A touchpad for use in an infotainment system and a method of use is provided. The touchpad comprises a bottom layer comprising processing circuitry configured to control operation of a plurality of tactile pixels. The tactile pixels are disposed in a tactile pixel layer on top of the bottom layer. Each tactile pixel comprises a top plate having a plurality of vertices and a support strut coupled to each vertex, each strut comprising a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) hinge disposed between a first rigid portion and a second rigid portion.

An operation device according to the present invention has a touch-screen-type operation surface installed in a vehicle. A plurality of operation units having a convex shape or a concave shape associated with a plurality of components mounted in the vehicle, respectively, are formed at different positions on the touch-screen-type operation surface, respectively. The plurality of operation units are configured to accept an input touch operation as an operation instruction for the component associated with each of the plurality of operation units.

An operation device according to the present invention includes a touch-sensitive operation surface placed in a vehicle and a detecting unit configured to detect touch operation by an operator on the touch-sensitive operation surface. On the touch-sensitive operation surface, a guide part having a convex shape or a concave shape and a planar operation part to be an operation location having a planar shape located around the guide part are formed. The detecting unit is configured to detect slide operation on the guide part from the planar operation part, and accept later operation on a predetermined operation location as an operation instruction set in accordance with a status of the slide operation on the guide part.

Various systems, methods and apparatus are described, such as for engaging a touchscreen user interface. A first example includes a multi-function transceiver device having comprehensive and scalable mapping capabilities for use in a control environment. A second example includes a or the multi-function transceiver device being further equipped to perform specialized functions, such as Internet-based information-kiosk-type function(s). A third example includes a or the multi-function transceiver device, which may be Internet-connected, capable of being wirelessly and remotely controlled by a user via an app (e.g., via a teleoperation comprising a tablet, smartphone or mobile device (having said app)). A fourth example includes an apparatus performing one or a series of mechanical gestures (mechanical touch-induced control operations—such as single-touch, multi-touch, etc.) on a display screen and/or a user interface (UI). A fifth example includes technology that can turn any surface into touch-enabled controls for (wirelessly) controlling UIs, apps, etc. These are just some examples (as non-limiting embodiments).

Various systems, methods and apparatus are described for actuating a touchscreen user interface. A first exemplification comprises an intermediary-transceiver or mediating device; wherein said device is wirelessly capable of providing a scalable mapping interface to a touchscreen user environment. A second exemplification includes one or more conductive interfaces that are operatively coupled with a touchscreen device using at least one of a wireless interface and a conductive actuator at endpoint. Beyond the first and second exemplification above, other exemplary control modalities are also advanced and embodied by the inventor of the present invention.

Disclosed herein is a substrate for an electronic device. The substrate has a visually imperceptible surface texture that exhibits different coefficients of friction on various input objects. In some implementations, the texture of the textured substrate is created using a gas etching process.

Input or control device has a flat capacitively, or resistively, or inductively, or optically, or acoustically evaluated touch layer (2), which is continuously spread over the control zone (1), and also has a graphic layer (3) with a graphical representation of at least one button (4) and/or a key (5) and/or some other control element. Graphic layer (3) is adapted for removal and replacement with at least one different graphic layer, while the first graphic layer (31) and at least one other different graphic layer (32) have different number, and/or shape, and/or layout, and/or graphical representation of the button (4), and/or key (5), and/or some other control element. Evaluation unit (6) is interconnected with the touch layer (2) and is adjusted to the different evaluation of a touch, based on the current graphic layer (3). The graphic layer (3) can be located under or on top of the touch layer (2). For every graphic layer (3) has been assigned an interpretation definition, a map stored in the memory of the evaluation unit (6). The user of the controlled device can upload the interpretation definition into the device even later.

Technologies for interfacing an input overlay device with a touch screen of a computing device are disclosed. A computing device includes a touch screen and at least one processor to execute instructions to: determine parameters associated with an input overlay device overlying the touch screen, the input overlay device separate from the computing device, the parameters to identify a first area of the touch screen and a second area of the touch screen different than the first area, the first area corresponding to an area of the touch screen covered by the input overlay device; detect a position of a touch on the touch screen; if the position of the touch is in the first area, determine an input for the computing device based on the position of the touch; and if the position of the touch is in the second area, ignore the touch.

The present disclosure relates to a multi QWERTY key input method, and more particularly, to a multi QWERTY key input method that allows a plurality of characters to be input by a single key using the QWERTY keyboard arrangement.

An electronic device is provided, including a functional layer, a touch layer, and a protective layer. The touch layer includes at least one touch electrode, and is disposed between the functional layer and the protective layer. The protective layer includes a bottom surface and a top surface. The bottom surface faces the touch layer, and the top surface is opposite to the bottom surface. The top surface includes an inner region, an outer region, and a virtual knob portion. The virtual knob portion is disposed between the inner region and the outer region and corresponds to the touch electrode, and at least a portion of the virtual knob portion protrudes from the outer region or is depressed relative to the outer region.