G09B13/00

Bistable retractable buttons

An electronic device includes an enclosure and a keyboard positioned within the enclosure. The keyboard includes a substrate and a key mechanism. The key mechanism includes a keycap support mechanism, a keycap supported by the keycap support mechanism and movable relative to the substrate, a ferromagnetic component attached to the keycap support mechanism, and a selectively magnetizable magnet. The selectively magnetizable magnet system may include a magnetizable material and a coil configured to selectively magnetize and demagnetize the magnetizable material. The key mechanism may include a collapsible dome biasing the keycap toward the extended position.

Method and apparatus for assisting persons with disabilities
11514807 · 2022-11-29 ·

A computer aided instruction system includes a keyboard driver and an instruction renderer. The keyboard driver is configured to retrieve a keyboard input from a user before the application receives the keyboard input, and the instruction renderer is configured to execute a computer aided instruction tutorial to instruct the user to input a specific key or key combination. The keyboard driver is further configured to transmit the keyboard input to the instruction renderer to evaluate whether the one or more keystrokes matches the specific key or key combination.

Method and apparatus for assisting persons with disabilities
11514807 · 2022-11-29 ·

A computer aided instruction system includes a keyboard driver and an instruction renderer. The keyboard driver is configured to retrieve a keyboard input from a user before the application receives the keyboard input, and the instruction renderer is configured to execute a computer aided instruction tutorial to instruct the user to input a specific key or key combination. The keyboard driver is further configured to transmit the keyboard input to the instruction renderer to evaluate whether the one or more keystrokes matches the specific key or key combination.

BISTABLE RETRACTABLE BUTTONS

An electronic device includes an enclosure and a keyboard positioned within the enclosure. The keyboard includes a substrate and a key mechanism. The key mechanism includes a keycap support mechanism, a keycap supported by the keycap support mechanism and movable relative to the substrate, a ferromagnetic component attached to the keycap support mechanism, and a selectively magnetizable magnet. The selectively magnetizable magnet system may include a magnetizable material and a coil configured to selectively magnetize and demagnetize the magnetizable material. The key mechanism may include a collapsible dome biasing the keycap toward the extended position.

Educational keyboard device
11645940 · 2023-05-09 · ·

This disclosure describes a keyboard that is selectively configurable in a testing mode, where characters are not visible on a set of touch-based input receivers of the input device, a training mode, where characters are visible on some but not all of the set of touch-based input receivers of the input device, and a standard mode, where characters are visible on all of the set of touch-based input receivers of the input device. This disclosure also describes techniques for manufacturing the input device and illuminating characters via the touch-based input receivers. The described keyboard improves on conventional input devices by allowing selection of one or more touch-based input receivers for which characters are illuminated, or selection of a testing mode where a user cannot see characters on any of the touch-based input receivers.

Educational keyboard device
11645940 · 2023-05-09 · ·

This disclosure describes a keyboard that is selectively configurable in a testing mode, where characters are not visible on a set of touch-based input receivers of the input device, a training mode, where characters are visible on some but not all of the set of touch-based input receivers of the input device, and a standard mode, where characters are visible on all of the set of touch-based input receivers of the input device. This disclosure also describes techniques for manufacturing the input device and illuminating characters via the touch-based input receivers. The described keyboard improves on conventional input devices by allowing selection of one or more touch-based input receivers for which characters are illuminated, or selection of a testing mode where a user cannot see characters on any of the touch-based input receivers.

Virtual keyboard

One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for facilitating user input are provided. For example, a keyboard display trigger event for a computing device may be identified (e.g., a user interacting with a text input interface). Responsive to identifying the keyboard display trigger event, a virtual keyboard may be displayed through the computing device. The virtual keyboard may comprise virtual keys that are displayed along a periphery/edge of a screen of the computing device, such as side-by-side forming a parallelogram shape. Swipe gestures across the virtual keyboard may be used to transition to other virtual keyboards, such as a letter virtual keyboard, a numeric virtual keyboard, a symbol virtual keyboard, an emoji virtual keyboard, a virtual keyboard in a different language, etc.

Virtual keyboard

One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for facilitating user input are provided. For example, a keyboard display trigger event for a computing device may be identified (e.g., a user interacting with a text input interface). Responsive to identifying the keyboard display trigger event, a virtual keyboard may be displayed through the computing device. The virtual keyboard may comprise virtual keys that are displayed along a periphery/edge of a screen of the computing device, such as side-by-side forming a parallelogram shape. Swipe gestures across the virtual keyboard may be used to transition to other virtual keyboards, such as a letter virtual keyboard, a numeric virtual keyboard, a symbol virtual keyboard, an emoji virtual keyboard, a virtual keyboard in a different language, etc.

System and method for teaching pre-keyboarding and keyboarding

The present invention is directed to systems and related methods of teaching pre-keyboarding and keyboarding on a QWERTY-style keyboard wherein a color-coded row-based metaphorical and visual cuing system is used in a curriculum to make foundational keyboarding skills easy-to-teach and easy-to-learn, including: unilateral hand/finger skills, Home Row hand/finger positions, relational position of symbol location, and the essential keystroke spectrum of Home Row positioning-based finger movements of the left and right hand. The invention provides a dynamic virtual keyboard with colored rows which hexfurcates the QWERTY layout into left- and right-handed row sections, independently toggling the visibility of each in a developmental order to teach keyboarding skills in incremental steps rather than all at once. The invention further provides a dynamic cursor that uses visual indicators that mirror the visual cuing system to reinforce instruction with the dynamic virtual keyboard and aid keyboarding accuracy.

Finger recognition system and method for use in typing
11810467 · 2023-11-07 · ·

A system and method for typing training are disclosed in which a fingerprint recognition system is included. The system recognizes a typist's fingers or fingerprints while the typist types the keys on a keypad such that the system determines which finger has pressed a particular key and can notify the typist when an incorrect finger is used to press a particular key. The system is well suited for tutorial typing where the typist is reinforced to use the correct finger to type each particular key. The system may be implemented using a specially designed keyboard or it may be implemented as an application.