| 摘要 |
Computer-readable media, computerized methods, and a touchscreen device manipulating user-input elements are provided. Generally, manipulation includes identifying a predefined configuration associated with a request received from a user and/or application, deriving configuration settings from the predefined configuration, and transmitting the configuration settings to an electromechanical device that adjusts a portion of user-input elements to an extended orientation and activates a portion of user-input elements. In embodiments, the extended user-input elements positioned in the extended orientation are activated, while the remainder are set to an idle condition. Typically, the extended user-input elements produce outwardly-extending protrusions expressed at a flexible touchpad incorporated in the touchscreen device. These outwardly-extending protrusions may replicate keys of a standard keyboard and correspond with the presently-running application implemented on the touchscreen device. User-initiated actuations of activated user-input elements provide a tactile feedback that substantially simulates a click generated by standard keyboard keys. |
| 主权项 |
1. A touchscreen device capable of manipulating one or more user-input elements from a retracted or extended three-dimensional (3D) orientation and from an active or idle condition, the touchscreen device comprising:
the one or more user-input elements comprising a plurality of movable pins, wherein each movable pin in the plurality of movable pins is in the active or the idle condition, wherein each movable pin in the plurality of movable pins functions as a touch sensitive key when in the active condition such that, when functioning as the touch sensitive key, data is communicated to a user upon recognizing a user touch input, and wherein each movable pin in the plurality of movable pins functions as an idle key when in the idle condition such that, when functioning as the idle key, data is communicated to a user without recognizing the user touch input; a processing unit for monitoring operations being carried out by one or more applications capable of running on the touchscreen device, and for automatically identifying one or more operations as being associated with first configuration settings of a first set of movable pins when a first application is running on the touchscreen device, and second configuration settings of a second set of movable pins when a second application distinct from the first application is running on the touchscreen device, and for accessing the first and second configuration settings at a storage location, wherein the one or more operations are invoked independently of user-initiated actuations entered to the touchscreen device; a flexible touchpad for rendering a user-interface (UI) display, and for expressing at least a first and a second static physically-extending 3D keypad generated by the manipulation of the one or more user-input elements; and an electromechanical device for manipulating the plurality of movable pins according to a particular application presently running on the touchscreen device, the manipulating comprising:
(a) when a first request is received at the processing unit from the first application running on the touchscreen device to manipulate the first set of movable pins according to the first configuration settings, each movable pin in the first set of movable pins is placed in the extended 3D orientation, rendering a first group of user-input elements to produce the first static physically-extending 3D keypad in a first predetermined area of the flexible touchpad, and(b) subsequently, when a second request is received at the processing unit from the second application running on the touchscreen device to manipulate the first set of movable pins to the retracted orientation and the second set of movable pins according to the second configuration settings, wherein the second configuration settings specify simultaneously adjusting the second set of movable pins to the extended 3D orientation in the active condition in a second predetermined area of the flexible touchpad, the extended 3D orientation in the idle condition in a third predetermined area of the flexible touchpad, wherein the third predetermined area is different from the second predetermined area, and the retracted orientation in the idle condition in a fourth predetermined area of the flexible touchpad, wherein the fourth predetermined area is different from the second and third predetermined areas of the flexible touchpad. |
