PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9041652-B2
Application Number: US-201113232955-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Fusion keyboard

Abstract:
Touch sensitive mechanical keyboards for detecting touch events and key depressions on the keyboard are provided. The keyboard can include a set of individually depressible mechanical keys having a touch sensitive area located on their surface. A touch sensor can be included to detect touch events on the surface of the keys. A keypad can also be included to detect a depression of the mechanical keys. One or more of the depressible mechanical keys can be multi-purpose keys capable of being depressed to multiple levels. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can receive key depression input, touch event input, or combinations thereof at the same time. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can further include a processor for distinguishing detected touch events from detected key depressions. The processor can generate a key depression command or a touch event command in response to the detected touch events and key depressions.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A keyboard comprising:
 a plurality of depressible keys, wherein at least one key of the plurality of depressible keys is a dual-purpose key configured to be depressed a first distance to a first level and a second distance to a second level; 
 a plurality of switch sensors configured to detect a depression of a key of the plurality of depressible keys, wherein at least one switch sensor of the plurality of switch sensors is configured to detect the at least one dual-purpose key being depressed the first distance to the first level and the at least one dual-purpose key being depressed the second distance to the second level; 
 an array of capacitive sensors configured to detect a touch event on a surface of one or more of the plurality of depressible keys; and 
 a processor configured to:
 receive a touch event signal indicating that the touch event has been detected by the array of capacitive sensors on the surface of the one or more of the plurality of depressible keys; 
 receive a key depression signal indicating that the depression of the key of the plurality of depressible keys has been detected by at least one of the plurality of switch sensors; 
 generate a key depression command signal in response to receiving the key depression signal; and 
 generate a touch event command signal in response to a threshold length of time elapsing from receiving the touch event signal without receiving the key depression signal. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The keyboard of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the touch event occurs coextensive in time with the depression of the key of the plurality of depressible keys. 
     
     
       3. The keyboard of  claim 1 , wherein the key depression signal comprises at least one of a first key depression signal or a second key depression signal, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive the first key depression signal indicating that the depression of the first distance to the first level of the at least one dual-purpose key has been detected by the at least one switch sensor; and 
 receive the second key depression signal indicating that the depression of the second distance to the second level of the at least one dual-purpose key has been detected by the at least one switch sensor. 
 
     
     
       4. The keyboard of  claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 generate a first key depression command signal in response to a threshold length of time elapsing from receiving the first key depression signal without receiving the second key depression signal; and 
 generate a second key depression command signal in response to receiving the second key depression signal within the threshold length of time from receiving the first key depression command signal. 
 
     
     
       5. A keyboard comprising:
 a plurality of depressible keys; 
 a plurality of switch sensors configured to detect a depression of a key of the plurality of depressible keys; and 
 an array of capacitive sensors configured to detect a touch event on a surface of one or more of the plurality of depressible keys, wherein the plurality of switch sensors and the array of capacitive sensors are further configured to:
 detect a first input comprising one of a depression of a first key of the plurality of depressible keys or a touch event on a surface of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys; and 
 detect a second input comprising one of a depression of a second key of the plurality of depressible keys or a touch event on a surface of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys, wherein the first input occurs coextensive in time with the second input; and 
 
 a processor configured to generate:
 a first command signal in response to the first input; and 
 a second command signal in response to the second input. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The keyboard of  claim 5 , wherein the first command signal comprises at least one of a first touch event command signal or a first key depression command signal and the second command signal comprises at least one of a second touch event command signal or a second key depression command signal, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
 generate the first key depression command signal in response to the first input comprising the depression of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys; 
 generate the first touch event command signal in response to the first input comprising the touch event on the surface of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys; 
 generate the second key depression command signal in response to the second input comprising the depression of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys; and 
 generate the second touch event command signal in response to the second input comprising the touch event on the surface of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys. 
 
     
     
       7. The keyboard of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of depressible keys comprises at least one dual-purpose key operable to be depressed a first distance to a first level and a second distance to a second level, and wherein at least one switch sensor of the plurality of switch sensors is further operable to detect the at least one dual-purpose key being depressed the first distance to the first level and the at least one dual-purpose key being depressed the second distance to the second level. 
     
     
       8. The keyboard of  claim 5 , wherein the first command signal comprises information associated with the depression of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys or the touch event on the surface of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys, and wherein the second command signal comprises information associated with the depression of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys or the touch event on the surface of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys. 
     
     
       9. The keyboard of  claim 5 , wherein the keyboard is coupled to a computing device. 
     
     
       10. The keyboard of  claim 5 , wherein the keyboard is incorporated within a computing device. 
     
     
       11. A method for generating a keyboard command signal, the method comprising:
 monitoring a plurality of depressible keys for a depression of a key of the plurality of depressible keys, wherein at least one key of the plurality of depressible keys is a multi-purpose key being monitored to detect the at least one multi-purpose key being depressed a first distance to a first level and the at least one multi-purpose key being depressed a second distance to a second level; 
 monitoring the plurality of depressible keys for a touch event on a surface of one or more of the plurality of depressible keys; and 
 generating a command signal based on the monitoring of the plurality of depressible keys for the depression of the key of the plurality of depressible keys and the monitoring of the plurality of depressible keys for the touch event on the surface of one or more of the plurality of depressible keys, wherein the command signal comprises a touch event command signal, the touch event command signal generated in response to a threshold length of time elapsing from detecting a touch event without detecting depression of the key. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 receiving a first key depression signal in response to a detection of the at least one multi-purpose key being depressed the first distance to the first level; and 
 receiving a second key depression signal in response to a detection of the at least one multi-purpose key being depressed the second distance to the second level. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the command signal comprises at least one of a first key depression command signal or a second key depression command signal, and wherein generating the command signal comprises:
 generating the first key depression command signal in response to a threshold length of time elapsing from receiving the first key depression signal without receiving the second key depression signal; and 
 generating the second key depression command signal in response to receiving the second key depression signal within the threshold length of time from receiving the first key depression command signal. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one multi-purpose key is a spacebar key, and wherein the first key depression command signal causes generation of a space character, and wherein the second key depression command signal causes generation of a mouse click command. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the touch event occurs at a key that is different than the depressed key. 
     
