Portable Electronic Device and its Key structure

• US 20090128497A1
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Chuang, I-Cheng, Liao, Yu-Jing, Wang, Ko-Min, Peng, Chia-Hsiung
• Application Number:
  US12/197,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128497A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224

Abstract

A key structure of a portable electronic device is provided. The portable electronic device has a first operation mode and a second operation mode. The key structure comprises a key, a first light source, and a second light source. The first light source emits a first colored light in the first operation mode so that the key can display a first input symbol. The second light source emits a second colored light in the first operation mode so that the key can display a second input symbol. As a result, users who operate portable electronic devices with the aforementioned key structure can easily recognize the different kinds of input symbols corresponding to different input methods in different operation modes.

Claims

1. A key structure, adapted for a portable electronic device having a first operation mode and a second operation mode, the key structure comprising:

a key configured to display a first input symbol and a second input symbol;

a first light source, disposed under the key, and emitting a first colored light in the first operation mode to light up the first input symbol; and

a second light source, disposed under the key, emitting a second colored light in the second operation mode to light up the second input symbol.

2. The key structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a switch sheet disposed under the first light source and the second light source, wherein the key comprises a protrusion adapted to press the switch sheet.

3. The key structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the switch sheet comprises:

a dome sheet, disposed under the first light source and the second light source, comprising a dome switch corresponding to the key, wherein the protrusion is adapted to press the dome switch; and

a circuit board disposed under the dome sheet.

4. The key structure as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a supporting sheet, wherein the switch sheet is disposed on the supporting sheet and is a membrane circuit sheet.

5. The key structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first light source has a first pattern corresponding to the first input symbol, and the second light source has a second pattern corresponding to the second input symbol.

6. The key structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the key has a third pattern, a fourth pattern and a bottom, and the third pattern and the fourth pattern, corresponding to the first input symbol and the second input symbol, respectively, are disposed on the bottom.

7. The key structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the color of the first colored light is different from the color of the second colored light.

8. The key structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first input symbol is one of a numeral, an English letter, a phonetic notation, a punctuation mark, and a sign, the second input symbol is one of a numeral, an English letter, a phonetic notation, a punctuation mark, and a sign, and the first input symbol is different from the second input symbol.

9. The key structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first light source and the second light source is one of an Electro-luminescence film (EL) or an Organic Electro-luminescence (OEL) film.

10. A portable electronic device having a first body status and a second body status corresponding to a first operation mode and a second operation mode of the portable electronic device respectively, the portable electronic device comprising:

an upper body; and

a lower body, connected to the upper body substantially, comprising a plurality of key structures, wherein each of the key structures comprises;

a key configured to display a first input symbol and a second input symbol;

a first light source, disposed under the key, and emitting a first colored light in the first operation mode to light up the first input symbol; and

a second light source, disposed under the key, and emitting a second colored light in the second operation mode to light up the second input symbol.

11. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the key structures further comprises a switch sheet disposed under the first light source and the second light source, and the key comprises a protrusion adapted to press the switch sheet.

12. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the switch sheet comprises:

a dome sheet, disposed under the first light source and the second light source, comprising a dome switch corresponding to the key, wherein the protrusion is adapted to press the dome switch; and

a circuit board disposed under the dome sheet.

13. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a supporting sheet, wherein the switch sheet is disposed on the supporting sheet and is a membrane circuit sheet.

14. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the upper body and the lower body are opened up along a first direction to take on the first body status in the first operation mode, and the upper body and the lower body are opened up along a second direction to take on the second body status in the second operation mode.

15. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

16. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first light source has a first pattern corresponding to the first input symbol, and the second light source has a second pattern corresponding to the second input symbol.

17. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the key has a third pattern, a fourth pattern and a bottom, and the third pattern and the fourth pattern, corresponding to the first input symbol and the second input symbol, respectively, are disposed on the bottom.

18. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the color of the first colored light is different from the color of the second colored light.

19. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first input symbol is one of a numeral, an English letter, a phonetic notation, a punctuation mark, and a sign, and the second input symbol is one of a numeral, an English letter, a phonetic notation, a punctuation mark, and a sign, and the first input symbol is different from the second input symbol.

20. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the first light source and the second light source is one of an EL film and an OEL film.