Integration of organic light-emitting components into the keyboard of an electronic device
First Claim
1. An emissive key for use in a keyboard or keypad in an electronic device having a substrate, wherein the substrate has a first surface to face a user of the keyboard and an opposing second surface, and a plurality of electrical conductors disposed in a layer on the second surface of the substrate, and wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of recesses having filler layers in the recesses, said emissive key comprising:
- a first electrode layer having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side of the first electrode layer is provided on the second surface of the substrate in one of the recesses adjacent to the filler layer therein;
an organic light-emitting layer have a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side of the organic light-emitting layer is provided on the second side of the first electrode layer in said one of the recesses;
a second electrode layer having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side of the second electrode layer is provided on the second side of the organic light-emitting layer; and
a gas encapsulation layer provided adjacent to the second side of the second electrode defining a cavity between the encapsulation layer and the light emitting layer for containing at least one gaseous species in order to protect the light-emitting layer, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are electrically connected to the electrical conductor for operatively connecting the first and second electrode layers to a power source in order to activate the organic light-emitting layer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated key and a method of producing the integrated key, wherein the integrated key can be used on an electronic device. The integrated key includes an organic light-emitting layer and a plurality of electrodes, operatively connected to a power source, to activate the light-emitting layer in order to illuminate the key. Furthermore, the light-emitting layer and the electrodes can be arranged into a group of segments or pixels. The segments or pixels can be individually addressable so that they can be selectively activated to from a symbol or words. The key is implemented on a substrate and includes an encapsulation layer to form a cavity for filling with a gaseous species to protect the organic light-emitting layer in the key.
60 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An emissive key for use in a keyboard or keypad in an electronic device having a substrate, wherein the substrate has a first surface to face a user of the keyboard and an opposing second surface, and a plurality of electrical conductors disposed in a layer on the second surface of the substrate, and wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of recesses having filler layers in the recesses, said emissive key comprising:
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a first electrode layer having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side of the first electrode layer is provided on the second surface of the substrate in one of the recesses adjacent to the filler layer therein;
an organic light-emitting layer have a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side of the organic light-emitting layer is provided on the second side of the first electrode layer in said one of the recesses;
a second electrode layer having a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side of the second electrode layer is provided on the second side of the organic light-emitting layer; and
a gas encapsulation layer provided adjacent to the second side of the second electrode defining a cavity between the encapsulation layer and the light emitting layer for containing at least one gaseous species in order to protect the light-emitting layer, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are electrically connected to the electrical conductor for operatively connecting the first and second electrode layers to a power source in order to activate the organic light-emitting layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of producing an emissive key for use in a keyboard of an electronic device having a substrate, wherein the substrate has a first surface to face a user of the keyboard and an opposing second surface, and a plurality of electrical conductors disposed in a layer on the second surface of the substrate, and wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of recesses having filler layers in the recesses, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a first electrode layer on the second side of the substrate in one of the recesses adjacent to the filler layer therein;
providing an organic light-emitting layer on the first electrode layer in said one of the recesses;
providing a second electrode layer on the organic light-emitting layer;
providing a gas encapsulation layer adjacent to the second electrode layer defining a cavity between the encapsulation layer and the light emitting layer; and
providing at least one gaseous species in the cavity in order to protect the organic light-emitting layer, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are electrically connected to the electrical conductors for operatively connecting to a power source in order to activate the organic light-emitting layer. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification