Backlighting a fabric enclosure of a flexible cover

• US 9,793,073 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Marwah, Rahul, Shaw, Timothy C., Lane, David M., Whitt, III, David Otto, Kim, Young Soo, Ishihara, James Alec, Emerton, Neil, Longo, Sheila A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jong-Suk (James)
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunay, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/653,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• 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 flexible outer cover of the apparatus comprising an assembly having flexible 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;

a sensor substrate beneath the flexible outer cover having one or more conductors disposed thereon;

one or more flexible translucent portions formed in the flexible layers to enable transmission of light from the light source through the flexible layers to provide backlight for elements integrated with the assembly, a flexibility of the flexible layers is reduced for one or more locations relative to the flexibility of the flexible layers at other locations, and

the other locations having greater flexibility cause a stronger signal to be generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the other locations having the greater flexibility than a signal generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the one or more locations having the reduced flexibility; and

a pressure sensitive sensor stack configured to be contacted responsive to pressure applied at locations of one or more of the elements integrated with the assembly that represent underlying input keys to initiate communication of corresponding inputs to a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the apparatus, the pressure sensitive stack comprising force sensitive ink having a conductivity that varies directly in relation to an amount of the pressure applied.

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. The apparatus as described in claim 7, wherein representations of the one or more input keys are arranged as a legend for a keyboard.

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

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

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

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

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

12. An accessory device comprising:

a flexible outer cover of the accessory device comprising an assembly having flexible 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;

a sensor substrate beneath the flexible outer cover having one or more conductors disposed thereon;

one or more flexible translucent portions formed in the flexible layers, wherein flexibility of the flexible layers is reduced at one or more locations relative to the flexibility of the flexible layers at other locations, and the other locations having greater flexibility cause a stronger signal to be generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the other locations having the greater flexibility than a signal generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the one or more locations having the reduced flexibility; and

a pressure sensitive sensor stack configured to be contacted responsive to pressure applied at locations of one or more of the elements integrated with the assembly that represent underlying input keys to initiate communication of corresponding inputs to a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the accessory device, the pressure sensitive stack comprising force sensitive ink having a conductivity that varies directly in relation to an amount of the pressure applied.

13. The accessory device of claim 12, wherein the one or more flexible translucent portions include regions formed in multiple different layers of the flexible layers.

14. The accessory device of claim 12, wherein the accessory device is configured as a flexible cover for the computing device, the flexible cover also operating as an input device when connected to the computing device by selectively illuminating particular elements integrated with the assembly.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a light source;

a flexible outer cover of the apparatus comprising an assembly having flexible 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;

a sensor substrate beneath the flexible outer cover having one or more conductors disposed thereon;

one or more flexible translucent portions formed in the flexible layers to enable transmission of light from the light source through the flexible layers to provide backlight for elements integrated with the assembly, a flexibility of the flexible layers is reduced for one or more locations relative to the flexibility of the flexible layers at other locations, and the other locations having greater flexibility cause a stronger signal to be generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the other locations having the greater flexibility than a signal generated via the one or more conductors when contact is created at the one or more locations having the reduced flexibility; and

a pressure sensitive sensor stack configured to be contacted responsive to pressure applied at locations of one or more of the elements integrated with the assembly that represent underlying input keys to initiate communication of corresponding inputs to a computing device that is communicatively coupled to the apparatus, the pressure sensitive stack comprising force sensitive ink having a resistance that decreases directly in relation to an amount of the pressure applied.

16. The apparatus as described in claim 15, further comprising a connection portion configured to connect the apparatus as an accessory device to the computing device.

17. The apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the one or more flexible translucent portions are formed by laser etching into one or more of the flexible layers.

18. The apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the one or more flexible translucent portions include at least one region etched into a top surface of the outer skin that is exposed in the assembly.

19. The apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the one or more flexible translucent portions include regions formed in multiple different layers of the flexible layers.

20. The apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the one or more flexible translucent portions include at least one region etched into one of the middle layers.