     
       16. A method for generating keyboard command signals, the method comprising:
 receiving a first input, wherein the first input comprises one of a depression of a first key of a plurality of depressible keys or a touch event on a surface of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys; 
 receiving a second input, wherein the second input comprises one of a depression of a second key of the plurality of depressible keys or a touch event on a surface of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys; 
 determining whether the first input comprises the depression of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys or the touch event on the surface of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys, wherein determining whether the first input comprises a touch event comprises detecting a threshold length of time elapsing from detecting the touch event on the surface of the first key without detecting the depression of the first key; 
 determining whether the second input comprises the depression of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys or the touch event on the surface of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys, wherein determining whether the second input comprises a touch event comprises detecting the threshold length of time elapsing from detecting the touch event on the surface of the second key without detecting the depression of the second key; 
 generating a first command signal based on the determining whether the first input comprises the depression of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys or the touch event on the surface of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys; and 
 generating a second command signal based on the determining whether the second input comprises the depression of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys or the touch event on the surface of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 generating a first key depression command signal in response to the first input comprising the depression of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys; 
 generating a first touch event command signal in response to the first input comprising the touch event on the surface of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys; 
 generating a second key depression command signal in response to the second input comprising the depression of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys; and 
 generating a second touch event command signal in response to the second input comprising the touch event on the surface of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of one of generating the first key depression command signal or generating the first touch event command signal occurs coextensive in time with one of generating the second key depression command signal or generating the second touch event command signal. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first input comprises the depression of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys, and wherein the second input comprises the depression of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first input comprises the touch event on the surface of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys, and wherein the second input comprises the depression of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first input comprises the depression of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys, and wherein the second input comprises the touch event on the surface of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first input comprises the touch event on the surface of the first key of the plurality of depressible keys, and wherein the second input comprises the touch event on the surface of the second key of the plurality of depressible keys.

