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

Claim 0:
1. A keyboard system comprising:
a substrate comprising:
a first layer comprising a first array of spiral traces, each spiral trace in the first array of spiral traces:
coiled in a first direction; and
defining a first end and a second end; and

a second layer arranged below the first layer and comprising a second array of spiral traces, each spiral trace in the second array of spiral traces:
coiled in a second direction opposite the first direction;
defining a third end and a fourth end, the third end electrically coupled to a second end of a first spiral trace in the first array of spiral traces; and
cooperating with an adjacent spiral trace to form a first loop of an inductor, in an array of inductors across the substrate;

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:
read electrical values from the array of inductors; and
at a first time, in response to detecting a first change in electrical value at a first inductor, in the array of inductors:
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.