PHOTOCONDUCTOR PANEL FOR LIGHTING A KEYBOARD

• US 20030090885A1
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wintek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wintek Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Chen-Chang
• Granted Patent: US 6,561,659 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A photoconductor panel for lighting a keyboard. The photoconductor panel is disposed in an electronic product having a liquid crystal module and a keyboard. The photoconductor panel is disposed on the bottom of the liquid crystal module. The photoconductor panel has a photoconduction face facing the liquid crystal module. At least one side of the photoconduction face has multiple photoconduction sections for conducting light beam to the photoconduction face. At least one light source is disposed on one side of the photoconduction face. A portion of the photoconductor panel is further formed with multiple through holes corresponding to the touch sections of the keyboard and the touch buttons. The circumference of each through hole is formed with at least one second photoconduction section for conducting light beam upward.

Claims

1. A photoconductor panel for lighting a keyboard, the photoconductor panel being disposed in an electronic product having a liquid crystal module and a keyboard, the keyboard having multiple keys, a bottom of each key having a touch section for touching a touch button arranged in the electronic product, the photoconductor panel being disposed on a bottom of the liquid crystal module in the electronic product, the photoconductor panel having a photoconduction face facing the liquid crystal module, the photoconduction face having a profile corresponding to that of the liquid crystal module, at least one side of the photoconduction face having multiple photoconduction sections for conducting light beam to the photoconduction face, at least one light source being disposed on one side of the photoconduction face, a portion of the photoconductor panel being further formed with multiple through holes corresponding to the touch sections of the keyboard and the touch buttons, a circumference of each through hole being formed with at least one second photoconduction section for conducting light beam upward.

2. The photoconductor panel for lighting a keyboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic product is a mobile phone.

3. The photoconductor panel for lighting a keyboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic product has a front casing, the front casing having a transparent window and multiple keyholes, the window corresponding to the liquid crystal module, the keyholes corresponding to the keys of the keyboard.

4. The photoconductor panel for lighting a keyboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein liquid crystal module is rectangular, the photoconductor panel having a profile corresponding to inner periphery of the front casing, the photoconduction face having a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side, the first and third sides being long sides, while the second and fourth sides being short sides.

5. The photoconductor panel for lighting a keyboard as claimed in claim 4, wherein the light source is disposed at an adjoining section of the first and fourth sides.

6. The photoconductor panel for lighting a keyboard as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second photoconduction sections are photoconduction grooves upward recessed from the bottom of the photoconductor panel, the photoconduction grooves of the same through hole being interconnected via connecting sections.