Description:
FIELD 
     This relates generally to input devices and, more specifically, to touch-sensitive input devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Keyboards are widely used and are generally accepted as the preferred way to provide textual input to a computing system. These keyboards typically have mechanical keys that are arranged in the so-called QWERTY layout and are configured to move independently of one another and comply with standards for key spacing and actuation force. 
     One of the most common keyboard types is a “dome-switch” keyboard that works as follows. When a key is depressed, the key pushes down on a rubber dome sitting beneath the key. The rubber dome collapses, giving tactile feedback to the user depressing the key, and causes a conductive contact on the underside of the dome to touch a pair of conductive lines on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) below the dome, thereby closing the switch. A chip in the keyboard emits a scanning signal along the pairs of lines on the PCB to all the keys. When the signal in one pair of the lines changes due to the contact, the chip generates a code corresponding to the key connected to that pair of lines. This code is sent to the computer either through a keyboard cable or over a wireless connection where it is received and decoded into the appropriate key. The computer then decides what to do on the basis of the key depressed, such as display a character on the screen or perform some action. Other types of keyboards operate in a similar manner, with the main differences being how the individual key switches work. Some examples of other keyboards include capacitive-switch keyboards, mechanical-switch keyboards, Hall-effect keyboards, membrane keyboards, roll-up keyboards, and the like. 
     There have been numerous attempts made to introduce an alternative to the standard keyboard. The changes include, but are not limited to, non-QWERTY layouts, concave and convex surfaces, capacitive keys, split designs, membrane keys, etc. However, while such alternative keyboards may provide improved usability or ergonomics, they have failed to replace or duplicate the commercial success of the conventional mechanical keyboard. 
     SUMMARY 
     This relates to touch sensitive mechanical keyboards and processes for detecting touch events and key depressions on the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can include a set of individually depressible mechanical keys having a touch sensitive area located on their surface. A touch sensor can be included to detect touch events on the surface of the mechanical keys. A keypad can also be included to detect a depression of the mechanical keys. One or more of the depressible mechanical keys can be multi-purpose keys capable of being depressed to multiple levels. In some embodiments, the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can receive key depression input, touch event input, or combinations thereof at the same time. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can include a processor for distinguishing detected touch events from detected key depressions. The processor can generate either a touch event command or a key depression command in response to the detected touch events and detected key depressions. These will be described in more detail below. 
     Processes for detecting touch events and key depressions are also disclosed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a top view of an exemplary touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary touch sensor panel that can be used with a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view an exemplary touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a key of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a user performing a touch event on a surface of a key of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a user depressing a key of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a dual-purpose key of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a user performing a touch event on a surface of a dual-purpose key of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a user depressing a dual-purpose key of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard to a first level according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a user depressing a dual-purpose key of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard to a second level according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a user operating a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates an exemplary process for detecting touch events and key depressions of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 13  illustrates an exemplary system including an input device according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 14  illustrates an exemplary personal computer including an input device according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 15  illustrates another exemplary personal computer including an input device according to various embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description of example embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which it is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments that can be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments can be used and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the various embodiments. 
     This relates to touch sensitive mechanical keyboards and processes for detecting touch events and key depressions on the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard. A touch event, such as a tap or a slide, may be detected when a finger or other object is placed near or in contact with a touch sensitive surface followed by a slide or when a finger or other object is placed near or in contact with the touch sensitive surface followed closely in time with a lift of the finger or object (tap). The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can include a set of individually depressible mechanical keys having a touch sensitive area located on their surface. A touch sensor can be included to detect touch events on the surface of the mechanical keys. A keypad can also be included to detect a depression of the mechanical keys. One or more of the depressible mechanical keys can be multi-purpose keys capable of being depressed to multiple levels. In some embodiments, the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can receive key depression input, touch event input, or combinations thereof at the same time. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can include a processor for distinguishing detected touch events from detected key depressions. The processor can generate either a touch event command or a key depression command in response to the detected touch events and detected key depressions. These will be described in more detail below. The touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can advantageously allow users to enter textual input using a device having the same look and feel of a conventional keyboard while allowing the users to enter touch events without requiring the users to remove their hands from the keyboard. Moreover, the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can allow users to enter textual input and/or touch input simultaneously with both hands. Processes for detecting touch events and key depressions are also disclosed. 
     Although various embodiments describe touch events, it is to be understood that hover events can be detected as well. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  100  having mechanical keys  101  and a touch sensitive area located on the surfaces of mechanical keys  101 . In some embodiments, keyboard  100  can be configured to have the look and feel of a conventional keyboard. For instance, each mechanical key  101  can be individually depressible, giving the user of keyboard  100  tactile feedback associated with each depression of a key. 
     Mechanical keys  101  can be used for text entry in a manner similar to a conventional keyboard. Additionally, as will be described in greater detail below, one or more mechanical keys  101  can be multi-purpose keys, such as dual-purpose keys, capable of being depressed to two or more different levels, or depths. As a result, the dual-purpose mechanical keys  101  can be used to generate two or more different outputs depending on the depth of the key depression. Furthermore, the touch sensitive area of keyboard  100  can be used to detect touch events, such as taps or slides, on the surface of mechanical keys  101 . In this way, keyboard  100  can also be used for cursor input functions, such as point, click, scroll, drag, select, zoom, and the like, without requiring the user to remove their hands from keyboard  100 . These functions, and more, can be driven by hand/finger motion while the fingers are sliding over and touching mechanical keys  101 . Moreover, the input of each of the user&#39;s hands, whether by key depressions or touch events, can be processed independently. This allows the user to input textual data via key depressions or cursor input functions via touch events with one hand, while the other hand can separately and simultaneously input textual data via key depressions or cursor input functions via touch events. 
