Patent ID: 11880506
Assignee: SENSEL, INC.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 17:
18. A keyboard system comprising:
a substrate comprising an array of inductors;
a tactile layer:
arranged over the substrate; and
defining an array of key locations over the array of inductors;

an array of magnetic elements, each magnetic element in the array of magnetic elements:
arranged within the tactile layer at a key location in the array of key locations;
configured to inductively couple to an adjacent inductor in the array of inductors; and
configured to move relative to the adjacent inductor responsive to application of a force on the tactile layer at the key location; and

a controller configured to:
at a first time, read a first set of electrical values corresponding to current flow through the array of inductors;
in response to detecting a first current in a first direction through a first inductor, in the array of inductors, based on the first set of electrical values:
register a first keystroke of a first key type associated with a first key location, in the array of key locations, defined over the first inductor; and
drive an oscillating voltage across the first inductor during a first haptic feedback cycle to:
induce alternating magnetic coupling between the first inductor and a first magnetic element, in the array of magnetic elements, arranged within the tactile layer at the first key location; and
oscillate the tactile layer, at the first key location, relative to the substrate;

at a second time succeeding the first time, read a second set of electrical values corresponding to current flow through the array of inductors; and
in response to detecting a second current in a second direction, opposite the first direction, through the first inductor based on the second set of electrical values:
register release of the first keystroke from the first key location on the tactile layer; and
drive a second oscillating voltage across the first inductor during a second haptic feedback cycle.