SIGNAL GENERATION CIRCUIT FOR KEYBOARDS

• US 20130093605A1
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zippy Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zippy Technology Corporation
• Inventors: CHEN, Ching-Te, HSIAO, Chao-Yu
• Application Number:
  US13/274,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20130093605A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/012 Decoding impedances
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/125 using a scissor mechanism as stabiliser
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/24 using analogue means , e.g. by coding the states of multiple switches into a single multi-level analogue signal or by indicating the type of a device using the voltage level at a specific tap of a resistive divider

Abstract

A signal generation circuit for a keyboard which includes multiple keys and a signal generation circuit located beneath the keys. Each key is depressible to allow the signal generation circuit to generate a matrix signal. The signal generation circuit includes a matrix circuit layer, an isolation layer located on the matrix circuit layer and a contact layer located on the isolation layer. The matrix circuit layer has a matrix circuit including multiple signal terminals. The isolation layer has multiple apertures corresponding to the signal terminals. The contact layer has at least one connecting circuit which includes multiple impedance terminals formed by mixing metal and carbon powder and a terminal line to form electric connection with the impedance terminals. The impedance terminals oppose to the signal terminals via the apertures and have varying impedances to allow the matrix circuit to generate different matrix signals upon contacting with the signal terminals.

Claims

1. A signal generation circuit for a keyboard which includes a plurality of keys and a signal generation circuit located beneath the plurality of keys each being depressible to connect to the signal generation circuit to generate a matrix signal, the signal generation circuit comprising:

a matrix circuit layer including a matrix circuit which includes a plurality of signal terminals;

an insulating isolation layer which is located on the matrix circuit layer and includes a plurality of apertures corresponding to the plurality of signal terminals; and

a contact layer which is located on the isolation layer and includes at least one connecting circuit which includes a plurality of impedance terminals formed by mixing metal and carbon powder and a terminal line to form electric connection with the plurality of impedance terminals, the impedance terminals opposing to the signal terminals via the plurality of apertures and including varying impedances to allow the matrix circuit to generate different matrix signals upon contacting with the signal terminals.

2. The signal generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the impedance terminals are respectively formed by mixing a silver compound and the carbon powder.

3. The signal generation circuit of claim 2, wherein the silver compound and the carbon powder are mixed at varying ratios to allow the impedance terminals to include the varying impedances.

4. The signal generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the terminal line includes at least one high impedance section formed by mixing the metal and the carbon powder and at least one low impedance section made of the metal.

5. The signal generation circuit of claim 4, wherein the high impedance section is connected to the impedance terminal.

6. The signal generation circuit of claim 4, wherein the metal of the high impedance section and the low impedance section is a silver compound.

7. The signal generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the matrix circuit further includes a plurality of signal lines to connect to the signal terminals, the signal lines and the signal terminals being respectively made of a silver compound.