Adaptable keypad and button mechanism therefor
First Claim
1. A button mechanism, comprising:
- a switch means for operating a button circuit in response to actuation of the button mechanism;
display means disposed in correspondence with the switch means and comprising;
a driver layer having a conductor pattern configured in the pattern of a symbol to be displayed on the button mechanism;
a transparent conductor layer; and
an electrically active ink layer disposed between the transparent conductor layer and the driver layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An adaptable keypad or button utilizes a display laminate made up of a driving layer (108), an electrically active ink layer (110), and a transparent conductor layer (112). In a preferred embodiment, the display laminate is placed between a switch (302, 303, 304) and an actuating member. The driving layer has a series of symbols or characters created by conductor patterns (202, 204, 208, 210) in the shape of the symbols or characters. Some of the conductor segments are used exclusively by one character, some are used exclusively by another character, and some may be common to both characters. The conductors making up the desired character or symbol to be displayed are electrically energized, causing a corresponding pattern in the electrically active ink layer to appear. If the character or symbol needs to be changed to the alternate symbol on the button, then the first character image is erased from the active ink, and the second conductor set is electrically energized to form an image of the second character in the active ink.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A button mechanism, comprising:
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a switch means for operating a button circuit in response to actuation of the button mechanism;
display means disposed in correspondence with the switch means and comprising;
a driver layer having a conductor pattern configured in the pattern of a symbol to be displayed on the button mechanism;
a transparent conductor layer; and
an electrically active ink layer disposed between the transparent conductor layer and the driver layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An adaptable keypad, comprising:
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a plurality of keys, each of the plurality of keys comprising;
a switch means for operating a button circuit in response to actuation of the button mechanism;
display means disposed in correspondence with the switch means and comprising;
a driver layer having a conductor pattern configured in the pattern of a symbol to be displayed on the button mechanism;
a transparent conductor layer; and
an electrically active ink layer disposed between the transparent conductor layer and the driver layer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A portable electronic device having an adaptable keypad, the portable electronic device operable in a plurality of modes, the portable electronic device comprising:
a keypad having a plurality of keys comprising;
a switch means for operating a button circuit in response to actuation of the button mechanism;
display means disposed in correspondence with the switch means and comprising;
a driver layer having a conductor pattern configured in the pattern of a symbol to be displayed on the button mechanism, the conductor pattern including a first set of conductor elements corresponding to a first symbol, and a second set of conductor elements corresponding to a second symbol, and wherein the first and second symbols are coincidentally located;
a transparent conductor layer; and
an electrically active ink layer disposed between the transparent conductor layer and the driver layer.
Specification