     In some embodiments, the touch sensitive area of keyboard  100  can include the surfaces of all mechanical keys  101 . In other embodiments, the touch sensitive area can include the surfaces of only a portion of mechanical keys  101 . By integrating multi-touch input capability into keyboard  100  without altering its overall appearance or, more importantly, the familiar way in which it is used for typing, many of the benefits of multi-touch gesture-based input capability can be realized without having a negative impact on the user&#39;s text entry experience. 
     In some embodiments, keyboard  100  can further include mechanical key flexible printed circuit (FPC)  103 , first touch sensor FPC  105 , and second touch sensor FPC  107  for coupling keyboard  100  to a processor or host computer system. For example, mechanical key FPC  103  can be used by keyboard  100  to output information relating to the depression of one or more of mechanical keys  101 . Specifically, a signal indicating that one or more mechanical keys  101  have been depressed can be transmitted through mechanical key FPC  103  to a processor. Similarly, first and second touch sensor FPCs  105  and  107  can be used to output or receive information relating to a touch sensor included within keyboard  100 . For example, in some embodiments, keyboard  100  can include a capacitive touch sensor having multiple drive lines and multiple sense lines. In these embodiments, one of first touch sensor FPC  105  and second touch sensor FPC  107  can be used to receive stimulation signals for driving the drive lines while the other touch sensor FPC can be used to transmit touch signals received on the sense lines. In other embodiments, two or more of mechanical key FPC  103 , first touch sensor FPC  105 , and second touch sensor FPC  107  can be combined into a single FPC. 
     While specific examples of touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  100  are provided above, it should be appreciated that the principals described in the present disclosure can similarly be applied to touch sensitive mechanical keyboards having other features and configurations. For example, keyboards having non-QWERTY configurations and keyboards complying with ISO, ANSI, JIS, or other standards in extended or compact forms may also be used. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a portion of an exemplary touch sensor  200  that can be used to detect touch events on touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  100 . Touch sensor  200  can include an array of pixels  205  that can be formed at the crossing points between rows of drive lines  201  (D 0 -D 3 ) and columns of sense lines  203  (S 0 -S 4 ). Each pixel  205  can have an associated mutual capacitance Csig  211  formed between the crossing drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  when the drive lines are stimulated. The drive lines  201  can be stimulated by stimulation signals  207  provided by drive circuitry (not shown) and can include an alternating current (AC) waveform. The sense lines  203  can transmit touch or sense signals  209  indicative of a touch at the panel  200  to sense circuitry (not shown), which can include a sense amplifier for each sense line. 
     To sense a touch at the touch sensor  200 , drive lines  201  can be stimulated by the stimulation signals  207  to capacitively couple with the crossing sense lines  203 , thereby forming a capacitive path for coupling charge from the drive lines  201  to the sense lines  203 . The crossing sense lines  203  can output touch signals  209 , representing the coupled charge or current. When a user&#39;s finger (or other object) touches the panel  200 , the finger can cause the capacitance Csig  211  to reduce by an amount ΔCsig at the touch location. This capacitance change ΔCsig can be caused by charge or current from the stimulated drive line  201  being shunted through the touching finger to ground rather than being coupled to the crossing sense line  203  at the touch location. The touch signals  209  representative of the capacitance change ΔCsig can be transmitted by the sense lines  203  to the sense circuitry for processing. The touch signals  209  can indicate the pixel where the touch occurred and the amount of touch that occurred at that pixel location. As discussed above, in some embodiments, stimulation signals  207  and touch signals  209  can be received and transmitted via first and second touch sensor FPCs  105  and  107 . 
     While the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  includes four drive lines  201  and five sense lines  203 , it should be appreciated that touch sensor  200  can include any number of drive lines  201  and any number of sense lines  203  to form the desired number and pattern of pixels  205 . Additionally, while the drive lines  201  and sense lines  203  are shown in  FIG. 2  in a crossing configuration, it should be appreciated that other configurations are also possible to form the desired pixel pattern. While  FIG. 2  illustrates mutual capacitance touch sensing, other touch sensing technologies may also be used in conjunction with embodiments of the disclosure, such as self-capacitance touch sensing, resistive touch sensing, projection scan touch sensing, and the like. Furthermore, while various embodiments describe a sensed touch, it should be appreciated that the touch sensor  200  can also sense a hovering object and generate hover signals therefrom. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  300 . Touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  300  is an example of touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  100  and can include a touch sensor similar to touch sensor  200  for detecting touch events on the surface of some or all of the mechanical keys of keyboard  300 . Keyboard  300  can include keypad  301  for detecting a depression of one or more of the mechanical keys of keyboard  300 . In some embodiments, keypad  301  can include multiple dome-switches that are configured to couple pairs of conductive lines on a PCB below each dome to detect depression of one or more of the mechanical keys. Keyboard  300  can further include a processor (not shown) that emits a scanning signal along the pairs of lines on the PCB to all the keys. When the signal in one pair of the lines changes due to coupling by the dome-switch, the processor can generate a code corresponding to the key connected to that pair of lines. This information can be transmitted through mechanical key FPC  103  to a processor or computing device, such as a laptop computer, desktop computer, mobile device, mobile phone, or the like. 
     In some embodiments, as discussed in greater detail below with respect to  FIGS. 7-10 , keyboard  300  can include one or more multi-purpose keys and keypad  301  can include one or more multi-position switches corresponding to each of the one or more multi-purpose keys for detecting a depression of the multi-purpose keys to two or more different levels, or depths, to generate two or more different outputs depending on the depth of the key depression. Alternatively, in other embodiments, a dome-switch and an additional pick-button switch can be used in place of the multi-position switch. 
     In other embodiments, keypad  301  can detect depression of mechanical keys using other technologies, such as capacitive-switch circuitry, mechanical-switch circuitry, Hall-effect sensors, and the like. It should be appreciated that any known method for detecting depression of mechanical keys can be used. 
     Keyboard  300  can further include a touch sensor FPC layer  305  containing touch sensor circuitry for detecting touch events on the surface of the mechanical keys. Touch sensor FPC layer  305  can be applied to keypad  301  using an adhesive layer, such as pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA)  303 . Touch sensor FPC layer  305  can be located beneath keycaps  309 , and can be applied to keycaps  309  using an adhesive layer, such as pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA)  307 . Keycaps  309  can include multiple discrete portions forming the front surface of the mechanical keys. The surface of keycaps  309  can include printed or engraved letters, symbols, or numbers. When depressed, the keycaps  309  can directly or indirectly contact the keypad  301  through touch sensor FPC layer  305 , causing keypad  301  to detect the depression of the mechanical keys. 
