Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Hinskens

Thomas M. Hinskens has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11816273
    Abstract: A keyboard, touchpad, and palm rest haptic response system may comprise a coversheet to identify a keyboard, a touchpad, and a palm rest on a C-cover for an information handling system, a haptic palm rest and touchpad feedback assembly disposed beneath the haptic palm rest area including haptic touchpad, and a haptic keyboard feedback assembly disposed beneath the keyboard. Keyboard controller and palm rest and touchpad controller may receive piezo actuation signals from keyboard piezoelectric elements and touchpad and palm rest piezoelectric elements, respectively, and send a haptic feedback control signals to the respective keyboard piezoelectric elements or palm rest and touchpad piezoelectric elements to cause keyboard haptic feedback or palmrest or touchpad haptic feedback at an actuation location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Patent number: 11662820
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard of an information handling system may include a coversheet to identify a key location of the haptic keyboard; a support layer; a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer; a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the key location of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal; and a controller of the information handling system operatively coupled to the contact foil to: receive an electric actuation signal from the piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress via the contact foil; and send an electrical response signal to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback at the key location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Michiel Knoppert, Priyank Gajiwala, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Patent number: 11579695
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard of an information handling system may comprise a coversheet to identify a key location, a support layer, a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer, and a controller operatively coupled to the contact foil. The controller may receive a haptic actuation indicator signal via a processor or via the contact foil, send a first haptic feedback control signal to a first piezoelectric element to cause the first piezoelectric element to generate haptic tactile movement feedback at the key location, and send a second haptic feedback control signal to the first or a second piezoelectric element to cause the second piezoelectric element to generate haptic sound feedback in response to the haptic actuation indicator signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, James H. Hallar, Thomas M. Hinskens, Frank van Valkenhoef
  • Patent number: 11507188
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard of an information handling system may comprise a coversheet to identify an extended action key of the haptic keyboard, a support layer, a contact foil, and piezoelectric elements placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the extended action key and generate an electric actuation signal. A controller may receive the electric actuation signal from a piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress, via the contact foil, and determine the level of mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric element from the electric actuation signal to select an alphanumeric character from a plurality of alphanumeric characters based on the mechanical stress level applied to the extended action key and provide a response haptic feedback control signal to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Michiel Knoppert, Priyank Gajiwala, Thomas M. Hinskens, Frank van Valkenhoef, Samuel Broadbent
  • Publication number: 20220236810
    Abstract: A keyboard, touchpad, and palm rest haptic response system may comprise a coversheet to identify a keyboard, a touchpad, and a palm rest on a C-cover for an information handling system, a haptic palm rest and touchpad feedback assembly disposed beneath the haptic palm rest area including haptic touchpad, and a haptic keyboard feedback assembly disposed beneath the keyboard. Keyboard controller and palm rest and touchpad controller may receive piezo actuation signals from keyboard piezoelectric elements and touchpad and palm rest piezoelectric elements, respectively, and send a haptic feedback control signals to the respective keyboard piezoelectric elements or palm rest and touchpad piezoelectric elements to cause keyboard haptic feedback or palmrest or touchpad haptic feedback at an actuation location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Patent number: 11347314
    Abstract: A coversheet layer of an information handling system, comprising a coversheet having a key location of a haptic keyboard and a haptic touchpad area on a C-cover for the information handling system including a magnet or ferromagnetic insert in the coversheet for alignment to a top replaceable overlay layer magnetically attachable to the coversheet, a support layer, a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer, a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the key location or touchpad actuation location of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal and a controller of the information handling system operatively coupled to the contact foil to receive the electric actuation signal and send an electrical haptic response signal to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Michiel Knoppert, Priyank Gajiwala, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Patent number: 11301053
    Abstract: A keyboard, touchpad, and palm rest haptic response system may comprise a coversheet to identify a keyboard, a touchpad, and a palm rest on a C-cover for an information handling system, a haptic palm rest and touchpad feedback assembly disposed beneath the haptic palm rest area including haptic touchpad, and a haptic keyboard feedback assembly disposed beneath the keyboard. Keyboard controller and palm rest and touchpad controller may receive piezo actuation signals from keyboard piezoelectric elements and touchpad and palm rest piezoelectric elements, respectively, and send a haptic feedback control signals to the respective keyboard piezoelectric elements or palm rest and touchpad piezoelectric elements to cause keyboard haptic feedback or palmrest or touchpad haptic feedback at an actuation location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Patent number: 11294469
