CN101887319A - Keyboard of terminal equipment and signal receiving method thereof - Google Patents

The invention relates to terminal equipment, and discloses a keyboard of the terminal equipment and a signal receiving method thereof. The keyboard of the terminal equipment has the characteristics of fashionable and beautiful appearance, good handfeel and power consumption saving. In the invention, the surface of the keyboard is implemented based on an EPD screen, and when a mechanical button module inducts the pressing operation, the surface of the keyboard notifies a control module to acquire induction signals received by the surface of the keyboard. Moreover, the surface of the keyboard consists of an upper touch-screen film and a lower EPD screen, or consists of an upper EPD screen and a lower touch sensitive plate. At least two types of interfaces are predefined in the terminal equipment, and the surface of the keyboard is controlled to display corresponding interfaces according to the requirements of users.

Terminal equipment keyboard and signal receiving method thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to a terminal device, in particular to a keyboard technology of the terminal device.

Background

With the continuous development of multimedia technology and wireless networks, the functions of terminal devices (such as mobile phones, handheld game consoles, etc.) are more and more improved, and the applications thereof are more and more extensive, so to speak, the terminal devices such as mobile phones cannot be separated in the current daily life.

The user interaction with the terminal device needs to be realized through a key input device capable of generating signals. In conventional solutions, the key input is realized by a mechanical independent switch key or reed, generating a single signal for each press of a button. The terminal device recognizes an operation that the user wishes to perform based on the single signal generated by the pressing. The key input implementation mode has good hand feeling and low power consumption, is beneficial to saving electric quantity, but is not fashionable and beautiful in appearance.

Currently, many manufacturers have introduced keyboards implemented by touch sensing technology, and terminal devices identify whether a user has an operation that he wishes to perform, and specifically which operation he wishes to perform, by scanning whether a key of a touch keyboard has an action. The touch keyboard is fashionable and tidy in appearance, can be expanded to realize various key and gesture recognition functions, and is popular with a large number of young groups.

However, the inventor of the present invention found that, for a terminal device using a touch keyboard, the touch keyboard of the terminal device needs to continuously scan whether a key is operated, so that a circuit is always in an operating state, and power consumption is high. Moreover, some terminal devices adopt a touch screen to simulate a keyboard, and although the flexibility is high, the problem of high power consumption also exists, and the normal screen display area can be invaded. In addition, the keyboard interface is invariable in both the conventional mechanical key keyboard and the touch keyboard, and once the function of a certain area is designated, the function of the area cannot be adjusted.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a terminal equipment keyboard and a signal receiving method thereof, so that the terminal equipment keyboard has the characteristics of fashionable and attractive appearance, good hand feeling and power consumption saving.

In order to solve the above technical problem, an embodiment of the present invention provides a terminal device keyboard, including:

the keyboard surface is realized on the basis of the electrophoretic display EPD screen and the sensing module and is used for displaying an interface and receiving a sensing signal;

the control module is used for controlling an interface displayed on the surface of the keyboard and acquiring an induction signal received by the surface of the keyboard;

the mechanical key module is used for sensing whether the surface of the keyboard has pressing operation or not and informing the control module when the pressing operation is sensed;

and when receiving the notification, the control module collects the sensing signals received by the surface of the keyboard.

The embodiment of the invention also provides a signal receiving method of the keyboard of the terminal equipment, which comprises the following steps:

the keyboard surface display interface is realized through the EPD screen based on electrophoresis display and the induction module;

when the pressing operation on the surface of the keyboard is sensed, the signal sensing function on the surface of the keyboard is started, and the sensing signal is received and collected.

Compared with the prior art, the implementation mode of the invention has the main differences and the effects that:

the keyboard surface is realized based on the EPD screen and the sensing module, and when the mechanical key module senses that the pressing operation is performed, the mechanical key module informs the control module to acquire a sensing signal received by the keyboard surface. Because the EPD has a characteristic of low power consumption and still keeps a display image for several days or several months after the power is turned off, the EPD technology screen is adopted as the surface of the keyboard, which is fashionable and beautiful in appearance, and can effectively save power consumption, so that the terminal device can have longer standby time and use time. And moreover, when the pressing operation is sensed, the sensing signals received on the surface of the keyboard are collected, so that the misoperation caused by the over-sensitive signal sensing can be avoided, and the keyboard has the characteristic of good hand feeling similar to the traditional keyboard.

Furthermore, the touch sensing technology is adopted to receive the input of the key, so that the response area of the key can be configured freely by software, and the flexibility of the response area of the key is high.

Furthermore, a plurality of interfaces are predefined, and the key definition and the function can be set in a personalized mode. The content displayed by the EPD screen can be changed at will according to the needs of the user, so that the EPD screen has strong function expansion, is convenient to operate and use, and has better experience for the user.

Furthermore, only when the sensing signal receiving function on the surface of the keyboard is started when the pressing operation is sensed, the receiving function of the sensing signal is not in a working state under the normal condition, and the power consumption is further saved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a keyboard structure of a terminal device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a keyboard structure of a terminal device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a keyboard interface transformation according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a flowchart of a signal receiving method of a terminal device keypad according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous technical details are set forth in order to provide a better understanding of the present application. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the technical solutions claimed in the present application can be implemented without these technical details and with various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments.

