Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Christopher Harry Stoumbos

Timothy Carlyle Shaw

Joel Lawrence Pelley

David Otto Whitt, Iii

Matthew David Mickelson

Rob Huala

Hua Wang

Todd David Pleake

David Carter Vandervoort

Ralf Groene

Karsten Aagaard

Summer L Schneider

Robyn Rebecca Reed McLaughlin

Jim Tom Belesiu

Paul Henry Dietz

Hrvoje Benko

David R Perek

Kabir Siddiqui

Thomas Charles Oliver

Eric Joseph Wahl

Christopher Strickland Beall

Panos Costa Panay

Sharon Drasnin

James Alec Ishihara

Nathan C Sherman

David Michael Lane

Christopher Andrew Whitman

Robert D Young

Gene Robert Obie

James Charles Marshall

Moshe Randall Lutz

Darryl I Jensen

John Lawrence Miller

Camilo Leon

Peter John Ansell

Harold F Mantooth

Hiroo Umeno

Chun Beng Goh

Michael A Schwager

James H Wise

Andrew N Cady

Dennis J Mathias

Stephan Alexander Cummings

Robert W Young

Mark J Seilstad

Hakon Strande

Matthew G Pedersen

Van Winston Oler

Amey Madhukar Teredesai

David Neff

Jose R Sousa

Oyvind Haehre

David Otto Whit, Iii

Timothy Caryle Shaw

Richard Peter Spooner

Darryl L Jensen

Iii Edward C Giaimo

Davie M Lane

Darryl Jensen

Jamesh Wise

Rajesh Manohar Dighde

Shane Aaron Sykes

Scott K Gibson

Scott Mitchel Mail

Jay Scott Kassels

Matthew G Pederson

Iii David Otto Whitt

Anthony Christian Reed

Bernard Maurice Schultz

David Otto Iii Whitt

Edward C Giaimo Iii

Robyn Rebecca Reed Mclaughlin

Edward C Iii Giaimo

Pressure sensitive key techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a device includes at least one pressure sensitive key having a flexible contact layer spaced apart from a sensor substrate by a spacer layer, the flexible contact layer configured to flex responsive to pressure to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input, for a computing device, associated with the pressure sensitive key. At least one of the flexible contact layer or the sensor substrate are configured to at least partially normalize an output resulting from pressure applied at a first location of the flexible contact layer with an output resulting from pressure applied at a second location of the flexible contact layer that has lesser flexibility than the first location.

Pressure sensitive keys

Flexible hinge spine techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a flexible hinge is configured to communicatively and physically couple an input device to a computing device and may implement functionality such as a support layer and minimum bend radius. The input device may also include functionality to promote a secure physical connection between the input device and the computing device. One example of this includes use of one or more protrusions that are configured to be removed from respective cavities of the computing device along a particular axis but mechanically bind along other axes. Other techniques include use of a laminate structure to form a connection portion of the input device.

Multiple position input device cover

Flexible hinge and removable attachment techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a flexible hinge is configured to communicatively and physically couple an input device to a computing device and may implement functionality such as a support layer and minimum bend radius. The input device may also include functionality to promote a secure physical connection between the input device and the computing device. One example of this includes use of one or more protrusions that are configured to be removed from respective cavities of the computing device along a particular axis but mechanically bind along other axes. Other techniques include use of a laminate structure to form a connection portion of the input device.

Flexible hinge and removable attachment

Input device manufacture techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a plurality of layers of a key assembly is positioned in a fixture such that one or more projections of the fixture are disposed through one or more openings in each of the one or more layers. The positioned plurality of layers is secured to each other.

Method of manufacturing an input device

Pressure sensitive key normalization

Input device adhesive techniques are described. A pressure sensitive key includes a sensor substrate having one or more conductors, a spacer layer, and a flexible contact layer. The spacer layer is disposed proximal to the sensor substrate and has at least one opening. The flexible contact layer is spaced apart from the sensor substrate by the spacer layer and configured to flex through the opening in response to an applied pressure to initiate an input. The flexible contact layer is secured to the spacer layer such that at first edge, the flexible contact layer is secured to the spacer layer at an approximate midpoint of the first edge and is not secured to the spacer along another portion of the first edge and at a second edge, the flexible contact layer is not secured to the spacer layer along an approximate midpoint of the second edge.

Input device securing techniques

An input device has both a touch sensor and a position sensor. A computer using data from the input device uses the relative motion of a contact on a touch sensor with respect to motion from a position detector to disambiguate intentional from incidental motion. The input device provides synchronized position sensor and touch sensor data to the computer to permit processing the relative motion and performing other computations on both position sensor and touch sensor data. The input device can encode the magnitude and direction of motion of the position sensor and combines it with the touch sensor data from the same time frame, and output the synchronized data to the computer.

Disambiguating intentional and incidental contact and motion in multi-touch pointing devices

Input device layer and nesting techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a pressure sensitive key assembly including a substrate having a plurality of hardware elements secured to a surface. The input device also includes one or more layers disposed proximal to the surface, the one or more layers having respective openings configured to nest the one or more hardware elements therein.

Input device layers and nesting

Key formation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a key assembly including a plurality of keys that are usable to initiate respective inputs for a computing device, a connection portion configured to be removably connected to the computing device physically and communicatively to communicate signals generated by the plurality of keys to the computing device, and an outer layer that is configured to cover the plurality of keys of the key assembly, the outer layer having a plurality of areas that are embossed thereon that indicate one or more borders of respective said keys.

Key formation

Flexible hinge spine

Flexible hinge protrusion attachment

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Sammamish, WA, United States of America

Christopher Harry Stoumbos