     In some embodiments, touch sensor FPC layer  305  can include clusters of intersecting drive lines and sense lines forming sensor nodes similar to drive lines  201 , sense lines  203 , and pixels  205  of touch sensor  200  shown in  FIG. 2 . Each mechanical key can have associated therewith any number of sensor nodes depending on the desired touch resolution. For example, the drive lines and sense lines can form a grid beneath each keycap  309  to detect touch events along the surface of keycaps  309 . To allow the depression of the mechanical keys to be detected by keypad  301 , touch sensor FPC layer  305  can be configured to allow a portion of keycaps  309  to directly or indirectly contact keypad  301 . For instance, in some embodiments, a plunger located on the bottom of keycaps  309  can be allowed to protrude through touch sensor FPC layer  305 . In these embodiments, touch sensor FPC layer  305  can be formed from a stretchable or deformable material to allow independent depression of the keys through FPC layer  305 . Alternatively, in other embodiments, FPC layer  305  can be positioned below keypad  301 . Since, in these embodiments, key caps  309  can directly or indirectly contact keypad  301  without protruding through FPC layer  305 , FPC layer  305  can be formed from non-stretchable or non-deformable materials. 
     Touch sensor FPC layer  305  can further include first and second touch sensor FPCs  105  and  107  for outputting and receiving signals associated with the operation of touch sensor FPC layer  305 . For example, one of first touch sensor FPC  105  and second touch sensor FPC  107  can be used to receive stimulation signals for driving the drive lines of touch sensor FPC layer  305  while the other touch sensor FPC can be used to transmit touch signals received on the sense lines of touch sensor FPC layer  305 . These signals can be transmitted to, and received from, a processor or other computing device, such as a laptop computer, desktop computer, and the like. In some embodiments, the processor coupled to touch sensor FPC layer  305  can be the same processor coupled to keypad  301 . 
     As discussed above, keyboards  100  and  300  can be capable of receiving both mechanical key depression input and touch event input. As a result, keyboards  100  and  300  can output two streams of information: a first data stream containing signals representative of a detected depression of one or more mechanical keys via mechanical key FPC  103  and a second data stream containing signals representative of one or more detected touch events via first touch sensor FPC  105  or second touch sensor FPC  107 . For example, when a user contacts a surface of a mechanical key, touch sensor FPC layer  305  can report a detected touch event via first touch sensor FPC  105  or second touch sensor FPC  107 . When a user depresses a key, touch sensor FPC layer  305  can report a detected touch event via first touch sensor FPC  105  or second touch sensor FPC  107  and keypad  301  can report a detected key depression via mechanical key FPC  103 . In some embodiments, when both touch sensor FPC layer  305  reports a detected touch event and keypad  301  reports a detected key depression for the same key, the reported touch event from touch sensor FPC layer  305  can be ignored, resulting in the input being interpreted as a key depression. When both touch sensor FPC layer  305  reports a detected touch event and keypad  301  reports a detected key depression for different keys, both reports can be processed, resulting in both key depression input and touch input being entered. When touch sensor FPC layer  305  reports a detected touch event on two or more different keys or when keypad  301  reports a detected key depression for two or more different keys, each report can be separately processed, resulting in multiple key depression inputs and/or touch event inputs being entered at the same time. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view of touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  300 . As mentioned above, keyboard  300  can include keypad  301  having one or more dome-switches  403  for detecting a depression of mechanical keys  101 . Keyboard  300  can further include touch sensor FPC layer  305  for detecting touch events on the surface of keycaps  309  of mechanical keys  101 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a user inputting a touch event by applying finger  501  to the surface of keycap  309  without exerting sufficient downward force to depress dome-switch  403 . This action can cause touch sensor FPC layer  305  to detect the touch event and transmit a signal indicative of a detected touch event via touch sensor FPC  105  or  107 . Since the dome-switch  403  is not depressed, keypad  301  may not transmit a signal indicative of a depression of mechanical key  101 . Similarly, when a user enters a hover event by placing their finger near the surface of keycap  309 , the touch sensor may transmit a signal indicative of a detected hover event via touch sensor FPC  105  or  107 . Additionally, since the dome-switch  403  is not depressed, the keypad may not transmit a signal indicative of a depression of mechanical key  101 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a user entering a key stroke by applying finger  501  to the surface of keycap  309  and exerting downward force sufficient to depress dome-switch  403 . This action can cause keypad  301  to transmit a signal indicative of a depression of mechanical key  101  via mechanical key FPC  103 . However, since the user&#39;s finger  501  also contacts the surface of keycap  309 , touch sensor FPC layer  305  can detect the touch event and transmit a signal indicative of a detected touch event via touch sensor FPC  105  or  107 . Thus, in this example, both a touch event signal and a key depression signal can be transmitted from the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard. As mentioned above, in some embodiments, when both a touch event signal and a key depression signal are generated for the same mechanical key  101 , the touch event signal can be ignored, resulting in the input being interpreted as a key depression. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates another cross-sectional view of touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  300 . As mentioned above, in some embodiments, keyboard  300  can include one or more multi-purpose keys capable of being depressed to two or more different levels. In the illustrated embodiment, keyboard  300  can include keypad  301  having one or more two-position switches  703  for detecting a depression of dual-purpose mechanical keys  101  to two different levels. Each position, or level, of two-position switch  703  can be interpreted as a different input. For example, depressing a mechanical key  101  to the first level can cause a conventional text input to be generated. Depressing the mechanical key  101  to the second level can cause a different input to be generated, such as a mouse click or text input that is different from that generated at the first level. Keyboard  300  can further include a touch sensor FPC layer  305  for detecting touch events on the surface of keycaps  309  of mechanical keys  101 . 
     In some embodiments, two-position switch  703  can include a membrane switch having multiple detents. The bottom of the membrane switch can include a conductive material configured to close a pair of circuits in response to a depression of the membrane switch. The membrane switch can include a first flexible portion that is configured to be overcome by a first depressive force, thereby allowing the switch to be depressed a first distance to cause the first circuit to be completed. The membrane switch can further include a second flexible portion that is configured to be overcome by a second, larger, depressive force, thereby allowing the switch to be depressed a second, larger, distance to cause the second circuit to be completed. In this way, the membrane switch can be depressed to two different levels while providing the user with tactile feedback associated with each level of depression. While a specific example of two-position switch  703  is provided above, it should be appreciated that two-position switch  703  can include any two-position dome switch, two-position membrane switch, or any other multiple-position switch known to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
