DisplayCover: A Tablet Keyboard with an Embedded Thin-Film Touchscreen Display

Tablet computers aim to bridge the gap between portability and productivity, reducing the need for users to carry multiple devices. However, despite increases in resolution, their displays are limited in size. This commonly results in sequential rather than parallel options for screen navigation, a significant drawback when multitasking. In this paper, we present DisplayCover, a tablet cover that integrates a physical keyboard as well as a touch and stylus sensitive thin-film e-ink display. We developed example applications to demonstrate the ability to dynamically alter the cover display content based on usage context, as well as concurrent access to multiple applications, stylus annotation, gestures and trackpad interactions.

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