This invention relates to key and pushbutton apparatus and a method of conveying identification, instruction, or description information about such keys or buttons, primarily when they are manipulated superficially by the user (touched) as opposed to being used in their normal fashion (pressed; i.e., having their normal functions invoked by the user). The preferred apparatus of the invention is embodied to serve this need most concisely by combining the informational key means above the ordinary functional key means in a vertical "layered" format rather than a horizontal "planar" format, such that it can be accessed informationally by a user (e.g., for identification of or instruction about the underlying ordinary function key) without actuating the (possibly erroneous or unknown) ordinary function. With audible informational means, this aspect the invention is particularly adaptable to numeric keypad/pushbutton systems with mixed functions such as modern telephone keypads, and especially suited to applications where visual distraction of the user is a problem, such as with cellular telephone keypads.
Over the past years great strides have been made in both voice-synthesis and keypad technology, and many present-day products and systems use one or both in some form. Many microprocessors and dedicated IC-circuits capable of voice-synthesis, keypad-handling, or both are available, as are many forms of matrix and pushbutton keypads utilizing both traditional (mechanical movement-and-contact) methods and more sophisticated electronic methods for non-mechanical detection of key usage. The latter include, among others, resistive and/or capacitive electrical systems using conductive or semiconductive keypad materials, low-pressure-contact matrix materials (a la LCD touch-screens), piezo-mechanical materials, as well as infra-red and other "touch-free" detection systems which detect proximity to a key rather than actual contact. Thus, as one will understand, a wide variety of such technologies is available to the present-day systems-designer for implementing both voice-synthesis and keys, and the prior art is cognizant of many techniques and applications thereof. Numerous products are also available which marry the two technologies, typically by emitting a synthesized voice message regarding the pressed key, given after a key is pressed and/or its function executes.
The prior art does not, however, disclose or anticipate the marriage of the two technologies in a form that allows a user to obtain information or instruction about a key prior to making normal use of the key by manipulating it in a superficial or characteristic manner that does not activate its normal function. The state of current electronics switching and keypad catalogs aptly reveals this, as one can find only traditional rocker switches as a potential "off-the-shelf" embodiment of the switching needs of the invention. Even OFF-MOM-MOM mechanical pushbuttons, which are not unknown to the state of the art and could implement a system closer to the preferred embodiment than rockers, are semi-custom items not listed in short-form catalogs. No catalog hardware even approximating the preferred embodiment, which foresees a substantially zero-effort "touch-sensitive" key positioned above a substantially existent-effort "pressure-sensitive" key, is available even in semi-custom form.
It is understood, of course, that any technique which enables the user to obtain information or instruction about a key (or group of keys) before functional use of it would enhance the operation of complex keypad systems, and would particularly enhance the safe and accurate use of keypad systems (such as mobile telephones) wherein visual distraction of the user is unsafe or undesirable. There have been many articles written which describe the hazards imposed by dialing on a cellular system while manipulating an automobile, and it is obvious that any improvement or enhancement of the dialing procedure which will keep the driver's eyes on the road will be particularly advantageous and valuable. Likewise, such a device would be of immense value as a system for the handicapped, particularly the visually impaired for whom keypad use is literally a hit-or-miss affair. In both instances, the characteristic of giving identification information regarding a touched key before it is pressed and its function is executed would be of great value.
The apparatus and methods to be described enable information in a wide variety of forms to be passed to a user in a variety of ways prior to the pressing and functional invocation of a key.
The method and apparatus of the instant invention depend upon a two-level keypad system wherein a first (Touch) subsystem responds to an informational manipulation of a key and a second (Press) subsystem responds to a functional manipulation of the same key. This is accomplished most simply by vertically laminating a Touch-responsive keypad requiring little or no physical actuation pressure (such as a conductive-pad capacitive-discharge system) over the top of a traditional (mechanical throw-and-contact) Press-responsive system requiring significant actuation pressure. The former (Touch) system would then be linked to a voice-synthesizer or other information-giving means capable of decoding the Touch and passing appropriate information to the user regarding the underlying, functionally associated key.
It should be noted, however, that there are many alternative means by which the informational and keypad needs of the invention could be met. Some examples of the former are visual responses such as display messages giving help to the user regarding keypress function, or tactile feedback from the key itself for specialized identification purposes, while some examples of the latter are proximity-sensing systems rather than touch-sensing ones (e.g., infra-red), dual-throw mechanical keys wherein a moderate actuation-pressure results in the informational function while a harder pressure actuates a second throw resulting in the functional function, or even dual-press systems wherein keys are pressed once for informational use and a second time, perhaps within a given time-frame, to accomplish functional use. None of the above examples violate the spirit of the invention, which is to provide some sort of information regarding a given key or key-group to a user without invoking the normal functionality of that key or key-group. Many implementations that would accomplish this are possible.
As one can understand, the main object of the invention is to advantageously utilize the characteristics of the many voice-generation and keypad technologies available at the present time. Numerous examples of appropriate technology are readily available in independent forms well known to the state of the art, and they can be married in a wide variety of ways to accomplish the precepts of the invention.