       FIG. 8  shows a user inputting a touch event by applying finger  501  to the surface of keycap  309  without exerting sufficient downward force to depress two-position switch  703 . This action can cause the touch sensor FPC layer  305  to detect the touch event and transmit a signal indicative of a detected touch event via touch sensor FPC  105  or  107 . Since two-position switch  703  is not depressed, keypad  301  may not transmit a signal indicative of a depression of mechanical key  101 . Similarly, when a user enters a hover event by placing their finger near the surface of keycap  309 , the touch sensor may transmit a signal indicative of a detected hover event via touch sensor FPC  105  or  107 . Additionally, since two-position switch  703  is not depressed, the keypad may not transmit a signal indicative of a depression of mechanical key  101 . 
       FIG. 9  shows a user entering a key stroke by applying finger  501  to the surface of keycap  309  and exerting a downward force sufficient to depress two-position switch  703  a first distance  901 . This action can cause two-position switch  703  to transmit a first signal indicative of a depression of mechanical key  101  via mechanical key FPC  103 . In some embodiments, two-position switch  703  can provide tactile feedback to the user in a manner similar to that of a conventional keyboard indicating that mechanical key  101  has been depressed a distance sufficient to activate the first switch level of two-position switch  703 . Since the user&#39;s finger  501  also contacts the surface of keycaps  309 , the touch sensor FPC layer  305  can detect the touch event and transmit a signal indicative of a detected touch event via touch sensor FPC  105  or  107 . Thus, in this example, both a touch event signal and a key depression signal can be transmitted from the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard. As mentioned above, in some embodiments where both a touch event signal and a key depression signal are transmitted for the same mechanical key  101 , the touch event signal can be ignored since the user likely intended to enter a key depression input rather than a touch input. 
       FIG. 10  shows a user entering a key stroke by applying finger  501  to the surface of keycap  309  and exerting a downward force sufficient to depress two-position switch  703  a second distance  1001  that is greater than first distance  901  shown in  FIG. 9 . This action can cause two-position switch  703  to transmit a second signal indicative of a depression of mechanical key  101  via mechanical key FPC  103 . Additionally, similar to the example shown in  FIG. 9 , since the user&#39;s finger  501  also contacts the surface of keycaps  309 , the touch sensor FPC layer  305  can detect the touch event and transmit a signal indicative of a detected touch event via touch sensor FPC  105  or  107 , resulting in both a touch event signal and a key depression signal being transmitted from the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard. In some embodiments where both a touch event signal and a key depression signal are transmitted for the same mechanical key  101 , the touch event signal can be ignored since the user likely intended to enter a key depression input rather than a touch input. 
     In some embodiments, as discussed above, two-position switch  703  can provide tactile feedback to the user indicating that mechanical key  101  has been depressed a distance sufficient to activate the second switch level of two-position switch  703 . The tactile feedback provided to the user in response to reaching the second level of two-position switch  703  can have the same feel or a different feel than the feedback provided in response to reaching the first level of two-position switch  703 . For example, in some embodiments, the tactile feedback provided in response to reaching the first level of two-position switch  703  can feel like a key press on a conventional keyboard. In these embodiments, the tactile feedback provided in response to reaching the second level of two-position switch  703  can be stiffer, creating a feeling similar to that provided in response to a mouse click or a depression of a touchpad. 
     In some embodiments, a processor located in a host computer, in the keyboard assembly, or elsewhere, can be used to determine if a dual-purpose mechanical key has been depressed to a first level or a second level. The processor can be the same processor used to receive the touch event signal and key depression signal described above. Alternatively, the processor can be a different processor than that used to receive the touch event signal and key depression signal described above. For example, in some embodiments, the processor can be coupled to receive touch and key depression signals from the sensors within touch sensitive mechanical keyboard (e.g., keyboard  100  or  300 ) via a connector (e.g., FPCs  103 ,  105 , and  107 ). 
     In some embodiments, upon receipt of a signal indicating that a dual-purpose mechanical key  101  has been depressed to the first level, the processor can wait a threshold length of time for a signal indicating that the dual-purpose mechanical key  101  has been depressed to the second level. This can be done because when a user attempts to depresses a dual-purpose key to the second level, the dual-purpose key may first be depressed to the first level, causing the keypad circuitry to detect a key depression. In response, the keypad circuitry may send a first key depression signal to the processor indicating that a key depression event (the key being depressed to the first level) has been detected. However, since the user is attempting to further depress the dual-purpose key to the second level, the key can be further depressed a short time after the key reaches the first level. This can cause the keypad circuitry to detect the depression of the key and transmit a second key depression signal indicating that a key depression event (the key being depressed to the second level) has been detected. Thus, to prevent the generation of excessive or erroneous signals, the processor may wait a threshold length of time after receiving the first key depression signal to account for the delay between the dual-purpose mechanical key reaching the first level and the second level. The threshold length of time may have a duration that is sufficiently long to allow the user to fully depress the key without causing a noticeable delay between the time the user presses the key and the time a computer system reacts to the input. Thus, if the second key depression signal is received within the threshold length of time, the key depression can be interpreted as a key depression to the second level. If, however, the second key depression signal is not received within the threshold length of time, the key depression can be interpreted as a key depression to the first level. 
       FIG. 11  shows exemplary touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  1100 , such as keyboard  100  or  300 , being used to enter various types of input. In some embodiments, left hand  1101  can be used to enter textual data, such as characters, numbers, and symbols, by depressing mechanical keys  101 , and/or left hand  1101  can be used to perform touch events, such as scrolling, panning, dragging, pointing, zooming, clicking, selecting, and the like. Similarly, right hand  1103  can be used to enter textual data, such as characters, numbers, and symbols, by depressing mechanical keys  101 , and/or right hand  1103  can be used to perform touch events, such as scrolling, panning, dragging, pointing, zooming, clicking, selecting, and the like. 
     In some embodiments, left hand  1101  and right hand  1103  can be used to simultaneously enter textual data or perform touch events. For example, either left hand  1101  or right hand  1103  can be used to perform touch events (e.g., panning, dragging, scrolling, pointing, zooming, clicking, selecting, and the like) while the other hand is used to enter textual data. In other examples, both left hand  1101  and right hand  1103  can be used to enter textual information. In yet other examples, both left hand  1101  and right hand  1103  can be used to perform touch events. Similarly, one hand can be rested on the keyboard (not entering textual data or performing touch events) while the other hand is entering textual data or performing touch events. The input for each hand can be processed separately, resulting in multiple key depression inputs and/or touch event inputs being entered at the same time. 
     In some embodiments, one or more of the mechanical keys  101  can be dual-purpose mechanical keys  1105  capable of being depressed to two or more different levels, or depths, to generate two or more different outputs depending on the depth of the key depression. In some embodiments, the dual-purpose mechanical key  1105  can be the spacebar and can be configured to generate a space character upon being depressed to the first level and can be configured to generate a mouse click upon being depressed to the second level. However, it should be appreciated that any of the mechanical keys  101  can be dual-purpose keys and that each dual-purpose key can be configured to generate any desired output upon being depressed to the first and second levels. Moreover, it should be appreciated that the dual-purpose functionality of the keys can be configured by a user. For example, the user can select which keys may operate as dual-purpose keys and can select the type of output generated by each level of the dual-purpose keys. 
