Transparent touch surface keyboard

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to keyboards using touch surface technology, and particularly to a transparent touch surface keyboard for use with an electronic device.

2. Description of Related Art

Touch surface keyboards have the advantage of providing thinner, lighter input devices and are becoming more widely used. However, touch surface keyboards may consume energy even when not in use.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Many aspects of the present transparent touch surface keyboard can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the transparent touch surface keyboard. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a transparent touch surface keyboard according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the transparent touch surface keyboard shown in FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram of the transparent touch surface keyboard shown in FIG. 1 .

FIGS. 4A-4B are flowcharts illustrating a state transition of the transparent touch surface keyboard shown in FIG. 2 .

Referring to FIG. 1 , a transparent touch surface keyboard 100 , according to an exemplary embodiment, includes a touch screen 10 , a transparent display screen 30 , a fixing member 50 , a support member 70 with a built-in control circuit (not shown), and a sensing device 90 . The touch screen 10 is located on the transparent display screen 30 and electronically connected to the transparent display screen 30 . The fixing member 50 is located on one side of the transparent display screen 30 . The support member 70 is located under the fixing member 50 . The sensing device 90 is opposite to the fixing member 50 and located along the other side of the transparent display screen 30 . The touch screen 10 , the transparent display screen 30 , and the sensing device 90 are electronically connected to the control circuit.

The touch screen 10 includes a transparent main body 11 and a flexible printed circuit board 13 . When a user touches the main body 11 , the main body 11 sends touch signals to the control circuit through the flexible printed circuit board 13 .

In this exemplary embodiment, the transparent display screen 30 can be a transparent organic light emitting diode display (TOLED) or a transparent field-emission display. The transparent display screen 30 includes two sidewalls 31 , and an end wall 33 . Each sidewall 31 defines a notch 35 . At least one protrusion 37 is located on the end wall 33 .

A receiving groove 51 is defined on a sidewall of the fixing member 50 . The bottom wall of the fixing member 50 defines a plurality of through holes (not shown). The flexible printed circuit board 13 and wires can be electronically connected to the control circuit through the through holes. Two latch posts 53 corresponding to the notches 35 are located in the receiving groove 51 .

At least one latch groove 91 is defined on one sidewall of the sensing device 90 . Each latch groove 91 corresponds to a protrusion 37 . Also referring to FIG. 3 , the sensing device 90 includes a transmitter module 92 for transmitting infrared (IR) light, a plurality of receiver modules 94 for receiving the IR light, and a microprocessor 96 . In this exemplary embodiment, the transmitter module 92 is comprised of a plurality of infrared emitting diodes, and the receiver module 94 is an infrared sensor. In the exemplary embodiment, there may be two receiver modules 94 . The transmitter module 92 and the receiver modules 94 are electronically connected to the microprocessor 96 . Referring to FIG. 1 , an optical lens 97 is located on an upper surface 93 of the sensing device 90 . The transmitter module 92 is located under the optical lens 97 . The two receiver modules 94 opposite to each other are located on the upper surface 93 and adjacent to the optical lens 97 . The optical lens 97 separates the receiver modules 94 from each other. The IR light passing through the optical lens 97 is perpendicular to the upper surface 93 .

Referring to FIG. 2 , the assembly process of the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 may be as follows: the touch screen 10 is attached to the transparent display screen 30 through optical adhesive (OCA). The latch post 53 is received in the notch 35 . And finally, the protrusion 37 is latched in the latch groove 91 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the control circuit in the support member 70 includes a central processing unit 20 . The transparent display screen 30 and the microprocessor 96 are electronically connected to the central processing unit 20 . The transparent touch surface keyboard 100 has a working state and a standby state. In the working state, the transparent display screen 30 displays key icons. Users input characters to electronic devices such as a computer by touching the appropriate key icons. In the standby state, nothing is displayed on the transparent display screen 30 . When the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 is powered on, the transmitter module 92 transmits IR light. The IR light is emitted perpendicular to the upper surface 93 through the optical lens 97 .

When a user uses the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 to input characters to an electronic device, at least one hand of the user must pass above the sensing device 90 to be in a position to reach and use the touch screen 10 . At least some of the IR light is reflected by the user's hand, and then the receiver module 94 receives the reflected IR light. The microprocessor 96 determines whether the receiver module 94 receives the IR light and sends control signals to the central processing unit 20 . The central processing unit 20 switches the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 to the working state or the standby state according to the control signals.

Referring to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B , the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 functions as follows:

In step S 1 , the transmitter module 92 transmits IR light under the control of the microprocessor 96 .

In step S 2 , the microprocessor 96 determines whether at least one receiver module 94 receives the IR light. If at least one receiver module 94 receives the IR light, step S 3 is implemented. If no receiver module 94 receives the IR light, step S 7 is implemented.

In step S 3 , the microprocessor 96 sends a first control signal to the central processing unit 20 .

In step S 4 , in response to the first control signal, the central processing unit 20 determines whether the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 is in the working state. If the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 is in the working state, step S 5 is implemented. If the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 is not in the working state, step S 6 is implemented.

In step S 5 , the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 maintains the working state under the control of the central processing unit 20 .

In step S 6 , the central processing unit 20 switches the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 to the working state.

In step S 7 , the microprocessor 96 sends a second control signal to the central processing unit 20 .

In step S 8 , in response to the second control signal, the central processing unit 20 determines whether the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 is in the standby state. If the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 is in the standby state, step S 9 is implemented. If the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 is not in the standby state, step S 10 is implemented.

In step S 9 , the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 maintains the standby state under the control of the central processing unit 20 .

In step S 10 , the central processing unit 20 switches the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 to the standby state.

The transparent touch surface keyboard 100 senses whether the user's hands are above or on the touch screen through the sensing device 90 , and switches between the working state and the standby state accordingly. The electrical energy consumption of the transparent touch surface keyboard 100 is reduced.

In another exemplary embodiment, the optical lens 97 may be omitted, and the transmitter module 92 is sealed in a optical lens.

In another exemplary embodiment, the sensing device 90 is located around the transparent display screen 30 .

It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.