Computer keyboard backlighting

• US 20060011461A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firefly International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lightwave technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Rector, W. Steve, Church, W. Edward, Harwood, Will R., Krafft, Randall, Chan, Sam E. J., Chu, King Sum
• Granted Patent: US 7,335,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/344
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements

Abstract

Embodiments of a peripheral backlighting system for keyboards are shown and described, which include one or more light-emitting panels exterior to the keyswitches of the keyboard. The panels are preferably electroluminescent material or light-emitting chemical cells and surround at least two sides, and preferably all sides, of the actuation portion of a keyswitch or the space in which the actuation portion slides up and down during use. Alternatively, the panel(s) may extend substantially continuously between and underneath a plurality of keyswitches. The panels extend closely adjacent to the actuation portion or actuation path, or under the keyswitch, to be as far under the key cap as possible without extending into the keyswitch. Preferably, the keyswitch is translucent or partially translucent, and the housing plate over the light-radiant panels, if any, is at least partially translucent or transparent. This way, the light from the light-emitting panels radiates upward through, and preferably around the outer surface of, the translucent keycaps, rather than up through an aperture or lightpipe in the center of the keycaps.

Claims

1. A backlit computer keyboard comprising:

a housing having an uppermost housing plate that has at least a portion that is transparent or translucent;

a circuit board or membrane;

a plurality of keyswitches operatively connected to said uppermost housing plate, each keyswitch having a cap portion for being forced downward by a user and having a translucent or transparent portion, and an actuation portion between the cap portion and the circuit board or membrane for transmitting force to the circuit board to affect switching;

wherein said caps portions are spaced apart to provide gaps between the cap portions;

a substantially planar panel of light-emitting material extending beneath said transparent or translucent uppermost housing plate, wherein the panel of light-emitting material extends between and underneath said cap portions;

wherein said panel emits light up through said uppermost housing plate portion that is transparent or translucent and through said gaps to be visible by a user; and

wherein said panel also emits light directly up through said keyswitches by passing through said translucent or transparent portion of each cap portion.

2. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1, wherein the panel of light-emitting material comprises light-emitting electrochemical cell.

3. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1 wherein the panel is an electroluminescent membrane.

4. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1, further comprising a control device that automatically turns off the light emitted by said panel after a period of inactivity of the keyboard.

5. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1, further comprising a touch pad, a frame near the touch pad having at least a portion that is transparent or translucent, and light-emitting material beneath at least said portion of the frame for illuminating the frame.

6. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1, wherein the panel emits light up between the caps substantially all the way between the caps.

7. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1, wherein the caps each have an outer perimeter and the panel emits light up between the caps near said outer perimeters.

8. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1, wherein the caps each have an outer perimeter and wherein said panel comprises non-light-emitting areas directly below the gaps so that the panel radiates light from near the outer perimeters up through the gaps at an angle to said panel but so that the panel does not radiate light straight up from below the centers of the gaps.

9. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1, wherein the caps each have an outer perimeter and wherein said plate comprises opaque areas generally centered below the gaps and wherein said plate further comprises translucent or transparent areas near said outer perimeters, so that the panel emits light from near the outer perimeters of the caps through the plate translucent or transparent areas and through the gaps at an angle to said panel, but the plate opaque areas block light from being emitted straight up through centers of the gaps.

10. A backlit keyboard as in claim 9, wherein said plate comprises opaque areas comprise masking on the plate.

11. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1, comprising masking on said panel below the gap to inhibit a user from directly viewing areas of said panel that emit light.

12. A backlit keyboard as in claim 1, wherein the cap portions each have an outer perimeter and said panel comprises light-emitting areas near said outer perimeters and non-light-emitting areas below the gap to inhibit a user from directly viewing said light-emitting areas.

14. A backlit keyboard as in claim 12, wherein the panel of light-emitting material comprises a light-emitting electrochemical cell.

15. A backlit keyboard as in claim 12, wherein the panel is an electroluminescent membrane.

16. A backlit keyboard as in claim 12, further comprising a control device that automatically turns off the light emitted by said panel after a period of inactivity of the keyboard.

17. A backlit keyboard as in claim 12, further comprising a touch pad, a frame near the touch pad having at least a portion that is transparent or translucent, and light-emitting material beneath at least said portion of the frame for illuminating the frame.

18. A backlit keyboard as in claim 12, comprising gaps between said cap portions and the panel emits light up between the caps through said gaps substantially all the way between the caps.

19. A backlit keyboard as in claim 12, wherein the cap portions each have an outer perimeter and the panel emits light up between the caps near said outer perimeters.

20. A backlit keyboard as in claim 12, comprising gaps between said cap portions, and wherein the cap portions each have an outer perimeter and wherein said panel comprises non-light-emitting areas directly below the gaps so that the panel radiates light from near the outer perimeters up through the gaps at an angle to said panel but so that the panel does not radiate light straight up from below the centers of the gaps.

21. A backlit keyboard as in claim 12, comprising masking on said panel below the gap to inhibit a user from directly viewing areas of said panel that emit light.

22. A backlit keyboard as in claim 12, comprising gaps between the cap portions, and wherein the cap portions each have an outer perimeter and said panel comprises light-emitting areas near said outer perimeters and non-light-emitting areas below the gap to inhibit a user from directly viewing said light-emitting areas.

13. A backlit computer keyboard comprising:

a housing having an uppermost housing plate;

a circuit board or membrane;

a plurality of keyswitches operatively connected to said uppermost housing plate, each keyswitch having a cap portion for being forced downward by a user and having a translucent or transparent portion, and an actuation portion between the cap portion and the circuit board or membrane for transmitting force to the circuit board to effect switching of the circuit board or membrane;

a substantially planar panel of light-emitting material above said uppermost housing plate and above said circuit board or membrane, wherein the panel of light-emitting material extends between and underneath said cap portions and is the uppermost generally horizontal panel of the keyboard beneath the cap portions; and

wherein said panel emits light directly up through said keyswitches by passing through said translucent or transparent portion of each cap portion.