Fabric Enclosure Backlighting

• US 20130229356A1
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shaw, Timothy C., Lane, David M., Whitt, David Otto III, Kim, Young Soo, Ishihara, James Alec, Emerton, Neil, Marwah, Rahul, Longo, Sheila A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,793,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1669 Detachable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/704 characterised by the layers, e.g. by their material or structure H01H13/703 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/82 characterised by contact space venting means
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/88 Processes specially adapted for manufacture of rectilinearly movable switches having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/05 Force concentrator; Actuating dimple
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Fabric enclosure backlighting techniques are described. In one or more implementations, one or more translucent portions are formed within a plurality of layers of a fabric enclosure assembly. In one approach, regions within one or multiple layers are laser etched to form the translucent portions within the fabric enclosure assembly. A light source is then arranged to selectively transmit light through the layers via the translucent portions to provide backlight for one or more elements integrated with fabric enclosure assembly. The one or more elements may include representations of input keys and/or graphics associated with the fabric enclosure assembly. The backlight may be used to view the one or more elements in low light and/or provide backlight effects such as borders, side lighting, labels, and so forth.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a light source;

a fabric enclosure assembly having a plurality of layers including at least an outer skin, a backer layer, and one or more middle layers disposed between the outer skin and the backer layer;

one or more translucent portions formed in the plurality of layers to enable transmission of light from the light source through the plurality of layers to provide backlight for elements integrated with the fabric enclosure assembly.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a connection portion configured to connect the apparatus as an accessory device to a computing device.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more translucent portions are formed by laser etching into one or more of the plurality of layers.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more translucent portions include at least one region etched into a top surface of the outer skin that is exposed in the fabric enclosure assembly.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more translucent portions include regions formed in multiple different layers of the plurality of layers.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more translucent portions include at least one region etched into one of the middle layers.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensitive sensor stack configured to be contacted responsive to pressure applied at locations of one or more of said elements integrated with the fabric enclosure that represent underlying input keys to initiate communication of corresponding inputs to a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the apparatus.

8. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the elements integrated with the fabric enclosure assembly include representations of one or more input keys disposed on the outer skin.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein representations of the one or more input keys are arranged as a legend for a keyboard.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the elements integrated with the fabric enclosure assembly include representations of graphics disposed on the outer skin.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured as a flexible cover for a computing device that also operates as an input device when connected to the computing device by selectively illuminating the elements integrated with the fabric enclosure assembly via the light source.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more translucent portions include regions etched into an underside surface of the outer skin that is not exposed in the fabric enclosure assembly, such that:

a top surface of outer skin that is exposed in the fabric enclosure assembly appears homogenous in color and without the elements corresponding to the regions being visually perceptible without backlight from the light source; and

elements corresponding to the regions become visually perceptible when backlight from the light source is applied.

13. A method comprising:

forming one or more translucent portions within one or more of a plurality of layers of a fabric enclosure assembly;

arranging a light source to selectively transmit light through the plurality of layers via the one or more translucent portions that are formed to one of said layers configured as an outer skin of the fabric enclosure assembly thereby providing backlight for one or more elements associated with the fabric enclosure assembly.

14. A method as described in claim 13, wherein forming the one or more translucent portions comprises laser etching one or more regions within one or more of the plurality of layers.

15. A method as described in claim 13, wherein forming the one or more translucent portions comprises laser etching multiple regions within at least two different layers of the plurality of layers.

16. A method as described in claim 13, wherein forming the one or more translucent portions comprises etching an underside surface that is not exposed in the fabric enclosure assembly, such that a top surface of the outer skin that is exposed in the fabric enclosure assembly appears homogenous in color and without appearance of elements corresponding to the etching of the underside surface in the absence of light from the light source being applied to backlight the corresponding elements.

17. A method as described in claim 13, wherein forming the one or more translucent portions comprises selectively applying opaque dye to a translucent layer to create opaque regions that block light transmission at locations where the opaque dye is applied and translucent portions at locations where the opaque dye is not applied.

18. An accessory device comprising:

an interface to communicatively couple the accessory device to a computing device;

a fabric enclosure assembly having a plurality of layers laminated together including at least an outer skin, a backer layer, and one or more middle layers disposed between the outer skin and the backer layer;

one or more representations of input keys formed within the fabric enclosure assembly;

a pressure sensitive sensor stack configured to initiate a particular input to be communicated to the computing device responsive to pressure applied with respect to a corresponding representation of an input key;

a light source to provide backlight for the one or more representations of input keys;

one or more translucent portions formed in the plurality of layers stack to facilitate transmission of the backlight from the light source to illuminate the one or more representations of input keys.

19. The accessory device of claim 18, wherein at least some of the one or more translucent portions are configured to represent corresponding input keys.

20. The accessory device of claim 18, wherein the one or more representations of input keys are formed by partially removing material in one or more of the plurality of layers underneath an exposed surface of the outer skin and retaining material at the exposed surface of the outer skin, such that the representations of input keys are not visually perceptible on the exposed surface in absence of the backlight from the light source.