Dell Products Inc.

Frank Christopher Azor

Mark Allan Casparian

Joe A Olmsted

Philip Joseph Grossmann

Reginald I Rego

Gabriel Gonzalez

David Estrada

Charles Cameron Duncan

Francisco Santana

Jacqueline F Gutierrez

Jason Scott Morrison

Danae Sierra

Carlos L Ross

Brian P Cooper

Jeffrey A Cubillos

A Fleming Seay

Antonios Berry

Darek Kaminski

Kevin P O'Neill

Asif Rehman

Chris S Wetzel

Systems and methods that may be implemented to provide supplemental cooling air for a portable information handling system from one or more mechanically-adjustable cooling air supply outlets that may be positioned and/or repositioned at multiple different locations relative to a portable information handling system, such as notebook computer or laptop computer. In one example, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to have one or more mechanically-adjustable cooling air supply outlets that may be positioned and/or repositioned to align with differing geometries of cooling air inlet opening locations that correspond to different portable information handling system sizes and/or designs.

Mechanically-adjustable supplemental cooling systems and methods for portable information handling systems

Key assemblies are disclosed herein that are retractable and/or that present a variable key assembly depression force to a user. In one example, one or more key assemblies may be provided that each employ one or more electro-permanent magnets (EPMs) together with permanent magnet and/or magnetically permeable (e.g., ferromagnetic) key assembly components to control key retraction and extension, and/or to control peak depression force (e.g., typing force) required to depress and displace a key assembly from an extended position to a lower position that causes the key assembly to produce a digital or analog output signal.

Retractable and/or variable depression force key assemblies and methods for using the same

Systems and methods are disclosed herein that may be implemented to configure, provide and operate retractable key assemblies and/or key assemblies that present a variable key assembly depression force to a user. In one example, key assemblies may be provided that each employ one or more electro-permanent magnets (EPMs) together with permanent magnet and/or magnetically permeable (e.g., ferromagnetic) key assembly components to control key retraction and extension, and/or to control peak depression force (e.g., typing force) required to depress and displace a key assembly from an extended position to a lower position that causes the key assembly to produce a digital or analog output signal.

Systems and methods for implementing retractable and/or variable depression force key assemblies

Systems and methods that may be implemented using an external cooling dock that is configured to provide supplemental cooling to a portable information handling system by blowing sub-ambient temperature air into one or more existing external air intake-vents of the chassis of the portable information handling system. The external cooling dock may be further configured to electronically dock or otherwise mate in bidirectional signal communication with the portable information handing system to allow the cooling dock processing device to operate cooperatively in a closed loop with the internal processing device/s of the portable information handling system so as to control operation of the cooling dock components and/or the operation of the processing devices within the portable information handling system.

Systems and methods for cooling portable information handling systems

Systems and methods are disclosed that may be implemented to provide keycap lighting to a spring loaded mechanical key switch assembly using a light conductive structure, such as a light pipe, and without requiring a chassis housing of the mechanical key switch assembly to include a dedicated power-consuming light source mounted to or otherwise positioned at the location of the individual key switch assembly chassis housing. Additionally, the disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to use one or more common power-consuming light source/s to simultaneously provide key cap lighting to multiple such spring loaded mechanical key switch assemblies, for example, by feeding light to each key cap though a common light spreader and through an individual non-power consuming light pipe provided for each key switch assembly.

Systems and methods for lighting spring loaded mechanical key switches

Systems and methods are disclosed for user configurable pressure sensitive keys and techniques for controlling these keys for keyboards. User configuration information, including information for user configurable granularity scales for pressure levels, can be communicated from a host system to the keyboard and stored for later use by a keyboard controller to control the operation of the pressure sensitive keys. In this way, greater control of the pressure sensitive keys can be provided. This configurability is of particular use for applications such as where the keyboard is being used for gaming by a user running a gaming application on an information handling system.

Keyboard with user configurable granularity scales for pressure sensitive keys

User input devices with variable pressure buttons are configured. A user may specify a range of pressure to be associated with a pressure level. In some embodiments, a user may also associate a command or other instruction to an application with an identity of a variable pressure button and a pressure level of the button. In some embodiments, the associations may be represented in a configuration profile. In further embodiments, a microcontroller for a mouse may translate signals from variable pressure buttons into pressure levels based upon the configuration file. In many embodiments, a user may associate a reporting rate with a variable pressure button. A legacy application may receive reports of the state of the variable pressure button at the associated reporting rate.

Architecture for variable pressure mouse

A gaming keyboard and related methods are disclosed that provide features to enhance the computer gaming experience. A keyboard connection pod is disclosed that improves power capabilities of the keyboard thereby allowing for enhanced features that require more power. A panic mechanism is disclosed that can be triggered to cause one or more selected keys to change states. Keycap rim-lighting is disclosed that provides improved visual indication of key positions. A hand registration enhancement is disclosed including a spacebar having a thumb notch and/or WASD and spacebar keys with different tactile response than other keys. Function keys are disclosed that are positioned proximate to allow reduced movement of the left hand. An integrated cord wrap tray is disclosed for a peripheral such as a mouse. Other features and variations are also disclosed.

Gaming keyboard with hand registration features

Systems and methods are employed for implementing haptics for pressure sensitive keyboards, such as the type of keyboards having keys that produce alternating digital open/short signals that emulate actuation of conventional 'momentary on' digital keys. The disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to provide haptics for both touch typing and variable pressure sensitive operation of a pressure sensitive keyboard. Users of a variable pressure keyboard may be provided with a variable pressure haptics effect, e.g., to enable the user to intuitively understand from the haptics vibration produced by the key how much pressure they are applying to a given key at any given time. Vibration characteristics (e.g., vibration rate, vibration waveform pattern, etc.) of a given pressed key may be varied in real time in coordination with, or in response to, corresponding changes in user pressure applied to the same given key.

Systems and methods for implementing haptics for pressure sensitive keyboards

Systems and methods are disclosed that enable spring loaded mechanical key switch assemblies having variable displacement sensing capabilities. In one example, the disclosed key switch assemblies may be implemented in a keyboard system and used for providing variable displacement output signals that may be processed by a controller for input to a host processing device of an information handling system, such as a desktop or notebook computer. In another example, the disclosed key switch assemblies may be configured to provide both a digital 'make' connection signal and separate variable displacement output signal/s that may be processed for input to a host processing device of an information handling system.

Growing community of inventors

Palmetto Bay, FL, United States of America

Frank Christopher Azor