       FIG. 12  shows an exemplary process  1200  for detecting touch events and key depressions on a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard similar or identical to touch sensitive mechanical keyboards  100 ,  300 , or  1100 . Additionally, process  1200  can provide a way to distinguish between touch events and key depressions on a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard. 
     At block  1201  of process  1200 , the surface of some or all of the mechanical keys of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can be monitored for a touch event. In some embodiments, a touch sensor similar or identical to touch sensor  200  or touch sensor FPC layer  305  can be used to detect touch events on or near the surface of mechanical keys  101 . If no touch event is detected, the process can repeat back to block  1201  where the surface of some or all of mechanical keys  101  can continue to be monitored. However, if a touch event is detected, the process can proceed to block  1205 . In some embodiments, if a touch event is detected, the touch sensor of the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can transmit a touch event signal indicating that a touch event has occurred as well as information relating to the touch event (e.g., location, duration, motion, or the like). For example, a touch event signal can be transmitted by touch sensor  200  or touch sensor FPC layer  305  to a processor via first or second touch sensor FPC  105  or  107 . The processor can be located within the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard or can be located separate from the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard. 
     Similarly, at block  1203  of process  1200 , the mechanical keys of a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can be monitored for a depression of one or more of the mechanical keys. In some embodiments, a keypad similar or identical to keypad  301  can be used to detect a depression of one or more mechanical keys  101  of keyboard  100 ,  300 , or  1100 . If no key depression is detected, the process can repeat back to block  1203  where the mechanical keys  101  can continue to be monitored. However, if a key depression is detected, the process can proceed to block  1205 . In some embodiments, if a depression of one or more mechanical keys is detected, the keypad of the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard, such as keyboard  100 ,  300 , or  1100 , can transmit a key depression signal indicating that a key depression has occurred as well as information relating to the key depression (e.g., key depressed, duration, or the like). For example, a key depression signal can be transmitted by keypad  301  to a processor via mechanical key FPC  103 . In some embodiments, the processor can be the same processor that receives the touch signal from touch sensor  200  or touch sensor FPC layer  305  via first or second touch sensor FPC  105  or  107 . In other embodiments, a separate processor can be used. 
     At block  1205 , it can be determined whether only a touch event has been detected or if both a touch event and a key depression have been detected. If a touch event has been detected and no key depression has been detected, the process can proceed to block  1207 . However, if both a touch event and key depression have been detected, the process can proceed to block  1209 . 
     In some embodiments, a processor located in a host computer, in the keyboard assembly, or elsewhere, can be used to determine if only a touch event has been detected or if both a touch event and a key depression have been detected. The processor can be the same processor used to receive the touch event signal and key depression signal described above. Alternatively, the processor can be a different processor than that used to receive the touch event signal and key depression signal described above. For example, in some embodiments, the processor can be coupled to receive touch and key depression signals from the sensors within touch sensitive mechanical keyboard (e.g., keyboard  100 ,  300 , or  1100 ) via a connector (e.g., FPCs  103 ,  105 , and  107 ). 
     In some embodiments, upon receipt of a signal indicating a touch event has been detected, the processor can wait a first threshold length of time for a signal indicating a key depression has been detected. This can be done because when a user depresses a key to input a character, number, or symbol, the user&#39;s finger can contact the surface of the key, causing the touch sensor circuitry to detect the touch event. The touch sensor circuitry can then send a signal to the processor indicating a touch event has been detected. However, since the user is attempting to enter a keystroke, the key can also be depressed a short time after the user&#39;s finger contacts the surface of the key. This can cause the keypad circuitry to detect the depression of the key and transmit a signal indicating that a key depression has been detected. Thus, to prevent the generation of excessive or erroneous signals, the processor may wait a first threshold length of time after receiving the touch event signal to account for the delay between the user touching the key and the key being depressed. The first threshold length of time may have a duration that is sufficiently long to allow the user to fully depress the key without causing a noticeable delay between the time the user presses the key and the time a computer system reacts to the input. Thus, if the key depression signal is received within the first threshold length of time after receiving the touch event signal, the input can be interpreted as a key depression and the process can proceed to block  1209 . If, however, the key depression signal is not received within the first threshold length of time after receiving the touch event signal, then the input can be interpreted as a touch event and the process can proceed to block  1207 . 
     It should be appreciated that the determination performed at block  1205  can be done on a per-key basis. For example, if a touch event is detected on a particular key (e.g., the “F” key), it can be determined whether the same key (the “F” key) has been depressed. If the same key has been depressed, the process can proceed to block  1209 . If, however, a different key is depressed (e.g., the “R” key), the input can be interpreted as a touch event on the “F” key and the process can proceed to block  1207 . For the different depressed key (e.g., the “R” key), the process  1200  can repeat in order to interpret its input and eventually proceed to block  1209 . In this way, the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard can detect touch events on one portion of the keyboard while receiving textual input at another portion of the keyboard as described above with respect to  FIG. 11 . Additionally, for a touch event received on a different key (e.g., the “W” key), the process  1200  can repeat in order to interpret its input and eventually proceed to block  1207 . This allows the detection of a touch event on a first key while simultaneously detecting another touch event on a second key. In this way, a user can perform two touch events at the same time. For example, the user can move a pointer arrow with one hand and move a text cursor with the other or the user can scroll with one hand and move a pointer arrow with the other. Other combinations of touch events, such as panning, dragging, scrolling, pointing, zooming, clicking, selecting, and the like can be implemented using one or two hands on the keyboard. 
     Additionally, as discussed above, one or more mechanical keys can be multi-purpose mechanical keys (e.g., dual-purpose mechanical keys). In some embodiments, a processor located in a host computer, in the keyboard assembly, or elsewhere, can be used to determine if the dual-purpose mechanical key has been depressed to a first level or a second level. In some embodiments, the processor can determine if the dual-purpose mechanical key has been depressed to the first level or the second level by waiting a second threshold length of time after receiving a first key depression signal indicating that a depression of the key to the first level has been detected. If a second key depression signal indicating that a depression of the key to the second level has been detected is received within the second threshold length of time, then the key depression can be interpreted as a second level key depression. If the second key depression signal is not received within the second threshold length of time, the key depression can be interpreted as a first level key depression. In some examples, the second threshold length of time can have any duration that is sufficient to allow the user to fully depress the dual-purpose mechanical key. It should be appreciated that if either the first or second key depression signal is received within the first threshold length of time after receiving the touch event signal, the input can be interpreted as a key depression and the process can proceed to block  1209  where a command corresponding to the detected key depression level can be transmitted. 
