Lighting and usability features for key structures and keypads on computing devices

• US 7,708,416 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Yurochko, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, LAURA K
• Application Number:
  US11/779,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23, 362/29, 362/30, 200/314, 404/52, 404/53
• US Class Current: 362/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device

Abstract

A keypad is provided for a computing device. The keypad includes one or more lighting devices or mechanisms for illuminating a plurality of keys structures. In an embodiment, the plurality of key structures are formed from a milky material.

Claims

1. A keyboard for a mobile computing device, the keyboard comprising:

a plurality of key structures, each of the plurality of key structures being referenced by a top end that includes a surface for receiving user-contact and a bottom end opposite to the top end, the plurality of key structures being distributed on a face of the mobile computing device to form the keyboard;

a plurality of discrete light sources provided underneath the plurality of key structures, the plurality of light sources illuminating the key structures from the bottom end;

a milky material provided between the top of at least some of the key structures of the plurality of key structures and the plurality of discrete light sources in order to enable light generated by the plurality of light sources to pass through the associated key structures; and

wherein at least some of the plurality of discrete light sources are aligned under and adjacent to one or more of the plurality of key structures.

2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the milky material is provided within each of the plurality of key structures.

3. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the milky material is a resin that forms each of the plurality of key structures.

4. The keyboard of claim 3, wherein the resin is substantially white.

5. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the milky material is provided as a separately formed layer between the plurality of key structures and the plurality of light sources.

6. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discrete light sources correspond to a plurality of light emitting diodes.

7. The keyboard of claim 1, farther comprising a carrier layer that interconnects the plurality of key structures with the bottom end.

8. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein each of the associated of key structures includes a surface film that forms an exterior of the key structure, and wherein the milky material forms an interior of the key structure.

9. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the plurality of key structures includes a first set of key structures that are substantially different in appearance than a remainder of the plurality of key structures, and wherein the first set of key structures are visually differentiable from the remainder of key structures in part by the light illuminated from the plurality of discrete light sources.

10. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein each of the first set of key structures is adjacent to one another.

11. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein the first set of key structures are of a different color than the rest of the plurality of key structures.

12. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein the first set of key structures are formed from a different type of material than the rest of the plurality of key structures.

13. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein the first set of key structures include substantially different surface ornamentations than the rest of the plurality of key structures.

14. The keyboard of claim 13, wherein each of the first set of key structures is designated to provide a numerical input value.

15. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein each of the first set of key structures is substantially similar in appearance.

16. The keyboard of claim 9, wherein the light passing through each of the first set of key structures differs from the light passing through the rest of the plurality of key structures in at least one of:

(i) color or (ii) intensity.

17. The keyboard of claim 16, wherein the discrete light sources are substantially concentrated below the first set of key structures.

18. The keyboard of claim 17, farther comprising a lighting panel provided underneath the plurality of key structures, the lighting panel uniformly illuminating at least the rest of the plurality of key structures.

19. The keyboard of claim 18, wherein the lighting panel corresponds to an electroluminescent panel.

20. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of discrete light sources are aligned directly under one or more of the plurality of key structures.