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The first embodiment of the invention relates to a keyboard of a terminal device. The terminal device keyboard comprises:

the keyboard surface is realized on the basis of an electrophoretic Display (EPD) screen and a sensing module and is used for displaying an interface and receiving a sensing signal; the control module is used for controlling an interface displayed on the surface of the keyboard and acquiring an induction signal received by the surface of the keyboard; and the mechanical key module is used for sensing whether the surface of the keyboard has pressing operation or not and informing the control module when the pressing operation is sensed. And when receiving the notification, the control module collects the sensing signals received by the surface of the keyboard.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 1, the sensing module is a touch screen film, and the surface of the keyboard is specifically composed of an upper touch screen film and a lower EPD screen. The sensing signal is received through the upper touch screen film (such as a resistive touch screen film or a capacitive touch screen film), and the interface is displayed through the lower EPD screen. The interface displayed by the EPD screen is controlled by the control module through the display control bus.

The mechanical key module is arranged below the surface of the keyboard, senses whether a user has key operation, and informs the control module to start the signal receiving and collecting functions on the surface of the keyboard if the user has key operation.

For example, in a typical case (i.e., a user does not need to operate the terminal device), the touch screen film in the surface of the keypad does not work. When a user desires to execute a certain operation on the terminal equipment, the user needs to press the corresponding key on the surface of the keyboard, the mechanical key module provides a hand feeling for the pressing action of the user, and simultaneously, the control module is immediately informed. After receiving the notification, the control module starts the touch screen film to be in a working state, and judges the position of the touch on the screen by acquiring data, so that which operation the user expects the terminal equipment to execute is identified, and the corresponding function is processed by software. That is, if the user just touches the surface of the keyboard and does not press down, the touch screen film does not work, so that the misoperation of the common touch sensing key is avoided, and the power consumption is saved. The mechanical key module may optionally provide one to more, but primarily sense pressure and is not used to identify a particular corresponding key function.

Since EPD is the main approach for implementing electronic paper technology, it can be read comfortably, ultra-thin, light, flexible, and low power consumption display technology like paper, and has the advantages of paper (such as visual perception is almost complete like paper), and can continuously convert and refresh the display content like a common liquid crystal display, and it is much more power-saving than a liquid crystal display (because EPD has the characteristic of low power consumption, and after the power is turned off, it will still keep the display image for several days or months, also called electronic ink). Therefore, the EPD technical screen is adopted as the surface of the keyboard, so that the power consumption can be effectively saved, and the terminal equipment can have longer standby time and use time. And moreover, when the pressing operation is sensed, the sensing signals received on the surface of the keyboard are collected, so that the misoperation caused by the over-sensitive signal sensing can be avoided, and the keyboard has the characteristic of good hand feeling similar to the traditional keyboard.

In addition, in the embodiment, the touch sensing technology is adopted to receive the input of the key, so that the response area of the key can be configured freely by software, and the flexibility of the response area of the key is high. Moreover, the touch screen is aesthetically pleasing and caters to the preferences of most young groups.

It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, after the mechanical key module senses the pressing operation of the user, the mechanical key module notifies the control module, and the control module opens the touch screen film to enable the touch screen film to be in the working state, and collects data. In practical application, the mechanical key module can also sense the pressing operation of the user, not only inform the control module, but also open the touch screen film to enable the touch screen film to be in a working state, and the control module acquires data after receiving the notification. That is, the sensing signal receiving function of the touch screen film is not triggered to be turned on by the control module, but is triggered to be turned on by the mechanical key module.

Since the sensing signal receiving function on the surface of the keyboard is started only when the pressing operation is sensed, the sensing signal receiving function is not in a working state under normal conditions, and the power consumption is further saved.

In addition, it can be understood that the receiving function of the sensing signal can also be in a working state all the time, but the control module does not collect the sensing signal received by the surface of the keyboard under the normal condition. And the control module is triggered to collect the sensing signal only when the pressing operation is sensed.

The second embodiment of the invention relates to a keyboard of a terminal device. The second embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment, differing primarily in that:

in the first embodiment, the sensing module is a touch screen film, the surface of the keyboard is composed of an upper layer of touch screen film and a lower layer of EPD screen, the upper layer of touch screen film receives the sensing signal, and the lower layer of EPD screen displays the interface. However, in the second embodiment, the sensing module is a touch sensing board, the keyboard surface is composed of an upper EPD screen and a lower touch sensing board, the interface is displayed by the upper EPD screen, and the sensing signal is received by the lower touch sensing board, as shown in fig. 2.

It is to be understood that although the specific implementation structure of the keyboard surface in the present embodiment is different from the specific implementation structure of the keyboard surface in the first embodiment, the effect of the first embodiment can be achieved completely, and details are not described herein.

In addition, it can be understood that the keyboard surface implemented based on the EPD screen and the sensing module may also have other specific implementations, for example, the combination of the ultrasonic sensing technology and the EPD screen, or the combination of the infrared sensing and the EPD screen, and the like, can implement the functions of displaying content and receiving a sensing signal, and achieve the same effect as the first implementation.

