Portable electronic device having a waterproof keypad

• US 8,446,264 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Tanase, Silviu
• Primary Examiner(s): Edmonds, Lisa Lea
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cunningham, Xanthia C
• Application Number:
  US12/840,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20120020045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/407.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0234 using switches operable in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/85 characterised by tactile feedback features
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/86 characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/052 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/003 Membrane embracing all keys
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/006 Containing a capacitive switch or usable as such
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/04 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9625 using a force resistance transducer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960785 with illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/18 Telephone sets specially adapted for use in ships, mines, or other places exposed to adverse environment H04M1/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22

Abstract

A portable electronic device having a waterproof keypad and a keypad assembly for the waterproof keypad are described. In one embodiment, the keypad assembly comprises: an embossed keypad having a top and bottom surface, the embossed keypad having a plurality of embossed keys on the top surface; a capacitive sensor layer located below the bottom surface of the embossed keypad; and an actuator located below the capacitive sensor layer moveable between a first position in an unactuated state to a second position in an actuated state.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a front face and defining an aperture in the front face, the aperture opening into an internal cavity defined by the housing;

a processor received within the housing;

a keypad assembly received in the aperture in the front face of the housing, the keypad assembly comprising;

an embossed keypad having a top and a bottom surface, the embossed keypad having a plurality of embossed keys on the top surface;

a capacitive sensor layer located below the bottom surface of the embossed keypad, wherein the capacitive sensor layer is connected to the processor, the capacitive sensor layer transmitting input signals to the processor when an object is detected near to or touching an embossed key in the plurality of embossed keys;

a piezoelectric assembly comprising at least one piezoelectric element, wherein the piezoelectric assembly is located below the capacitive sensor layer, wherein the keypad assembly is moveable between a first position relative to the housing when the piezoelectric assembly is in an unactuated state and a second position relative to the housing when the piezoelectric assembly is in an actuated state, whereby movement of the keypad assembly provides tactile feedback, wherein the movement from the first position to the second position is caused by modulation of the charge of the piezoelectric element; and

a gasket located around a perimeter of a keypad area of the embossed keypad and between the embossed keypad and an inner surface of the internal cavity of the housing, the gasket sealing the key assembly to the front face of the housing.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the embossed keypad comprises a flexible sheet, wherein the embossed keys are over-molded on the top surface of the flexible sheet.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor layer comprises a capacitive sheet including a number of capacitive plate electrodes configured to detect the presence of an object near to or touching an embossed key in the plurality of embossed keys.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein each capacitive plate electrode includes a capacitive plate pair deposited on opposite sides of a substrate.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein spaces are provided between capacitive plate pairs in the capacitive sensor layer, the spaces corresponding to spaces between embossed keys in the embossed keypad.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to:

map capacitive plate pairs in the capacitive sensor layer to embossed keys of the embossed keypad,

determine a location of a capacitive plate pair which experiences a change in capacitance exceeding a threshold capacitance change caused by the presence of an object near to or touching the embossed keypad in accordance with a mapping of the capacitive plate pairs to embossed key in the embossed keypad,

determine a particular key in the embossed keys of the embossed keypad in accordance with the determined location, and

generate an output in accordance with the determined key.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a stiffener located between the capacitive sensor layer and the piezoelectric assembly.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the keypad assembly moves from the first position to the second position in response to expansion of the piezoelectric element caused by a decrease in a charge of the piezoelectric element, and the keypad assembly moves from the second position to the first position in response to contraction of the piezoelectric element caused by an increase in the charge of the piezoelectric element.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first position is a rest position and the second position is an actuated position, wherein the piezoelectric assembly is resiliently biased against the capacitive sensor layer to permit movement of the keypad assembly the rest position and the actuated position relative to the housing.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to move the piezoelectric assembly between the first position to the second position in response to the detection of the presence of an object near to or touching an embossed key in the plurality of embossed keys.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a force sensor located below the key assembly and connected to the processor, the force sensor configured to measure forces applied to the keypad assembly;

wherein the processor is configured to modulate the charge of the piezoelectric element to cause the keypad assembly to move between the first position to the second position in response to the detection of a force by the force sensor which exceeds a threshold level.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the embossed keypad and capacitive sensor layer are formed of a substantially transparent material, the keypad assembly further comprising a light guide assembly located immediately below the capacitive sensor layer for illuminating at least a portion of the embossed keys with light provided by a light source.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12, wherein the light guide assembly comprises:

a light emitting diode (LED); and

a light diffuser positioned opposite the LED and having a light incident surface which receives light from the LED when activated, and at least one light emitting surface, wherein the light diffuser is configured to direct the received light towards at least one of the embossed keys to illuminate it.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the embossed keypad is formed from a transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the capacitive sensor layer is formed from patterned indium-tin oxide (ITO) or comprises an array of transparent capacitive sensors.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the internal cavity of the housing defines a channel in which the gasket is received.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a display screen exposed by the housing and connected to the processor.

17. A method of controlling a keypad assembly of a portable electronic device, comprising:

determining a location of a capacitive plate pair which experiences a change in capacitance exceeding a threshold capacitance change caused by the presence of an object near to or touching an embossed keypad of the keypad assembly, the embossed keypad having a plurality of embossed keys on a top surface thereof;

determining a particular key in the embossed keys of the embossed keypad in accordance with the determined location;

modulating a charge of a piezoelectric element to cause the keypad assembly to move between a first position relative to a housing of the portable electronic device to a second position relative to the housing of the portable electronic device in response to the detection of the presence of an object near to or touching an embossed key in the plurality of embossed keys; and

generating an output in accordance with the determined key.