Versatile keyboard input and output device

Abstract

A versatile keyboard input and output device is described. The keyboard device includes a housing having a plurality of buttons, with each button individually clickable, and a capacitive sensing element under each button for touch sensing. The versatile keyboard input and output device further includes a lighting element under each button to provide selective lighting for each button, and a plurality of button glyphs for the plurality of buttons respectively, wherein the button glyphs are selectively visually changeable. The keyboard input device also includes a haptic feedback mechanism included in the housing for providing haptic feedback for the plurality of buttons.

1 . A keyboard input and output device, comprising:
 a housing having a plurality of buttons, with each button individually clickable;   a capacitive sensing element under each button for touch sensing;   a lighting element under each button to provide selective lighting for each button; and   a plurality of button glyphs for the plurality of buttons respectively, wherein the button glyphs are selectively visually changeable, and wherein the selective lighting for each button passes through the button dependent on the glyph selection.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each button is individually clickable via the actuation of an independent dome switch for each button. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the selective lighting for each button can be changed based upon an application context. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a haptic feedback mechanism included in the housing for providing haptic feedback for the plurality of buttons;
 wherein the haptic feedback mechanism provides haptic feedback localized to an individual button out of the plurality of buttons.   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the haptic feedback mechanism provides haptic feedback in response to a touch sensing detection by the capacitive sensing element. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the capacitive sensing element provides hover detection. 
     
     
         7 . The device of Claim I , wherein the housing is sized as a handheld device. 
     
     
         8 . A keyboard system, comprising:
 a body having a plurality of buttons, with each button individually clickable via the actuation of an independent dome switch;   a capacitive sensing element under each button to implement touch sensing for each button, wherein touching a given button creates a first reaction and clicking the given button creates a second reaction;   a lighting LED (light emitting diode) under each button to provide independent selective lighting for each button, wherein lighting for each button can be changed based upon an application context; and   a plurality of button glyphs for the plurality of buttons respectively, wherein the button glyphs are selectively visually changeable;   wherein the selective lighting for each button passes through the button dependent on the glyph selection.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a haptic feedback mechanism included in the housing for providing haptic feedback for the plurality of buttons;
 wherein the haptic feedback mechanism provides haptic feedback localized to an individual button out of the plurality of buttons.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the haptic feedback mechanism provides haptic feedback localized to a set of buttons out of the plurality of buttons. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the wherein the capacitive sensing element provides hover detection. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the hover detection implements a pre-click function that indicates a characteristic of the second reaction. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the body is sized as a handheld device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the lighting LEDs are disposed under the buttons to visually indicate the perimeters of each button. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of lighting LEDs under the buttons are selectively controlled to indicate those buttons, out of the plurality of buttons, that have an active function for an application being used. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the touch sensing for each button and the first reaction implement a pre-click function that indicates a characteristic of the second reaction. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein at least two buttons out of the plurality of buttons and the selective lighting for each button cause the at least two buttons to appear as a single larger button and function as a single larger button. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein a set of buttons out of the plurality of buttons and the selective lighting for each button cause the set of buttons to appear as a larger d-pad shaped button having a d-pad function. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the capacitive sensing element under each button creates a proximity detecting function to cause a third reaction upon a close proximity hover over the given button. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the capacitive sensing element under each button implements a gesture input functionality for the plurality of buttons. 
     
     
         21 - 28 . (canceled)