     At block  1207 , a touch event command, such as a tap or slide event command, can be transmitted. In some embodiments, a processor can transmit a signal to another processor or host computer indicating that a tap or slide has been received by the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard. In response to the touch event command, the processor or host computer can cause a touch event, such as panning, dragging, scrolling, pointing, zooming, clicking, selecting, or the like to be performed. 
     At block  1209 , a key depression command identifying the depressed key can be transmitted. In some embodiments, a processor can transmit a signal to another processor or host computer indicating that a key depression has been received by the touch sensitive mechanical keyboard. In some embodiments for a dual-purpose mechanical key, the key depression command can include information identifying the detected level of key depression. In these embodiments, a first key depression command indicating that a key depression to the first level has been detected can cause the processor or host computer to generate a conventional character while a second key depression command indicating that a key depression to the second level has been detected can cause the processor or host computer to generate a different input. For example, depressing the spacebar to the first level can cause a space character to be generated while depressing the spacebar to the second level can cause a mouse click operation to be performed. Thus, if the second key depression signal indicating that the key has been depressed to a second level is received within the second threshold length of time, then the processor can determine that the input should be interpreted as the input (e.g., a mouse click) associated with the second level of depression and generate the second key depression command. If, however, the second key depression signal is not received within the second threshold length of time, then the processor can determine that the input should be interpreted as a conventional key input (e.g., character, symbol, or number entry) and generate the first key depression command. 
     One or more of the functions relating to the detection of a touch event or key depression can be performed by a computing system similar or identical to computing system  1300  shown in  FIG. 13 . Computing system  1300  can include instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as memory  1303  or storage device  1301 , and executed by processor  1305 . The instructions can also be stored and/or transported within any non-transitory computer readable storage medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “non-transitory computer readable storage medium” can be any medium that can contain or store the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus or device, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM) (magnetic), a read-only memory (ROM) (magnetic), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) (magnetic), a portable optical disc such as a CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, or DVD-RW, or flash memory such as compact flash cards, secured digital cards, USB memory devices, memory sticks, and the like. 
     The instructions can also be propagated within any transport medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “transport medium” can be any medium that can communicate, propagate or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The transport medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic or infrared wired or wireless propagation medium. 
     Computing system  1300  can further include touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  1307  coupled to processor  1305 . Touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  1307  can be similar or identical to touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  100 ,  300 , or  1100  described above. In some embodiments, keyboard  1307  can include mechanical keys  1309 , keypad  1311 , and touch sensor  1313  for detecting touch events and key depressions and for providing signals indicating a detection of a touch event or key depression to processor  1305 . In some embodiments, mechanical keys  1309  can be similar or identical to mechanical keys  101 , keypad  1311  can be similar or identical to keypad  301 , and touch sensor  1313  can be similar or identical to touch sensor  200  or touch sensor FPC layer  305 , described above. Processor  1305  can receive the detection signals from keyboard  1307  and interpret them as touch events or key depressions in a manner similar or identical to that described above with respect to process  1200 . 
     It is to be understood that the computing system is not limited to the components and configuration of  FIG. 13 , but can include other or additional components in multiple configurations according to various embodiments. Additionally, the components of computing system  1300  can be included within a single device, or can be distributed between two or more devices. For example, while processor  1305  is shown separate from keyboard  1307 , in some embodiments, processor  1305  can be located within keyboard  1307 . 
       FIG. 14  illustrates an exemplary personal computer  1400  that can include a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  1401  according to various embodiments. 
       FIG. 15  illustrates another exemplary personal computer  1500  that can include a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard  1501  according to various embodiments. 
     The personal computers of  FIGS. 14 and 15 , as well as other computing devices, can receive both touch input and mechanical key input by utilizing a touch sensitive mechanical keyboard according to various embodiments. 
     Although embodiments have been fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the various embodiments as defined by the appended claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20110914
Publication Date: 20150526
Grant Date: 20150526
Priority Date: 20110914
Inventors: ELIAS JOHN GREER
MARTISAUSKAS STEVEN J.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01H2225/03", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2239/074", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H03K17/9622", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H03K2217/96054", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0202", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H03K17/98", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2225/002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H13/66", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/044", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2239/02", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0443", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0446", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H03K2217/96054", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H13/66", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2225/002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H13/66", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H03K17/98", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2239/02", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0202", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H03K17/9622", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2239/074", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0446", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0443", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2225/03", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H03K2217/96054", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H03K17/98", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2225/03", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H03K17/9622", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0202", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2225/002", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2239/074", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01H2239/02", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 46801666