    Abstract: A reconfigurable haptic interface assembly of an information handling system may comprise a coversheet display layer displaying a key location of a haptic keyboard based on a modified configuration, a contact foil placed between the coversheet layer and a support layer, and a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and the support layer receiving an applied mechanical stress near the displayed key location, and transmitting a generated piezo actuation signal via the contact foil. A processor may receive the piezo actuation signal, identify x- and y-coordinate location data describing the displayed key location based, in part, on the piezo actuation signal, identify a keyboard scan code associated with the x- and y-coordinate location data, and send a haptic feedback response signal to the piezoelectric element to generate a haptic feedback at the key location and a digital display may display a key register event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Patent number: 11243610
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard based sound system of an information handling system comprising a coversheet to identify a plurality of key locations of a haptic keyboard and a first key having a piezoelectric element for haptic tactile feedback upon key actuation, a support layer, a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer, and a haptic feedback and piezo sound controller operatively coupled to the contact foil to receive the mid-frequency portion of an audio signal and the high frequency portion of the audio signal from an audio controller operably connected to the haptic feedback and piezo sound controller, and send a piezo audio signal to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate a mid-frequency and high-frequency sound audio according to the received mid-frequency portion of an audio signal and the high frequency portion of the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, James H. Hallar, Thomas M. Hinskens, Frank van Valkenhoef
  • Publication number: 20210349540
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard of an information handling system may comprise a coversheet to identify an extended action key of the haptic keyboard, a support layer, a contact foil, and piezoelectric elements placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the extended action key and generate an electric actuation signal. A controller may receive the electric actuation signal from a piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress, via the contact foil, and determine the level of mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric element from the electric actuation signal to select an alphanumeric character from a plurality of alphanumeric characters based on the mechanical stress level applied to the extended action key and provide a response haptic feedback control signal to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Michiel Knoppert, Priyank Gajiwala, Thomas M. Hinskens, Frank van Valkenhoef, Samuel Broadbent
  • Publication number: 20210240267
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard of an information handling system may comprise a coversheet to identify a key location, a support layer, a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer, and a controller operatively coupled to the contact foil. The controller may receive a haptic actuation indicator signal via a processor or via the contact foil, send a first haptic feedback control signal to a first piezoelectric element to cause the first piezoelectric element to generate haptic tactile movement feedback at the key location, and send a second haptic feedback control signal to the first or a second piezoelectric element to cause the second piezoelectric element to generate haptic sound feedback in response to the haptic actuation indicator signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, James H. Hallar, Thomas M. Hinskens, Frank van Valkenhoef
  • Publication number: 20210240271
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard based sound system of an information handling system comprising a coversheet to identify a plurality of key locations of a haptic keyboard and a first key having a piezoelectric element for haptic tactile feedback upon key actuation, a support layer, a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer, and a haptic feedback and piezo sound controller operatively coupled to the contact foil to receive the mid-frequency portion of an audio signal and the high frequency portion of the audio signal from an audio controller operably connected to the haptic feedback and piezo sound controller, and send a piezo audio signal to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate a mid-frequency and high-frequency sound audio according to the received mid-frequency portion of an audio signal and the high frequency portion of the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, James H. Hallar, Thomas M. Hinskens, Frank van Valkenhoef
  • Publication number: 20210240282
    Abstract: A keyboard, touchpad, and palm rest haptic response system may comprise a coversheet to identify a keyboard, a touchpad, and a palm rest on a C-cover for an information handling system, a haptic palm rest and touchpad feedback assembly disposed beneath the haptic palm rest area including haptic touchpad, and a haptic keyboard feedback assembly disposed beneath the keyboard. Keyboard controller and palm rest and touchpad controller may receive piezo actuation signals from keyboard piezoelectric elements and touchpad and palm rest piezoelectric elements, respectively, and send a haptic feedback control signals to the respective keyboard piezoelectric elements or palm rest and touchpad piezoelectric elements to cause keyboard haptic feedback or palmrest or touchpad haptic feedback at an actuation location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Publication number: 20210240266
    Abstract: A reconfigurable haptic interface assembly of an information handling system may comprise a coversheet display layer displaying a key location of a haptic keyboard based on a modified configuration, a contact foil placed between the coversheet layer and a support layer, and a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and the support layer receiving an applied mechanical stress near the displayed key location, and transmitting a generated piezo actuation signal via the contact foil. A processor may receive the piezo actuation signal, identify x- and y-coordinate location data describing the displayed key location based, in part, on the piezo actuation signal, identify a keyboard scan code associated with the x- and y-coordinate location data, and send a haptic feedback response signal to the piezoelectric element to generate a haptic feedback at the key location and a digital display may display a key register event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Publication number: 20210240270
