Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a continuation patent from Apple that relates to a possible future “touch sensitive mechanical keyboard.” Apple’s patent relates to adding touch gesture controls to a mechanical keyboard primarily for a desktop computer that would allow a user to keep their hands on the keyboard instead of using a mouse. The invention allows the user to be in text or gesture mode so that the gestures aren’t interpreted as text entries.
Today’s patent is not a new invention application but rather a continuation patent wherein Apple is updating and/or adding specific technology, features and/or methods that they want to legally extend into their current granted patent. Any change and/or addition to this invention is restricted to Apple’s patent claims.
Mechanical Keyboard with Text and Gesture Modes
Apple’s work on a possible future gesture keyboard began prior to 2014, in fact there’s a reference to it dating back to 2010. They were granted a patent for this invention titled “Touch Sensitive Mechanical Keyboard” back in early March 2020.
As a refresher, Apple’s patent FIG. 1 below illustrates an exemplary touch sensitive mechanical keyboard; FIG. 3A illustrates exemplary hand controls for operating a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard; and FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary process for providing cursor input with a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard.
Apple’s March granted patent focused on presenting patent claims that primarily related to all things regarding “An input device.” Today’s continuation patent adds additional layers of protection for the device covering and primarily focuses the invention around “A touch input system.” A second layer has also been added to provide new invention “Methods.“
Patent Claims build up one another and so at times it’s difficult to pick and choose what’s important in patent claims to present to our readers, especially in this case when there’s so many key points. We’re highlighting those points we feel define the new claims as follows:
New Patent Claims of Interest
Patent Claim #1, the foundation: A touch input system, comprising: a touch sensitive keyboard including a plurality of keys, each key of the plurality of keys having a touch surface including a plurality of sensor nodes, each sensor node configurable for detecting an object touching or in proximity to the sensor node and generating one of a plurality of first signals, and each key of the plurality of keys configurable for detecting a depression of that key and generating one of a plurality of second signals; and a processor communicatively coupled to the touch sensitive keyboard, the processor configured for, upon a detection of one or more key depressions, causing the touch sensitive keyboard to switch between operating in a typing mode and operating in a mouse mode.
Apple presents a series of new patent claims that cover the following theme: Starting with patent claim #2 – “The touch input system of claim 1, the processor further configured for detecting a holding down of one or more keys and causing the touch sensitive keyboard to switch from the typing mode to the mouse mode.”
Claim #7. The touch input system of claim 1, wherein after the processor causes the touch sensitive keyboard to operate in the mouse mode, the processor is further configured for using the plurality of first signals to detect a gesture.
Claim #8. The touch input system of claim 1, the processor further configured for detecting a tapping of one or more keys and causing the touch sensitive keyboard to switch between operating in the typing mode and operating in the mouse mode.
Claim #13. A method for operating a touch sensitive keyboard including a plurality of keys, comprising: upon detecting one or more key depressions at the plurality of keys, causing the touch sensitive keyboard to switch between operating in a typing mode and operating in a mouse mode; when operating in the mouse mode, detecting an object touching or in proximity to one or more sensor nodes of a plurality of sensor nodes on a touch surface of each of one or more keys of the plurality of keys and generating one of a plurality of first signals; and when operating in the typing mode, detecting a depression of one or more keys of the plurality of keys and generating one of a plurality of second signals.
Apple’s continuation patent 20200192490 that was published today by the U.S. Patent Office was originally filed back in Q1 2020. To review all of the new patent claims, review the continuation patent here. Considering that this is a continuation patent, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.
