outputting a releasing vibration to the keyswitch by the vibration source and go to step (a).

14. The force feedback method of claim 13 , wherein the keyswitch comprises a switch circuit, the force feedback method utilizes the switch circuit to determine the released status and the pressed status of the keyswitch.

15. The force feedback method of claim 14 , wherein the keyswitch further comprises a controller electrically coupled to the switch circuit, the vibration source and the time-counter, the force feedback method determines that the keyswitch is pressed when the switch circuit is switched from OFF to ON, and utilizes the controller to immediately drive the vibration source to output the pressing vibration.

16. The force feedback method of claim 13 , wherein the cumulative pressing time increases when the keyswitch is continuously pressed, the keyswitch outputs a corresponding character signal once whenever the cumulative pressing time increases for an additional time unit.

17. The force feedback method of claim 13 , wherein the sustain period of the pressing vibration or the releasing vibration is substantially between 10-200 milliseconds.

Assignees

• Darfon Electronics Suzhou Co Ltd
• Darfon Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Smith Shana Shiang-Fong
• Wu Chien-Min
• Kao Huang-Hsiao
• Wang Chih-An
• Chen Fei-Ya

Classifications

• H01H2003/008

  with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction · CPC title

• H01H2215/052

  piezoelectric · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/0202

  Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device · CPC title

• H03K2217/96062

  with tactile or haptic feedback · CPC title