Display keyboard

• US 5,818,361 A
• Filed: 11/07/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elkin Acevedo
• Original Assignee: Elkin Acevedo
• Inventors: Acevedo, Elkin
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US08/744,606
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 341/20, 341/22, 341/23, 400/493, 400/485, 400/486, 200/308, 200/310, 200/312, 200/512, 345/170, 345/173
• US Class Current: 341/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/039 Selective or different modes of illumination

Abstract

A display keyboard including a conventional keyboard having an upper edge, lower edge, and pair of side edges. A plurality of display keys are situated on the keyboard. Each display key has a liquid crystal display, light emitting diode display, or any future state of the art display invention situated thereon for depicting alphanumeric characters and indicia. Finally, for controlling the operation of the present invention, a conventional computer is connected to the keyboard and adapted to depict via the display keys characters and indicia relevant to the function of the key during a current software application. To prevent confusion and eliminate clutter, the display keys that are not relevant to the software are rendered blank. In essence, all of the keys of the display keyboard have display capabilities, but it is at the discretion of the manufacture which keys should be able to display.

Claims

1. A new and improved display keyboard comprising, in combination:

a conventional keyboard having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a pair of side edges;

a plurality of function keys including a standard CTRL key, SHIFT key, CAPS LOCK key, ENTER key, and ALT key situated on the keyboard with conventional indicia situated thereon;

a plurality of display keys situated on the keyboard, each display key having a display situated thereon for depicting alphanumeric characters of various languages, symbols, special characters, pictures, icons abbreviations, short explanations and indicia, the display keys capable of changing colors and blinking to differentiate between numbers and letters and further between display keys having different functions associated therewith, wherein each display key is equipped with a light for allowing the utilization of the keyboard in the absence of ambient light; and

a computer with associated software connected to the keyboard for depicting, via the display keys, characters and indicia relevant to the function of the key during a current software application, wherein the improvement comprises;

the computer controlling the display keys such that those not relevant to the software application are rendered blank and further wherein the computer displays, via the display keys, data relevant to a specific executable task associated with the combination of depressing one of the ALT, CTRL, or SHIFT keys simultaneously with one of the display keys.