Patent Publication Number: US-2011063220-A1

Title: Input device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present application is related to an input device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A keyboard and a mouse are frequently used input devices for a personal computer. However, a conventional keyboard occupies a lot of space on a work surface. Therefore, an input device is desired to overcome the limitations described. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an input device illustrated by one embodiment of the present application. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing functional connection of a switch unit, a mouse unit and a keyboard unit of the input device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a keyboard unit in  FIG. 1 , which shows an exemplary arrangement of the keyboard unit. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of another embodied keyboard module of the present application. 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating activation for the embodied keyboard units of the present application. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an input device  10  of one embodiment of the present application comprises a substrate  101 , a mouse unit  100 , a keyboard unit  200 , a switch unit  300  and a cover  500 . The mouse unit  100  and the keyboard unit  200  are provided on top of the substrate  101 , and the switch unit  300  is provided on a lateral side of the substrate  101 . The cover  500  is pivotally positioned on the substrate  101 , between the mouse unit  100  and the keyboard unit  200 , and the edge shape of the cover  500  corresponds to the outer shape of the keyboard unit  200 . The top of the cover  500  is shaped for ease of handling. When only the mouse unit  100  is needed, the cover  500  remains closed to cover the keyboard unit  200  for ease holding and preventing dust; and when the keyboard unit  100  is needed, the cover  500  can be opened. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing functional connection of a switch unit, a mouse unit and a keyboard unit of the input device of one embodiment of the present application. The mouse unit  100  and the keyboard unit  200  are connected to the same transmission line connected to the computer for signal input. The switch unit  300  controls activation of the input device  10  as the mouse unit  100  or the keyboard unit  200 . 
     The switch unit  300  is embodied as a single pole double throw (SPDT) switch, and provided on a lateral of the substrate  101 . A first throw contact and a second throw contact of the switch unit  300  are connected to one end of the mouse unit  100  and one end of the keyboard unit  200 , respectively. A third throw contact is connected to a power supply. The other end of the mouse unit  100  and the other end of the keyboard unit  200  are connected to the same transmission line. When the third throw contact of the switch unit  300  is connected to the first throw contact, the input device  10  is activated as a mouse, and the cover  500  can remain closed for ease of handling. When the third throw contact of the witch unit  300  is connected to the second throw contact, the input device  10  is activated as a keyboard, and the cover  500  can be opened for inputting. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the mouse unit keyboard unit  100  comprises a left mouse key  102 , a central selection key  103 , and a right mouse key  104 . The left mouse key  102 , the central selection key  103 , and a right mouse key  104  are configured as a common mouse&#39;s functional keys. 
     The keyboard unit  200  comprises a capital key  203 , a backspace key  204 , an upper selection key  205 , a lower selection key  206 , a space key  201  and an enter key  202 . The keyboard unit  200  also comprises several main keys  23 . 
     Key values of the main key  23  comprise alphabets, numerals, punctuation marks, special characters, operation symbols, and function keys. Some uncommon key functions, such as Home, End, are omitted, and other commonly-used key values are integrated into 16 main keys, each of them comprising six key values. The six different key values are distributed in three horizontal rows, and each horizontal row comprises left and right key values. The keyboard unit  200  comprises three functional keys, including a right row selection key  400 , an upper selection key (“Upper” key)  205  and a lower selection key (“Lower” key)  206 . The right row selection key  400  is positioned on one lateral side of the substrate  101  opposite to the switch unit  300  and configured for input of the right key value of the main key  23 . The left key value of the first row of the main key  23  is selected by directly depression of the main key  23 . The left key value of the second row of the main key  23  is selected by depression of both the upper row selection key (“Upper” key)  205  and the main key  23  sequentially, and the left key value of the third row of the main key  23  is selected by depression of both of the lower row selection key  206  and the main key  23 . 
     An exemplary input method for the key values of the main key  23  follows. For example, the left key value of the first horizontal row of the main key  23  is “Q”, the right key value of the first horizontal row of the main key  23  is “T”, the left key value of the second horizontal row of the main key  23  is “Esc”, the right key value of the second horizontal row of the main key  23  is “F1”, the left key value of the third horizontal row of the main key  23  is “&amp;”, and the right key value of the third horizontal row of the main key  23  is “1”. If a “&amp;” key value is to be input, “Lower” key  206 , and main key  23  should be depressed sequentially. If a “F1” key value is to be input, the right row selection key  400 , the “Upper” key  205  and the main key  23  should be depressed sequentially. If a “1” key value is to be input, the right row selection key  400 , “Lower” key  206  and the main key  23  should be depressed sequentially. If a “Q” key value is to be input, the main key  23  should be directly depressed. If a “T” key value is to be input, the right row selection key  400  and the main key  23  should be depressed sequentially. 
     If a “q” key value is to be input, the capital key  203  and the main key  23  should be depressed sequentially. If a “t” key value is to be input, the capital key  203 , the right row selection key  400  and the main key  23  should be depressed sequentially. 
     Once the right row selection key  400  has been depressed for inputting a right key value of the main key  23 , depressing it again recovers the predetermined key value. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , another embodiment of the present application is shown, differing from  FIG. 3  only in that space key  201  and enter key  203  are positioned laterally on the substrate  101 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the keyboard unit  200  comprises a key element  20 , a key matrix  22 , a processor  24  and an interface circuit  26 . The key element  20  comprises circuits corresponding to different key values of the main key  23 , each of which is normally open. A character table corresponding to the key values of the key element  20  is saved in a memory of the processor  24 . When a key or a combination of keys is activated, the circuit of the key element  20  corresponding to the key or the combination of keys is closed. When the processor  24  detects the closed state of the circuit, the processor  24  confirms the key value corresponding to the key or the combination of keys in the character table, and the confirmed key value is transmitted to the computer. It is known in the art that different arrangement of the key value differing from the keyboard unit  200  can be programmed and saved in the character table of the memory of the processor  24 . 
     The input device disclosed by the present application implements reduction of volume of conventional input devices for personal computers by integrating functions of a mouse and a keyboard in one. 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.