    Abstract: A coversheet layer of an information handling system, comprising a coversheet having a key location of a haptic keyboard and a haptic touchpad area on a C-cover for the information handling system including a magnet or ferromagnetic insert in the coversheet for alignment to a top replaceable overlay layer magnetically attachable to the coversheet, a support layer, a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer, a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the key location or touchpad actuation location of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal and a controller of the information handling system operatively coupled to the contact foil to receive the electric actuation signal and send an electrical haptic response signal to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Michiel Knoppert, Priyank Gajiwala, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Publication number: 20210240268
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard or touchpad of an information handling system comprising a coversheet to identify an extended action key of the haptic keyboard or extended action touchpad, a support layer, a contact foil, and piezoelectric elements placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the extended action key or extended action touchpad of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal. A controller receive the electric actuation signal from a piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress via the contact foil and determine the level of mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric element from the electric actuation signal to select a function from a plurality of function levels based on the mechanical stress level applied to the extended action key or extended action touchpad and providing a response haptic feedback control signal to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Michiel Knoppert, Priyank Gajiwala, Thomas M. Hinskens, Frank van Valkenhoef, Samuel Broadbent
  • Patent number: 11079849
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard or touchpad of an information handling system comprising a coversheet to identify an extended action key of the haptic keyboard or extended action touchpad, a support layer, a contact foil, and piezoelectric elements placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the extended action key or extended action touchpad of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal. A controller receive the electric actuation signal from a piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress via the contact foil and determine the level of mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric element from the electric actuation signal to select a function from a plurality of function levels based on the mechanical stress level applied to the extended action key or extended action touchpad and providing a response haptic feedback control signal to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Michiel Knoppert, Priyank Gajiwala, Thomas M. Hinskens, Frank van Valkenhoef, Samuel Broadbent
  • Publication number: 20210208682
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard of an information handling system may include a coversheet to identify a key location of the haptic keyboard; a support layer; a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer; a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the key location of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal; and a controller of the information handling system operatively coupled to the contact foil to: receive an electric actuation signal from the piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress via the contact foil; and send an electrical response signal to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback at the key location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Michiel Knoppert, Priyank Gajiwala, Thomas M. Hinskens
  • Patent number: 10936073
    Abstract: A haptic keyboard based sound system of an information handling system comprising a coversheet to identify a plurality of key locations of a haptic keyboard and a first key having a piezoelectric element for haptic tactile feedback upon key actuation, a support layer, a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer, and a haptic feedback and piezo sound controller operatively coupled to the contact foil to receive the mid-frequency portion of an audio signal and the high frequency portion of the audio signal from an audio controller operably connected to the haptic feedback and piezo sound controller, and send a piezo audio signal to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate a mid-frequency and high-frequency sound audio according to the received mid-frequency portion of an audio signal and the high frequency portion of the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Priyank Gajiwala, Michiel Knoppert, James H. Hallar, Thomas M. Hinskens, Frank van Valkenhoef
  • Patent number: 10860112
    Abstract: A coversheet layer of an information handling system, comprising a coversheet having a key location of a haptic keyboard and a haptic touchpad area on a C-cover for the information handling system including a magnet or ferromagnetic insert in the coversheet for alignment to a top replaceable overlay layer magnetically attachable to the coversheet, a support layer, a contact foil placed between the coversheet and support layer, a piezoelectric element placed between the contact foil and support layer to receive an applied mechanical stress at the key location or touchpad actuation location of the coversheet and generate an electric actuation signal and a controller of the information handling system operatively coupled to the contact foil to receive the electric actuation signal and send an electrical haptic response signal to the piezoelectric element to cause the piezoelectric element to generate haptic feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Michiel Knoppert, Priyank Gajiwala, Thomas M. Hinskens