The third embodiment of the invention relates to a keyboard of a terminal device. The third embodiment is an improvement of the first or second embodiment, and the main improvement is that: at least 2 interfaces are predefined in the terminal equipment, and the control module controls the keyboard surface to display the corresponding interfaces according to the requirements of a user, as shown in figure 3.

Specifically, a plurality of interfaces can be edited and stored in the terminal device according to the needs of the user, such as a large font interface suitable for the elderly, a full keyboard interface suitable for business people, and the like, and of course, the keyboard interface can also be customized by the user (for example, the user can edit and store the interfaces directly on the terminal device, or edit the interfaces on a computer first, and then store the edited contents on the terminal device). The EPD screen in the keyboard can freely change the content according to the needs of the user. In addition, the corresponding key diagram can also be changed according to the setting of software. For example, when the user is allowed to confirm, the keyboard is only displayed as a confirmation key and a cancel key, so that the user can conveniently select. Moreover, since the EPD does not need to consume any current to maintain the display, the personalized keyboard display can persist until the next replacement.

It should be noted that, when editing different keyboard interfaces, corresponding keyboard response areas also need to be set at the same time, and each time a user changes a keyboard interface, software also makes appropriate adjustment to match a new keyboard position.

It can be easily found that by predefining a plurality of interfaces, the key definition and the function can be set individually. The content displayed by the EPD screen can be changed at will according to the needs of the user, so that the EPD screen has strong function expansion and is convenient to operate and use, and the user has better experience. Moreover, the interface with simpler customized content can also avoid the encroachment on the normal display area.

In addition, it should be noted that each unit mentioned in each device embodiment of the present invention is a logical unit, and physically, one logical unit may be one physical unit, or may be a part of one physical unit, or may be implemented by a combination of multiple physical units, and the physical implementation manner of the logical units itself is not the most important, and the combination of the functions implemented by the logical units is the key to solve the technical problem provided by the present invention. Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention do not introduce elements that are less relevant for solving the technical problems of the present invention in order to highlight the innovative part of the present invention, which does not indicate that there are no other elements in the above-mentioned embodiments of the apparatus.

A fourth embodiment of the present invention relates to a signal receiving method for a terminal device keyboard, and a specific flow is shown in fig. 4.

It should be understood that this embodiment is a method embodiment corresponding to the first embodiment, and that this embodiment can be implemented in cooperation with the first embodiment. The related technical details mentioned in the first embodiment are still valid in this embodiment, and are not described herein again in order to reduce repetition. Accordingly, the related-art details mentioned in the present embodiment can also be applied to the first embodiment.

The fifth embodiment of the present invention relates to a signal receiving method for a keyboard of a terminal device. The fifth embodiment is substantially the same as the fourth embodiment, and differs mainly in that:

in a fourth embodiment, the EPD screen-based implementation and sensing module includes a top EPD screen film and a bottom EPD screen, the bottom EPD screen in the keyboard surface displays an interface, and the top touch screen film in the keyboard surface receives a sensing signal. However, in the fifth embodiment, the keyboard surface implemented based on the EPD screen and the sensing module is composed of an upper EPD screen and a lower touch sensing board, the EPD screen at the upper layer of the keyboard surface displays the interface, and the lower touch sensing board at the lower layer of the keyboard surface receives the sensing signal. The specific method for receiving keyboard signals is similar to the fourth embodiment, and will not be described again.

It should be understood that this embodiment is a method embodiment corresponding to the second embodiment, and that this embodiment can be implemented in cooperation with the second embodiment. The related technical details mentioned in the second embodiment are still valid in this embodiment, and are not described herein again in order to reduce repetition. Accordingly, the related-art details mentioned in the present embodiment can also be applied to the second embodiment.

The sixth embodiment of the present invention relates to a signal receiving method for a keyboard of a terminal device. The sixth embodiment is an improvement of the fourth or fifth embodiment, and mainly includes: at least 2 interfaces are predefined in the terminal equipment, and the terminal equipment controls the keyboard surface to display the corresponding interfaces according to the needs of a user. That is, a plurality of interfaces can be edited and stored in the terminal device according to the needs of the user, such as a large font interface suitable for the elderly, a full keyboard interface suitable for business people, and the like, and of course, the keyboard interface can also be customized by the user. The EPD screen in the keyboard can freely change the content according to the needs of the user.

It is to be understood that this embodiment is a method embodiment corresponding to the third embodiment, and that this embodiment can be implemented in cooperation with the third embodiment. The related technical details mentioned in the third embodiment are still valid in this embodiment, and are not described herein again in order to reduce repetition. Accordingly, the related-art details mentioned in the present embodiment can also be applied to the third embodiment.

The method embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, etc. Whether implemented in software, hardware, or firmware, the instruction code may be stored in any type of computer-accessible memory (e.g., permanent or modifiable, volatile or non-volatile, solid or non-solid, fixed or removable, etc.). Also, the Memory may be, for example, Programmable Array Logic (PAL), Random Access Memory (RAM), Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), or the like.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.